Brandwashed: Was du kaufst, bestimmen die anderen

by Martin Lindstrom

Foreword by Morgan Spurlock

From the bestselling author of Buyology comes a shocking insider’s look at how today’s global giants conspire to obscure the truth and manipulate our minds, all in service of  persuading us to buy.
 
Marketing visionary Martin Lindstrom has been on the front lines of the branding wars for over twenty years.  Here, he turns the spotlight on his own industry, drawing on all he has witnessed behind closed doors, exposing for the first time the full extent of the psychological tricks and traps that companies devise to win our hard-earned dollars.
 
Picking up from where Vance Packard's bestselling classic, The Hidden Persuaders, left off more than half-a-century ago, Lindstrom reveals:
 
   • New findings that reveal how advertisers and marketers intentionally target children at an alarmingly young age – starting when they are still in the womb!
   • Shocking results of an fMRI study which uncovered what heterosexual men really think about when they see sexually provocative advertising (hint: it isn’t their girlfriends).
   • How marketers and retailers stoke the flames of public panic and capitalize on paranoia over global contagions, extreme weather events, and food contamination scares.
   • The first ever neuroscientific evidence proving how addicted we all are to our iPhones and our Blackberry’s (and the shocking reality of cell phone addiction - it can be harder to shake than addictions to drugs and alcohol).
   • How companies of all stripes are secretly mining our digital footprints to uncover some of the most intimate details of our private lives, then using that information to target us with ads and offers ‘perfectly tailored’ to our psychological profiles.
   • How certain companies, like the maker of one popular lip balm, purposely adjust their formulas in order to make their products chemically addictive.   
   • What a 3-month long guerilla marketing experiment, conducted specifically for this book, tells us about the most powerful hidden persuader of them all.
   • And much, much more. 
 This searing expose introduces a new class of tricks, techniques, and seductions – the Hidden Persuaders of the 21st century- and shows why they are more insidious and pervasive than ever. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Psychology, Economics, Sociology, Science, Audiobook

Hardcover

First published September 20, 2011

About the author

Martin Lindstrom (born 1970) is the author of the bestseller The Ministry of Common sense - How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate Bullshit.

Through unconventional thinking, Martin Lindstrom reveals how to get closer to our customers by eliminating bureaucratic red tape, bad excuses, and corporate BS, whether we’re in the office or behind our screens.
An eight-time New York Times best-selling author, Lindstrom’s books have sold 4.5 million copies and been translated Into 60 languages. His books include The Ministry of Common Sense, Buyology, and Small Data. TIME Magazine named Lindstrom "One of the World's Most Influential People," and Thinkers50 listed him one of the world’s top-20 business thinkers of 2021.

Reviews

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't read this book. It has no 'trade secrets', no new information. It just reads like a compendium of blog posts from the past few years. You will have heard it all before if you follow pop culture/cultural studies at all.

Basically, Lindstrom is a salesman, not a scientist. He makes a lot of overblown rhetorical claims, then cites studies which fail to support them. For instance, he says that advertisers brainwash children (even in the womb!) to buy their brands. But the research he cites only shows that children recognize brands and prefer branded to plain packaging. There is no evidence that children have strong preferences for specific brands, or that childhood brand preferences persist into adulthood.

Morever, Lindstrom doesn't recognize the role of free will (as befits an ad man). He thinks that the brands we prefer have to do only with how many ads we see, not with our personal preferences. Again, no evidence for this. Altogether a deeply unscientific polemic type of book, more like the work of Michael Moore than any real cultural criticism.

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book about two chapters in because it seemed to be full of hooey. For instance, there's a chapter section about manufacturers fooling people into thinking things are fresh, such as by telling people to refrigerate ketchup. But I don't know anyone who thinks marmalade is "fresh" as they suggest everyone does. He says it's the tartan caps which fool us into thinking the jars were flown in from Scotland last night, since everyone knows marmalade originated in Scotland. ??? Am I missing something? I thought those were checkered '50s tablecloths. You boil fruit with pectin, jar it up and it lasts forever!

But I put the book down when they suggest those seals on packages are just marketing gimmicks to fool people into thinking their food has been untouched by human hands. I was around when Tylenol was tampered with. Before the Tylenol episode, no seals on packages; after the Tylenol tampering, tamper-resistant seals on all packages. Who thinks these are just keeping someone's "dirty mitts" out of their food?

