Advertising - Audience Motivation in Advertising

Navigation: Advertising > Audience Motivation in Advertising

Audience Motivation in Advertising

Lately, I had the rare privilege of doing a project on the “Future of Advertising” for a print medium.
While reviewing literature on the subject, I stumbled on an interesting prediction in one of the “Genius”
Chapter Excerpts, which reads thus: “The entire system, at present, for creating…ads is based
primarily on assumptions. In the future, the blind criteria for creating…ads will be deemed obsolete-
no ad will…run unless it is determined with certainty that the ad has sufficient message power to
register persuasively in the subconscious minds of most customers.”

During the 1950s, the target audience assumed the centre stage as emphasis in advertising shifted
focus away from the product. What variables motivate people? Does advertising affect behaviour?
What deep down inside, do people want from a product? To answer these questions, advertising
researchers have had to seek help in biology, psychology, psychophysiology, anatomy, communication
theory, cultural anthropology, psychoanalysis, etc.

It is very true that we are biological and have genetic predispositions to regard certain stimuli in a
certain way. We have had biological urges for millions of years, which advertising now takes
advantage of when using psychological appeals (Richard F. Taflinger 1996). However, we have the
most complex social structure on earth, which permeates and affects every aspect of our lives.

Contemporary research may be broadly categorized as: Laboratory Studies and Econometric Studies.
While laboratory studies look at the effects of ad cues on cognitions, intentions, etc., econometric
studies cover the effects of advertising intensity on consumer behaviour (R. Chandy, G. Tellis, D. MacInnis
and P. Thaivanich 2001). Psychology in advertising has long been exploited as a potent means of
selling a product or service. It is therefore important that advertising professionals understand the
underlying concepts that affect human behaviour if they must help their clients better sell their
products or services.

Psychological appeal, according to Taflinger in his book, Taking Advantage, is a visual or aural
influence on one’s subconscious mind and emotions. It implies that doing what is suggested, e.g.
buying the product or service is likely to satisfy a subconscious desire. Though advertising
researchers posit that there is no verified list of needs that are most important to children, routine
observations have shown that play would occupy the most important position of any such list.
Various research efforts also indicate that sentience (i.e. the need for sensory expression),
affiliation (the need for cooperative relationships with others), and achievement
(the need to accomplish something difficult, including competing with adults) are the next
most important needs for most children (James McNeal, Kids as Customers, p.190).

The Elaboration Likelihood Model is a theory, which states that there are two routes to
persuasion and these routes may influence a person’s belief structure based on the cognitive
processes that take place at the time of persuasion (J. Gresko, L. Kennedy and J. Lesniak 1996).
The routes are defined as the central and peripheral routes. In central processing the attitude
change is more likely to be permanent, while information processed peripherally is subject to
later change.

An ad has to attract attention. One way in which it does this is by appealing to consumers’
emotions, such as fear, love, pleasure, vanity, etc. For example, scarcity produces fear that
you may miss an opportunity to buy a product. Consequently, the advertiser hopes to “scare“
the audience enough to produce a change in attitude, like buying his product, changing your
lifestyle, etc. (webserve.govst.edu 2003). The association technique seeks to link the product
with something that is already desired by the intended consumers. Sex, for example, is considered
basic and one of those good things which people already desire. However, of the many human
desires used in ads, sexual associations have received the most criticisms, especially by religious
and women’s groups (govst.edu).

I find the market age concept interesting. In their research paper, “What to say when: Advertising
Appeals in Evolving Markets,” Chandy et al submit that market age is crucial to understanding the
inverse relationship between motivation and ability to process ads. For a particular product or
service, one market is considered older than another if the product or service has been around
and enjoyed advertising longer in the first market than in the second market. Market age therefore
refers to the length of time that a product or service has been available and advertised in an identified
market. It is believed, for example, that when consumers are already aware of the product, and have
pre-existing attitudes toward it, they are less motivated to process information about it. In reality,
they may negatively respond to argument- focused ads due to satiation, boredom, or irritation
(Petty and Cacioppo 1979).

