The Advertised Mind

The first response is the truest response

When people talk about brands or ads they often start off by saying, “I like it because...”. Based on what we now know of how the brain works we should accept this statement at face value. Further probing may well just lead to a rationalisation of this response. The real challenge for research then is to discover the origins of that initial reaction, be they childhood memories, a desire for status, or even the fact that they liked the brand’s advertising, without being misled by people’s desire to appear rational.

Click on the highlights below to find out more:

• Emotion is critical to advertising because it is critical to all human thought
• Emotion is critical to advertising because it helps determine the depth of processing that takes place
• Depth of processing and repetition combine to establish new memories and feelings about a brand
• Brand equity is the sum of all feelings associations and memories related to the brand
• Brand memories are stored in a way that resembles an untidy overstocked cupboard
• Advertising contributes directly towards a brand’s equity
• Advertising response is the combined effect of creative and media planning
• There is no ‘one size fits all’ media strategy that can meet different advertising needs
• The emotional response to brands and ads can be researched
• The first response is the truest response