The Bogosity Forum

General Bogosity => General Discussion => Topic started by: AdeptusHereticus on January 21, 2016, 04:27:40 PM

Title: I need someone to explain this wierd shit to me
Post by: AdeptusHereticus on January 21, 2016, 04:27:40 PM
http://smilesciences.com/

step 1) Click on the link and read about their product etc

step 2) Click on "home", scroll down, notice that you can get 90% off by using a code provided by various youtubers.
Interesting trivia : Jaclyn Glenn is one of them.

step 3) Ponder your confusion and get back to me after that.

Extra step for the smarter than me : Explain to me how this business exists ...

Thank you.


Quote of the week :"Yeah it's not sponsored, I just like the product. By the way, use my name as a code to get this shit at 90% off. I don't get any money for my advertisement service, I promise" JoshuaDTV
Title: Re: I need someone to explain this wierd shit to me
Post by: evensgrey on January 22, 2016, 11:20:23 AM
The only thing that's off about it is the absurdly high base price, offset by the fact that the home page gives you a 90% discount code.  ($29.90 puts it in the ballpark of other tooth whitening kits.)

The main problem they'd run into is most people looking for these kinds of products online are probably just going to go to someplace like Amazon and never see this site.
Title: Re: I need someone to explain this wierd shit to me
Post by: AdeptusHereticus on January 22, 2016, 07:06:08 PM
Yeah, that's why it's wierd. They go to insane length to just provide a trivial product for a normal price. Makes no sense to me.
Does that mean that enough people will buy it merely because it's recommended by a youtuber ? I don't get it.
Also, they apparently don't choose youtubers because their viewer base likely have an interest in health and personnal hygiene products since Jaclyn Glenn and the two other channels I checked aren't that kind of channel.
Title: Re: I need someone to explain this wierd shit to me
Post by: evensgrey on January 24, 2016, 08:04:14 AM
Quote from: AdeptusHereticus on January 22, 2016, 07:06:08 PM
Yeah, that's why it's wierd. They go to insane length to just provide a trivial product for a normal price. Makes no sense to me.
Does that mean that enough people will buy it merely because it's recommended by a youtuber ? I don't get it.
Also, they apparently don't choose youtubers because their viewer base likely have an interest in health and personnal hygiene products since Jaclyn Glenn and the two other channels I checked aren't that kind of channel.

It's obviously their gimmick to bring in customers.  They've got an inobvious web site that won't attract many customers on its' own, and no particular distinguished products in terms of content or price, so all that's left is gimmickry.
Title: Re: I need someone to explain this wierd shit to me
Post by: Ibrahim90 on January 24, 2016, 02:22:28 PM
Quote from: evensgrey on January 24, 2016, 08:04:14 AM
It's obviously their gimmick to bring in customers.  They've got an inobvious web site that won't attract many customers on its' own, and no particular distinguished products in terms of content or price, so all that's left is gimmickry.

they evidently operate under the assumption that people are stupid...
Title: Re: I need someone to explain this wierd shit to me
Post by: AdeptusHereticus on January 24, 2016, 03:15:44 PM
Evensgrey doesn't seem to be too surprised by their practices.
Well, I have to say, that's a first for me. I couldn't shake the idea that there need to be more to it than what meets the eye, but I can't find a good way to justify their business model. Either it's really smart and what I obviously lack is the business knowledge, or they really are doing it wrong, and either way, I find it really wierd.
Title: Re: I need someone to explain this wierd shit to me
Post by: evensgrey on January 24, 2016, 06:06:21 PM
Quote from: Ibrahim90 on January 24, 2016, 02:22:28 PM
they evidently operate under the assumption that people are stupid...

People elected Barack Obama TWICE.  Are you sure that's not a valid assumption?

This really isn't a weird thing.  It may be STUPID, but gimmickry has been known to work, at least well enough and long enough to make coin worth having.  When that's really ALL you've got, why not?
Title: Re: I need someone to explain this wierd shit to me
Post by: MrBogosity on January 24, 2016, 07:11:51 PM
Yes, this is an old tactic. Remember those old commercials: "NOW how much would you pay?" and they keep dropping the price? Same thing. Charge $50 and people balk. Charge $100 but give it to them half price, they're much more likely to buy.

I think this might have been covered in Predictably Irrational.
Title: Re: I need someone to explain this wierd shit to me
Post by: Ibrahim90 on January 25, 2016, 10:53:52 PM
Quote from: evensgrey on January 24, 2016, 06:06:21 PM
People elected Barack Obama TWICE.  Are you sure that's not a valid assumption?

This really isn't a weird thing.  It may be STUPID, but gimmickry has been known to work, at least well enough and long enough to make coin worth having.  When that's really ALL you've got, why not?

did I say it was an invalid assumption? :P

Oh, I know: electing Obama, and now I suspect either Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump. What goose-shit...then there's supporting mr. Choom's gun control "order", the fact that many don't even accept science as they should, etc, etc.

(seriously, I would be very surprised if Hillary won the Democrat nomination: though considering how stupidly people vote...ADDENDUM: yeah, we live in a time where you can't tell which is dumber: Bernie or Hillary: they're both competing for the dumb).