Perpetual buying incentives: Things to watch out for.

"Collect And Win" Contests

by Roland Kriewaldt

Here's something to ignore: contests that make the claim "Collect All Five And Win!" [obviously some incredible grand prize].

This is something we usually find on cheap impulse items such as soft drinks, candy bars and children's cereals; items we buy on a regular basis, but not always of the same brand. The purpose of these collecting contests is to keep consumers loyal and interested in the brand by offering hope of some future reward. It's like politics and religions but with more sugar.

The deceptive aspect of selling this way is that the company will mass distribute all but the one winning boxtop or bottle top needed. They flood the market to make it appear that the impossible is within everyone's reach. The "only one to go" marketing ploy keeps us buying our way to the grand prize because we believe we're close to getting it. If we were always two or more away, then we think it was hopeless, give up, and stop buying. That's bad for business.

Let's stop spending our way to joy and find other means. [One exception is my book Reality Check, which is a joy to read.]