Advertising Influence
Why is so difficult to introspect on advertising and how it influences us? Because we look for major effects, that's why! Too often, we look for the ability of an advertisement to persuade us. We look for a major effect rather than more subtle, minor effects.
Most effects of advertising fall well short of persuation. These minor effects are not obvious but they are more characteristic of the way advertising works. To understand advertising we have to understand and measure these effects. When our kids are growing up we dont notice their physical growth each day but from time to time we become aware that they have grown. Determining how much a child has grown in the last 24 hours is like evaluating the effect of being exposed to a single commercial. In both cases the changes are too small for us to notice. But even small effects of advertising can influence which brand we choose - especially when all other factors are equal and then alternate brands are much the same.
Weighing The Alternative Evaluation
Think of this as low involvement buying. It is like a beam balance situation in which each brand weighs the same. With one brand on each side. The beam is balanced. However it takes only a feather added to one side of the balance to tip it in favours of the brand on that side. The brand consumers have to choose from are often are very similar. Which one will the buying balance tip towards? When we look for advertising effects we are looking for feather rather than heavy weights. The buying of cars, appliances, vacations and other high priced item is difficult. These are examples of high involvement decision making. The high level of involvement contrast with the low level brought on the purchase of products like shampoo or soft drink or margarine for most of us, the buying of these smaller items is no big deal. We have better things to do with our time than agonise over which brand to buy everytime we buy some time.
The fact is that many low - involvement product categories the alternative brands are extremely similar and in some cases almost identical. It doesn't matter much to consumers which one they say. It is in these low - involvement. Categories that the effects of advertising can be greatest and yet hardest to introspect upon.
Moses Isaac