There were some things in here that might be true, but I can't trust the book any more. Maybe ketchup doesn't need to be refrigerated. How about BBQ sauce and jelly? If so, I'm pretty annoyed that I'm wasting fridge space just because marketers want anyone to think their ketchup is fresh. Holy smokes, people, it's canned tomato paste and sugar! I thought it might get moldy, but I'm under no illusion it just came out of the field.

Part of the reason I couldn't relate to most of his assertions might be that I don't watch commercial TV. Maybe I'm out of touch with what people will actually believe today if they have it hammered in for hours a day.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to stop reading this about a third of the way through, because the way this book is written is so off-putting that it makes the author sound like a condescending know-it-all. The book has a very unfortunate "Hahaha, consumers are STUPID" tone to it, and as a result it feels like you are being talked down to as you (ostensibly) learn about the "tricks" that companies use to make you buy things.

There is also an infuriating digression in chapter 2 on Big Pharma, in which the author heavily implies that chronic illnesses like Restless Leg Syndrome and Fibromyalgia were invented by drug companies (they weren't) to make consumers afraid and dependent on drugs, or something. That part is really the same played-out conspiracy theory bull about Big Pharma that everyone has heard a million times, and I think Lindstrom's lack of originality here is pretty damning. It's also too bad that Mr. Lindstrom thinks that people like myself with conditions that Big Pharma capitalizes on (BIG difference from "makes up to sell medicine," right?)--and no, not all of us got the idea that we have these illnesses by watching television (shocker!)--don't read books like his. Then again, maybe it would be better if we didn't--at least then we wouldn't give this author's book-length condescending tripe and lack of nuance an audience.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one gread read for people interested in marketing, behavioural studies, psychology etc. A number of things already published elsewhere but there is also a lot of new good illuminating stuff incorporated.

Q:
1. Buy Buy Baby - When companies start marketing to us in the womb
2. Peddling Panic and Paranoia - Why fear sells
3. I Can’t Quit You - Brand addicts, shopaholics, and why we can’t live without our smart phones
4. Buy It, Get Laid - The new face of sex (and the sexes) in advertising
5. Under Pressure - The power of peers
6. Oh, Sweet Memories - The new (but also old) face of nostalgia marketing
7. Marketers’ Royal Flush - The hidden powers of celebrity and fame
8. Hope in a Jar - The price of health, happiness, and spiritual enlightenment
9. Every Breath You Take, They’ll Be Watching You - The end of privacy
CONCLUSION. I’ll Have What Mrs. Morgenson Is Having

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You're even more of a sucker than you think you are. The more plugged in you are, the more susceptible you are to the sneaky tactics of those who mold opinions and buying habits. Ditch that cell phone! Stay off that Facebook account! Keep a few more secrets. Be more discerning and less impulsive.

[Dani Peloquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For years, I have tried to find a book that made me gasp as many times as Freaknomics did. I remember thinking about that book years after I read it...I’m still thinking about it now. I tried Super Freakanomics and other books that people thought were comparable but none of them made me gasp and do a triple take. None of them until “Brandwashing”. This book does for marketing and advertising what Freaknomics did for economics and Fast Food Nation did for food. It made my brain hurt in a way far surpassing the brain freeze of milkshakes and Slurpees. In fact, it has taken me over a week to even sit down to write this review because I have been too busy telling all of my friends to pre-order their copies!

Author Martin Lindstorm is a veteran advertising agents with clients that range from McDonald’s to Microsoft. It say that Lindstorm knows that ins-and-outs of marketing is to say that Steve Jobs can use a computer. Here he takes us behind the scenes to show the reader how companies use MRIs to figure out the areas in the brain that they want their marketing to hit. He tells of how advertising can affect use before we are even born; how smells that our mothers experienced when pregnant with us can condition us to buy certain detergents and eat certain foods. He explains why panic and fear sells more than happiness and peace. Lindstrom gives credence to the idea that people can be addicted to their smartphones and lip balm. Tactics of using nostalgia to buy a certain brand of soda or candy bar are explored. What does Justin Bieber and the British royal family have in common? They’re both brands that dictate our tastes and purchases. In his final chapter, Lindstrom carries through with an experiment like that in the movie “Jones” in which he has a family peddle certain items to their friends in an effort to see how keeping up with the Jones’ really works. Spoiler: it works!

