The Reverse Psychology of Mass Marketing through Social Media

Aug 1

posted by Mohammad Mustafa in STUDENT MARKETING POSTS | 28 Comments

With the rise of technology and social media, marketing has been taking a dramatic turn into a new indirect strategy, the so-called reverse psychology of mass marketing. Whether it’s mass marketing or niche marketing, they both simplify and utilize the benefits of mass marketing. Thanks to the Internet and social media, even niche or exclusivist companies are able to put their promotional message out there without appearing to market on purpose outside their official target market.

Customers do know what they want. As many companies committing to the customer experience transformation, they increase their research and investment to understand them. They gather more and more insights on a transactional and relationship level. Getting deeper more frequently insight your customers’ mindset is important, and it carries a sort of consciousness. Having said that, customers now understand their market better, the same way companies do.

What if customers don’t know what they want? It might seem like a silly question, but it’s a critical one, because they don’t know until they’ve seen it. Customers don’t know the product or service they’re looking for until it’s been advertised online, TV or magazines. Therefore, customers provide a great insight into technical experiences that are beneficial to fix problems, improve services, address issues, and thus they take so much credit into defining and segmenting the new marketing era and segmenting their own market, which helps improve the process of consumer self knowledge, although called consumer education.

All things to all people, people choose their preferred things?

With the rising technology of new marketing strategies and social media effect, the majority of consumers know what segment of the market they belong to, a family of five know what kind of car they need. Consumers know that they are loyal to certain brands, but sometimes they might want to go fancy and buy more expensive, exclusive and reputable brands. They know that those brands are out there, since they’ve seen all their ads and posts on social media.

We can say that social media is the new mass marketing era in a very indirect way, which makes it very tricky, especially for companies trying not to blow their cover, by keeping the reputation of targeting specific segments of their market and customers.

While everyone is always talking about social media and the promotional messages that target its billions of users monthly, niche and exclusive companies might also be on the wagon of “the reverse psychology of mass marketing through social media”. High end brands use social media where they see the opportunity of being able to interact with their existing customers as well as potential customers. While they don’t see this as mass marketing, since that can affect their brand positioning and reputation, the bottom line is that every company wants to expand their pool of audience and ultimately grow.

References

“Number of monthly active Facebook users worldwide as of 2nd quarter 2016 (in millions)”. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/

*Soletopia.com (2016). Retrieved from http://www.soletopia.com/2013/01/the-clothes-do-in-fact-make-the-man/ (*Image source).

Strativity.com. (2015). “Do Customers Really Know What They Want?” Retrieved from https://strativity.com/cem-topic/do-customers-really-know-what-they-want/

Mohammad Mustafa is an MBA student in the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University. He was born and raised in Jordan, and is an entrepreneur and business owner who has worked in many industries. He can be reached at mm3413@nova.edu

This entry was posted on August 1, 2016 at 10:24 AM and has received 7775 views. There are currently 28 comments. Print this entry. Download attachment.

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• #1 by Luke Nordstrom on 8/29/16 - 2:03 PM

  

  The title of this article is what caught my attention. I wish it discussed the reverse psychology of marketing more specifically. My understanding of this article is that companies are targeting people using the internet to avoid saying that they are using what is deemed as mass marketing. Internet marketing should definitely be considered mass marketing. Considering it is literally the best way to reach the masses nowadays.

• #2 by Erika Conrad on 9/1/16 - 3:24 PM

  

  Hi Mohammad,
  
  I think you make substantial points has to how mass marketing or niche marketing can be used as a reverse-psychology. However, I feel strongly that when used effectively, brands are taking advantage of the constant rise of social media to further solidify their customer base. I do agree that some customers are unaware and use advertisements to guide their decisions, but I also feel that due to the rise in technology customers are more driven and opinionated - they do not want to be brain washed, they want to be re-assured their purchase is everything they have wanted and more.

