Being a Noticer
One you see it you can’t unsee it.
Super Bowl LV is fast approaching. Millions will gather in front of their televisions to watch and they will watch for different reasons; the game itself, the halftime show, and the commercials.
Allow me to categorize the SB spectactator types:
First our football fans. They watch because they enjoy football. For someone who enjoys to consume the game why wouldn't they watch the highest level of the sport?
Next the entertainment seekers. Those tuning in for the halftime show and those tuning in to catch the ads. This is good watercooler talk around the office the following week and it can be fun to be informed and involved.
Next the ignorers. They don’t watch the SB. Some unconsciously and some who will remind you of this fact for weeks to come.
Finally, the noticers. Those who may write an article about the different types of SB viewers and why they view. I fall firmly into this category.
Noticers cannot help themselves. They need to see the why and what in areas of life they come across. Tiring at times and endless noticing can be an advantageous way to go through life.
A SB ad is a great place to start. Commercials are a nuisance. We attempt to click away and avoid them. We will pay extra for premium channels that do not include them. But on one Sunday a year we sit around our sets and watch cable specifically for the commercials. This would be the equivalent of one day a year seeking out traffic, or a barking dog, or a long line to wait in.
For one day a year cable commercials are not only something to avoid but something to seek. And this is marketing genius and this is something noticers notice.
The sucker in the room.
Being privy to anyone trying to get you to spend money is advantageous. Noticying is half the battle in not getting got. As the line goes in Rounders, if you can’t spot the sucker at the table, it’s you.
Cars and Houses?
It’s more than advertising. Notices will notice when society has deemed a thing a necessity. They may it’s the American dream.
Cars are viewed as an essential item for families. Most will agree with this statement. A noticer will question the statement. A high percentage of our population lives in urban areas with access to transportation, yet 93% of US households own at least one car.
The average American is now spending close to $900 a month per automobile owned or leased.
For some that cost is fair. But for many we are just blinding following consumer and lifestyle trends.
Same goes for homeownership.
Before I continue it’s important to share my goal here is not for a reader to agree with my views of what I notice. The goal is for the reader to see the noticing habits. And to start to notice and formulate opinions of your own.
Homeownership is a sales transaction. One person doesn’t want a property anymore so they put it up for sale. Then an agent has something to gain in the sale. The cost of this item is so expensive no one can be expected to buy all at once like a pair of shoes. Shoes are essential.
We finance. A mortgage loan officer makes a sale. A bank receives interest from the sale for 30 years or more.
A state government stands to tax the property.
An insurance agent will sell you a policy.
A Home Depot and IKEA will gladly let you spend your dollars and increase their market shares.
They’ll run ads to remind you of the stuff you need.
They might be catchy, cute, emotional.
They might run during the Super Bowl.
You might tune in solely for this ad. Which is okay.
So long as you notice what is happening.
