Used to be people said the “Seeing is Believing”. These days, there are more and more indications that it’s not what you see that matters, but what seems to be that interests people.

Today, MSNBC ran an article on Wal-Mart’s new store design. The Bentonville group watched how customers shopped their stores, then developed a new look and feel to to the store lighting, colors, layouts, displays, and merchandising to give the appearance that customers were getting through the store faster. Not that they actually are, but so that they believe they are… Colors are softer, lifestyle is a focus, as is a distinctive target to women shoppers. All with a focus on low prices, and a personal shopping experience. Clever.

Also today I met a woman who stages homes for a living. Clever. The Realtor says you need to make your home stand out apart from the rest (all else being equal) or lower the price. The stager comes in and strips out personal touches, thins out personal possessions, and generally focuses on making the home look roomy, customizable, and ready to move into. Interesting… seeming is believing here too. The house hasn’t changed, the layout, the lot, the room sizes, yet something is definitely different.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not knocking the industry. I’m not saying either of these techniques is smoke and mirrors. What I am saying is that it’s a great idea to dress up everything you’re selling – no question about it. I’m merely pointing out the subtle ways that marketing makes “seeming into believing” in many cases.

As Halloween approaches, it’s a good time to look around at the marketing masks around us. EVERYTHING is marketing. (Take the political campaigns for instance).  It becomes a sort of challenge trying to determine the marketing goal of everything you’re exposed to. And when you find things that are actually what they seem to be, take notes! You’ve found the best and most effective forms of marketing. Need Help?

Contact Inspired 2 Design to discuss your business marketing plan.