The psychological tactics behind consumer behaviour

Laura Woods

Why did I choose a career in Public Relations after studying for a psychology degree at University?

This is a question I am getting very used to since I started in the world of PR and the answer is simple. Firstly, I love the variety of experiences my job offers me and secondly psychology is an important element at the very core of Public Relations and its connection starts right at the beginning.

The founding father of PR, Edward Bernays, took a lot of his initial ideas about public relations from psychologists. Bernays devised the concept that in order to encourage people to buy products or services we needed to change the way people felt about them, instead of concentrating on what they needed he wanted them to focus on what they wanted! To do this he turned to his uncle, arguably the most famous psychologist, Freud! Freud told Bernays that in order to change people's perspectives he needed to appeal to their unconscious desires. According to Freud by satisfying people's inner desires you could make them buy anything you wanted!

Bernays tested his concept in what is known as the first ever PR stunt. In the 1920's men had imposed an unspoken ban on women smoking and Bernays was hired by the American Tobacco companies to change this. He consulted a psychologist who told Bernays cigarettes represented the male anatomy and was a symbol of power - which in Freudian psychology is not unusual as pretty much anything can be attributed to sex. Bernay's challenge was to try and persuade women to smoke by appealing to their unconscious desires and here's how he did it.

During a parade in London, when he knew all of the media would be gathered in one place, he got a group of suffragettes to light up cigarettes under the slogan 'Torches of Freedom' - suddenly smoking became seen as a symbol of female power, independence and freedom and to support the campaign a woman would have to smoke. Cigarette sales for women rocked overnight and Bernays's stunt appeared in all of the world's media the next day. The idea smoking made you more powerful was absolutely irrational -but it worked!

This started Public Relations and the era of consumerism, the concept grew that we did not buy something because we needed it but because we would feel better if we had it. Bernays used this idea to promote a huge range of products from cars to fashion. He had changed public opinion, as emotion took over utility and the practicality of products was replaced by the need to be happy.

So, although we like to think of ourselves as rational beings with complete control of our lives, that is not always the case. The cars, clothes, products and services we choose all say a lot about ourselves but more significantly a lot about the people behind the scenes, the people who tend to know what you want even before you do!

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