Marketing...is not rocket science!

I had never understood the discipline of marketing when my old friends picked it as their major at university until NOW. It's all about psychology really as it is the strategies people use to make money out of consumers who don't know better! We live in a world filled with 'empty'  consumeristic promises which we buy into unfortunately, being constantly bombarded with messages which shape our mindset both consciously and subconsciously, and we end up looking for material stuff we never need in the first place. What if we all ask ourselves the question: what will happen if I don't buy it? before parting our money or credit card? 

I must admit I have come a long way from being a hardcore shopaholic to a minimalist (in progress). I pride myself walking out of the mall unscathed these days, thanks to my training as a personal stylist and my inclination towards second hand shopping. I am becoming more waste conscious and I find that the 'need' can more often than not be deferred and I usually forget what I thought I needed soon after I walk out the shop. It is crucial to differentiate needs and wants and make it a habit to ask yourself the question above.

Thanks to my knowledge about colour and style, I can always create a stylish and contemporary outfit from my existing pieces without resorting to buying something new to keep up with the latest trends. I can now stop buying  and spending and having a wardrobe of clothings that I love, which makes choosing what to wear in the morning effortless. Of course my job as an Image Consultant requires keeping myself up-to-date with trends which I read about in magazines, but I have literally unsubscribed from most email promotions and deleted my online shopping accounts except Amazon (which I use for books and CDs which I can't find in Hong Kong). Instead of buying a new piece of garment, I spend my money on a new hairstyle or colour, or a lipstick to update my look.

The purpose of marketing is to convince us that we can have anything we want by making the purchase, to buy a better version of ourselves based on our beliefs that we are not good enough; which is absolute bullshit to start with. Why should we consent the corporate giants to decide for us what we need and how faulty we are? Rather than being lured into the trap, make do with what you already have, knowing full well that we can never buy a better version of ourselves because we are simply enough.

From my own observation, people who have the extra money to spend tend to lose control of their preferences. Their choices are mostly dictated by others who have something to gain from the sale. They strongly believe that anything more expensive (by comparison) is always better in every way but in fact it is pricey because it is more expensive to produce. Do you make choices which is authentically yours or those of the salespeople? Are you manipulated by all the glossy images and promises circulating around incessantly preying on your vulnerability?