Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Divulge Which Marketing Gimmicks Some Folks Still Fall For

People Divulge Which Marketing Gimmicks Some Folks Still Fall For
monitor screengrab

When it comes to selling, some people will use gimmicks to get people interested. Sometimes, these are fairly entertaining, like playing an intense commercial on TV only to be selling something not as intense, such as a camera.

Other times, these gimmicks are actually tricks, using enticing pricing, misleading wording, or even unclear graphics to convince people to buy something they may not even need.

People have, for the most part, wised up when it comes to these gimmicks, but everyone has that one trick they still fall for, and it never gets any less annoying when we do fall victim to them.


Wondering what gimmicks people still fall for, Redditor cCringleberried asked:

"What is a marketing gimmick/misleading fact that people still fall for?"

It Looks So Real!

"Reddit ads that look like posts. Every few months I accidentally click on one."

– drblah1

"I read this and thought “haha, what fool falls for those, lol?!” Only to go and click one on the “post” that was directly below this one in my feed…"

– eeeeeeeeem

Pay To Save

"Megachurch "pastors". For just a $20 donation your soul can be saved."

– OmegaMountain

"Just 10% of your salary and gates of heaven shall open wide for you and your loved ones"

– I-Am-Programmer

"Ironic considering that kind of "pay to win" spirituality is why their denominations even exist."

– Scraw

It's Essential!

"Essential Oils."

""Essential" here is simply an archaic term for scented, or having essence. It doesn't mean necessary, required, or important. It's all marketing BS."

– _JackStraw_

"I remember the first time I saw someone point this out and I was very confused. Do people actually think essential oils are essential instead of having the essence of?"

– LittleMlem

Healthy?

"“Low sugar” / “low salt” / “low fat”. It’s misleading as sh*t and people fall for it daily. Perfect example: Tic Tacs, they can be labeled as sugar-free because anything with less than 5 grams of sugar is considered “sugar-free” by the food-feds. Your standard Tic Tac weighs about 1/2 grams and is essentially a nugget of flavored sugar."

"Edited for tic tac weight accuracy also this is in America."

– Rusty_is_a_good_boy

"The funniest version of this is “fat-free” cooking oil. It’s literally ALL fat, they can just say it’s fat-free because the serving size is so small."

– ARACHN0_C0MMUNISM

Spending Less...Kind Of

"It's kind of amazing how easily you can entice people to buy something by just subtracting a tiny amount of money from the sale price. Like charging $1.95 or even $1.99 for a product instead of a full $2.00, for example."

– Prank_Owl

"The number of customers I've heard say "It's only $9.""

"No, it's marked $9.98. That means it's $10."

"Fun fact: Unless it's changed since I escaped, whether the price ends in .90, .95, .98, etc. at Walmart tells youwhether it's clearance, new, rollback, old stock we'd like to get rid of but isn't being clearenced, etc."

"Less fun fact: I don't remember which is what, and that knowledge doesn't do you any good other than trivia."

– DirkBabypunch

"This is a common misconception, it's not about making the price appear smaller, it's about humans subconsciously finding the number 9 more enticing."

"Studies have shown that even if items are priced higher than an identical item, including the number 9 in the price makes them more likely to be purchased than the cheaper label."

"Marketing research is one hell of a rabbit hole to go down and realise just how engineered everything is to appeal subconsciously."

– AmbitiousPlank

Gotta Grab The Phone!

"Call in the next five minutes and we'll double everything!"

"It does not matter when you call."

– Chuckleyan

Natural Is Not Always Good

"Things made with "all natural" ingredients is pretty much meaningless. It's not a regulated term"

– TheRealOcsiban

"Arsenic is fairly natural, so are lead and asbestos..."

– HeelyTheGreat

Bigger Is Better, Right?

"Introducing a medium size option that's only a few cents less than the large to persuade you to get the large."

– Cott_killz

Does It Really Go Away?

"“Hurry while supplies last!”"

“"Offer ends soon!”"

– Actuaryba

Vote For Me And I Will...

"Any political campaign ad. They are all lies. Why must all ads be attack ads? How about you tell me why I should vote for you and not why I should vote against the other person?"

– Ok-Bed6343

"Can you imagine what it would be like if they were thirty second clips of actual policy? A dream."

"I love how you phrased it. Don’t tell me why to vote against the other guy. Tell me why to vote for you."

– Deleted User

Eventually, we’ll wise up to these tricks as well. But then…there will be others.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Rory McIlroy
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Golf Star Rory McIlroy Slams 'Abusive' American Fans After Ryder Cup Matches In New York

The Bethpage Black Golf Course in Old Bethpage, New York, hosted the Ryder Cup over the weekend. MAGA Republican President Donald Trump was in attendance with his granddaughter Kai.

Twelve top players from the States faced off against twelve top players from Europe.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sean Penn; Charlie Kirk
Karwai Tang/WireImage; Benjamin Hanson/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Sean Penn Sparks Heated Debate After Explaining Why He Thinks We 'Need' People Like Charlie Kirk In Politics

Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn stirred controversy after he told the New York Times that we "need" people like the late far-right activist Charlie Kirk in politics despite disagreeing with "almost everything" Kirk believed in.

Kirk was assassinated earlier this month while speaking at a university in Utah; the suspect was caught after a two-day manhunt and has since been charged.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ariana Grande; Donald Trump
Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Ariana Grande Slams Trump With Blistering Question For Everyone Who Voted For Him

Wicked star Ariana Grande criticized President Donald Trump by posing a blunt question on Instagram for his supporters now that Trump has been in office for 250 days and counting.

Grande has been a consistently vocal advocate for social justice for many years and she circulated a post from podcaster Matt Bernstein calling out Trump supporters now that, among other things, Trump's immigration crackdown is in full swing and the government is threatening free speech rights.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Trump Ripped After Gloating About How Golden Oval Office Makes World Leaders 'Freak Out'

President Donald Trump is known for his gaudy taste in decor and now he has people rolling their eyes after he claimed that all of the gold decorations in the Oval Office actually makes visitors "freak out" due to its "quality and beauty."

The Oval Office has been significantly revamped since Trump took office in January—it features, among other things, fireplace adorned with gold cherubs and medallions, surrounded by portraits of American statesmen in ornate gold frames and shelves filled with gilded figurines, urns, and freshly installed Rococo mirrors.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man and a woman resting their heads on one another staring into the distance.
man and woman standing on brown field during daytime

People Reveal The Seemingly Insignificant Gestures That Showed Them How Much Their Partner Cares

It's always nice when our partner makes a grand gesture to show how much they love and care about us.

Be it a surprise romantic getaway, a nice dinner out, or a gift they knew we'd been eyeing, what touches us the most is knowing they did this to show how much we mean to them.

Keep ReadingShow less