Most people I know would claim that advertising doesn’t work on them. And it makes sense. When I see an ad for some shampoo, my conscious brain realizes that it is an ad and that’s why the hair in the commercial looks so good. And Geico, is there even anybody who is convinced by a talking gecko? What benefit do companies even get by running repetitive, obvious advertisements?
Well, for one, recognizability. When I mentioned Geico, most of you probably remembered their slogan: “15 minutes can save you 15% or more on car insurance”. Currently, Berkshire Hathaway, the company that owns Geico, is the third largest insurance agency in the US, according to Insurance Business Magazine. Is it a coincidence, or do they have a gecko to thank?
In class, we watched a documentary where we saw Oreo’s pride advertisement. We discussed how it would generate publicity and make people share the ad on their own pages, but,economically, does it do any good? Do more people actually guy oreos because of it?
Some, like Digiday (https://digiday.com/marketing/advertising-even-work-anymore/), don’t think it does. They cite things such as only 35% of people claiming that social media influences their marketing decisions. The problem is, first of all, that 35% is not an insignificant number. But, more importantly, those numbers are self reported, meaning 65% of people believe that social media advertising doesn’t affect them, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn't.
When you try to think how and if does advertising works, the problem is that you are thinking with your conscious brain. Logically, it shouldn't work. And, it doesn’t work. Logically that is. The appeal is emotional. Even when you hear facts and figures, like Geico’s 15% or another companies “30% better than the leading brand”, you aren’t really thinking logically. You don’t research it or question it. You just have the idea that that brand is good and better than other brands implanted in your head.
The truth is, advertising works. Whenever consumers become less susceptible to a certain type of advertising, advertisers just find a new way to market. If advertisements didn’t work, companies wouldn't be making them. No matter how much we think we are better as individuals and aren’t easily tricked by marketing, we will always have that jingle or slogan stuck in the back of our mind.
This is a super interesting take on advertiser influence. You're right in saying that just because someone doesn't believe an ad influences them, doesn't mean that it didn't. When companies are hunting to find their consumers, they will usually start with brand awareness, then explaining why their product is compelling compared to other brands. Finally, with that information, they continue to send you more information until they convince you to sell.
ReplyDeleteSource: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advertising-influence-people-57377.html
I really like how you focused on the idea that we like to believe we are not susceptible to advertisements when in reality they are so popular because they work without us knowing. The way you differentiated the two through your statistic about social media influence made it very clear that what we believe works and what actually works can be two very different things.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I always used to think this whenever I watch superbowl commercials! From some boring car ad that states "real actors not paid people" or Charmin's toliet paper testing a liquid with a coin, I always questioned if advertising truly worked. As you insightfully pointed out, "But, more importantly, those numbers are self reported, meaning 65% of people BELIEVE that social media advertising doesn’t affect them, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn't." It was my perception and belief that it didn't work on me, but as you again insightfully pointed out: companies wouldn't be making them then. Advertisers know that they're effective and successful when consumers automatically identify commercials like Geico with a "talking gecko" and its slogan—or the Grammarly ad on youtube which I'm sick of! I think this now raises the question of what creative techniques advertise use to make advertising work. We know that jingles and an iconic symbol help, I wonder what other marks companies used to distinguishes themself from the other advertisers and competitors...
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you addressed a topic that covers marketing as a whole. Many companies rely on advertising and we see ads everywhere so I liked how you took something essential to marketing and questioned the idea of it. What if advertising didn't make a difference, all the money these companies used was wasted. I liked how you took certain tag lines that everyone knows and psychoanalyzed the marketing behind it.
ReplyDeleteWhat you wrote about Oreo's pride advertisement reminded me of Ben and Jerry's new ice cream flavor, Pecan Resist, which "supports groups creating a more just and equitable nation for us all, and who are fighting President Trump's regressive agenda." Ben and Jerry's goes on to explain that racial and gender equity, climate change, LGBTQ rights, and refugee and immigrant rights are "all issues that have been at the core of our social mission for 40 years." Similar to Oreo, Ben and Jerry's not only spreads their political messages, but also advertises their own products at the same time. After all, Ben and Jerry's didn't just state their political beliefs; they created a new ice cream flavor to sell.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate topics like these that I can directly relate to and learn to question my shopping behavior. Ads are almost everywhere you look, from the billboards in the outside world to the aftermath of when you die in the game on your phone. For me, dissecting and examining a topic like this in such depth is very important and leads to an essential increase in marketing knowledge.
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