Brand Awareness: Making sure people know your brand exists and remember it. Companies use logos, catchy slogans, and advertisements to stick in your mind.
Bundles: When companies group several products together and sell them as one package, usually at a better price than buying each item separately. For example, a video game console sold with two games and an extra controller would be a bundle.
Buy One, Get One Free/Half Price (BOGO): When you buy one item at regular price, you get a second identical item either completely free or at half the price. It's a way to encourage people to buy more than they originally planned.
Debt Targeting: Advertising expensive products or more loans to people who are already struggling with debt. Companies know people may be desperate and might make poor financial decisions, so they target them with ads for things that will put them deeper in debt.
Discounts: Price reductions that make products cheaper than their regular price. You might see "20% off" or "$5 off" signs. Discounts encourage people to buy something they might not have purchased at full price.
Email Marketing: When companies send promotional messages directly to your email inbox. These emails might include special offers, new product announcements, or reminders about sales. Companies collect email addresses and send regular updates to interested customers.
Free with Purchase: Receiving an extra item for free when you buy something else. For example, "Buy this shampoo and get a free conditioner." or "Purchase a meal and get a free drink." This makes the deal feel more valuable.
Hidden Fees: Extra charges that aren't clearly shown upfront and surprise you at checkout. Examples include processing fees when buying concert tickets, baggage fees at the airport that weren't mentioned in the ticket price, or "service charges" added to your restaurant's bill. The final price ends up being much higher than you expected.
Limited Time Deals (False Scarcity): A tactic that creates fake urgency by making you think a product is running out or a sale is ending soon, even when it's not true. You might see "Only 3 left in stock!" or "Sale ends in 24 hours!" when actually there's plenty available. Companies use this to pressure you into buying quickly without thinking it through.
Loyalty Programs: Special rewards programs that give benefits to customers who keep coming back. For example, if you buy 10 smoothies, you might get the 11th one free. This encourages people to be loyal to one brand instead of shopping around.
Payday Loan Marketing: Payday loans are short-term loans with extremely high interest rates (sometimes 400% or more per year). Companies advertise these loans to people who are desperate for quick cash, knowing they likely can't afford to pay them back. This traps people in a cycle of debt where they have to keep taking out new loans to pay off old ones, making their financial situation worse.
Predatory Pricing: When companies charge unfairly high prices to people who are vulnerable or don't have other options. For example, charging extremely high prices for water during an emergency. It takes advantage of people in difficult situations.
Seasonal Promotions: Special sales or deals that happen during specific times of year, like back-to-school sales in August, candy discounts in October, or holiday deals in December. Companies use holidays and seasons to create excitement and boost sales.
Social Media/Influencer Marketing: When companies use popular social media personalities (influencers) or social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube to promote their products. Influencers share posts or videos showing products to their followers, making them seem cool or desirable.
Subscription Traps: When companies make it super easy to sign up for a subscription (often with a free trial) but make it extremely difficult to cancel. They might hide the cancellation button, require you to call for limited hours, or keep charging your card even after you try to quit. It traps people into paying for something they no longer want.
