When making choices people are influenced by two things:
1. What they think
2. What they think other people think
People make choice decisions based on two types of information:
1. Objective Evidence
2. What they think other people think
The less sure we are about what is the correct decision when making choices the more we are inclined to base our decisions on what others are doing in the same situation.
Some examples of this comformity can be found in the commercials we see on TV everyday.
Bandwagon Effect:
The advertisng bandwagon
The bandwagon effect is when people go with what they think the majority of other people perceive—the popular view. When everything appears the same in advertising the bandwagon effect may be the feather that tips the balances to force a decision.
Popularity is a magnet. People notice products that are popular. Advertising makes the brand appear popular.
There are many ways advertisements try and associate their brands is through target attributes such as:
Reliability
Environment-Consciousness
Value for money
Good Taste
Ease of Use
Sometimes Popularity
An example of the media bandwagon
False Fame Effect: When people perceive a product to be popular based on the amount of advertising it receives. Simply the product is advertised therefore it is popular.
Advertising Side Effects
Side effects of advertising are increased popularity and salience of the brand being advertising.
Agenda Setting: The amount of media weight that an issue gets in newspapers, on TV, on websites and so forth indicates to people the degree of importance that the issue should have in their thinking.
Familiarity: This makes the brand stand out and increased exposure of a brand makes it familiar to the consumer.
Popularity
Popularity can be a good thing and a bad thing. Popularity is definitely a positive rein-forcer but the brand can suffer a blow if it becomes over popular.
Popularity can cause the consumer to be tempted to try the latest and greatest no thing that everyone is talking about.
Over popularity
Fast up and fast down is how it is referred to. If products are pushed too quickly it can cause them to become very unpopular really fast.
When too many people use a brand, it risks becoming perceived as common unless its image is carefully managed.
Chapter 3 focused on subliminal advertising and all of its mystery. Subliminal advertising was first brought to light in the 1950’s when James Vicary, a movie theatre owner, flashed on the screen “drink cola” and “eat popcorn.” James claimed that doing this gave him a boost in sales of popcorn and soda. He later admitted this was false. Subliminal advertising also started to crop up in a few ads on television and in print.
There was so much mystery around subliminal advertising that the US and other countries put a ban on all subliminal advertising. The quick response from government added to the claim that subliminal advertising worked. As more studies were done and as more advertisers came out and reversed their claims that subliminal advertising increased their sales, it turns out that it is more a hoax or creative product placement.
Below are a few images of “subliminal advertising” or somebody on the design team being creative.
Disney's supposed subliminal message
Notice the word “sex” spelled out in the in the plume of dust from the movie Lion King and in the ice cubes.
Supposedly "sex" is spelled out in the ice cubes
In the cigarette ad you can see the silhouette of a women in the smoke, creating the “subliminal” message that smoking is “sexy” and makes you “attractive”.
So with all the controversy that surrounded subliminal advertising in the 1950s we can see now that it was merely someone trying to be creative with their product.
“The suffix ‘-ology’ is used to meant either ‘the study of’ or ‘the science of.’ (Chapter 28) is about the science of consumption (or buying). In particular… the role of the mind, how it influences buying and brand choice, and how to go about measuring it.” (Sutherland 301)
Measuring Ad effects
Advertisers, in the past, measured effectiveness of an ad by people being able to recall an advertisement. (Sutherland 304) However, the questions that are asked about the effectiveness of an ad will call for more information not only from the brand-focused measures, but also from the ad-focused measures.
Ad-focused: recognition, ad recall, message take-out, ad liking and believability of the ad.
In the end, it is behavior that (advertisers) want to influence and therefore measures of behavior such as sales and market share are what they want to see moving.
Changes in sales and market share, however, are rarely sensitive enough and rarely sufficient in themselves to measure ad effectiveness.
Buy-ology
To captures its immediate effects, it is necessary to have indicators of cognitive and affective impact as well as its impact on behavior.
Therefore, it is necessary to utilize mental measures to fully understand the real effects of advertising.
Advertising does not persuade, but does influence the consumer’s choices in small ways or ‘feathers’. When the consumer is trying to make a choice between two products, there are several methods used by advertisers.
