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Unlock This CourseHave you ever wondered why you suddenly want a particular brand of trainers or why certain adverts make you feel excited? The answer lies deep in your unconscious mind. Psychodynamic theory suggests that many of our choices - including what we buy - are driven by hidden desires and motivations we're not even aware of.
Marketing companies spend billions trying to understand these unconscious drives. They use psychological tricks to make us identify with their products and brands, often without us realising it's happening.
Key Definitions:
The Id: Our basic instincts and desires - "I want it now!"
The Ego: Our rational, conscious mind - "Is this sensible?"
The Superego: Our moral conscience - "Is this right?"
Marketers often target the Id by making us feel we deserve instant gratification through their products.
Our unconscious mind is like an iceberg - most of it is hidden beneath the surface. According to Freud, this hidden part contains repressed memories, fears and desires that still influence our daily choices. When we see an advert for a luxury car, we might think we want it for practical reasons, but unconsciously we might desire the status and power it represents.
Products often represent much more than their practical function. A mobile phone isn't just for communication - it can symbolise connection, status, or identity. Marketers understand these symbolic meanings and use them to trigger unconscious desires.
Insurance adverts often show happy families to trigger our unconscious need for safety and protection.
Luxury brands use exclusive imagery to appeal to our unconscious desire to feel important and successful.
Social media platforms and trendy brands tap into our deep need to fit in and be accepted by others.
Apple doesn't just sell computers and phones - they sell an identity. Their "Think Different" campaign appealed to people's unconscious desire to be creative and unique. By showing famous innovators like Einstein and Gandhi, Apple helped customers identify with greatness and rebellion against conformity. This psychological approach helped build one of the world's most valuable brands.
Identification is when we see ourselves in someone else or aspire to be like them. Marketers use this by showing us people we admire using their products. When we see our favourite celebrity wearing certain clothes or using particular gadgets, we unconsciously want to be like them.
There are several ways marketers use identification to influence our unconscious minds:
When famous people promote products, we unconsciously believe that using the same products will make us more like them. This is why sports brands pay millions to have athletes wear their gear.
Showing "ordinary" people enjoying products helps us identify with them. We think, "That could be me!" This technique is especially powerful with teenagers who want to fit in with their friends.
Today's marketers use sophisticated psychological techniques based on psychodynamic theory. They understand that our unconscious minds process information differently from our conscious minds and they design adverts to speak directly to our hidden desires.
While true subliminal advertising (messages too fast to consciously see) is banned in many countries, marketers still use subtle psychological triggers. These might include:
McDonald's Happy Meals are a masterclass in psychodynamic marketing. The bright colours appeal to children's unconscious attraction to stimulation. The toy creates anticipation and reward, triggering dopamine release. Parents unconsciously associate the brand with their child's happiness. The "happy" name itself plants positive unconscious associations. This strategy has made Happy Meals one of the most successful children's products ever.
Using psychological techniques to influence unconscious desires raises important ethical questions. Is it fair to target people's hidden vulnerabilities? Should there be limits on how marketers can manipulate our unconscious minds?
Many countries have laws protecting consumers from the most manipulative marketing techniques, especially those targeting children. However, the line between persuasion and manipulation isn't always clear.
Children and people with mental health issues may be more susceptible to unconscious marketing techniques. Special protections often apply to advertising aimed at these groups.
Understanding how unconscious marketing works helps us make more informed choices. When we recognise these techniques, we can think more critically about our purchasing decisions.
Psychodynamic marketing techniques are everywhere once you know how to spot them. From the layout of supermarkets to the design of social media apps, companies use psychological insights to influence our unconscious behaviour.
Instagram taps into our unconscious need for social validation. The "like" system triggers dopamine release, creating addictive behaviour. Users unconsciously seek approval through posts and this drives engagement. The app's design uses intermittent reinforcement - we never know when we'll get likes, which makes the reward more powerful. This psychological approach has made Instagram one of the most engaging social platforms.
Now that you understand these techniques, you can start spotting them in everyday life. Look for:
Understanding psychodynamic motivation and marketing helps us become more aware consumers. While these techniques can be powerful, knowledge gives us the power to make more conscious choices about what we buy and why we buy it.