People don’t remember the words told to them by the advertisers, they remember what they have been showed by them and how these ads made them feel.
These days advertising agents and marketing strategist plan their campaigns, to plant as many images, words, sounds, as they possibly can to affect the individual emotionally.
In this article I will be focusing on the impact of advertisement on the induvial, what make them good, what emotions are best to be used in specific situations and which strategies are used by experts in most situations.
Keywords: marketing, emotional, advertisement, positive and negative emotions, decision, behavior, triggers, psychology, consumers, effects of ads.
Advertisers target emotions so that they can effectively deliver messages to the audience in a powerful manner by using images to evoke feelings of fear and love among the audience in order to increase the likeliness that the product, idea or purpose will be remembered and stand out from the competition.
The emotion of fear and love are most commonly used by advertisers to grab the attention of consumers; therefore, they’ll be focused on throughout this article.
Emotion has a big power in marketer’s attempts to create any type of advertisement. When it is properly used, they can get consumers to understand
the message that the ad is trying to send. The right use of emotions in any advertisement will lead into two types of reactions: the first one is where the consumer goes on and buy the advertised product or get triggered and revolt
against it.
However, which kind of emotions should be used? Advertisers have a big spectrum to choose form such as Positive or Good emotions that get the individual feeling empowered and loved, or negative and bad emotions that get him afraid or angry.
To most people, it might look reasonable that advertisers should always use only positive emotions. However, it’s not that simple. As it turns out, both of emotions can be as effective. Effectively using emotion in any advertising means that advertisers always have to consider every element in order to know what creates a memorable ad, and what might backfire.
A problem that Advertisers have to solve is whether the customers have to be approached emotionally or logically. For some goods, all the consumer needs is to be informed of the benefits that comes with these products. For example, a consumer primarily interested in coffee might simply need to know if a new branch of his favorite coffee shop has been opened near his house, or for another example they started serving a new flavor or kind of coffee. Or, an individual interested in a buying a new phone, may simply need to know that his favorite manufacture has released a new model. to say it in another way, advertisers don’t have to use emotions in order to get their wanted response from the consumer all the time, therefore they approach them logically.
If a brand manager think that emotions has to be used, then they have to choose whether to go positive or negative. If the company uses positive emotions, it has to make something unique and authentic to their name, in order to get the costumers attention.
In recent years, some brands have successfully embraced the using emotions in their ads, following the principle that “Ads sell more than products, they sell values, images and concepts or love, sexuality, success and most important of normalcy to a great extent they tell us who we are and who we should be”[1]. An emotional reaction such as a desire occurs only after a consumer has experienced interest from the ad of the product, which show how much analyzing and work was put into making these ads. However, we as human beings don’t follow only advertisements we’re interested in, subconsciously we are in fact internalizing most of the ads that we see, which results of us being affected by them regardless if we choose to or not, these emotions of sadness or happiness that are being expressed in ads influence our consumption behavior, which motivate us to indulge in products or ideas that are marketed to us.
But what about negative emotion? And how can we use them effectively?
Negative emotion can get consumer attention and lead them to seek a solution for the cause of those emotions. If a brand presents a problem that generate a negative emotion for the consumers to feel, and then offers them a solution, this can cause a brand adoption from consumers by making them feel that they need this product to get rid of a problem that they might not have to begin with. For example, an ad for a service that monitors and prevents house theft might generate a problem inside of the consumers head and makes them have negative emotions – such as vulnerability and fear, so by offering a solution (which is a security camera in this case) chances are a lot of people will adapt this product.
But at the same time using too much negative emotion in an ad, especially when it is unclear how the brand can solve for it, will turn off consumers. Take for example the Nationwide’s “Dead Boy” ad, which told a story of a child that will never grow up to live this life and experience its pleasures because he died in an accident. Instead of making consumers want to protect themselves and their children and loved ones, the Nationwide ad backfired, and the organization, and they had to make a public statement to it later (fig. 1).
