Consumer Game, The

[Music] All right, dear. Let's go over this one more time. Okay, now I've just walked up to you on the beach. It's candid, right? You've seen it a thousand times. Probably the greatest factor working against the youthful consumer, it's simply that he rather stubbornly refuses to admit he's a consumer. Okay. And I ask you about your deodorant, right? Not your cereal, not your not your wash day miracle, but your deodorant. It's personal, right? Kids make up a market that spends $30 billion a year. $30 billion is big business. The business community is going to fight pretty hard for those dollars and not always fairly. You know, this is real life, right? Your deodorant has failed you. It's a crisis, right? Okay. So, now your romance could have been in the rock. So, you're starting to worry when when will it happen next? Can I ever believe in my deodorant again? Okay. Advertisers are going to play on such things as kids fear of rejection by the opposite sex or their need to be individuals even when it's got nothing whatsoever to do with the product they're selling. Okay. And now you say very natural, right? Maybe I'm using the wrong brand. Maybe I'm using a deodorant that quits early. Okay, then zap. We nail them. [Music] You know, I guess I'm like most kids. I thought all deodorants were alike. And well, I guess they are until it really counts. Sunburst deodorant. Fresh as an ocean spray. [Music] The consumer game is one we all must play. Like any game, it's got its rules and strategy. And of course, luck doesn't hurt. But when you really think about it, winning just means getting the most for your money. So, what's the best strategy? I mean, how do you get the most for your money? Just look around. compare products and stores against each other. The difference between winning and losing can be comparison shopping. [Music] Shop around think [Music] compare. That's easy enough, right? Wrong. There are 24 brands of cologne you may not be man enough to wear. Eight pain relievers that act faster and longer. Countless products enriched with fortified activated additives. Brands that overpower with masculinity. And brands that tease with femininity. Brands that are new again this year. And brands that are an improvement over last year's improvement. In short, it's sometimes hard to be 99 and 44 100s% sure that it contains twice as much of the leading improvement which four out of five now teenagers recommend most when life's little problems become the real thing. [Music] Think before you try. Think before you buy. Shop around. Know the guarantee. Shoo around. Shoo around. Shop around. [Music] Okay, let's say now you're ready to buy something, but you're not sure where. There are the department stores and the discount stores. The discount department stores and the department discount stores and the dis and uh [Music] Well, anyway, each has advantages and disadvantages. And if you're looking at the identical article in each, you'd probably find a different price in [Music] each. Some have bargains on some things, some on others. What do you do? you comparison shop, [Music] right? Okay, now you've decided where to buy. What next? Which brand? Probably. Government tests show that of the five leading brands of pain relievers, none was more effective than But the tests also showed that none was less effective. The AMA sets the minimum standards for all pain relievers. Bleach does what no detergent alone can do. True indeed. A bleach is for removing colors. A detergent for removing dirt. [Music] Soap is 99 and 44 100% pure. Pure what? [Music] The strongest name in cleaners. Well, so much for the name. With all these claims, how do you know what to buy? Price check on four, please. Start by reading the labels. They are the most important thing a manufacturer has to say about his product. If you are a hay fever sufferer, consider this. Popular name brand antihistamine costs between $2 and $3 for a bottle of 30 capsules. But under its generic or chemical name, chlorophonamine, these same 30 capsules could be bought from a wholesale supply house for 21. Often the best known brands cost much more. Why? It could be that highly advertised brands spend as much on their advertising as others spend on the product alone. That's how they become household words. And who pays for the advertising? We do. Consider the many products boasting lemon juice as an ingredient. Why is lemon suddenly so necessary for everything from your oven to your [Music] hair? Get to know what's really in a product. Content is one of the most important things a label tells you. But in addition to what you're getting, labels can tell you how much you're getting. The maker of a soap that floats advertises that four of his bars cost as much as three of theirs. It's like getting one free, he says. If you compare weights, you'll see that four of his bars weigh about what three of theirs weigh. The floating soap contains more air. That's why it floats. Another important reason for reading labels is to determine what an item costs per unit of weight. If something weighs 5 oz and it costs 60, that's 12 cents an ounce, right? But with odd weights and prices such as 5.25 o for.35, many manufacturers have made it hard to compare unit prices. They've discouraged comparison shopping. But some stores help the consumer by calculating and posting the unit cost for him. It's a good idea to shop these stores, not just because comparison shopping is made easier, but because the store's willingness to help the consumer will be reflected in other