In the context of market age, according to Chandy et al, what the above belief suggests is that
argument- based ads would persuade more in younger markets than in older ones, because
consumers would be more motivated to process their content. Motivation may be defined as the
extent to which consumers are interested in and willing to stretch themselves in an effort to
process information in an ad with respect to its relevance to their personal goals (R. Chandy et al).
Emotion- based ads rarely contain factual information about a product and as such they have little
or no effect on consumers’ perceptions of risk.

While emotions may convey warm feelings and effect favourable brand attitudes, attitudes formed
by such processes may not result in choices of products about which consumers have little
information. When consumers lack product knowledge, emotional ads may distract them from
critical product content (Moore and Hutchinson 1983). In that situation, consumers are not likely
to commit product information to long- term memory. However, in older markets, where motivation
is lacking but product knowledge abounds, emotion- based ads may get consumers’ attention and
assist with retrieving prior product knowledge from memory. Persuasion is the changing of attitudes
as a result of presenting information about another attitude (Gresko, Kennedy, Lesniak 1996).
Meanwhile ability refers to the quality of knowledge consumers have about a brand and its usage.
There are several techniques of persuasion, e.g. authority, which posits that people will respect
the opinions of someone who is deemed to have a lot of knowledge on the product. If motivation
and/or ability to process the message are low, consumers rely on the expert as a peripheral cue
and conclude that the brand or service is bound to be good as long as it is endorsed by the expert
(Petty et al 1981, etc).

Expert endorsers may be more effective in younger markets than older ones because in younger
markets, category and brand knowledge is limited (R. Chandy et al).What if product knowledge is
high but motivation is low, for example with older markets? It is believed that cues such as comedy,
comfort appeals, sex appeals, scenic beauty, surrealistic visuals, and aesthetic claims might come
handy. It is also believed that audience members tend to be more easily motivated and persuaded by
a communicator they perceive as sharing everything in common with them than by a communicator
who seems dissimilar (S.H. Britt 1978).

Other techniques of persuasion include, invocation of curiosity and doubt, ego involvement and
forewarning, attitudinal inertia, etc. (Stuart Henderson Britt, Psychological Principles of Marketing
and Consumer Behaviour: Lexington Books, 1978, revised 1996).

I would like to conclude by grouping our needs as follows:
Basic needs- Food, Activity, Surroundings, Sex, Health, Security, Economy
Approval from external sources- Religion, Science, “Best People,” “Most People,”
“Average People”
Needs for belonging- Intimacy, Family, Groups
Needs for space or territory- Neighborhood, Nation, Nurture
Growth needs- Esteem, Play, Generosity, Curiosity, Creativity, Completion
(Source: webserve.govst.edu).

Advertisers often associate their products or services with many of the above human needs, wants
and desires. These appeals in advertising, according to Taflinger, do not have to make sense. However,
they are very effective. So should we continue to produce ads in an atmosphere of blind criteria?

About the author:
Yusuf Danesi is a registered advertising practitioner with a bias for interactive advertising and strategy

Advertising Articles:

Things good to be known about Camper Shells

Camper shells in different shapes and sizes offer protected storage and versatility.
Protected storage is an important asset for RV owners, and for the owner of a pickup truck towing a travel trailer, a camper shell is virtually essential.

$1 Million in Google AdSense Earnings

They are calling him the million dollar man. Jason Calacanis recently revealed in his blog that he is on track to earn a million dollars from AdSense over the year ahead.

Sex in Advertising

I do not agree with some of my professional colleagues who preach that we should not take ads seriously while basing their
conviction on the slogan “creative light-heartedness and freedom of expression.” Advertising is a pervasive, powerful force
that shapes attitudes and behaviour in today’s world that it would be foolhardy not to take commercials that seriously!

Are Your Adverts Making You Money?

Does your advertising costing you $10,000 a month? If so you might
as well burn $5,000 of it. Unless you know how to make
your ad more effective. This article gets you started
making more effective ads.

