How they get into our heads

Sometimes it worries me how easily missguided reads my mind. I might not even be consciously thinking of them but as soon as I pick up my phone, check my emails, check my facebook, even having a quick browse of instagram and there they are.

Recently there has been a push in scraping the paper data and pushing the virtual one. From working in retail I know that an email receipt will probably get you a lot further than the paper one that you lose almost as soon as it enters the bag. So with this marketing trend, brands and companies are able to target specific customers while their active online: which is pretty much all of the time.

A recent seminar got me thinking about how exactly they might do this. I know websites use cookies, which is basically a collection of data that companies use to keep track of what that particular person searches for, what style of shoe they seem to favour and even how frequently they visit the site. Stating the obvious, this is what allows them to push certain items/offers/sales on certain customers: because they all of a sudden know what they like.

They might even know you better than your own mother.

Personally, I am a very pink orientated customer. Probably why missguided always appeals to me, pink and sparkly, how can I resist? It's definitely the little things that attract me, the pretty things. For example, I feel like a hand written note (example to the left) is a lot more personal and welcoming than a generic font, the same POS promotion and the stupid little asterisk that basically undoes all of the lies you were told in big, bold and tempting letters.

Fast forwarding a few decades and I'll probs get a fair few letters through the post (if letters are still a thing) about over 50 life insurance, and when I get a job I'll get pension information. Promotions about windows and kitchens and well...old people stuff.

I'd love to see if I'm still a pink orientated customer by then.