Is there a lemmy community, for example, where people discuss shopping strategies which minimize the risk of the purchase decision being influenced by Brand Image or Flashy Packaging? Or similar topics. Maybe what product categories have cheapest products that are bad, so you can’t apply an objective criterion while making the purchase decision, and are more vulnerable to advertising. Maybe how shopping background music is evil because it takes up mental capacity. (I’m feeling slightly autistic right now, science at least shows music makes you buy more, the rest is just my guess.) You know, that kind of thing.

Questions I would ask people interested in this (feel free to answer them anyways): Do you think making a list of every company that has ever advertised to you so that you can hold it up to yourself when making a purchase decision and only buy from their competitors, makes sense and would be worth your time? Do you love shopping lists because they make you think of the generic product beforehand, and then let you objectively decide based on price which one to buy? Do you agree with the sentiment that, like an AI in a Robert Miles video / Sci-Fi Movie resisting being turned off, I should want to resist something that will change my opinion or state of mind? Do you get a negative gut reaction whenever you see that people are studying advertising, which means most of their job is making this manipulation more efficient? Would these hetorical questions make good advertising for the hypothetical Advertising Hate Club?

  • Otter@lemmy.ca
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    7 months ago

    BuyItForLife communities might work, and a lot of topic specific communities have discussions on if a product is worth the hype. Having a separate community for it might not work as well if it doesn’t have the momentum / crowd sourced knowledge

    Consumer protection programs are also fun. CBC Marketplace has a BuzzKill segment that somewhat fits with this theme

    • fishpen0@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      The unfortunate reality is that these communities are big enough now that advertisers are aware of them. They are full of sock puppets and have become guerrilla advertising platforms and you have to really read through them more carefully than in the past

      • Otter@lemmy.ca
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        7 months ago

        Initially on Lemmy I was uncomfortable with upvotes being public, but now that seems like the only way to catch issues like this. Vote manipulation is spiraling out of control back on Reddit