• #3 by Elizabeth Bryant on 9/2/16 - 11:10 AM

  

  The purpose behind the reverse psychology of mass marketing is to create a buzz about a company’s product or service in order to expand its audience and brand. Marketing through social media, whether it is just to interact or engage with existing customers, allows companies to reach more people and eventually that will help businesses to grow as well. Therefore, social media is the new tool that businesses can use to do mass marketing in an indirect way.

• #4 by chonterrika strickland on 9/2/16 - 11:57 AM

  

  This article made some very interesting points. Everyone around the world has a social media. It only makes sense to market to them. I actually think the people who market the best using social media and their platform is the Kardashian family. They essentially let people into their "personal lives" (i say that phrase very loosely because social media allows you to show people what you want them to see about your life). By doing this, the consumer feels closer to them. Like they personally know them. Essentially feeling like a distant friend. And of course we all trust what our friends say. So you feel comfortable purchasing whatever they market because their opinion matters to you.

• #5 by Lucille Perez on 9/2/16 - 12:38 PM

  

  Hi Mohammad,
  
  I enjoyed reading your post. It is very interesting how social media has been able to strongly impact marketing. This has become the number one source for companies to make their brands known by the use of promotions and adds. As the consumer, I feel that the use of social media can be misleading when the customer receives advertisements guaranteeing a product is better than it actually turns out to be. This is why I never utilize a site without reading the reviews first.

• #6 by Annalisa Brown on 9/2/16 - 1:28 PM

  

  I agree with the fact that reverse psychology plays a huge role in Mass Marketing through Social Media. We see certain things that celebrities do and we try to mimic their actions. The VMAs had Teyanna Taylor looking great, now everyone on my Facebook is in the gym because they want a body like hers. Yes exercise is great but diet is a huge part of her routine I could imagine, but she doesn't discuss that part. I love the picture you post where the jacket states "the clothes makes the man", clothing stores would want us to believe that but we all know, "the man makes the clothes" is actually the correct phrase.

• #7 by Adrian Fajin on 9/2/16 - 9:23 PM

  

  Social media has been a great addition for companies to be able to market themselves. With so many individuals using, the various amounts of social media platforms, it makes sense for companies to use them as a marketing strategy. Don't you sometimes feel like all the advertisements on your social feed are relatable or of something you recently searched?

• #8 by Danielle Lyons on 9/3/16 - 12:51 AM

  

  I found the post very interesting. Based on the title I thought the article was going to be based on the way in which companies and organizations use social media as a means of marketing. However the post was more so about how customers/consumers are affected by ads om social media, specifying that the customers potentially help companies identify and fix problems/issues with services. Overall it was an insightful post.

• #9 by Ariel Rivero on 9/12/16 - 7:01 PM

  

  I think that the blog posted was interesting and very informative as it describes how some high-end companies are using social media as a way of mass marketing themselves without running the risk of ruining their image or brand. In my opinion, social media is a good candidate to mass market a company’s product, as it allows the company to advertise a particular product to every person who is involved with social media, for example, Facebook and Instagram users, etc. The best part about doing this method is that well-known brands such as Channel, Gucci or Louis Vuitton can post an ad about their latest fashion product to any platform of social media without having the intent of using mass marketing as their marketing method, but in reality they are in fact using mass marketing as the ad will be seen by both current customers of these brands and potential customers, as well as customers who can’t afford the brands as it is out of there budget. The benefit of doing this is that Channel’s image doesn’t degrade as they are advertising their product through social media yet as a way to mass market without damaging their reputation. Just as the author mentioned, every company wants to expand their audience and attract more potential customers as that is what makes a company grow, whether they see social media as a mass marketing strategy or not.

