PRESS RELEASE

Pam Danziger appears on NPR's Marketplace to talk about "Why People Buy Things They Don't Need"

Stevens, PA, August 16, 2002 - Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the national economy, but today consumers are spending less and less percentage of their income on the basic necessities of life and more and more of their income on discretionary products and services, i.e. things people buy that they don't need. Rather than viewing this as wasteful or self-indulgent, Pam Danziger says consumer spending on discretionary products and services contributes about 40%, or roughly $3 trillion, to the nation's economy.

In an appearance on National Public Radio's Marketplace show about her new book, Why People Buy Things They Don't Need , Danziger explains the secret of success in marketing discretionary products is to understand 'why people buy.' "When you look at consumers, marketers are taught that past consumer behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. But I have found in the years of working with clients that actually what we really need to do is get inside the consumers' hearts and minds. We must understand them from the emotional side ... the why they buy ... and that is the best predictor of the future."

Consumers buy things they don't need because it satisfies emotional desires and needs that are no less compelling than physical needs. "People buy things they don't need because it makes them feel better. This is a very important need that humans have that really helps both our economy and each individual living in our society."

Why People Buy Things They Don't Need is published by Paramount Market Publishing, available now (hardcover, 220 pages, $34.95). To order, call toll free 888-787-8100 or fax 607-275-8101. The book can also be purchased at http://www.paramountbooks.com or through your local bookseller.

To interview Pam Danziger or to find out more about her firm, Unity Marketing, contact her at 717-336-1600 or visit her website http://unitymarketingonline.com.