Repetition: increases familiarity with a claim. The effect of repetition is known as ‘the truth effect’.
User Image: Using people we want to be like to help advertise products. This is commonly done with sex appeal as shown in this Louis Vuitton ad:
Louis Vuitton ad, Spring 2008
Product Image: positioning a product as a better alternative. Evian water was positioned to be the “healthy” better tasting option.
Agenda-setting effect: this theory states that the media don’t tell us what to think; but they do tell us what to think about. It was originally designed to determine the most important political issues.
Salience: is what we think is most important in reference to people or things. In advertising, repetition is often used to increase salience. Everyone thinks of Nike when they hear or see the words ‘Just Do It’.
Just do it.
Point-of-sale advertising: Advertiser’s try to increase a brand’s salience at the point of sale by signs and displays. Brand position and shelf space also come into account when the consumer shops.
It is important to note how elements can interact, such as music with visuals or words with visuals. To maximize its effect, advertising has to get your attention. It has to ‘cut through the clutter’ of other advertising and be noticed. The first principal of advertising is that it needs to stand out. Advertising uses a variety of attention-getting devices- the best of which are sex and humor.
Sex and Humor
Advertisers who import sex into an ad and use it purely as an attention-getter when it has no relationship with the product, certainly gain attention; but contrary to consumer belief, this stands little chance of being effective if it is not directly relevant to an advertisement’s primary selling point. Attention alone will not make an ad work. Devices such as sex and humor and emotion can give an illusionary impression to the audience that an ad is highly visible and therefore must be a great ad- but is it really working? Though these ads stand out, such ads frequently do not work unless advertisers make sure emphasis is given to strengthening the brand and the message. Products such as clothing, lingerie and fragrances often tie in these ‘natural’ methods of advertising from numerous labels for men and women. This can often lead to controversial communicable ads. Here is one of the most recent controversial ads by Dentyne Ice Gum:
Humor ads tend to work more effectively than straight ads. Humorous ads are noticed more, and there is less counter-arguing with humorous ads because viewers process them as entertainment rather than engage in a true/false evaluation.
Music
Music is the rhythm method of advertising. Association of the brand with a popular piece of music increases the salience of the brand in our minds and makes it more likely that we will think of that brand whenever we hear the music. Many ads set their own words to music. Jingles have been around for over 80 years- the very first jingle for was for Wheaties in 1926 at a time when sales were sagging and the brand was close to being discontinued. When words are set to music, it can even create a desire for repetition. Musical commercials have become so much a part of our advertising environment that we almost forget they are there.
Some examples include the Band-Aid brand commerical jingle and the Oscar Mayer Weiner jingle Win:
This one is one of the orginals from 1973:
Who is talking to whom?
It is important to ask of any ad: “Who is the ad talking to?” When it appears to be talking to an on-screen character, we tend to mentally process the ad as a bystander. The closer we feel to the character the more effect the ad is likely to have on us. Overhearing something can be more influential than being told it directly because we tend to apply less defensive processing to it.
In the end…
While ads do not necessarily have to be liked if they are imparting valuable news about a brand, a brand’s advertising is nevertheless an intrinsic part of the brand personality. The more that thing weigh equal the more important that liking of a brand’s advertising is. Even as a feather, it can tip the balance of brand choice.
Chapter 22 relays the importance of executing distinctive details that will in spark memory retrieval within consumers and set a brand apart from competitive brands in the same category. To differentiate a brand from a product category it is imperative for a brand to create a one-of-a-kind style in ad presentations so that we, the target market, can identify.
A defining style can be achieved by incorporating slogans, symbols, visual devices, gestures, presenters, characters, layout/format, music, sounds/sonic branding and colors into ad campaigns.
Nike’s “Just Do It” and “swoosh” serve as examples of both a slogan and symbol while a visual device would include the recognizable Milk Mustache ad campaign.
Nike: Just do it.
Campaign to promote milk
Gestures that are used in our culture can provide advertisers with an established sign that enforces their message. Volkswagen’s “Punch dub” commercials feature people punching their fellow passengers whenever they see a passing VW vehicle.