I could go on for pages and pages about this book but at about 275 pages, this book can stand for itself. It reads like a thriller that you won’t be able to put down. Sadly, the horrors that are inflicted in the “story” are on us...the consumers. Just in case the reader doesn’t believe his theories, he backs them up with copious case studies. Once I finished this book, I immediately ran out and bought his other book (which I now know is a marketing ploy). I know people will be talking about this book for years to come. I know I will!

www.iamliteraryaddicted.blogspot.com

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would make a good textbook for a marketing class, but works as general interest reading as well, without getting bogged down (much). Though I was familiar with the points he was making, I still learned new things, such as the choice of background music on stores being anything but random. Wasn't a fan of his final chapter on celebrities as influencers (yawn), nor the life of his "typical" family (wealthy Californians).

Recommended as a library book or cheap used, copy.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this because I enjoyed the excerpts I had read on Fast Company but the actual book was a disappointment. Lindstrom approaches branding from a Chicken Little point of view where marketers have the most nefarious of incentives and consumers have the most simplistic responses. He opens talking about his attempt to do a "brand purge" but failed to establish what constituted a "new brand" or even what his definition of brand is, making the purge too generic to understand why he failed. Then he made claims about human behavior that was either unsupported or illogical. Not everyone chooses the second stall in a public restroom because they, mistakenly, think it's cleaner. People don't pick the first thing by nature. It has nothing to do with cleanliness, especially in a familiar bathroom, like one at work. If you follow Lindstrom's logic I would choose to face the door when I sit down at a restaurant because I think the seat is somehow cleaner than the other choices, but that doesn't follow. What really frustrated me was when he cited Time magazine for behavioral studies. Time isn't a research journal, and any academic studies reported in Time were reported in an academic or professional journal first. Why would someone who regularly does market research think Time is the most reputable source? I finished it because I bought it and was rewarded with a section on word of mouth that was, sadly, extremely short compared to the chapters where Lindstrom tried to undermine other marketers.

[Mohamed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lot of insights into the advertisements we see and purchase decisions we make.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not really enjoy this book at all. I much preferred Buyology, the author's previous book.

For a book called Brandwashed there was sure a lot of name dropping of brands involved. I wonder if they were paid endorsements? After all if looking at a celebrity spokesperson changes the way you think about a brand (literally, in your brain), then maybe reading about a brand countless times in a book will make your brain associate the brand with the book, or maybe all books (haha). Other times the author would have to keep the identity under wraps because he was sworn to secrecy. Just never mention any brands, and problem solved.

I felt the stories and examples weren't organized well. It seemed to jump around quite a bit hitting on various topics then doubling back, more like many already-written articles that were just organized into a book. There also didn't seem to be much advice for avoiding falling prey to much of the marketing described (beyond don't eat acai berries, which you should already know).

Finally some of the claims seem dubious. The author states that people are more likely to make a "green" purchase in the store where people can see them, and less likely to do so online, where they are unseen. It appears to be more of an ego thing than an eco thing. His example involves energy-efficient light bulbs being bought in stores, and cheap incandescents bought online. However, if you're buying light bulbs online maybe your frugality is the motivating factor? Or you don't want to ship CFL's because of their mercury? There could be other factors, so it seems like a giant leap to claim that it's because there's no one watching you. I was also curious about the author's mention of how green purchases can make people more likely to do something less eco friendly in the future because they've already "done their part". He mentions that Prius owners drive more miles, get into more accidents, and even hit more pedestrians. I though that seemed weird so I looked up his source (a blog, which referenced other blogs) and found that the original blog was about hybrid cars' lack of noise. Apparently, in electric mode the engines shut off, so pedestrians can't hear the cars coming, and apparently step in front of them. This seems to differ from his inference that Prius owners think they're being good to the earth and thus don't mind hitting a pedestrian every once in a while. After reading that I was questioning his research, and it definitely diminished my enjoyment of the book. I would not recommend it.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book on the new books section of the library and found every second of it interesting. I recommend paying special attention to the chapter on data mining.

