Marketing isn’t the devil, but marketing also isn’t your friend. Marketing can be used in a terrible way, and more often marketers try to make it your friend, but marketing takes on no persona.
As an example, if you’ve ever purchased a recommended item from Amazon, liked an ad on Facebook, or went to a movie at a movie theater, then you’ve experienced value from marketing.
There are, however, many marketing tactics that I personally despise, and one of those is the line: You Deserve It.
While it might only be 3 words, “you deserve it”, this marketing tactic attempts to touch on multiple emotions and thoughts. Let’s discuss why I dislike this marketing tactic so much.
The definition of “deserve” indicates a certain level of indebtedness to the person who is considered deserving. To me, this would suggest that what is “deserved” has already been earned.
After all, war veterans who deserved the Purple Heart honor didn’t have to purchase it, they had already earned it with their honor and bravery.
Here is the definition that I referenced for “deserve”:
“to merit, be qualified for, or have a claim to (reward,assistance, punishment, etc.) because of actions, qualities,or situation: to deserve exile; to deserve charity; a theory that deserves consideration.”
Marketing on Desires
“You Deserve It” attempts to market to your desires. It attempts to throw all of your inhibitions out the window with the irrational argument of “you deserve it.” When we desire something, we would love anything to have it, but that doesn’t mean that we will go for it. “You deserve it” is a way to entitle you to your desires, regardless of what might be preventing you. This marketing tactic plays on desires.
Marketing on Weakness
“You Deserve It” is an attempt to weaken you. Things are holding you back from purchasing, but just the right marketing attack could easily undermine the restraints. There are a number of reasons that we won’t purchase something (often financial), but “you deserve it” attempts to undermine that restraint with something that transcends money, or any other restraints.
Marketing on Pride
I really dislike this part of the tactic. “You deserve it” attempts to market to your blind and overwhelming pride. I think that everyone has some level of pride (some more than others), and “you deserve it” attempts to play to this attribute. “You deserve it” tries to puff up your pride, and it tries to elevate the ego even higher.
Worse, it implies that anyone who says otherwise doesn’t find you deserving. Only the nice company and their product is on your side. Listen to them because they are in your corner! It tries to create a dichotomy in which people either believe you deserve it, or you don’t deserve it. Either you are worthy of the merit of forking over your hard earned money to purchase this product, or your not worthy of it.
You Don’t Deserve It
I hate to burst your bubble, but you don’t deserve it. You don’t buy something that is deserved. What is deserved is something that is already entitled to you. “Deserve” insinuates a certain level of indebtedness. When you deserve something, their is something that is indebted to you, and it should be received freely, or almost freely.
Think of it this way, if an honor is deserved, then someone else shouldn’t be able to effortlessly purchase it. You don’t deserve this, but you have the option to purchase (along with anyone else who is willing to crank out the money). Don’t be fooled by this marketing tactic, you don’t deserve what they have to offer.
Have you ever been persuaded by the “you deserve it” marketing tactic? Have you ever used this marketing tactic? Let us know in the comments.
