Austria

[AT] Newspaper Lotteries and Inciting Purchases

IRIS 1995-7:1/26

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

A profound relationship is created between the price paid and the acquisition of an item not only when the acquisition of the item is the only way to obtain a free gift but also when this acquisition is considered to be an obligatory action, or at least the easiest way to obtain the free gift. Newspaper lotteries only exercise a psychological influence upon the general public when they believe the purchase of a second copy of a newspaper to be necessary or even obligatory for participation in the lottery. They thus believe that purchasing the newspaper is the simplest way to take part in the lottery. This psychological influence is also exercised when the newspaper claims it will publish the list of winners but without stating that it will, in fact, inform them directly.