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Old 05-06-2017, 11:31 AM   #1
xoxoxoBruce
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Why people do that

Scientific research is always scrambling for funding, and one of the best funded areas is studying human nature.
The reason is simply profit. Marketing people are constantly trying to get an edge, a tiny wedge into human
nature the other guy hasn't grasped yet. But never knowing if the other guy saw that wedge from the study he
funded but it didn't prove to be translatable into sales.
I wonder how much was spent to produce this chart, and does it agree with last week's results... or next week's.



Next time you go to the supermarket, every time you put something in the cart ask yourself why. Not why you're
buying soap, why this brand, why this size. What? Ain't nobody got time fo dat! Right, that's why commercials
aren't filled with logic, ain't nobody got time fo dat, that's why they spend so much to find out how you choose
when you're thinking about picking up sissy at her ballet class.

Personally I think I spend more of my tiny attention span avoiding products from companies that piss me off,
or make commercials that piss me off.
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Old 05-06-2017, 03:47 PM   #2
sexobon
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You should look to buy men's stuff with a young sexy woman in a bikini on the label (or in the advertising) that's new and improved, limited availability, and on sale.

That way when it turns out to be garbage you won't feel so bad 'cause it was a calculated risk.
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Old 05-06-2017, 11:55 PM   #3
xoxoxoBruce
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Calculated risk and the bitch lied to me.
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Old 05-07-2017, 01:26 PM   #4
tw
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
Scientific research is always scrambling for funding, and one of the best funded areas is studying human nature.
It does not take much for the consumer to see what matters - as opposed to what others think.

A consumer buying gas at Citgo, Wawa, Sheets, Hess, or US Gas is spending almost 25 cent more than that price on a pump. How many have no idea they are spending the highest prices possible for gasoline? Where is that research into human behavior?
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Old 05-08-2017, 09:00 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tw View Post
A consumer buying gas at Citgo, Wawa, Sheets, Hess, or US Gas is spending almost 25 cent more than that price on a pump. How many have no idea they are spending the highest prices possible for gasoline?
What are you talking about?
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Old 05-08-2017, 01:29 PM   #6
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A consumer buying gas at Citgo, Wawa, Sheets, Hess, or US Gas is spending almost 25 cent more than that price on a pump.
Compared to what?

I don't know about TW (and I'm preeeetty sure I don't want to), but when I buy gas at Murphy's (owned by WaWa) I spend about 7 cents less at the pump than at other gas-ups.
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Old 05-08-2017, 01:42 PM   #7
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I suspect tw is gonna say that for every 7 cents you save, your car is sustaining $5 in damage from inferior gas.
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Old 05-08-2017, 02:32 PM   #8
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Meh, gas is gas.

It all has to meet the same requirements.

Although, Marathon does owe Popdigr a fuel gauge (sending unit, anyway).
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Old 05-08-2017, 08:32 PM   #9
monster
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There is such a cultural aspect to this, though. What works in USA won't work in UK and vice versa.

IMO(/experience)

continuing with the gas/petrol example. Here in the USA, there are so many places where there are gas stations of equal quality on kitty-corner/diagonally opposite/ sides of an intersection/junction, and one is 10¢ more expensive than the other, but both are equally busy. Brits for sure would go to the cheaper one even if it's an awkward turn. Or the one with the better rewards if the prices are really, really close.... but 10¢ isn't really close.

Here is there is a a real culture of paying for convenience that may be developing in the UK, but even if it is, I suspect it still has a long way to go to be comparable. Plus roads have fewer lanes, so it's often a lot less inconvenient/difficult to do that in the UK

I see price/location are fairly equal in the study. So I guess the gas example to demonstrate the cultural differences is not the best because the two main ideas occupy the two main and equal spots in the study, but it really expands beyond that.

When I was in the UK it was all about price. for me. Now I won't cross the road to save just a penny per gallon. But I don't know how much of that is cultural and how much is temporal. I'm nearly 20 years older and much better off, and have learned that my time is valuable too. When I need gas on the freeway, I used to watch the prices as the tank started to get low and pull over when I saw the one that was cheaper. Now I push it to the last drop so I have to stop and fill less often. I'm sure i't not all temporal however. When my sister and my peers visit from the UK -who are olso older ans wealthier, I see them as skinflints and they see me as a wanton spendthrift.

