This blog post examines how capitalism mobilizes marketing and surveillance technology to create unnecessary desires in order to absorb surplus production, exploring this structure through everyday consumer experiences.

Marketing that manipulates us

In capitalist society, consumer marketing grows increasingly sophisticated over time, sparing no effort to develop new marketing techniques. Security CCTV cameras installed throughout streets and inside buildings are purportedly installed to prevent crime in a dangerous society. They also play a crucial role in providing clues to apprehend criminals when crimes occur. However, CCTV installed for security purposes is also utilized for another objective. Marketers increasingly employ sophisticated, cutting-edge techniques to influence consumers—their targets. CCTV is the most representative tool used in this process.
Consider a woman entering a department store. From that moment, she becomes the subject of thorough analysis. Who she came with, how long she lingers in front of certain products, what she scrutinizes, and even her mood, observed through her expressions and body language, are all noted. Furthermore, her age, occupation, and income level become subjects of estimation. Of course, this woman remains completely unaware that someone is observing her in such detail.
Are you aware that marketers are analyzing our every move through CCTV? It’s shocking, but it’s reality. And based on these observations, sophisticated marketing strategies are designed, and in the process, we gradually become manipulated. This is according to Paco Underhill, CEO of the shopping consulting firm Environmentals.

“I observe. Our company employs 140 observation marketers worldwide. They go out to shopping malls, stores, airports, and train stations, regardless of weekdays or weekends, to observe how people move and interact. We utilize various advanced technologies to go beyond mere watching and meticulously analyze shopping behavior.”

Paco Underhill was the first in the world to use observation cameras to analyze customer behavior and fully integrate this into marketing. He has consulted on products and stores for global companies like Microsoft, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Estée Lauder, and Hewlett-Packard, driving groundbreaking sales increases. He also participated in the design of Centum City, a large shopping mall located in Busan. The fact that his shopping consulting directly impacted actual sales powerfully demonstrates how formidable the force of consumption-driving marketing can be. Next, let’s hear from brand consultant Martin Lindstrom.

“Marketing is the strategic use of various techniques to seduce consumers, making them feel they need a product without knowing the exact reason why.”

So, how exactly are we being manipulated by marketing? Let’s revisit Paco Underhill’s explanation.

“We’ve all had this experience: buying something in a store, bringing it home, and realizing it wasn’t quite what we expected. Modern store environments can cast dramatic lighting on products. Melons or apples look far better in the store than they do when you bring them home. This is part of 21st-century visual marketing. It uses how we perceive objects and the structure of lighting to make things appear far more appealing than they actually are. Just like a movie set.”

Time moves slowly in supermarkets

This marketing strategy is deeply embedded in the spatial design of large supermarkets. Upon entering, shoppers are naturally guided to move counterclockwise. This accounts for the fact that most people are right-handed. Moving counterclockwise makes it much easier to pick up items with your right hand. The layout is designed so you don’t have to stretch to grab items placed farther away.

Martin Lindstrom explains this as follows.

“In fact, when consumers move counterclockwise through the store, they purchase an average of 7% more items. Some stores even install speed bumps. When shopping carts bump over them, speed naturally slows down. As a result, consumers see more products and buy more. The trend toward larger shopping carts serves the same purpose. The larger the cart, the more items consumers tend to load into it. Add scents and music to the mix, and shopping becomes a highly enjoyable experience. While there are positive aspects, on the other hand, consumers can feel manipulated, as if someone is peering into their minds, which can be unpleasant. However, it’s difficult for consumers to control this flow. Today, many marketers and retailers use overly sophisticated strategies to stimulate consumers’ desire to buy.”

One common scene in Korean supermarkets is the ‘tasting corner,’ popular with both adults and children. Martin Lindstrom states this phenomenon is closely linked to modern neuroscience.

“Visiting Korean supermarkets is fascinating. There are many tasting corners. You can try coffee or sample food. This is never coincidental. It’s fully explained by modern neuroscience. Smelling food or specific products stimulates the senses, amplifying hunger through the five senses. As a result, we buy more. This isn’t limited to food. It applies to all products. Because it implants a sense of ‘craving’ within us.”

When celebrities appear, I buy too

Using popular celebrities as advertising models operates on the same principle. It stimulates the desire to ‘be like that person,’ driving consumption. This is Martin Lindstrom’s explanation.

“When we see an advertising model, we naturally identify with them. And we develop the feeling that we want to be like them. Advertising creates the illusion that ‘I can become like that person too.’ Once that happens, the consumer enters a dreamlike state. In this state, they no longer judge based on their realistic self; instead, they see themselves through the lens of the advertising model. Ultimately, they come to believe that person is themselves.”

Capitalism has shifted the concept of consumption to an entirely different dimension. Consumption in the past was simply an act of fulfilling ‘needs.’ When hungry, one bought rice; when clothes wore out beyond wear, new ones were purchased. However, this approach alone cannot consume the vast amount of products flooding out of a capitalist society. Surplus production increases, and if it doesn’t circulate smoothly, problems arise within the capitalist system itself.
The only solution is to constantly encourage consumption, or in some cases, effectively compel it. To make this process appear ‘natural’ above all else, cutting-edge technology and science, sophisticated psychological techniques, and celebrity-driven advertising are mobilized. Ultimately, the consumer must become not someone who ‘buys what they need,’ but an entity that ‘consumes even what they don’t need, taking on capitalism’s surplus production.’