Presenters of a brand can either be high-profile celebrities or “DIY Celebrities,” which comprise of a character actor that becomes a celebrity based on a series of a brand’s ads. Flo, the Progressive Insurance lady, and the Dell Dude (“Dude, you’re getting a Dell!”) fall into the list of “DIY Celebrities” of ad campaigns.
Flo, the Progressive Insurance Lady
Layout and format of an ad can also become a brand’s trademark. A pale green background has become a constant and identifiable trait of the Altoid brand.
Color can also become synonymous with a specific brand. For instance, in the soft drink world, we associate Coca-Cola with the color red, 7-Up with green and Pepsi with blue.
Additionally, advertisements grasp our attention by appealing to our auditory senses.Pop music can generate immediate interest and establish an association with that brand. Max Sutherland refers to sound/sonic branding as the “aural equivalent of a graphic logo.” The NBC chime falls under the sound/sonic branding mode of ad memory cues.
A seldom-used technique of placing voiceovers in ads can also become a distinctive attribute of a brand. Two styles facilitated consist of traditional and musical/conversational voiceover with visuals. Car commercials such as a Dodge Charger ad that contains actor Michael C. Hall’s voice suffice as a traditional voiceover ad. Voiceovers that sing or talk to characters onscreen place the audience in the position of passive observer. The recent Tiger Woods Nike ad that contains a voiceover from his late father Earl complies with the latter form.
To simultaneously broaden a brand’s reach and single out the brand from competitors, a distinctive image and message must be introduced. With an image firmly established, constant usage of a variant of trademark effects can cement the brand name into the public’s consciousness.
The funny thing about funny ads is that not everyone finds them humorous because what is funny to one person can be uninteresting or even irritating to another. The key to achieving humor in an ad is incongruity, which is defined as something that does not seem to fit with or be appropriate to its context. Take this ad for example:
Incongruity - Make 'em laugh. Make 'em believe. Make 'em buy.
This ad shows one elephant performing the Heimlich maneuver on another elephant who has apparently choked on a peanut because it’s so big. The product is for Kaya King Jumbo Peanuts. The thing that makes this ad funny is the fact that elephants cannot actually perform life saving maneuvers to prevent each other from choking. That is what incongruity is all about- the more impossible or incompatible the two things are that are fused together, the more enjoyment people seem to derive from it.
The downside to this type of advertising is that people tend to remember the images but they often forget the brand. That is the double edge sword with this type of advertising- humorous ads definitely capture attention and can sometimes be very effective IF we can focus our attention more on the brand and the message.
One way advertisers can overcome this problem is to make sure the brand, product or message is much stronger than the humor itself or that it is highlighted as part of the humor. Take this Burger King ad for example:
Just a laugh to help them remember the product.
It showcases the Whopper sandwich trying to fit into a Big Mac box. The Whopper is at the center of the ad, the words Whopper are in a large font and the Burger King logo is prominently displayed. The humor is also very understated and doesn’t overshadow the ad, which can be a problem if we are too busy trying to process the humor and not connect with the brand or message.
Liking a brand’s advertising is another mechanism that helps make humor effective. In other words if consumers like the way the brand communicates it can add to the liking or support of the brand.
If an ad is really funny it can be effective for several years, the reason is because of the social dimension. Laughter and humor is contagious and often consumers find themselves anticipating the humor in ads that have made them laugh before. The commercials shown during the Super Bowl are a perfect example of this and they are almost as anticipatory as the game itself. Consumers wait with bated breath to see if the new Budweiser commercial shown during Super Bowl is going to be better or funnier than the one last year. Speaking of which, Budweiser is known for having one of the most successful ad campaigns of all time with the Budweiser frogs. The way they integrated the name of the brand with the frogs croaking was brilliant and is still very memorable fifteen years after it first debuted.
The latest software for continious ad tracking (Like we don't have enough to keep track of)
Advertisers use different methods of research to determine whether or not their ads are effective. One of the most cost effective methods is continuous monitoring. This method is also very effective for tracking their competitor’s activities as well. Continuous monitoring is achieved by conducting weekly surveys, which provide advertisers with information about consumer behavior. This information can also reveal what ads weren’t effective and give advertisers insight as to why the ads didn’t work.