There are also differing levels of legislation which feed/support these cultural differences. I cannot believe that people "buy" some of the crap in advertising here, and I know some here in the USA cannot believe the restrictions on advertising and thus consumer choice that the UK law imposes.
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Old 05-08-2017, 11:39 PM   #10
xoxoxoBruce
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Monster, pushing it to the last drop is a bad idea. The hotter the ambient temperature the badder it is. Virtually all cars use an electric pump in the tank to push gas to the engine. Like all electric gadgets, and all pumps, they create heat which is bad for their life span. They use the gas remaining in the tank as a coolant for the pump so when you're sucking the last drops the pump get really hot. I know it's a pain in the ass to stop more often than necessary, but it would be healthier for the pump and sending unit, especially in hot weather, to not let it drop below an eighth of a tank.
You really don't want to give Beest any more reason to beat you.

Actually there can be a big difference in brands of gasoline, especially in winter there are hundreds of recipes for conjuring up gasoline, and two ways to calculate octane. This was GM's bitch about EPA tests in that the gas varied so much. As a result, Top Tier Gas was created in collaboration between GM and Chevron, with other car makers and refiners slowly coming on board with the standards.

As of May 2017 the following have been certified which means every station selling that brand meets specs.
76 Stations, Aloha Petroleum Amoco Ultimate with Invigorate, ARCO, Beacon, BP Regular with Invigorate, BP Silver with Invigorate, Break Time, Cenex, Chevron, CITGO, Conoco, CO-OP, Costco Gasoline, CountryMark, CountryMark Plus, Diamond Shamrock, Esso Express, Exxon, Hele, Holiday, Kwik Star, Kwik Trip, Kwik Trip Express, Mahalo, Marathon, Metro Petro, MFA, Mobil, OAAI, Ohana Fuels, Petro-Canada, Phillips 66, PUMA Energy Caribe, QT, Quik Trip, Road Ranger, Shamrock, Shell, Shell (Canada), Shell (Puerto Rico), Sinclair, Standard, Sunoco Ultratech, SuperAmerica, SuperFuels, Tempo, Texaco, Tri-Par Qwik Stop, Valero.
A long way from the the first ten than came on board. To be certified refiners pay a yearly fee based on the number of station.

BUT, there's a minority in the fuel pile. When you see a gas station with several large signs saying Texaco, or Exxon, it don't mean jack shit. There is no state or federal law saying they have to sell the brand on the sign.
It's up to the refiner to retrieve their signs(protect their street creds) if that station stops selling their product. You'd think big oil with all their clout could get that law passed in a NY minute.. they could but they don't want it.

Hey Charlie, Bob over at Chevron, how's the boy doing in Little League?
Good good, what can I do for you Bob.
We have a fuckup down the line, I'm good on premium but need 200,000 gallons of regular on thursday.
No problem buddy, terminal C, stations 15 through 30, Thursday morning at 04:00. Give my best to the little woman.

A guy I went to school with, had previously worked on the tankers from Texas to New England. They'd leave Texas and 30 miles out to sea they would add barrels of red dye to the cargo because it was destined for Atlantic stations.
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Old 05-09-2017, 04:18 PM   #11
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Monster, pushing it to the last drop is a bad idea.
I don't give a shit
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Old 05-09-2017, 07:41 PM   #12
tw
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What are you talking about?
Exactly as stated. To spend most money on gasoline, then buy from places such as Wawa, Citgo, Sheets, US Gas, Hess, etc. How much more? Add something less than 25 cents to the posted price. Many are easily manipulated into paying most by ignoring relevant numbers.

If not obvious, then ask a specific question.
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Old 05-09-2017, 09:10 PM   #13
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Is English his first language? Srs qstn.

Cuz I still don't know WTF he's talking about.

And I'm pretty sure he doesn't either, so, it's gonna be up to one of you guys to make his point. If he have one besides the one on top his head.
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Old 05-10-2017, 10:00 AM   #14
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If not obvious, then ask a specific question.
Which specific hoop were you hoping I would jump through? I jumped through the biggest lowest hoop by asking you what the fuck you were talking about. But if you don't care to elaborate, it's your missed opportunity.
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Old 05-10-2017, 07:01 PM   #15
tw
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Which specific hoop were you hoping I would jump through?
Emotional denial demonstrated by asking a question that was obviously answered. That answer could not be more obvious. If too hard, then cite the particular one sentence that confuses you, state what you think it means, then ask for clarification. One who actually wanted to learn would have done that.

If a Trump supporter, then posted is everything necessary. Discount gasoline costs more money. Honest answer even put a number to it. Add something less than 25 cents per gallon to the price. To calculate what that gasoline really costs. Arithmetic could not be any simpler.
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