When there are too many choices, there is no choice. The choices are entangled in a maze of rather confused possibilities. They go through many nebulous paths. Doubt, hesitation, indecision, become the only resolutions possible. Choosing is the anxiety of being wrong! The brand, the quality / price ratio, the aesthetics ... give confidence, but often with naivety! There is a gap between the reality of the qualities of the products and the perception of the customer. These are prejudices, illusions, a lack of knowledge ... Generally speaking, is the consumer-client able to appreciate, by sight, by touch, or even by a brief trial of operation, all the strengths and weaknesses? a lot of products? Market value dominates the use value. Marketing will discover that we must no longer confuse the consumer (the customer) and the user. The economic system only works because consumers are in the opacity of their choices. The search for technical prowess and above all market value has dominated the search for value in use.

Table of Contents:
Preface xi Introduction xiii Chapter 1. The Power of Words 1 1.1. The power of word-of-mouth 1 1.1.1. The Internet and electronic word-of-mouth 2 1.1.2. Advertising marketing and word-of-mouth marketing 2 1.1.3. Social influence 4 1.2. The power of consumers/customers 7 1.2.1. Consumers/customers buy with their eyes closed 7 1.2.2. “Consum-action” 9 1.2.3. Boycotts 10 1.2.4. The power of the purse 11 1.3. The power of consumers/users 12 1.4. The power of demonstrations 13 1.4.1. Case study: the process of a “Tupperware”-type sale 13 1.5. The power of distributors 14 1.5.1. The product in a commercial context 14 1.5.2. Distributor brands 15 1.5.3. Retailer-brand products 15 1.5.4. Distributors 15 1.6. The power of the big buyers 16 1.7. The power of the Internet 17 1.7.1. A powerful, indispensable system 17 1.7.2. The economic objective 21 1.7.3. Dependency 23 1.7.4. Security and confidentiality 23 1.7.5. Testing on the Internet 24 1.8. The power of stars, influencers and idols 25 1.8.1. Titles and clothes make an impression 25 1.8.2. The elites 26 1.9. The power of genuine users 27 1.10. The power of sellers 27 1.10.1. The effect of contrast 29 1.10.2. The principle of reciprocity 29 1.10.3. Reciprocal concessions 30 1.10.4. “Everyday” manipulation  31 1.10.5. Manipulation 31 Chapter 2. Temptation 33 2.1. The power of sales catalogs 33 2.2. The power of certificates, labels and eco-labels 33 2.2.1. The different labels 33 2.2.2. Recognizing recycled products 35 2.2.3. The CE seal 35 2.2.4. The NF seal 36 2.2.5. The power of eco-labels 36 2.3. The power of packaging 38 2.4. The power of labels 40 2.4.1. The energy label 40 2.4.2. Trackability 43 2.5. The power of manufacturers 44 2.5.1. The impossibility of being fully informed 44 2.5.2. Doing what sells 45 2.5.3. Forms of product obsolescence 46 2.6. The power of standards: inflation 52 2.7. The power of commercial leaflets 54 2.7.1. Denying advertising 55 2.8. The power of specialized journals 55 2.9. The power of trade shows and fairs 56 2.10. The power of technical tests 56 2.10.1. Material, technology and performance 56 2.10.2. Machines and figures 57 2.10.3. Technical tests 58 2.10.4. For a more useful technology 59 2.11. The power of tele-shopping 60 Chapter 3. Belief and Respect 61 3.1. The power of fair trade 61 3.2. The power of ecologists 62 3.2.1. “Ecologist”: an overused term 62 3.2.2. The ecology of use 63 3.2.3. Environmental risks 63 3.2.4. Paint me green all over! 64 3.2.5. Recovering waste 64 3.2.6. Examples of waste 65 3.2.7. Solar products 65 3.2.8. The ecological argument 66 3.3. The power of the quality/price relationship 66 3.3.1. Paternalistic advice 66 3.3.2. The power of the best choice: who is it the best product for? 67 3.4. The power of consumer reviews and associations 68 3.4.1. Associations 68 3.4.2. Consumer reviews 68 3.4.3. The consumer strike 69 3.4.4. The phony interpreters 69 3.4.5. Class action lawsuits 69 3.4.6. Product tests 70 Chapter 4. Marketing and Lies 73 4.1. The power of surveys and panels 73 4.2. The power of marketing 75 4.2.1. Marketing wins over customers before anyone else 75 4.2.2. Viral marketing 76 4.2.3. Buzz 77 4.3. The power of consumer services 77 Chapter 5. Pleasing, Enjoying and Being Successful 79 5.1. The power of aesthetics, the