Why Advertising Fails

It's nice to tell ourselves that we're inherently simple creatures. If we want something we can decide we'll go out and buy it. Perhaps we'll see an advert that will encourage us to buy something and we'll decide we want to own whatever it is. Possibly we'll decide to go to the shops and see if we are tempted by something on display.

But that's just what we like to tell ourselves.

And that's fine in protecting our view of ourselves, but if you want to understand how to communicate effectively to consumers it is more helpful if you understand how the human mind works.

That means understanding the way in which associations cause us to behave. How a sensory input - a word, a picture, a message, an advert - unconsciously triggers a thought because of what we've experienced in the past.

It can be hard to reconcile the two elements: how we like to think of ourselves as consciously determining our actions, and how studies show that people are influenced at an unconscious level.

New research by the University of Illinois provides a great example of how unconscious associations can compete with conscious intentions.

In the study the team showed participants one of a number of different posters. Some carried messages that encouraged them to do something active, to join a gym or go for a walk, whilst others had messages that were more conceptual (make new friends, join a group).

They conducted another study where participants were exposed to subliminal messages. Again, some were shown words relating to activity.

What was of interest to the researchers wasn't what people thought they thought about any of these messages, but how much food they ate subsequently.

Had the messages about doing something healthy made people more careful about what they ate?

They discovered that people who'd viewed posters with 'be active' messages ate one third more. Yes more, not less!

Those who'd been exposed subliminally to active words ate twenty percent more.

Why would that be?

I believe that, primed by the message of activity, unconscious associations with food are triggered. It makes sense that if you're going to do something active you're going to need the fuel required.

We've learned from an early age that we get hungry after strenuous activity. In time we learn to anticipate activity (or time when we might not have access to food) and preempt that horrible feeling of hunger by eating in advance.

The unconscious isn't logical. It simply has an association between exercise and food, so it sends a message out to the body to stock up.

The fact that no exercise has taken place and that none is expected is irrelevant.

When it comes to communication for advertising or selling it's important to consider what associations you may be activating. As far as is possible you need to ensure that you won't be inadvertently triggering anything that will drive consumers away, or influence them to act in a way that is counter to your goals.

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2009, March 3). Health Campaigns That Promote Exercise May Cause People To Eat More. ScienceDaily . 

Harness the Power of Associations in Your Marketing