Manipulative techniques have been put in use by marketers through advertising, persuading

consumers to buy a product or render a service resulting in higher revenues for the organization.
Such techniques may produce results in short period of time and long period of time. Nicoleta
Andrea mentioned some of the forms that manipulation can take: Manipulation can have various
forms, the most well-known being persuasion, misinformation and intoxication[ CITATION
Nic12 \l 1033 ] (x) One of the most common tactic used by advertisers is to display the brand at
the end of the ad. These so-called "mystery ads" are used to draw the consumer into the ad; the
goal is to increase processing attention by creating suspense [ CITATION Mar951 \l 1033 ]

However, identifying and labelling such techniques as manipulative, requires elucidation about
what we think is morally objectionable about that technique. According to Shlomo Sher,
“Without the addition of an intention to motivate by undermining the decision-making process of
one’s audience, it is difficult to call the act manipulative” [ CITATION Shl11 \l 1033 ]. This
explains how intention of use plays a vital role in determining the nature of an advertising
technique. Another author gives a verdict about the use of such techniques by saying, Every time
when these advertising efforts are focused on getting the consumers to do what the advertiser
wants through subversive manners that lack the truth, we can say this is
manipulation”[ CITATION Vic14 \l 1033 ]. The advertisements which persuades/compels
individuals into buying commodities that they do not need or afford, definitely comes under the
label of manipulation. [ CITATION Mar95 \l 1033 ] (xxxx) Misrepresentation of details about
the product being advertised leaves a negative impact on buyers, an author narrates, sometimes
the advertisers over exaggerate about the product’s benefits in such a tactful manner that
consumer goes psychologically under the pressure of advertising persuasiveness and
intentionally decides to buy the advertised product ( Impact of Unethical advertising…). Such
psychological techniques are considered as manipulative as they undermine the normal decision-
making process of individuals.

However, these techniques are not good or bad in themselves, the intention of using such
techniques is what matters the most as mentioned above. Let’s consider the example of a knife:
we may use it to prepare food, we may use it to protect ourselves, or we may use it to kill. Could
we say that we are using an unethical knife? No way [ CITATION Ale08 \l 1033 ]. This
strengthens our verdict about nature and use of advertising techniques.

Demographics, gender and age are the key deciding factors upon which marketers develop and
enact strategies. Lower age group people are more vulnerable to these advertising strategies and
are easily persuaded into making a purchase. Children are usually unable to neutralize the
manipulative effect of associative advertising campaigns (Ethics & Social Responsibility).
Deceptive practices which do not involve lying, I will suggest, are not as such to be deemed
wrong-but they will be so in some cases-as if they involve a betrayal of trust or, if they are
practiced against people known to be especially vulnerable. [ CITATION Jen90 \l 1033 ]. A
real-life example of the use of such techniques against the kids is when the Nike’s Air Jordan
shoes were targeted for kids, Critics argue that the shoes are targeted toward children, through
the use of role models. This type of advertising strategy has been classified as psychoactive ads
(Ethics & Social Responsibility) (x). Children are easily influenced and manipulated and are less
price sensitive than adults. They value trendiness and mainstreamness and respond more
positively to more advertised brands. Their innocence and vulnerability make them inevitable to
manipulative advertising strategies and hence are taken advantage of by tobacco manufacturers.
Young smokers consider image to be of utmost importance and pay most attention to “openly
fashionable brands and up-to-date designs (Tobacco Industry). Personalities also define which
personalities resist/lacks resistance to manipulation of advertisements. Low values of
Dominance, Aggressiveness, Depression, Openness, Emotional Lability, Empathy and
Emotional Intelligence and high values of Self Control and Responsibility. [ CITATION Cla14 \l
1033 ]

Almost daily we come across e-commerce websites where we find a number of online reviews
about products available on that website. These reviews usually are anonymous, which hides the
credibility of the reviewer and fence, can be used in favor of their products. Most of these
websites hire people to give fake reviews about such products and persuade individuals to buy
that product [ CITATION Ami17 \l 1033 ].

E-commerce websites ask users to enable to be benefited from tailored content in future, this is
commonly known as personalized advertising. These techniques might be perceived as an
effective component to fulfill individual customer’s needs and desires; but in reality, these are
rather more cognitive than effective. Personalization outcomes often emphasize the trade-off
between the benefits of personalization and the costs of privacy. In this cost-benefit analysis,
consumers act as rational economic agents, who consider both the risks and benefits prior to
disclosing their information and form perceptions of the personalized service (Elizabeth Aguire).
People do not have enough information about the backend usage of information gathered through
cookies. This lack of knowledge is reflected in people’s worries about misuse of their personal
data, and the possible violations of their privacy (Edith G. Smith)

Clothing brands sometimes introduce morally unacceptable clothing and advertise them as if not
wearing them would exclude them from a higher society, persuading their customers into buying
their products which may contradict our values and be probably deemed as controversial as it
disturbs the moral component of our society. A product can be controversial because it crosses
the moral barriers of a secular society (Malaysian Muslim views)

Advertisers makes use of language as a means of manipulating and overriding their consumer’s
minds compelling them into buying their products. Here communication is used as a
manipulative advertising strategy. Subliminal messages target to determine persons, groups to
do certain things, to buy certain products, to go to a certain store, to believe or not a certain
thing (MCTA). Marketers make use of celebrity endorsements to manipulate consumers minds in
making them believe that the endorsed product will have the same or almost the same effect on
them as it had on the celebrities concerned. It is the game of words and the credibility of the
endorser that convince these consumers into buying the advertisers product. This leads to
positive self-representation of the buyer. Positive self-representation too is a technique employed
to attract consumers in order to show them how they can benefit from the product (Beauty
Product)