Viral Marketing: What It Means and How It Can Impact Your Business

Viral marketing basically creates a word-of-mouth referral method by using your existing customers and contacts. Your message is passed around and around, creating exponential growth for your company

How to Advertise In Ezines

Advertising in Ezines has proven to be a very cost-effective way to market. You can reach a large audience for
little investment and the exposure usually happens very quickly. Most Ezines will tell you what their requirements
are for advertising. Make sure you follow the guidelines they set forth

How to Advertise FREE with Ezines

This is a win/win situation because it gives the editor free material and it gives you free exposure to their subscribers. It also establishes you as an expert in your field, which can do wonders for your credibility

Understanding Banner Adertising

A banner ad is a graphic that is displayed on a network of websites. When someone clicks on that banner, they are taken to the site of the person, or company, that owns the banner

Quick Tips for Designing Your Banner

While banners have lost the appeal of many marketers on the web, they are still an effective means of pulling in traffic. The key is to have a visually appealing banner with an enticing offer

Tips and Tricks to Advertise Using Pay Per Click Search Engines

Pay per click search engines are an effective way to get the most out of your marketing budget. Take the time to explore this option further and you will be pleasantly surprised at the results you achieve

Promoting Your Business Offline

Offline promotion for your Internet business is important. Use traditional marketing channels and media. Incorporate your Website URL (web address), phone number, and mailing address into all of your printed and promotional materials

The Paradox of Advertising Creativity

Reaching the target audience for a brand should not necessarily require resorting to shocking or offensive material so as to stand out. Ads need to project the right image. Did you know that Volkswagen ads made fun of the car? A slogan for one of the ads was “ugly is only skin deep” because it has a lighter, more spirited image (Grace Butland 2000). The manufacturers started with a well-defined image and built their advertising around that image

Disruptions in Advertising

Ours is now a brave, new world, replete with alternatives to straightforward advertising. P&G recently embraced channel planning which is about putting media or communications planning at the front end of one’s campaign creation. The organization realizes that the first step in any marketing programme is to understand one’s consumers and how they might be reached rather than what might be said to them.
Channel planning is about trimming traditional media ad budgets and spending more on other marketing activities

Technology-driven Outdoor Advertising

Thanks to the advent of new true colour, ultra-bright LED technology which now makes it possible for outdoor electronic billboards to be capable of performing like a real outdoor television even under direct sunlight. The EVB is an attractive, animated giant outdoor advertising video screen which is noted for arresting people’s attention on a busy street whether pedestrians or in a car or bus or stuck in traffic.

DISCONTINUITY IN ADVERTISING MEDIA

Our traditional media owners should find ever more pressure to prove their value in the marketing mix. Ambitious advertisers should learn to project marketing messages into the digital fabric of online games. When will the proverbial light bulb light up for Nigeria’s marketing communications industry? Why can we not take a cue from BMW, for example, which has looked for other media that are invited into consumers’ homes, e.g. the groundbreaking BMW films on the Internet? What if we experience the “TiVo” syndrome? TiVo pioneered digital video recorders (DVRs) in 1999 which make it possible for you to skip advertisements. What if our market is flooded with interactive televisions? Are these threats or challenges to our marketing communications industry?
Larry Light, global chief marketing officer at McDonald’s once remarked openly that broadcast-centric model was dead. According to him, “mass marketing today is a mass mistake.” Nigerian advertisers need to be more concerned than ever about getting value for money.

ORGANIC TIE-INS: ADVERTISERS’ BOUQUET OF OPPORTUNITIES

Meanwhile not far from my domicile, a satirical film on the Lagos Bar Beach was the subject of a forum. The irony inherent in the film is the fact that a stone’s throw from the once serene beach is a tourist edifice where we are shown films like Spiderman, Goldeneye, Austine Powers, Be Cool, XXX, etc. What most of us probably do not know is that these movies made millions of dollars even before they were ever released!

