One of the examples of automatic or fast thinking is when a person sees a pleasant advertisement, and his/her mind creates a perception about the product. After that, a person tells about a new product line to his/her friends. In this case, an individual feels that he/she is in control of the situation. However, it is not true, as the advertiser addresses his/her cognitive mind and uses psychological tools to get an expected response. In this case, the marketer creates a picture of the particular event, and after that, human mind develops certain emotions associated with it.
One the contrary, reflective thinking is a rational and slow decision-making process. Alternatively, one of the cases of this system is the situation when a person decides to buy something expensive. In this case, an individual tends to be more rational, as it is necessary to make a right decision. For example, relying on emotions will not help chose the right TV set. Consequently, the person becomes less affected by different advertisements. Nonetheless, his/her actions and final decision are still influenced by the advertising campaigns and branding of the company.
The presentation by Ariely and the book by Moran reveal the insights about the consumer behavior. Learning these aspects can help the customers to understand the influence of the digital age and media on their decision- making. People often underestimate the impact of the media on their lives, and they think that they are in control of their decisions. Nonetheless, personal decision-making in the modern world is often an illusion. The marketers often aim at the cognitive skills of a potential buyer and affect his/her behavior in the desired way. Consequently, I tend to believe that even being aware of the marketing instruments the consumers are not protected from this influence.