The Chronic Consumer

How many times have you bought something because of a TV commercial that you saw for the product? I try not to let commercials influence my purchasing habits, but it’s kind of hard to avoid. At the very least, I’ll be persuaded to check out a product more closely, either online or at the store. For example, when the new iPod Nano with video came out, I went to Best Buy the same day I saw the commercial for the first time.

Anyway, I find that the commercials that influence me the most are the no-nonsense ones that talk about the features and benefits of the product. I hate commercials that try to be clever or mysterious or obscure; I’m more likely to avoid the product in question when the commercial annoys me. Hopefully the market research teams for these advertisers can get a clue and start airing commercials that just tell viewers the bottom line instead of trying to be cute all the time.

So, what’s the last thing you bought as the result of a commercial or ad? For me, it was Coke Zero (which I hated, BTW).