ways as well. The consumer has other friends, too. The United States Dairy Association, for instance, set standards on many food items such as eggs, butter, and cheese. Many of us shy away from a grade C egg, thinking it's not as good. In fact, a lesser grade usually indicates only slight irregularities that have no effect on food value. So, if you're scrambling your eggs or using them for baking, a lower grade will be just as good as the more expensive kind. Standardization has its problems, though. For instance, a US large olive is the third smallest of seven gradations. It precedes extra large, jumbo, colossal, and super colossal. We should all be aware of the consumer laws meant to protect us. The Truth in Packaging Act requires that where no standards have been set, the manufacturer must list the ingredients according to how much of each is in his product. Now, the fine print on fruit juice cans tells an interesting story. Fruit juice contains only fruit juice. Fruit drink contains water and sugar also. And fruit punch may contain only fruit flavoring and no fruit at all. One recent trend in merchandising is convenience packaging. Many of us are willing to pay the extra price. Let's see what it really is. Pre-shaped meat patties are twice as expensive as those you make yourself. Having the manufacturer slice your cheese costs 1/3 more. The sugar on your sugarcoated cereal costs 10 times the price of plain sugar. The dessert in your mini can costs as much per ounce as a good steak. [Music] Shop around. Think before you try. Shop around. Think before you buy. Shop around. Know the guarantee. Shop around. Shop around. Shop around. [Music] Now you've bought whatever it was you were after. Happy day. Well, not quite. It doesn't always work. Now what? Most products are covered by a guarantee. There are two kinds, express and implied. The express guarantee states specifically in writing how much and under what conditions the manufacturer will stand behind his product. But when a guarantee says unconditionally guaranteed for life under normal usage or your money back, it's up to you to know what that means. Well, what does your money back mean? What is normal usage? What's a lifetime? If I sell the product, is the lifetime guarantee transferable? If you don't know the answers to these questions, ask. And if you don't get the answers, don't buy. I can't wait. The implied guarantee is unwritten, but it means that a product is guaranteed to do the job it was sold to do. This guarantee is also between you and the manufacturer. Stop. It's sticking. What's the matter with this thing? It's cold. The clothes out. I can't. Most manufacturers are becoming more responsive to consumers. But if you have a problem, you may find yourself bogged down in correspondence. One way to eliminate this problem is to deal with reputable stores. They will sometimes assume the manufacturer's responsibility and make every effort to satisfy you. Not a bad guy. This one better work or we'll take it back, too. Let's say you're going to buy something expensive, something really special, like your first car. Now you've got to decide how to pay for it. Boy, you got a honey. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I know cars pretty good. It's a real dream you got sitting here, let me tell you. Listen, I know. You know, you robbed me. No idea. Yeah. Yeah. I've been in this business a long time. They don't come any sharper. Look, what about the financing? I don't know. I was originally planning on, you know, paying cash for it. That car is a little bit more expensive than I was figuring on. You're a smart kid, you know that? Save your money. It doesn't pay not to finance. Paying cash is the smartest thing a consumer can do. People almost always buy more expensive things when they finance. You know, you're a sharp kid. You know, I knew that the minute you came in here. This kid's been around. Yeah. Well, look, if you finance this beauty with us, you know, we can make you a great deal. You know, we do all our own financing. See, it's cheaper. all under one roof. Many retailers who do their own financing, even reputable ones, work with finance companies. The dealer often gets a commission from the finance company. That's why he may try to get you to finance. Look, I'll even knock $50 off. Isn't that a great deal? Sure. Listen, I'm hardly going to make a nickel on this deal as it is. Now, that's going to work out to just $ 36.50 a month. Now, $36.50. 50 cents for a man like you. That's nothing. Yeah. Well, the question to ask is not how much a month, but for how many months? What's the total price and the true interest rate? You know, you're not going to find a better deal. Let me tell you. I can assure you of that. Well, what's it going to be? Shop around for credit like you would for anything else. A bank or a credit union will give you the best rates. I don't know. I think I'm going to look around first. Okay. Well, wait a minute. You know, 2% and and you're you're driving away wheels like you were only dreaming about yesterday. I'll throw in the tape deck. Isn't that a great deal? Huh? I'm asking you, is that not a great deal? Wait a minute. You know, no down payment, 20 bucks a month. Well, where you don't check around anywhere else. You got your deal right here. Shop around. Think before you try. Shop around. Pick before you buy. Shop around. Take your time. Shop around. You don't have to be a loser. Put yourself in place of chooser. Shop around. No guarantee. Shop around. Eliminate the uncertainties. Shop around.