Construal
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Advertising
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Construal • Advertising •
Advertising and Construal:
Have you ever felt like you are buying a product just because the brand tells you to? Well, that brand was probably using a concept called construal in order to sway you. Construal refers to how we mentally interpret or make sense of something based on how it is presented to us - not based on what it is. For example, a $60 water bottle on your feed may be presented as trendy, healthy, and aesthetic, but in reality it is just a container that holds water. Marketers use construal tactics to manipulate how customers perceive a product in order to encourage and drive up sales.
Ways products are often construed:
Presenting something as a luxury (even if it is made the same as a cheaper version!) encourages us to perceive it as high quality.
Framing something as a “self - care essential” allows us to justify it as an emotional need, when in reality it is just a want.
Packing a product in minimal, sleek packaging construes it as sophisticated and healthy, and therefore worth the extra money.