According to organizations such as “Polls” and “do it”, the influential work on emotions by neuroscientist has led to the general conception that emotions are not a useless by-product but are essential for the rational thinking and
behavior.
This further emphasizes that advertisers absolutely need to convey these advertisements in an effective manner in order for consumer to react in an emotional manner, this strategy is essential to effectively market products since emotions can potentially surpass a person’s rational thinking and behavior.
Figure 1. A frame from Nationwide’s “Dead Boy” ad
Emotion in advertising is a like a great work of art, not everyone will get it, some will accept it and others will get triggered by it. Advertisers would do everything in their power to show why using a specific emotion is important in their ads. If correctly used, emotions can create a long-lasting image related
to the brand, a positive feeling will surface, even if it is difficult to justify. The experience can be compelling enough to make people want to talk about it with others.
The first step is to create a thing that the consumers’ mind will get attached to, a cause that the consumers will feel a part of it for example. To do so the ad must focus on the brand and the desired impression at the time of viewing it. If that happens the ad will have the potential to affect the consumer’s behavior for weeks, months, or maybe for years. But if that didn’t happen, the investment in development and the resources spent on it, would have been wasted.
In 1895, in one of the leading advertising magazines in America, one of the editorials emphasized that every advertiser should study psychology because his primary goal is to influence the mind and human nature. So, what is the role played by psychology in advertising?
1. Rationality vs. Passion
The talk about rationality versus passion in advertising is very long and may be inconclusive. On the one hand, there are some studies that indicate that we are more concerned with the logical declarations of things we need or lack, such as medicines, and that we are more receptive to emotional declarations about the things we want, Such as clothes. On the other hand, there are studies that suggest that young consumers prefer emotional advertising to fun products such as clothing, food, beverages, and rational advertising of utilitarian products such as medicines and painkillers.
Undoubtedly, ads that seek to influence an individual's behavior without a rational evaluation tend to stimulate the brain differently than those that call for rational decisions and logical thinking, especially at a time when individuals tend to come up with irrational behaviors on a daily or almost daily basis.
In his book, « Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and Inspire) Marketing»[3] Douglas Van Priet pointed out that individuals do not think of emotional solutions and decisions but prefer to feel rational. Their emotions are the foundation and do not pose any obstacle in the way of their decisions.
Emotional ads are not just images and slogans that try to educate and convince viewers about the product. They manipulate and stimulate their emotional triggers that influence how their decisions are made. The emotional Ad is designed to prompt anger, sadness, joy, pride or shame. Advertisers can influence consumers by trying to get them into positive emotional states, or by trying to take advantage of negative emotional situations, the ad may show images of happy families, smiles, and people who play in the midst of a state of social reinforcement and participation that may raise all positive emotions. In the same way, negative emotions can also be played in an attempt to attract the attention of the consumer based on feelings such as fear, threat or insecurity.
It is not enough to say that the message is threatening or not accepting
the social exclusion or fear of negative judgments such as «unkind», «ugly»
or «uncivilized» For example, using of beautiful faces: the desire for perfect happiness.
Happiness-marketing is another way to engage consumer emotions. It is no secret that brands seek to be linked with happiness. Therefore, the understanding and taking into consideration the factors involved in this type of advertising is essential. Happiness and smiles have been used in advertisements in the past based on intuition, but in recent years it has been supported by psychology and its theories.
Coca-Cola has published more than 56 different slogans throughout its history. A memorable one was the 2009’s “open the happy can” [2]. According to the company, the definition of happiness involves drawing a smile on someone's face. Redesigning their cans to display a smile when opened, and using happy people in their posters and ads, led to people subconsciously attaching Coca-Cola to happiness (fig. 2) .
Which leads to the following questions: How do happiness and smiles work in advertising? Do people respond to smiles unconsciously in the hope that they will be as happy as those in the ad?