seduction of products 79 5.2. The power of festivals and traditions 82 5.3. The power of fashion and trends 83 5.3.1. The vagaries of fashion 84 Chapter 6. The Powers that Be 87 6.1. The power of lobbies 87 6.1.1. The activities of lobbying groups 87 6.1.2. Influencing practices 88 6.1.3. Strategies 89 6.1.4. For products to be used by the army 89 6.1.5. In global trade 90 6.1.6. Issues 90 6.2. The power of politics and the government 91 6.2.1. The different forms of intervention 91 6.2.2. The interest is to make people consume 92 6.3. The abandoned goals of the Centre de Creation Industrielle 93 Chapter 7. The Power of “Made in France” 95 7.1. Should I buy French? 95 7.2. Are the labels all reliable? 95 7.3. AOC products 96 7.4. A new label: “Origine France Garantie” (in English: “French Origin Guaranteed”) 96 7.5. A lack of information for making choices 96 7.6. “Made in France” 97 7.7. Good for businesses 99 7.8. French products are more expensive and therefore of better “quality”! 99 7.9. Good for the consumer/customer? 99 7.10. The French product craze 100 7.11. “Made in France” and the brand 101 7.12. Progress made through globalization 101 7.13. An economic point of view 102 7.14. Design and manufacturing 103 7.15. Protectionism 104 7.16. Nationalism 104 7.17. Conclusion 104 Chapter 8. Seeing, Touching and Getting a Feel 107 8.1. The power of stores 107 8.1.1. Choosing the store 107 8.1.2. Factors of influence and in-store circumstances  108 8.1.3. The cheapest 111 8.1.4. The purchasing process 112 8.1.5. Methods for sales/merchandising 113 8.1.6. Trying is buying 114 8.1.7. No waste of time 115 8.1.8. Seeing is buying 115 8.1.9. Up-selling 115 8.1.10. Cross-selling 115 8.1.11. The center of the shelves 116 8.1.12. Decoy 116 8.1.13. POS 116 8.1.14. Feeling good 117 8.1.15. The “expert” seller  118 8.1.16. The 3D printer in-store  118 8.1.17. Audio marketing 118 8.1.18. Taste-based marketing  119 8.1.19. Smell-based marketing 119 8.1.20. Sensory marketing 120 8.1.21. Touch-based marketing 120 8.1.22. Visual marketing 121 8.1.23. Virtual reality helmets 121 8.1.24. Buying through connected orders 121 8.1.25. Mass-scale operations 121 8.1.26. Discount coupons/loyalty programs 122 8.1.27. The profitability of the store? 122 8.1.28. A lack of ethics 123 8.1.29. “Robotization” 123 8.1.30. The so-called “smart carts” 124 8.2. The power of product 125 Chapter 9. The Innovative Product of a Known Brand 127 9.1. The power of technical innovations 127 9.1.1. Sell only what sells well 129 9.1.2. 3D printing 129 9.1.3. The inconvenience of choice: articles or types of products 132 9.1.4. Tools that are not up to the task 132 9.1.5. Nanotechnology 132 9.1.6. The sources of concern from these technological advances 134 9.2. The power of brands 135 Chapter 10. The Product Already Seen 139 10.1. The power of the media 139 10.2. The power of print media 140 10.3. The power of advertising 141 10.3.1. Making it public 141 10.3.2. Media ubiquity and the locomotive of the economic system 142 10.3.3. Dissatisfaction 143 10.3.4. Rationale for purchases and propaganda 143 10.3.5. The power of conviction 143 10.3.6. Distraction and temptation 144 10.3.7. Advertising tools and techniques 146 10.3.8. Neurological studies 146 10.3.9. Deceptive and misleading advertising 147 10.3.10. Deceptive language 148 10.3.11. Brainwashing and dumbing down 148 10.3.12. Aggression and harassment 150 10.3.13. Popularization 151 10.3.14. Boosting sales 151 10.3.15. Economic functions for the state 153 10.3.16. Waste by advertising 153 10.3.17. The advertising market? 154 10.3.18. “Free” publicity 154 10.3.19. Seduction and mental manipulation 155 10.3.20. Physical beauty 156 10.3.21. Sports 157 10.3.22. Celebrities157 10.3.23. The socio-cultural role 157 10.3.24. Advertising for children 159 10.3.25. The removal of ads 160 10.3.26. Digital de-culturation, privacy, policing, targeting… 160 10.3.27. Online advertising 161 10.3.28. Comparative advertising 162 10.3.29. The inefficiency of the Bureau de la verification de la publicité (French advertising oversight bureau) 162 10.4. The power of TV  163 Chapter 11. Buying Cheap 165 11.1. The power of pricing 165 11.2. The power of sales 167 11.3. The power of promotions 168 11.4. The power of responsible purchasing 170 Appendix 173 References 177 Index 183