I have a serious media-buying habit (books, music, dvds) that I am trying to get under control and I thought this book would help me fight the urge to purchase something at the click of the button. He starts out about how he tried to "go brandless" for a set period of time. It did help with my struggles, but here's the bad news: most of the techniques pull on your emotions and natural brain processes. So just because you are aware of what they are doing doesn't make it that much easier to resist! But it does help you identify the times you need to be more vigilant. More bad news: one of those times is when you are with those you trust most! It's because of that trust that you let your guard down and are susceptible. Think about how much of your day-to-day conversations revolve around brands and products. It's kind of sad, actually. And those of you who are less materialistic, don't be too smug - tv news personalities and politicians are brands too! It is extremely difficult to live in a developed country and avoid branding. This book is purely about awareness. You don't stand a chance without it.

[Jess Saxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found parts of this book both fascinating and a little shocking. Many of the 'secrets' that Lindstrom points out are things I either already knew or suspected, but when I was reading the sections about social media, cell phones, and word of mouth advertising, I found the types of advertising that really work on me.

In fact, my posting this review on Goodreads, a social media site geared to avid readers is something advertisers love. I'm spreading the word about the books I read, thereby endorsing them and unwittingly pressuring my peers to read the books I enjoy!

Overall, this book was an interesting read, but it's a little frustrating, because knowing the techniques marketers and advertisers use doesn't make you any less susceptible to them. He goes on and on about how we're being manipulated subconsciously, but the real kicker is when he says that ultimately, the consumer is more empowered than ever before because word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising there is.

If you read only one chapter of this book, read the last one. That was definitely the most interesting part of the whole book.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molt clar i didàctic sobre com les empreses (mal)utilitzen el màrqueting per crear necessitats i fins tot manipular els consumidors. L'autor, Martin Lindstrom, és un expert en el camp de la promoció que ha treballat per a les principals marques arreu del món, i ens aporta aquí tant experiències pròpies com treballs d'investigació que donen suport a les seues queixes, les quals hauríem de compartir també tots nosaltres. Potser l'autor arriba a filar massa prim o exagerar de vegades, com quan generalitza amb les targetes de fidelitat del client (sé de casos en què la realitat no és la que Lindstrom descriu), o quan afirma que Google pot esbrinar quins llibres tenim a les estanteries de casa. Però, en general, és un llibre que, com a mínim, ens hauria de fer qüestionar el nostre estil de vida, amb un estil directe i irreverent que no deixarà ningú indiferent.

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually like books that look into the back rooms of companies. That said, I did not like this book. In fact, it infuriated me. The back of the book made it seem so interesting. I was sorely mistaken.

First of all, this book paints the world of marketing, and the democratic economy, in a very black-and-white, overly-simplistic way. Marketers are evil, faceless corporations concernet with corrupting the public. People are simple, innocent beings with no mind of their own and no reasoning skills.

Let's take the case of Muzak. According to Lindstrom, the only purpose of Muzak is to manipulate customers into buying things. For example, slow music plays when you're shopping to force you to browse longer. This is, apparently, the only reason for Muzak to play in stores. But is this true? Are stores not also trying to create a positive ambience for their clients? You wouldn't hear heavy metal or rap in a diner, for example. This is because companies must also know their clientele and create an ambience that makes their clientele WANT to shop there. Muzak doesn't force anybody to buy anything. If it could, the fastest music possible (let's say dubstep, as an example) would play at a restaurant for the fastest turnover possible.

According to Lindstrom, loyalty programs should really be renamed to something much more insidious. I mean, he even comes out and states that he wishes for the old days when you'd sit down with a cup of coffee and clip coupons from the weekend paper. (Let's not bring up the fact that he talks about the fallacy of nostalgia in the book, in that we always remember the past rosier than it really was). Apparently people want to waste their time sifting through pages of coupons in which 90% (a figure I just made up for the sake of my argument) of those coupons don't even apply to the person looking through the paper. Why wouldn't I want tailor-made coupons from stores that know my shopping habits? I don't have a baby-- don't wastefully send me coupons for diapers. I am not a woman -- don't wastefully send me coupons for tampons. Don't we all prefer a personal touch when it comes to our shopping experiences, even if that personal touch is only perceived. And are we truly powerless to resist tailored marketing? Are we really brainless automatons?