• #10 by Heather Clayton on 9/13/16 - 6:37 PM

  

  In my understanding reverse psychology is triggering a specific response in someone based off of a behavior/phrase you provide which is the opposite of which they would do/say, “don’t eat your peas” and the child does. That understanding and where it says, “social media is the new mass marketing era in a very indirect way, which makes it very tricky, especially for companies trying not to blow their cover, by keeping the reputation of targeting specific segments of their market and customer” (Paragraph 5). I do not see targeting outside of your segment as reverse psychology or why they don’t want to “blow their cover”. I see social media outlets such as Instagram and Snapchat as types of flash marketing techniques (not the company but the action) that can uphold the image of the company and trigger a response/curiosity from people from all segments of the markets all while being a mass market tool. I think just like television commercials reach the masses so does social media and again, that is where I am confused on Mohammad’s indirect mass marketing. I think I am entirely confused over the entire blog. Except I do believe when discussing the consumer knowing whether or not they want something until they see it because the “marketers do not create needs”, the “companies help customers learn what they want” (Kotler & Keller, 2016, p. 5).

• #11 by Jennifer Gulker on 9/14/16 - 9:27 AM

  

  I was a little confused by the title of the article as I was hoping in went a little more into detail regarding reverse psychology and how it works with marketing. Nevertheless, it was a good article regarding using social media once again as a platform for mass marketing. As we have discussed previously social media is just about taking over the marketing world. Companies that target specific consumers are still able to reach those they aren’t normally after. This is the good thing about social media. You don’t really have to try hard to get the word out. It just spreads like wildfire. For example when advertising through Facebook one “like” of a mutual friend and it appears on everyone’s news feed. As consumers we always stop and think “oh what’s this product”, “If so and so liked it then it must be worth it.” It’s like having your marketing campaign take off on an entire different level. You aren’t necessarily soliciting the wrong market but if it gets you more volume or additional sales then of course there is no harm. At the end of the day every company’s goal is for growth as stated in the article. How we get there could be different for everyone. The good news is you can’t really go wrong with social media, or can you?

• #12 by Cielle Sands on 9/14/16 - 8:51 PM

  

  This article was an interesting read. As we discussed before social media is indeed a great market arena. The Reverse Psychology of Mass Marketing through Social Media’s objective is to “challenge an individual’s beliefs pass a certain point, gaining the individuals interest which sends them along a consumer journey.”(Sergeant, 2013) I believe this is a very good marketing strategy because it would attract customer’s interests who would not otherwise be interested or aware that they are interested. From my experience, the social media platform face book is good for this type of marketing. For instance, on Facebook, you can advertise a shoe company but select your audience to include persons searching for book novels. These persons would not be expecting to see this type of advertisement in their feed, but may end up very much interested. As the articles states, “customers do know what they want”, however we are also very easily persuaded. I agree that many times we do not know we are interested in, sometimes, until we see it advertised. Effective marketing strategies can certainly shift a consumer’s focus from one product to another. Therefore as these strategies are widely used on television and in the magazines, social media is just as effective for a company wanting to expand and grow.
  
  References
  
  Sergeant, K. (2013) Controlling Your Market with Reverse Psychology. Retrieved from
     http://www.slideshare.net/Jackpineco/controlling-y...

• #13 by Taylor Simmons on 9/14/16 - 9:46 PM

  

  This was a very interesting post but I don’t think it 100% aligned with the title “The Reserve Psychology of Mass Marketing through Social Media.” I really liked the fact that this post covered the benefits of marketing through social media. It is nice to see that more and more businesses are marketing through that medium. In my opinion I feel like social media wasn’t taken very seriously at the beginning, a lot of businesses incorrectly assumed that social media was going to me a fad for millennials but it is clear now how powerful social media is. The nice thing about social media is that it is more of an indirect, discrete way of marketing, Social media relies on things like automatic news feeds that filters information for you to view. Viewers don’t need to pull for information and search for articles, they are automatically posted for you to view. But it doesn’t feel like an intentional, disruptive push of information. It is almost subliminal of sorts, which was what the author was referring to but I would have liked for the article to show some examples of social media posts and talk more about why it is reserve psychology.

