50 Marketing Tactics Made By Businesses To Fool You

You probably have already been a victim of it at some point.

Sophia

• Published in Interesting
• January 16, 2022

Let's face it—the marketing industry is one of the sneakiest cluster of corporations out there. They are always out to get you.

Everything you bought that is not out of necessity is a product of effective marketing, and sometimes these marketing techniques you see are not that ethical at all, unfortunately (well, fortunately for them). Some of the marketing trends that have evolved throughout the years seemed to stray away from genuine marketing strategies and opted for the sneaky, sneaky path instead.

If people don't realize that they are being fooled, good for them! But luckily people are wiser in spotting exploitative techniques when the industry advertises nowadays, and they are definitely not having any of it.

There are even certain brands who have been exposed for using "evil" marketing tactics to lure in vulnerable customers; and in the technological age where consumers have skyrocketed and marketing tools have also upgraded, it's a shame that they end up failing with their tactics which cause their brand to fall under bad reputation. It goes to say that fooling people won't make you end up anywhere especially when you use offensive content, exaggerating things, and hiding the bad sides of a product among all other things—it will only backfire.

Take a look at this manipulative list of evil marketing techniques to take advantage of consumers like you!

1. A kickball that's not made for kicking

2. "I love ads on my £250 console that i continue to pay £6 a month to play on"

3. It's basically a trap

4. Literally any piece of clothing can cost more or less 99 cents

5. All natural

6. Choose them

7. Save more energy by boiling less

8. Handwritten ad

9. Paid $2,500 just to have unremovable ads in a Samsung Smart TV

10. Is that a 1 or a 7?

11. "This vending machine is 100% sold out. It only tells you that items are sold out after you've put money in/used your card"

12. Got ya

13. "When you thumbs down trash like this on netflix but it keeps coming back at the top of your homepage"

14. Fortune cookies don't bring any fortune anymore

15. Could it be any more smaller?

16. Taller but lesser

17. What are they even trying to do

18. That's not three!

19. Witty or not?

20. "Got a letter in an envelope which said my lease was terminated. Just another ad"

21. Be careful with the small fonts, they seem to be everywhere

22. Wonder why they run out so quickly?

23. This car wash program

24. "Gold" chalk

25. You'll just have to download their app first *wink*

26. Stop luring people with fake money

27. False advertising at its finest

28. "Never seen their chair in my life" yet he is sitting on it on their ads

29. Well, if that is your definition of free...no thanks

30. Wait, this is actually genius!

31. Intentionally printed with a smudged effect so you would be forced to call them

32. Did you say you bought the large one? Oh, that's just the outer container size.

33. Some person keeps leaving this as a tip

34. All that packaging waste for...oh

35. A billion dollar company (that rhymes with Walmart) comparing themselves to the sacrifices of WW2 veterans

36. Cleaning it will make it sprout new blades...got it!

37. So disappointing

38. Ad designed to look like an Amazon package

39. Free wifi but purchase something first

40. Screens that aren't even accurately showing the real content inside

41. So basically, you are thriving on blind acceptance

42. Phew

43. At least they are honest

44. "My mother recently passed away. This morning i thought i got an email from her. Nope, just a spam tabloid naming their contact 'Mom'"

45. "Dual" camera, they said

46. When it says printer low on ink and...

47. Don't be fooled, they cost 1.50

48. Online testing software

49. Something's wrong here

50. Free delivery at a higher price

Some of these have certainly been painted a bad reputation for putting out these marketing practices, but let's admit it, some of these were actually smart and funny! It's just not great if they do ones that intentionally fool people and corner them to succumb to their marketing tactics.

Have you got any evil marketing technique knowledge to share? Comment it down, or share this article for all your family and friends to see!

Sophia