Back to those loyalty programs... I think Lindstrom has the power dynamic wrong in this case. To him, loyalty programs are programs initiated by the stores in order to manipulate us into buying more at that store. I think the dynamic is the other way around -- loyalty programs are offered by the stores in order to convince us to shop at their store rather than other stores. Who doesn't like saving a few bucks from time to time? I was going to do my grocery shopping anyway so why not save an extra $5?

And it is true; sometimes these stores offer deals to get you in the door. But that doesn't mean the STORE maliciously manipulated me. It means I was thinking of making this purchase anyway and the store gave me an offer that I decided was reasonable.

Also according to Lindstrom, convenience is the devil. He'd rather people go to the bank for their banking, the hardware store for their tools, the grocery store for food, and the barber shop for their haircut. Must be nice for somebody that has all the time in the world, right? To him, a grocery store which sees demand for a currency exchange and offers this service is clearly sinister. Nevermind that such a service would not be able to survive if it were not profitable and if there was no customer demand for this. How is this corruption of the populace? I thought it was simple economics of supply and demand.

Targeted ads, again, seem to be the devil. Yet though the technology has changed, this is exactly what has been going on for decades and longer. Ads targer specific audiences. You don't see geriatric creams being hawked at Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears concerts. You don't see impotence pills being hawked during Sesame Street. Targeted ads are nothing new, they are just getting to their target easier. Think of it as Nielson ratings for the Internet age.

All in all, this book was a disappointment. It offered nothing new that common sense couldn't already tell you, but in a way that makes the marketing world look like Montgomery Burns while the rest of us are Ralph Wiggumses. I do not recommend this book if you are looking for something interesting or insightful.

[Gabrielle Blin ( book reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super intéressant je recommande

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this book provided a decent amount of food for thought, that food unfortunately came spiced up so much so as to make it barely edible (and to make me wonder if all that spice was to mask some subpar food underneath it all). The blatant and transparent sensationalization of every hypothesis Lindstrom tried to put forward only ended up detracting from it and even leading me to question the veracity of his supporting arguments.

In fact, some of his statements were complete and utter nonsense. For example, when—in one of his outbursts of paranoia that seems common for this book—he tries to scare his readers into thinking that their every movement is constantly being traced and monitored and analyzed, he points to the iPhone and iPad as storing location data in a file that is automatically copied onto the hard drive of any computer synced to the device. Even if that bizarre statement were true (which it isn’t—at least not in the way he portrays it), his next statement “explaining” what that means is ridiculous: “Meaning that if I charge my iPad on a colleague’s or acquaintance’s computer, he or she now possesses a permanent record of my whereabouts over the last year.”

Let’s analyze that reckless statement. First of all, he doesn’t mention that this does not quite apply to Wifi-only iPads, which account for the majority of iPads out there. Second, he doesn’t mention that this does not apply if the location-based service is turned off in the settings, which some people do (for paranoid security reasons). Third, for someone writing a book that’s supposed to be so authoritative on these “secrets”, he apparently doesn’t even know the difference between syncing and charging, whereby syncing would transfer files to the host computer, while charging would not. And, if he *did* know the difference between the two, he might realize that almost no one out there SYNCS his iPad or iPhone to a friend’s computer; they might charge an iPhone, but they won’t sync it. And, notice, I say only “iPhone” because you cannot charge an iPad using a computer—yet another distinction Lindstrom seems to overlook when he confuses charging and syncing. Finally, even if someone inexplicably DID sync his iPhone or iPad to his friends computer, chances are that the synced data is set to be encrypted—and even if it weren’t, it’s highly unlikely any person would know how to extract that data from even an unencrypted file, let alone what they would even do with it once extracted. I’d be surprised if Lindstrom can come up with even a SINGLE case where something like what he’s describing has actually happened!

And this is just one of many, many such frantic, paranoid proclamations that put this book over the top, ruining what otherwise might’ve been an interesting book.