• #14 by Joanne Pauyo on 9/15/16 - 9:08 AM

  

  Great and informative post about how the rise of social media influenced a change in marketing strategy. Marketing strategy has become very indirect due to the ability to reach millions of people in a matter of minutes because of the internet. Great take on the question, “do customers really know what they want?” Honestly, no. Did consumers know that they wanted an iPAD before Apple marketed the idea? Apple iPAD is currently one of the best selling tablets in the United States. When Apple first introduced the iPAD, it was not successful. Consumers were confused by the idea.
  Indirect marketing is a smart approach because it allows businesses to advertise to a rich variety of consumers. For instance, if Gucci only advertises to the Junior Girls population, then they would be missing out on money from other population groups. For instance, an uncle may see a cute Gucci jeans’ post on Facebook with a lot of likes and might decide to buy it for his niece. Indirect marketing generalizes the target population which allows the company to make more money. Overall, consumers do not know what they really want and marketers do not know what consumers really want. Sometimes, you do not know you need something until you see or hear about it. I did not know I needed a Smartphone until I saw my classmates with it. I was completely happy with my regular flip phone that only made calls, but now I must have a phone with internet, text messaging, and various apps.
  
  Kotler, P. , & Keller, K.L. (2016). A framework for marketing management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

• #15 by Natasha Turner on 9/15/16 - 1:38 PM

  

  I was hoping to get a little more from this post. As someone who got her degree in psychology, I was hoping for more of an in-depth psychological reasoning and description behind this whole post. Everyone around the world uses social media, therefore from a marketing and business point of view, it only makes sense to branch out in such a way. I, personally, feel as if a select amount of brands are overtaking this and using it to their advantage. Customers don't want to be brainwashed, but they do want to know as much as they possibly can know about the product and/or brand. The more informed a customer is, the more satisfied they most likely will be. Advertisements are great, but they can also be the best way to see the so called "perfect" side of things rather than all the facts, good and bad.

• #16 by Thoams Bouchard on 9/15/16 - 11:01 PM

  

  This article was more about plugging or shilling ‘your’ company on social media or setting topic lures – also called click bait – instead of using reverse psychology in a social media atmosphere. Dictionary.com defines reverse psychology as “a method of getting another person to do what one wants by pretending not to want it or to want something else or something more” (Corporate Author, n.d., p. 1). It is true that customer – often time – do not have knowledge of the things that they long for until they see an advert for that product, but this too is not reverse psychology, more along the lines of marketing by proximity/similarities. Using social media to market one’s product in areas of similar interest or in that particular niche culture is more similar to fishing. Niche markets are particularly interesting to market to and advertise in as the consumers know who they are and what their market represents (Kotler & Keller, 2016). A more genuine example of reverse psychology in marketing would be the mainly adventures from the company Old Spice. Isabelle Ringnes shows that one of the ‘manliest’ smelling products consumers comprise of at least 60% women (Ringnes, 2013).
  
  References:
  Corporate Author. (n.d.). The definition of reverse psychology. Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/reverse-psycholog...
  Ringnes, I. (2013). Old Spice Case Study. Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://www.isabellekringnes.com/old-spice-case-stu...
  Kotler, P., & Keller, K.L. (2016). A framework for marketing management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

• #17 by Andrea Jean on 9/16/16 - 9:01 AM

  

  When marketing thinkers talk about "the death of traditional advertising," they may not only mean the transition to digital, but a much larger conversion to substitute ways of authentically reaching the consumer (Costa, 2015).
  There is a global change occurring in relation to defining the most effective ways to communicate with consumers and increase sales. To achieve these goals amongst engulfing noise in the digital world, it oftentimes takes the most audacious ideas (Costa, 2015).
  Reverse psychology can be laxly defined as a method of getting someone to do what you want by acting as if you do not want it or by pretending to want something else (Costa, 2015).
  Reverse psychology is not a technique that can be used often and still remain effective, as it will rapidly lose its “magic.” Nevertheless, once in a while, there are extraordinary moments when an ad's message of forbiddance prospers in not only coquettishly tricking a consumer, but doing so in a way that isn't repulsive, but even a source of enjoyment for the consumer (Costa, 2015).
  I believe that reverse psychology in marketing is a good strategy if used appropriately and when necessary. This method can be attractive to the consumers resulting in a desired outcome for the company.
  References
  Costa, C. D. (2015, February 26). 7 ad campaigns that used reverse psychology. Retrieved from iMedia: http://www.imediaconnection.com/articles/ported-ar...

