Do commercials on TV persuade you to buy the products?

[belfpala]

Ehh, I'm not convinced.

Go to a store where you're completely out of your element, such as a local Asian or Mexican grocery store. You'll see what Tygrion means.

[lacorpse]

Go to a store where you're completely out of your element, such as a local Asian or Mexican grocery store. You'll see what Tygrion means.

I actually go to many Asian super markets.
My favorite one is Han Gook, a korean super market.

I have bought many items that we're not american.
Ramyun, gochujung, even soy sauce, that is not advertised on TV.

[Denpepe]

It might have convinced me a couple times, and I might have found out something existed that I did not know like a cd from a band I like or a movie. Commercials also sometimes convince me to never buy something from a brand again if i think it is extremely annoying or has some false claims to it.

I find it strange that so many commercials are allowed on the air due to the missinformation they give or are completely flawed in their message or design.

[Extrakt]

I am pretty sure you buy stuff you have seen on the commercials all the time.
Imagine you walk in the store, and you see all those sauces. When you see sauce number 4, your brain connects it to the commercial without you even realising your brain did such a thing.

I vaguely remember coca cola putting images of coca cola bottle in a movie at a movie theatre?
The pictures didn't last long enough for you to realise they showed a picture of coco cola, but your brain sure did notice.
Guess what the people wanted to buy during the break or after the movie?

[belfpala]

I actually go to many Asian super markets.
My favorite one is Han Gook, a korean super market.

I have bought many items that we're not american.
Ramyun, gochujung, even soy sauce, that is not advertised on TV.

Good. But you see the point. If you don't know what you're looking for, or what the stuff even is for, it's a lot more confusing. Advertising alleviates that, to some extent.

(Also, completely unrelated, but the Korean 국 should probably be transliterated as kuk or guk, not that spelling. Not your fault the store named itself that, of course).

[Shocking]

The poll results gave me a bit of a laugh regarding the lack of self-awareness of a lot of people.

I work in PR/marketing, and advertising still works like a charm on me (even though it really shouldn't since I write similar messaging for a living). Companies spend a ton of money on their advertising, marketing, and messaging to get it to a point where people react the way they want them to when they see advertising. Those who say they have "never" bought an item because of a commercial are delusional.

[Nelaphim-EX]

Being repeatedly exposed to a particularly jarring advertisement will put me off of purchasing the item in question. Being bombarded with advertisements for 'White House Down', which are unskippable and incredibly LOUD, means I will never willingly view the film.

[ComputerNerd]

TV adverts draw my attention to new products, but on their own do not persuade me to buy a product.
The internet is a good source of reviews, and will often show you far more accurately than an advert how a product really performs.
Having my parents buy some well advertised cleaning product which turned out to be less effective than the advertising claimed, I don't hold much faith in the accuracy of tv or any other form of advertising.

[Abysal]

The poll results gave me a bit of a laugh regarding the lack of self-awareness of a lot of people.

I work in PR/marketing, and advertising still works like a charm on me (even though it really shouldn't since I write similar messaging for a living). Companies spend a ton of money on their advertising, marketing, and messaging to get it to a point where people react the way they want them to when they see advertising. Those who say they have "never" bought an item because of a commercial are delusional.

If people were fully aware of the effect the commercial was having on them, the commercials wouldn't be as effective.

[Shocking]

If people were fully aware of the effect the commercial was having on them, the commercials wouldn't be as effective.

Very true. And, I likely wouldn't have a job. So, I amend my previous statements about people lacking self-awareness. God bless them!

[MrExcelion]

Wonder how often it actually works on cars. I guess with the high margins it doesn't matter if it's astronomically lower.

[zephid]

I really don't watch TV, but when I do and there's a commercial on I just switch channel.

[Moralgy]

I hit no because the only time I bought an item after seeing a commercial was because it informed me that a new final fantasy game was out, not because of the actual persuasive parts of commercial. It does fall under buying due to a commercial, but I would have had the same reaction if someone just said that this game was out.

[lockedout]

I'm sure a lot of people think and would say no. A brief look around their house and in their cabinets would prove otherwise.

Does that mean they bought it because of a TV add though?

[PACOX]

Commercials are more about awareness than actually making you want to go out an buy a product. They plant small seeds of information in your head so that when you find yourself in a certain situation you think of their product. Like Coke commercials that feature people in the sun having fun, so when you in the sun and get thirsty your brain thinks "Hey, I want a Coke." Or say you get in a car accident and don't know what you do you'll be able to remember once of those crazy car accident jingles they play all the time.

[belfpala]

Does that mean they bought it because of a TV add though?

Again, the commercial doesn't have to sell the product. It just has to make you recognize the name (edit: not even the name sometimes, just the shape or color of the packaging). You won't remember why you recognize it, most likely. Then, when it comes to buying time, oh, yeah I recognize that one...

[Lightwysh]

I fucking despise commercials with every fiber of my being. I immediately change the channel, or fast forward through them.

[Markluzz]

They give me awareness, but I never buy something because of the commercial.

[TheWerebison]

Again, the commercial doesn't have to sell the product. It just has to make you recognize the name (edit: not even the name sometimes, just the shape or color of the packaging). You won't remember why you recognize it, most likely. Then, when it comes to buying time, oh, yeah I recognize that one...

Well, it's possible that it doesn't work the same on everyone, then. I can say with conviction it doesn't work on me. You can claim me blissfully ignorant if you wish, but I know what commercials I see, and I know the products I actually use.

[Felicia]

When I did have satellite TV, I also had a DVR. And I only watched my prerecorded shows. So commercials were a non issue. I don't have cable now, and I'm perfectly fine streaming things online.

And when I was forced to watch commercials, I didn't really pay attention to them. I usually chose that time to go do something else for a bit... like bathroom, get food, a drink.. etc.