Aside from the inaccuracies, there was also the annoying habit where he seemed to be always be surprised to “discover” something about human nature that any layperson could probably have guessed without all the research. For example, he describes himself as “genuinely flabbergasted by the power of word-of-mouth marketing”. As anyone with friends knows, if a friend tells you how much they love a product, you will value that recommendation more than almost any other source. In his experiment with a family that was secretly promoting products amongst their friends, he kept expressing such surprise that the friends would then go out and try it, or buy it! Why in the world is that so surprising?

Finally, if the paranoiac hyperbole and the inaccuracies weren’t enough, he had to also throw in a healthy dose of political posturing. His statement that heat-related deaths, floods, heavy rains, and droughts are “in part attributable to the major climate changes sweeping our planet” and the resulting “importance of going green” just really cast that final straw on this camel’s back. This “climate change” debate is far from over, and to portray it as proven science only shows me just how “scientific” the rest of his claims are.

In short, this could have been a pretty decent book had he stuck to facts and observations. He didn’t and, as a result, he blew it.

[Alex Kartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brandwashed offers incredible insight into the marketing and advertising industry. Similarily to how Fast Food Nation changes your outlook on that industry, Brandwashed will change how you look at the world of marketing around you. Martin Lindstrom pens this tell-all from his experience building and executing campaigns for the world's largest companies. He lays dirty secrets and dastardly tricks on the pages to rewire your thinking.

We know the world is filled with advertising. In first world countries, ads swarm your mind every second of the day. Whether you notice the 50 foot long billboards or the cleverly placed fruit at the grocery store, marketing dictates everything about our human experience. From nostalgia, to grocery aisles, to the web, Brandwashed reveals everything you want to know about the secret research going into every piece of advertising and marketing on the planet.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very disturbing book, especially to someone like me who resents how marketing professionals use deceit, cunning, and data mining to manipulate us to buy things we really don't need and to keep us loyal to certain brands and stores. And we are so gullible that we fall for it more than we know. And here is the worst part....WE DON'T EVEN CARE!

Even though marketing tactics are shameless and soulless consumers behave like lemmings, going along with the crowd, influenced to do whatever they're told, never asking important questions about purpose and meaning. And this is exactly what marketing people want, nonthinking consumers willing to open their wallets as soon as the next new product is introduced. And they have ways to make sure that happens.

[Madhab Dwibedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

bullseye

[William Aicher · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who's been working as a marketer for over a decade now, I found parts of this book to be quite interesting - and even stirred up a few ideas of how I can better do my job in some ways. However, once I reached the section near the end about online marketing, privacy, etc. it became obvious just how much Lindstrom really sensationalizes things, and frankly stretches the truth so far as to make it almost false. So, while it's a very interesting read, I'd recommending taking some of his assertions with a grain of salt - the more shocking, the better.

[Cullen Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why does Coca-Cola always have drips of condensation in their bottled adds? Isn't it odd we often buy what our parents bought without ever questioning why? And do supermarkets deliberately change locations of items to keep us waltzing around their stores? The answers to these and more subliminal tactics by the super corporations of today are as ingenious as they are insidious. For the age where privacy and data is no longer sacred, this book seriously made me reconsider using cash again...Well, until Bitcoin goes mainstream ;)

[Nick Ertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can get your blood boiling. It details all the tools used by a marketer in selling a product. Some are sneeky, some are essentially lies - but they all move the soul to buy - buy - buy.
The hard question you start to think about is how much is too much? Whose fault is it that I want to buy stuff? Yes, some need is manufactured - but when I do really need something - what is the most honest way for a company to tell me about their product?

[Weerdski]

Ik ben gestopt
Geen aanrader

[Viktor Malafey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ну й так все ясно, що нас змушують купувати за всяк кошт.

[Stan James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Lindstrom's Brandwashed is in many ways not surprising to those who are familiar with the lengths that companies will go to in order to market their products. What still surprised me, though, was how improved technology has allowed these companies to propel their efforts to new, absurd and downright creepy heights.

Whether it's carefully-arranged store displays presenting illusions designed to elicit specific emotions or memories, efforts to market not just to adults, teens and children, but even to babies, or the use of sophisticated data-mining to target individuals with a disturbing level of precision, Brandwashed paints a picture of a world in which we are constantly bombarded with messages--usually subliminal--to buy certain products and services.