According to psychology, emotional or sensory infections occur among individuals, so we feel better when we see others smiling or laughing, and this is due to the work of the «nerves of mirrors» in the brain, whose work involves imitating and mimicking the behaviors and facial expressions of the people we see. For example, when looking at someone smiling, your emotions are positively affected, in a subtle and very simple way that you can barely feel.
There is no doubt that the positive or good mood of the person viewing the ad plays a large role in the way he deals with information and make decisions about the product, that is, a small smile might have a great impact, which makes the consumer makes a decision to buy and test the product.
Figure 2. Open happiness posters by Coca-Cola
Happiness makes us want to share, and that means positive advertising is more likely to get viewers engaged more than ads that involve negative messages.
On the other hand, emotions play a large role in the memory of individuals. People may not remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel or what mood you put in them.
Thus, brands seek to make the consumer receives an intense emotional response, and try to send many positive feelings to him, consciously or unconsciously, in order for him to remember those feelings and emotions at the moment of exposure to the product, which makes him more likely to buy it or even increase the intensity of his thinking of getting it, It may bring him happiness just as it did when he saw the ad.
There are many ways and strategies used by advertisers to put viewers and followers in a good or positive mood. Along with happy faces and bright smiles, colors, music, dress elegance and campaign names play a big role in the emotional infection that an ad may have.
For example, since 1979, McDonald's has been launching «Happy Meal» on its menu which contains a game along with the food and drink.
The name of the meal does not come from nothing. Each campaign is subjected to be carefully studied and examined based on knowledge of the human psyche and its impact. Putting the word «happy» and drawing a smiley face on the box of the meal greatly affects the buyer's psyche and makes him feel the temporary happiness of the moment of purchase based on the reasons mentioned above.
It is worth mentioning that no one criticizes the advertisement industry for perfectly portraying cars, dresses, food and other products. It is only the ideal images of people and individuals based on false happiness and absolute idealism that have nothing to do with reality.
Many people overlook that commercial advertising is unrealistic. Any advertisement is necessarily selective and carefully selected, interspersed with modifications and additions. Photography itself is a trick, and the people
in the ad are no better than in anyone else and do not represent the majority nor minority.
Very clearly, advertising tries to reach an absolute ideal that has nothing to do with reality by choosing its characters and cultivating stereotypes in its viewers by creating a mythical world that contains only happy, rich and beautiful people, especially women. A fat woman, a sad man, a poor person, or a child without elegant clothes are less likely to be found in ads, unless it serves a purpose.
This leads to great problems in especially in the way that the induvial sees himself in. He becomes dissatisfied with himself, which can develop several complications, including eating disorders or using diet pills or steroids or plastic surgery in its various forms in order to reach the body promoted by the ads for example.
On the level of public life, individuals have an overwhelming desire to own products, thinking that they will be a source of happiness for them, as stated in the ad, forgetting that this is only a temporary happiness that ends with the end of the product which leaves the individual wants more and more of it, and this is certainly intended by the manufacturers of the product.
Imagine two ads for a drink. The first ad starts with a scene taken close up to the drink, poured in a clear transparent glass with the gas bubbles popping up with the sound of a man coming from a distance saying: «What you're looking at is a rich taste, and just half the calories.»
The second ad is as follows: Two men, well dressed, around them two beautiful women, showing their bodies in a striking way, one of the men carrying a glass of gas drink, corresponds to one of the girls, describing what he drinks as «the taste of happiness.»
You can guess what I’m aiming at. The first ad is based on facts and logic, while the second is based on emotional influence. This is the classification for dozens of ads that pass through you every day, wherever you turn your eyes, you see emotional or rational ads.
2. Guided behavior: How do ads control our behaviors?
In psychology, the term «rule-controlled behavior» is used to describe the human ability to learn something new or to engage in behavior without prior experience or knowledge. For example, if your friend tells you about a good product describing it as wonderful and telling you that you should try it, you by buying it and tested it, you have been subject to the behavior of a judgment.