Online Shopping Resource for Users and Advertisers

BuyIt.ws is new amazing shopping resource that connects providers of products and services to Internet users looking for products and services online. BuyIt.ws provides free advertising options as well as on PPC base.

Sending Emails Doesn't Make You a Spammer

Email Marketing - being compliant and making a profit

Banner Advertising for Beginners - Part 1

Introduction to banner advertising for the small business website owner.

WAHMS 5 Tips to Increase Your Google Adsense Revenue

Five Easy Tips for Work at Home Moms to increase their Google Adsense Revenue. Read this article to make more money with Google Adsense on your website.

PPC Easy As 123

Entrepreneur - a risk-taker who has the skills and initiative to establish a business. Does he?

So called guru-s creating life time opportunities one after another and because of them, sometimes its better to give money to a perfect stranger than pay for so called perfect biz.

Advertising as a Threat to Innocence

Do you still remember our own immoral outdoor advertisement for a condom brand and the issues it generated? We are starting to find it difficult to protect our children from suggestive subjects and images that they are not emotionally and psychologically prepared to handle. Do we not owe our children the duty of protecting them and guarding their childhood? There is no doubt that things have changed from being decent and proper, to being indecent and morally corrupt.

Decency Issue in Advertising

These advertisements are targeted at men for the simple reason that sex is just one of our basic strong emotions. And advertisers will always attach their products to these basic emotions in order to sell them

What are Hover ads and why are marketers choosing them over popup windows?

Hover ads have been called the next generation in online advertising...so what are they? and why are they much more effective than regular popup windows?

Are Popups Good for Marketing? Annoying to some, Interesting to others!

The big question. Do people actually pay attention to pop ups? With so many softwares out there that deal with blocking pop ups you'd think the answer would clear. Back a few years ago pop ads were all the craze, but as more and more sites starting using them they became more like spam then anything else.

Marketing via Email. Why aren't People Replying?

Chances are if people haven't requested to receive an email from you then you are wasting time. Let me guess your routine:

-Select a list of names.
-Type in subject and body text
-Click send.

Hype: The Advertiser’s Wet Dream

When will the real brand with real advertising and real branding emerge? Advertising practitioners need to guide their clients in identifying the real market and its needs. They should introduce the much needed realism in their brand communications i.e., candid-cam advertising, real-life cameo branding, such that a real interface of the brand with the real consumer is established in the market place

Do Free Articles Work?

Free articles are used to promote business, whether the writer’s own business, or the business of the website on which they’re used. But do they really work?

There is hidden a 'Successful Formula' in everything

What can you do to make your advertising techniques better? Try to find a successful formula to market successfully. There exist a formula in everything... yet 50% never use it.

Advertising - Do you dare to wait?

Living in a world of Advertising Fairy Tales.
Talking about Free Members Making Money in Advertising Fairy Land.

Do You Need Links to Your Site?

Do you prefer automated link directories or semi-automated moderated link exchanges? Or would you rather host link scripts?

How To Win The War of Pay per Click Advertising

Know how to get really highly targeted traffic to your site by the real cut method-Pay Per Click Advertising in a simple and easy way that really works for you.

Pay-Per-Click - Inside Edge

This month we take a look at how Pay-Per-Click Pays Back Big for Local Business Marketing Efforts and hear from industry experts on how an effective and well managed Pay-Per-click campaign can benefit any business.

Is Your Website Innovative? Increase Your Business Over Night!

While studying online for IT investment opportunities, I found that one main factor was constant. All of the biggest money makers have eye-catching, simple, innovative, and the cleanest websites online!

The most powerful niche in the world and how you can always profit from it

It seems everyone these days are looking for a profitable niche. This is the map to a goldmine.

Audience Motivation in Advertising

MSN PPC Advertising Behavioral and Demographic Targeting: Killer App. or Achilles' Heel?

Privacy advocates, bloggers, and many people's own low tolerance level for creepiness may damage not just the advertising program but MSN itself.

^up^