This Is Marketing: You Cant Be Seen Until You Learn to See

Marketers create tension, and forward motion relieves that
tension
The logic of the going-out-of-business sale is elusive. After all, if the store
was any good, it wouldn’t be going out of business. And if a customer is
hoping for support, a warranty, or a chance for a return, buying something
from a store that’s about to disappear isn’t very smart.
And yet, people can’t resist a bargain.
That’s because the scarcity of the going-out-of-business sale creates
tension. The tension of “What bargains did I miss?” The best way to relieve
that tension is to go to the store and check it out.
Of course, the fear of missing out on a bankruptcy isn’t the only tension
that drives us forward.
Here’s a new social app. If you get in early, you’ll find more friends and
be more in sync than the people who come later. Better not fall behind.
Here’s how we process the invoices here. I know you’re familiar with the
original system, but our organization uses the new one, and you’ll need to
be good at it by Thursday.
The last three houses that sold on our block went for less than anyone
expected. If we don’t sell soon, we’ll never be able to cover our mortgage.
Supreme is only making 250 of these sneakers. I’m getting a pair—are
you coming?
If you want to find out how the series ends, you’ll need to tune in on
Sunday.
We don’t want to feel left out, left behind, uninformed, or impotent. We
want to get ahead. We want to be in sync. We want to do what people like
us are doing.
None of those feelings existed before a marketer showed up with
something that caused them—if there weren’t a new album, you wouldn’t
feel left out if you hadn’t heard it yet.

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We intentionally create these gaps, these little canyons of tension that
people find themselves leaping over.
And the reason is status.
Where do we stand?
What does the tribe think of us?
Who’s up, and who’s down?