Sour Patch Stings More Than The Tongue

My inspiration for this post came during what seemed like an eternal van ride back from the University of Virginia this weekend after a tournament. When we pulled up at a gas station I didn’t even think twice about going into the convenience store, if not for anything else but to stretch my legs. Perusing the store I walked past the fridges full of ice cold Gatorade and couldn’t resist the temptation of a ‘Glazier Freeze’. So I approached the counter, cash in hand, only to be greeted by the familiar, devilishly tempting, luminous yellow packaging of Sour Patch Kids.

It was at this point that my saliva glands seemed to do summersaults in my throat as they anticipated the sugar rush they thought was headed their way. As much as I tried to resist the urge, I folded, and reached for the package to add to my purchase, knowing I was becoming just another statistic and sucker for Point of Purchase advertising.

I tend to think of myself as fairly impenetrable when it comes to marketing campaigns and commercials, as I’m sure many of us do, however it’s times like these, in a gas station in Virginia, that I recognize how wrong I am in that belief. Marketing doesn’t end at the hilarious Old Spice commercials, or Verizon billboards littered alongside highways, instead it encompasses our entire lives, even as I’m writing this I’m receiving emails from 1-800 FLOWERS offering me new deals on a dozen tulips I don’t want! But the point is, POP marketing is just another strategy companies utilize to generate sales, and it works.

A study conducted in 2001 that used sophisticated eye tracking technology in relation to POP marketing efforts in order to examine what exactly consumers look at and then how likely they are to buy that product demonstrates the power of POP product placement. They note that simply “looking at a brand increases its consideration probability anywhere from 30 – 120%.” Coupling this with the fact that “between half and two thirds of purchase decisions are made at the POP” truly goes to show the impact of this style of marketing and companies are latching onto this.

If you’d asked me in times gone by, before I consciously began to take note of my purchasing decisions, why I chose to buy this pack of teeth rotting candy I probably would have given some reason such as “I wanted a reward after a long weekend of tennis.” Now however, I know the real reason behind this purchase, genius marketing! Brands such as Sour Patch know most people can’t control the urge to grab a bag of candy when it’s pushed in front of their face and they have their money at hand. Without this kind of temptation, the likelihood of someone actively seeking Sour Patch on a cluttered shelf is considerably lower.

Overall, I find looking back on this purchase rather amusing. I distinctly remember making my reach for the candy look to all witnesses as much of a snap decision as possible, most probably because my subconscious didn’t want people around me to think I was a heavy candy eater. So the question I pose is, was this really a spur of the moment decision, or, like some higher power, did Sour Patch have this purchase in mind for me all along?

Finally, on a slightly less candy related note, let me explain my preemptive post, seeing as my birthday isn’t until Saturday! I think it’s safe to say that I plan on consuming more than 5 drinks that day, with it being a home football game day and all, so whether that makes me a binge drinker or not ill leave up to you to decide!

POP Eye Tracking Study

Iain Atkinson is a Senior BEM Major with a concentration in Marketing