A product being sold for $19.95 is usually worth no more than $5-$6 wholesale.
However, all the ceaseless superlatives used to describe products being hawked on
TV you would think they were worth a lot more.
The secret of why products sell so well on TV may be based in neuroscience! This
means a carefully scripted TV commercial or 30 minute infomercial can actually
pump up dopamine levels in a consumer’s brain basically taking viewers on a
psychological roller-coaster ride.
The ride starts with a problem you may not have known you even had which is
then dramatised followed by a fantastic, easy solution then a series of even more
amazing product benefits, bonuses and giveaways. All this leads to a thrilling
unbelievably low price. After this wild psychological ride it takes the viewer’s
dopamine levels in the brain approximately five minutes to drop back to normal
levels. This is why TV commercials and infomercials most often ask the viewer to
respond “right now” or in the next three minutes if the viewer expects to reap all the
extras of the advertised offer.
Critics contend that maybe half of all 30 minute infomercial products actually
deliver on their promise, maybe 30% of the products advertised actually do what
they say they do but may be costly and the rest of the products advertised may be
nothing more than overpriced junk!
Beware of all the hype! If the TV ad promises a $40 value then gives you a second
identical product free then the intrinsic value of the product is no more than $20 but
realistically, it has no “real” value because it is free. Beware of buying additional
products, accessories and refills “before” you know whether the product even works
or not.
More times than not you can find the same product advertised on TV these days
already being sold in the big box deep discount stores like Walmart or Walgreens
for the same price you see advertised on TV but without having to pay for shipping
or handling.
If a product promises “no mess” this does not mean absolutely no mess! If a
product is supposedly “ultra-soft, thick and luxurious” maybe expect some
surprises like the fabric possibly starting to disintegrate or fall apart after a few
wash cycles in the washing machine. Products that promise “to loosen stubborn
ground-in dirt” do not expect it to perform in every conceivable situation. If a
product promises “no more scrubbing” it may only do a fair job in too many
instances. If a product promises to “flatten and firm you stomach in just weeks”
and “takes just minutes a day” to do so do not forget it also always comes with a
nutrition plan of healthy eating noted in the small fine print to accomplish the
fantastic results. Too many exercise gimmicks and gadgets do no more than a brisk
walk would accomplish and the nutrition plan is so strict that doing the nutrition
plan alone and you would accomplish the desired fantastic results without even
using the exercise gimmick or gadget, so why even buy the device?
If a product promises to “blast through debris, clogs and sludge” do not expect it
to work perfectly on all debris, clogs or sludge! If a product promises to perform
“regardless of conditions” do not always expect it to perform for very long. If a
clean up type product claims to “hold 20 times its weight in liquid” this does not
mean all types of liquids, consequently you may find a good sponge to work just as
well.
If a product promises to “sculpt your entire body in just minutes a day” and
“build lean ripped muscle” and “develop a tight sexy body” the time it takes to burn
even one pound of fat may actually take weeks! If a product promises that it can
“support hundreds of pounds” or “has the strength to pull a fully loaded 18-
wheeler” it may do so but possibly so can other products for less cost.
If a product promises to “prolong the life of fruits and vegetables” if you store
them in the “revolutionary” advertised storage bag you may find just as satisfying
results using much less costly, typical food-storage bags.
SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCE: CONSUMER REPORTS MAGAZINE FEBRUARY
2010