• #18 by Gomatie Chowrimootoo on 9/17/16 - 3:35 PM

  

  Social media is definitely important to all businesses. With almost everyone being on social media it wouldn’t make sense for a company not to advertise their products through social media. Many people will somehow come across their product one way or another.
  Social media is a very useful tool to a business in many ways. Just a few of the things you can accomplish through social media include: connecting with customers, mass marketing on a small budget, launching new products, etc. ‘Social media lets you effectively and efficiently reach out to current customers and market to potential clients, research and gain information about your competitors, and keep up with news and trends in your industry’ (McGeorge, 2015). I agree that customers do know what they want. Sometimes we may need a little reassurance but for the most part we have a good idea. Having the benefits of a product available on social media can certainly help us confirm that it is the product we want or sometimes it could turn the other way. Sometimes customers may decide that after seeing the benefits, that it is not enough or not what they expected. This may then lead to customers looking for other products. Mass marketing on social media definitely draws lots of attention and so this makes it a great way to generate customers.
  
  Reference:
  
  McGeorge, S. 2015. Why Social Media is vital for your business. http://www.cbo.me/blog/why-social-media-is-vital-f...

• #19 by Natalie Martinez de Castro on 9/17/16 - 7:43 PM

  

  I won’t lie. It took me a few reads to understand the gist of this article. However, once I did, it was an interesting read! I never really put mind to the “reverse psychology” behind the use of social media as mass marketing. It is true, that consumers (for the most part) hate to feel targeted and somewhat bombarded by ads and solicitors. I personally automatically delete any promotional e-mails I get, and throw out the ads I receive along with my mail. However, social media is something that is engraved into our daily lives. Marketers know for a fact that the average person will go into some sort of social media account throughout any given day. That being said, it is a very powerful marketing tool. Because we—the consumer—are not being forced to go into our social media accounts, if we happen to come across an interesting ad, read, or sponsored post, we are more likely to click on it. Tada! Reverse psychology… In addition allowing the marketing to inadvertently target its consumer, social media widens the range of its market due to the wide range of a demographics connecting worldwide.

• #20 by Meagan Aguilar on 9/18/16 - 9:29 AM

  

  I found this week's blog post to, first and foremost, be well organized and thought out. Now, this is not to say that I did not enjoy reading last week's blog post, but I feel this one offered a lot of value generating ideas. As a marketing major (undergraduate program), I am very familiar with the marketing techniques and strategies that were offered in the blog. I feel that there's a big shift towards consciousness in our society and I believe that is a great thing. That being said, small businesses are gaining a lot of spotlight these days because of the contribution they make in their local communities. It's no longer only the Fortune 500 making a splash! I really loved that the first step listed was to learn from others. One might think that this is common sense, but sometimes, in the midst of the brain storming and the creative juices flowing, a person or company tries to reinvent the wheel! I definitely agree that learning from others should be a focus. Pick apart both successful and less successful businesses layer by layer until you can understand what contributed to (or detracted from) their success. I also feel that blogging and SMNs are very important; I think every knows that by now or so I would hope! The one piece of information I would add to the blog would be to partner with blogs that are not owned by the company. Yes, it can work against you if your product or service is not great, but I have seen it work wonders for small businesses. More important, I, as a consumer, am constantly reading blog posts pertaining to products I am interested in, especially now that I am a mother! To me, it's all about the blog posts, Google reviews, promotions, etc. I rely heavily on the aforementioned means of information lately where a good chunk of the products I purchase are not in the brick-and-mortar type store, but in online shops. As an example, I am a huge supporter of Etsy. I think the concept and all of the small shop owners are great! I do so much business with them- both because I feel there is so much attention to detail provided by the small shop owners and because I could never be that crafty myself! Great blog post. I can definitely relate!