This strategy is one of the most common behavioral strategies among advertisers to attract or attempt to influence consumer behavior.
Take, for example, an announcement about a new painkiller by an elderly man who tells you that the drug has benefited him a great deal and that you should try it. Will you buy it? Most likely not, because our brain will automatically begin to think that advertising is illogical and totally unreliable.
But what if a doctor, with his white uniform, is the one who talks in the ad, and will you trust the product more? Most likely yes, most of us will buy and try the product, because our minds are programmed to make doctors smarter and more trustworthy than any ordinary man.
If advertisers can use individuals who resemble doctors, pharmacists, scientists, and other examples, they will make their ad appear more credible and drive consumers to buy the advertised product, controlling their behavior towards their purchase.
It doesn’t take a Doctor or a scientist to tell convince people into owning a product, basically by using an adult who has any kind of authority or maybe a famous person in an ad aimed at kids or teenager will have a bigger effect than using kids or teenagers in the same ad.
3. The use of familiar faces: a sense of familiarity and knowledge
People respond better when they are associated with familiar faces, so ads targeted to a particular social group often use active and «influential» faces making them appear to be speaking in a way that targets that group.
So, it is familiarity that drives the advertisers to pay a huge amount of money to celebrities, for example, to produce an advertisement not more than half a minute, with the face of a famous actor gives the viewer a feeling of familiarity.
It is also related to the desire to imitate, the unconscious mind works to make the individual think that the face possesses what he does not have, so he is happy or famous or beautiful and so on, so by getting the advertised product he will be just like the person in the ad.
4. Time and location
Ads are not as effective at the same level all the time for one person. Your vision of a fast food ad that you are saturated does not make you think about buying it or rather stimulate your desire to eat it. But imagine if you saw the ad at the end of a long hard day at work, Your mind will surely be thinking about getting a meal like that in advertising, and maybe for that reason, you might find a lot of these ads in places that thrive in business offices.
The same thing applies to almost everything. A street ad may be placed a few meters away from the store, which gives you some time to think about whether to go to the store or not, or an ad for a children clothing store near schools, Or TV ads may be displayed during the break-time of series to sell merchandise related to that series.
In the end, these are just a few of the strategies employed by advertising professionals who use psychology, theories and hypotheses to change consumer behavior, thinking and passion to sell their products, without the consumer being aware that he is a victim of his complex brain that he cannot understand the things that go around him.
Библиографические ссылки
The difference between a spark and a backfire. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/derekrucker/2017/10/05/emotion-in-advertising-the-difference-between-a-spark-and-a-backfire/#6bbeac0331e5.
Jean Kilbourne Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel, Free Press, 2000, 142 p.
Nationwide Dead kid ad. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Bpl10G6O_lI.
Jim Heimann All American Ads 50’s, TASCHEN publications, 2005, 24 p.
People remember how you’ve made them feel. Available at: http://therestlesscmo.com/post/neuromarketing-people-do-not-remember-what-you-said-but-how-you-made-them-feel
Douglas Van Priet Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and Inspire) Marketing, St. Martin’s Press, 2012, 231p.
References
The difference between a spark and a backfire. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/derekrucker/2017/10/05/emotion-in-advertising-the-difference-between-a-spark-and-a-backfire/#6bbeac0331e5.
Jean Kilbourne Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel, Free Press, 2000, 142 p.
Nationwide Dead kid ad. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Bpl10G6O_lI.
Jim Heimann All American Ads 50’s, TASCHEN publications, 2005, 24 p.
People remember how you’ve made them feel. Available at: http://therestlesscmo.com/post/neuromarketing-people-do-not-remember-what-you-said-but-how-you-made-them-feel
Douglas Van Priet Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and Inspire) Marketing, St. Martin’s Press, 2012, 231p.
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