In TOK class we have been looking into the human sciences, I found the topic of business and management to be really interesting. I read an article on mapping human behavior for business.
I do not take business studies as my human science, although
I find it extremely interesting how we as humans think when buying a certain
product, it also allows me to look at my habits critically and rationally think
about this topic as a whole which is really interesting.
In my opinion, I find myself caught in the strong waves of
reality. When one reads about this it is really annoying how brands and social
influence can play such a great factor in buying a certain product. To quote
the article by Alexander Bentley, Mark Earls and Michael J. O'Brien. Copying the most successful individuals means we
have enough information to recognize
real talent. I find myself doing this often. For instance, when I want to buy a
laptop – I see that the icons I look up to like gamers and other musicians, all
have an Alienware laptop. This is an exclusive gaming laptop that is about the
same price as a MacBook Pro. I find myself drawn towards the Alienware because
of the people I look up to all use it, and it is frankly just cool to have one.
I try to avoid just joining the bandwagon of trends that occur these days. I
think that such trends e.g. buying shoes by the brand Vans for example is
generic and I do not want to buy something I do not truly like just because my
friends all think it is a great company.
I’d like to
think myself as different, but as a quote I read somewhere “we are all unique,
like everyone else.” The more I critically look at the things I have purchased
just in the last 6 months. I find myself knocking on reality’s door. I have
been following “what they are having” for most of it. For example, clothing
brands – when faced with the countless brands of clothing I find myself drawn
to the popular ones (brands) that the people who I think are successful in
their respective area use. It is annoying thinking about it from a different
perspective, but that’s where we come to see the extent of business and
marketing.
Business and
marketing has evolved from just TV adverts and the odd flyer on the road to
something more. Companies are more willing to hire human behavior experts and psychologists
to sell more. Marketing offices have now found more creative ways in to reel
young mindless human, like myself, seducing us using the faces of those we
worship. Hook, line and sinker. These days, music artists have a lot of control
over what we buy. For example, if Justin Bieber was suddenly wearing Adidas. It
would be something ‘hip’ therefore more of his fans would switch to Adidas following
Justin like a mob. The trick is to make us think that we actually have control
or we think what we are doing is rational, which is cruel but that’s what makes
a business and product more successful. An example I could give of this
situation is Kanye West (a rapper) selling his Adidas Yeezys. People are
willing to pay more than $500 to fit in and follow what the cool people are
doing. This type of scenario may seem dumb to me as I am left in awe that
people actually get caught in that hype. Although we all have our weakness.
Come to think off it, there are many things that even I have bought or believed
that may seem really stupid to others. The
abundance of choices makes this harder for us, there are many brands we know,
many we do not. This is when the mob mentality comes in – just follow the crowd
so you do not stick out, at least other people think it is something worth
investing or buying. So at least I will not regret it as 100 others think it is
good including my favorite footballer.
Overall, I think natural sciences and the study of human
behavior is significant in the progress of business. In order to make your business
more successful, you must know the people you are selling your product to. Know
how they think, control what they buy. Seems easy enough, maybe I will be able
to control millions with a product someday. Or perhaps this was another idea
sold to us – embedded in our subconscious as I think it is my own original
idea, just as the other millions had the same idea.
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