Most of the tracking surveys are performed weekly and various methods such as Internet (the most effective), telephone, in-person and direct mail are used to accumulate as much information as possible about a particular ad or product. This information can also let an advertiser know if their competitors ads were more successful and give them an opportunity to react rather quickly instead of waiting until the next quarter’s financial results are released.
The main purpose of continuous tracking for advertisers is to determine what works and what doesn’twork, so that they can direct their money and efforts in the right direction. The objective then becomes to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t. The main reason continuous tracking works is because it provides a “time dimension” in other words it allows advertisers to see when exactly behavior changed and they can attribute those changes to real time events.
Continuous tracking can play a pivotal role as an early warning system to let advertisers know when their efforts have failed or if their competitors are winning
Continuous tracking reveals changing patterns in consumer behavior
Continuous tracking allows advertisers to encapsulate consumer information into a useful database
Continuous tracking via the web is easier, quicker and can provide even better information
Gucci's latest ad campaign has indirect/oblique ads
Advertising doesn’t always rely on direct information messages. Indirect or oblique forms of communication can register a point with more impact than literal messages. Such indirect or oblique ads often rely on powerful images to make a statement. These ads are missing the sense that someone is trying to tell you something, however this does not mean they are ineffective. The author describes indirect ads as Clayton’s messages or the message you are receiving when you are not receiving a message. Instead of directly receiving a message, consumers are experiencing life or being entertained.
This type of ad communicates impressions and can be just as effective as ads communicating facts. As these ads deliver certain impressions about a brand, we construct attitudes toward that brand. The images or attitudes that have become associated with the brand are filed into our memory without ever having been part of a direct message.
This is done without us being particularly aware of the process. While our attention is focused on the experience or entertainment, we learn implicitly or without intent. We are learning or receiving the message with our minds on autopilot. However, our minds will only passively accept things which are consistent with our own existing knowledge or beliefs. If an ad violates this principle, it may be ineffective. Indirect or oblique communications are effective due to their ability to build the right mood associations for the brand and lock them into memory, or for their ability to put those associations on the brand’s attribute agenda. In essence, we are learning by association. It is difficult to measure the effects of such ads.
In order to measure the advertisement’s effectiveness, one must look at how the communication has influenced our image of, attitude toward or behavior regarding the brand, rather than the conscious message take-out. Indirect ads have the potential to influence our buying decisions, particularly those made with little consideration.
Key Points: Indirect or oblique ads…
rely on powerful images rather than a direct message to make a point
are a Clayton’s message or the message you receive when you are not receiving a message
communicate impressions which lead us to construct attitudes toward the brand
work because our focus of processing is on something else in the communication rather than the message
are effective due to their ability to build the right mood associations for the brand and lock them into memory, or for their ability to put those associations on the brand’s attribute agenda
have the potential to influence our buying decisions, particularly those made with little consideration
Some examples of this include:
Gucci, as mentioned earlier, has become one of the most recognizable labels in the fashion and retail industry. These ads are a part of the Gucci Spring/Summer 2010 ad campaign. These are indirect or oblique ads. While there is not a direct message, these ads deliver the impressions that Gucci is a luxury brand associated with wealth, status and power.
Also,
This 2007 SKYY Vodka ad depicts a beautiful jet-setter’s arrival in a desert paradise. This is also an indirect advertisement. While the commercial is absent of words or a literal message, this commercial leaves us with the impression that SKYY Vodka is a premium drink associated with glamour, wealth, luxury and power
Welcome to Adventures in Advertising!
This blog has been created by a group of students dedicated to stuyding the art of communication and attempting to understand the method behind the madness of advertising. It illustrates and highlights the "top ten" most important advertising topics in the book (see book information below) that are crucial to know when analyzing ads, but also serve as the basis of consumer awareness. Hopefully this site will help you better understand advertsing and become an aware consumer with us. So read, watch, learn, explore and tell us what you think!
Adventures in Advertising 