Lindstrom's perspective is that of an insider, and he cites not only numerous case studies and marketing campaigns, but some he has orchestrated directly himself. He comes across a bit apologetic at times and even tries to reveal some of the good in these insidious techniques, like attempts to woo consumers toward more green products, but he also rightfully raises concerns over privacy and reach.

The book focuses on a different aspect of marketing in each chapter and the style and tone remain light, even as Lindstrom reminds us of how the flat where George Orwell wrote 1984 now has 32 closed-circuit cameras mounted within 200 yards of it.

While the thrust of the book remains as potent in 2017 as when it was originally published in 2011, some of the observations are bound to raise a few eyebrows just six years later (likely in dismay):

On the male side, there are colognes attached to the famous names Justin Timberlake, David Beckham, Usher, Tim McGraw, Andre Agassi, and even Donald Trump. “We are confident that men of all ages want to experience some part of Mr. Trump’s passion and taste for luxury,” said Aramis president Fabrice Weber.25 Actually, it appears they don’t. In one of the few cases where putting a celebrity name on a product didn’t work, a few years after it hit the shelves, according to one gimlet-eyed blogger, Donald Trump for Men could be found on clearance at T. J. Maxx for $8, down from $48.

Brandwashed is an easy recommendation for anyone wondering just how far companies will go to get us to buy their stuff (which is a lot further than most probably imagine).

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look into my eyes, you will buy this, and like it and tell your friends about it because we know you, we know what you like, what you want, were your desires are and your search history... and you can't get away.

In 2012 I placed this on my list of "To Reads" in good reads as I wasn't able to locate the audio book of this at that time. Here we are 2021 and I finally got a copy. Surprisingly good book and true today almost a decade later. Yes the names may have changed but when you research marketing, tactics and every other trick (as I did for an MBA class about 2 years ago); nothing has changed. Yes we are more digital, yes we think we know it all because of google, facebook and others but we are all under their spells.

I've bought some items before on a whim, yes some I didn't need and some I actually did and used for years to come after purchase.

Yes, I'd recommend this to teenagers (although mine would never read it) as a way to look at companies, cultures, phycology and every other way known to see how they "get you". Yes this doesn't cover all tactics by all types of companies but it is in an insight. Think about used cars, home buying, grocery stores (and wow whole foods, who knew, I didn't, till now).

Yes take a read of this, then go shopping and see the difference.

Good luck in your quest!

[Raluca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lindstrom: Companies and brands are bad, mkay? They create imaginary problems and peddle their products as the solution! They use sex and hope and pseudo-spirituality to sell you stuff! Commercial jingles are heard by babies even before birth! Social media is tracking your every move! Your friends might be paid to promote that product they're raving about! Oh, and stuff like Doritos and Red Bull is literally, physically addictive due to the excessive content of sugar and salt!
Me: Dammit, now I want Doritos and Red Bull.

But seriously though. Between the outdated examples (Facebook's 2011 tactics seem sweet and innocent in the wake of Cambridge Analytica) and the smug, dad-jokey and one-linery tone, Brandwashed did not age well. It might well have been great in its day, but I can't imagine who would need to read it in 2019.

[Cátia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brands are part of our life and I can see that I am surrounded by my favorites. My face cream, perfume, food even my favorite books or authors.

Martin explains and gives examples how we are brandwashed and how marketers explore our feelings to sell.

It's an incredible book! It was very interesting and educational. I will be reading more from his author.

[Jagua · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتاب بيفضح بكل جرأة إزاي الشركات الكبيرة بتتلاعب بعقولنا من أول لحظة بنفكر فيها نشتري لحد ما نلاقي نفسنا مدمنين منتج مش فارق معانا أصلاً.
ليندستروم، بخبرته الطويلة في التسويق العصبي، بيوضح إننا مش مجرد مستهلكين… إحنا عقول بتتغسل بطرق ذكية جدًا: بالإعلانات، بالإيحاءات، بالخوف، وحتى بالذكريات والنوستالجيا.

[Rodolfo Suaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy interesante conocer cómo piensan las grandes marcas, que realmente podemos decir que nuestros gustos dejan rastros y que estos rastros están siendo medidos con herramientas estadísticas.