• #21 by Meagan Aguilar on 9/18/16 - 9:58 AM

  

  Social media does blur the line when it comes to the definition of mass marketing, in my opinion. This week's blog post makes an excellent post when it refers to the entire issues as "tricky", especially when it comes to exclusive and/or niche companies. I do not think that anyone would argue that fact that social media has done wonders for many companies, including small businesses. However, there is a drawback to consider along with all of the benefits that social media provides. Brands that pride themselves on their exclusivity and high end marketing can benefit greatly by being able to reach out to a wider potential customer base, but can that cost the brand some of it's allure? Consumers of high end brands are attracted to these brands for their exclusivity, at least partially drawn to these brands for that reason. The brand carries a high sense of esteem, power, and uniqueness. As companies continue to navigate the social media realm, where will they draw the line? As in, when will they have maximized the potential of utilizing social media without impacting the brand's perception? As the article states, every company wants to reach more potential customers- that's not a secret. The tough part is figure out the balance, especially for these kinds of brands/products that are not everyday products/services.

• #22 by Kareem Virgo on 9/18/16 - 11:19 AM

  

  In this era, social media is nearly impossible to avoid. It is one of the main sources for businesses in terms of marketing and branding. Using tools such as hashtags which allows for people across various platforms to find your business and connect with you is just one of the many advantages of social media. It is user friendly, convenient, and effective in terms of gaining new connections and networking. I definitely agree that in this social media age, consumers know what they want for the most part. With that being said, this is where social media plays a huge part in terms of deciding which company to choose, which product to buy, or which company to potentially partner and connect with. Consumers’ attention is grabbed when innovative and eye catching social media posts are made. With that being said, the window of creativity is nearly unlimited for companies to market themselves.

• #23 by Devin Ramirez on 9/18/16 - 9:28 PM

  

  In order to make a company successful, one must be able to generate customers. Normally, the more customers a company has, the more successful it will be. If people are unaware of your product and/or services, then you will not have any customers. I created an Instagram for my mother's boutique and I've gotten so many customers that come in and say they found us through social media. I believe that a smart marketer tries to promote his or her product to the largest group of individuals. Advantages of advertising to the mass market are the scope and cost-efficiency of doing business on such a large scale. Advertisement can reach millions of people very quickly. I agree with the statement about social media being the new mass marketing era. Whenever I log onto Facebook, I see ads from all of my favorite stores. It makes me want to go and shop. According to Facebook.com, 900 million people visit the site every day. Imagine 900 million people seeing posts about a sale. Most people would definitely click on that website and buy things only because they saw the ad. More than 700 million people visit Facebook on their phones and tablets every day and when they do, they see ads as well as posts from their family and friends (Easy and effective Facebook Ads, 2016).
  
  Easy and effective Facebook Ads. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/business/products/ads

• #24 by Kevin Lujan on 11/5/16 - 8:43 AM

  

  This was a nice read! It's amazing how something as simple as a websites "feedback" can enable a company to adapt to the consumers needs. With first hand insight to a consumers opinions about the product, the company can manipulate products or services to fit the general need.

• #25 by email databasae marketing on 11/19/16 - 2:45 AM

  

  Thanks for this great article.I think you are perfect writer.I appreciate to read your post.

• #26 by rokshana on 12/7/16 - 1:09 AM

  

  Thanks for comments.Great article.I liked internet marketing.

• #27 by rokshana on 12/8/16 - 2:27 AM

  

  Most of the products in using already. Some are new to me. thanks for sharing the nice article

• #28 by Sami on 4/16/17 - 9:11 PM

  

  The title of this blog really caught my attention. I strongly agree that social media marketing is indirect because Ill click on Instagram then next thing you know I'm looking at a celebrities or the sponsorships, outfit, product, item, etc., when scrolling down my feed. Social media is such a big part of businesses now which is why we see advertisements frequently when using them. Great article.