Here’s a pop marketing quiz. If you want an ad for your business to well-received and make a positive impression on people, where do you place that ad:
(a) in traditional media outlets such as television, billboards, radio, newspapers, magazines, and movie theater commercials, or
(b) in digital media, such as Internet banner ads, e-mail messages, social networking sites, video gaming sites or video-sharing sites like YouTube?
Survey says….. traditional media.
Consumer research company Yanklovich, along with and brand-building metrics company Sequent Partners, asked a group of people to look at some ads, and then answer some questions about what type of impressions that ads made on them. (The Center for Media Design at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., also provided assistance with the survey design.) Over half (56%) of the survey respondents said the ads in traditional media made a more positive impression on them then the ads in digital media. In contrast, only about a third (31%) said the digital media ads left them with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Surprised? So was I. Until I looked at the reasons behind why most of us perceive ads that we see on TV as more pleasing than ads we see on the Internet.
Think about what you’re doing and your state of mind when you’re watching TV, in a movie theater, or reading a magazine. Are you tense? Nervous? Relaxed? In a hurry? Vegging out? Chances are, when you’re watching TV, flipping through a magazine, at the movies, or reading the newspaper, you’re in a more relaxed frame of mind – and in a relaxed setting such as your living room, bedroom, kitchen or a theater. You’re also probably not alone. We humans are social creatures and are usually in a better mood when we’re with friends and family. When you’re in a relaxed state of mind, in a relaxing environment and with people you like, you’re more receptive to whatever is presented to you.
Now think about what you’re doing, your environment, and who you’re with when you’re surfing the web. Most likely, you’re at work (with co-workers you may not necessarily like), and you’re mind is more in productivity-mode than relaxation-mode.
J. Walker Smith, president at the Yankelovich Monitor division of Yankelovich in Atlanta, says that consumers using digital media are more likely to be in busy moods, seeking control, or solving a problem He added that also they were more likely to be by themselves. And that puts us in a less-receptive state of mind when we’re surfing the web.
“When I’m tracking down information or looking for an answer or trying to compare things or searching for a link, ads are irritating to a degree not true when I’m relaxed and unwinding with TV or a magazine and thus more open to diversion,” Smith says.
In other words, when we’re on the Internet we’re purpose-driven – seeking an answer or a solution to a problem. When we’re parked in front of the TV, we’re entertainment-driven.
But Smith says the study uncovered another benefit to ads placed in traditional media: the generate more word-of-mouth marketing than ads in digital media.
All of this seems pretty counter intuitive to many marketers, since they have been barraged with messages boasting the benefits of buzz created by digital media. But that hype doesn’t hold up in the Yankelovich study.
There is one caveat I noticed about the study: it didn’t account for or measure behavior. In other words, did consumers buy from those traditional media ads they liked? Hard to say. But it makes sense that if you can put consumers in a positive state of mind, in a relaxed environment when they are having a good time, they will be more open to your advertising messages – and more likely to talk about your ad. That is, IF they liked it.
So what can you do if your budget allows only for digital placements? Try to post your ads on relevant entertainment sites on the Internet. Get links from places that your audiences might go when to they are searching for entertainment on the Net. For example, if you sell auto parts, you may instinctively think to place your ads on auto dealership sites, auto repair sites, or auto insurance sites. But why not branch out and place a few on video auto racing sites on the web? If you own a coffeeshop or sell specialty coffee (or even cookies or goodies sold in coffee shops), you may want to think about placing your ad on the site of author Cleo Coyle who has written a series of Coffeehouse Mysteries. (Her novels include: “On What Grounds,” “Through the Grinder,” “Latte Trouble,” “Murder Most Frothy,” and “Decaffeinated Corpse.”) People who are looking for a good murder mystery to read are definitely in a relaxed, “entertainment” mindset, and your ad is more likely to be well received.
The trend toward placing TV programs on the Internet gives advertisers even more online entertainment outlets to place their ads. But if you have the budget, your best bet may be to combine traditional media, where viewers are generally in a more positive mindset, with online advertising.
Want Your Ads to Be Instantly Appealing to Consumers? Then Place Them in a “Happy” Medium. - To learn more about this author, visit Vicki Kunkel's Website.
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Vicki Kunkel
(Visit Vicki's Website)
Vicki Kunkel is an award-winning social
anthropologist who has been recognized as
an expert in persuasive communication by
many media outlets. She’s been
interviewed by MSNBC, CNN, Entprerpeneur
Magazine, and myriad local radio and
television stations across the U.S and
Canada. During the O. J. Simpson trial,
she was a regular guest expert on AP
Network News, commenting on the subliminal
body language messages sent by all the
players in that trial, as well as which
trial strategies would be most persuasive
with jurors. Vicki received the “Women
With Vision” award from the Women’s Bar
Association of Illinois for her
breakthrough research in primal persuasion
factors, and successful application of
those factors in business, law and
politics. She’s been the driving force
behind winning political campaigns and
blockbuster personal branding campaigns
for top CEOs. Her new book: Instant
Appeal: The Eight Primal Factors that
Guarantee Blockbuster Success, (AMACOM,
New York) will be released November, 2008.
Vicki also previously spent 11 years as
a TV news anchor and radio talk show host.
To learn more about business persuasion,
visit Vicki’s website at: www.beapow
erplayer.com.
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