Discussing the Book of the Month

June 2005 - The Advertised Mind

Recall and persuasion are today's primary measures of ad effectiveness. Author Erik Du Plessis makes the case that emotion is actually the foundation of both, a major shift that he says today's advertisers are reluctant to accept. To back this up, du Plessis has assiduously amassed the latest scientific research from the fields of neurology, psychology, and advertising, and presented it in an exhaustive, empirical package.

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Fast Take

We interrupt this review with three ideas from The Advertised Mind

1. Test before you leap. The brain uses emotions as a filter to determine what it's going to pay attention to. But know your emotional context. While ads for insect repellent in the United States may show customers annoyed by buzzing mosquitoes, South Africans are more worried about malaria. A quick test will avoid expensive changes later.
2. Get to the point. The "effective length" of a commercial begins when the audience realizes which brand is being advertised. Scrap the enigmatic teaser ads and get your brand -- or a brand "trigger" -- on-screen early. Sony's PlayStation ads often kick off with a split-second flash of its logo.
3. Close the loop. Quirky celebrities and actors may be memorable, but unless the spokesperson is on the packaging or there's some in-store tie-in, shoppers may not make the connection.