When it comes to advertising, the human brain can easily filter out and ignore the images that we see. Besides the avalanche of ads most people view everyday, it’s common for consumers to sit through advertisements while talking to someone else, looking at a mobile device, daydreaming, etc. It’s not surprising recall rates are so low.
That’s why it’s essential to acknowledge these challenges and use creative ways to grab people’s attention in a willing manner. In essence, the goal is to cause a person’s brain to quietly agree, “This ad looks or sounds interesting. I’ll pay attention to it.”
For years, companies have used images of supermodels, puppies, and babies to get their ads noticed. Fortunately, you don’t need to stoop to such banal levels. But, your advertising campaign must employ devices that cause people to look. For example, notice how the two ads on the right use clever images that get your attention and evoke emotions.
Consumer research by Dr. Byron Sharp at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has shown that “Very little human thinking, if any, can be described as purely rational. Emotion is a primary source of human motivation, and exerts substantial influence on attention, memory, and behaviour. It is no wonder it is heavily used in advertising. People watch movies, listen to music, and read books largely for an emotional ride. They enjoy gaining the same from advertising and when they get it they pay more attention.”
Successful advertising helps develop and solidify memories in people’s mind that makes your product more likely to be noticed or recalled in a buying situation down the road. In turn, this reaction nudges their propensity to buy your product. This is the sales effect. When you create effective ads that people notice, your product gains the edge to capture sales over competitors.
