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Ad Characteristics PDF
Ad Characteristics PDF
OF ADVERTISING
Nick Kolenda
Conclusion ................................................................48
INTRO
Welcome to a comprehensive resource for advertisers.
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THE CONTENT
An advertisement usually contains three elements: images, words, and
a brand/logo.
IMAGES
What types of images should you use? The ideal characteristics will
usually vary, depending on your product. But this section will describe
tactics that should work for any advertisement, regardless of your
product.
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When you perceive stimuli toward one side of your field of vision —
either the left or the right — your opposing hemisphere processes that
information:
When you place images and graphics toward the left side of your ad,
you increase processing -luency. People will digest your ad more
quickly, generating a more favorable evaluation (Alter & Oppenheimer,
2009).
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When businesses create product images, they often depict the product
without much thought. Starting now, always depict your product so
that you achieve an underlying goal: to encourage mental interaction.
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Place an instrument or utensil on the right:
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You could use those images anywhere (e.g., advertisements, eBay,
eCommerce sites). In most cases, those images will make your product
more appealing because they’ll increase the amount of mental
interaction.
You can apply that tendency in your ads. If your ad contains pictures of
people, orient them toward your CTA. You’ll attract more attention
toward that area:
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You should usually avoid orienting models toward the viewer. Those
front-facing images will attract attention toward the model, instead of
the important parts of your ad:
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However, that’s not always the case. You might want to avoid this tactic
if your product is irrelevant to attractiveness:
Relevant
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Art & Beauty (e.g., make-up)
Health (e.g., fitness product)
Not Relevant
Trampe et al. (2010) didn’t explain why you need relevance. But here’s
my take: irrelevant products reveal your underlying motive.
If you use an attractive model to sell a toaster, people will know that
you’re trying to persuade them. So they’ll experience psychological
reactance and fight your persuasion attempt (Brehm, 1966).
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WORDS
Wording is also crucial. In my copywriting article, I explain a list of
tactics to make your writing more persuasive. In this current article,
you’ll learn some new tactics that are specifically geared toward
advertising.
Given that symbolic nature, can wording size play a role in emotional
impact? Turns out, it can. By increasing the surface size of your text —
especially emotional words — you’ll enhance the emotional impact of
those words (Bayer, Sommer, & Shacht, 2012).
You’ll also gain another benefit. Pieters & Wedel (2004) analyzed 1,363
advertisements and found that words capture attention in direct
accordance with their surface size:
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consider devoting more space to text.” (Pieters &
Wedel, 2004, pp. 48)
Thus, not only will your enlarged words produce a stronger impact, but
they’ll also capture attention more easily.
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preference toward products with fewer features (Goodman & Irmak,
2013).
In your ad, you could highlight multiple features about your product.
But you need to avoid framing those features in terms of usage:
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But there’s an exception. Assertive language can improve
advertisements for hedonic products (Kronrod, Grinstein, & Wathieu,
2012).
When people feel happy, they talk more assertively (and expect people
to speak more assertively). And those expectations are the key.
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TACTIC 8: RHYME YOUR SLOGAN OR CALL-TO-ACTION
The previous tactic showed that assertive language can increase
processing fluency for hedonic products. The same effect also occurs
with rhyming. But that effect occurs for any product.
In fact, a simple rhyme may have dictated the outcome of the O.J.
Simpson trial: If the glove doesn’t -it, you must acquit.
Both statements are essentially the same. But students found the
rhyming statement to be more accurate and truthful. Why? Because it
increased fluency. When evaluating that statement, students
experienced a pleasant sensation, which they misattributed to the
underlying information.
Those rhymes will subtly create a pleasant sensation. People will then
misattribute that pleasantness to your call-to-action, and they’ll
experience a stronger desire to complete it.
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BRAND/LOGO
Your logo or brand is another integral part of your ad. In this section,
you’ll learn how to enhance the perception of it.
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When people view your image-filled ad, their left hemisphere will be
subconsciously processing the content toward the right (and they will
develop a favorable response toward that information). That’s why you
should place your brand in that spot:
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And it makes sense. Before doing this research, I probably would have
agreed with that claim. However, I finished scouring the research. And
that claim is inaccurate.
Pieters and Wedel (2004) measured the surface size of brands in 1,363
advertisements. They found that the surface size didn’t reduce the
amount of attention:
And the effect isn’t just neutral. Other research has found a positive
effect from increasing the surface size of a brand.
Bottom line: don’t be afraid to increase the size of your brand or logo.
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THE VISUALS
The previous section explained the best content to use in your ad. But
how should that content appear? Which fonts and colors should you
use? This section will tackle that question.
FONTS
Never overlook your fonts. Visual characteristics in fonts can trigger
certain emotions in viewers (Henderson, Giese, & Cote, 2004). So fonts
play a powerful role.
How can you determine the best font to use? You’ll need to consider
three main characteristics:
There are other factors too. But those are the big three.
Sound like mumbo jumbo? Don’t worry. By the end of this section,
you’ll know how to choose the optimal characteristics (i.e., line, weight,
and orientation) for your font. Once you understand the examples,
you’ll be able to apply the same principles to any product that you’re
advertising.
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“Typefaces that are lighter in weight (in width and
stroke thickness) are seen as delicate, gentle, and
feminine, while heavier typefaces are strong,
aggressive, and masculine…” (Brumberger, 2003, pp.
208)
But why is that? And how could any font possess personality? Well, the
answer can be found in your brain’s associative network (Anderson,
1983).
And those associations are key. Due to your associative network, your
node for beauty is connected to those characteristics (among many
others):
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That activation gives you a new temporary lens. With your concept of
beauty more prevalent, you perceive stimuli in the immediate
environment to be more beautiful. And that’s the answer.
Suppose that you’re advertising a diet plan. If you want to convey that
your solution will make people feel beautiful, then use long thin fonts.
This tactic used beauty as an example. But you could use the underlying
principle to choose any font. Here are a few more tactics to help you
apply that principle.
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TACTIC 12: USE OBSCURE TYPEFACES TO CONVEY UNIQUENESS
Suppose that your product is unique, distinguished, or luxurious. Or
perhaps the marketplace is crowded. And you want to stand out from
competitors. Your font should match the perceptual characteristics of
being unique.
In addition, when people exert greater effort to process your ad, they’ll
encode the memory in greater detail (Alter et al., 2007). So not only will
obscure fonts enhance the perceived uniqueness of your product, but
they’ll also create a stronger memory for your brand.
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COLORS
Color is a touchy subject. Even though researchers have found some
interesting (and practical) insights, most people are only familiar with
the pseudoscientific claims — not the accurate science.
Unfortunately, though, color is a huge topic (too big for this article). I’ll
explain a full list of applications in a future article. This section will
simply focus on a few key tactics.
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Compared to red, blue is associated with an “approach” mindset:
Mehta and Zhu (2010) examined red and blue color schemes. They
showed participants two different frames for a toothpaste
advertisement:
The results were consistent with the learned associations. Red colors
performed better with the prevention frame, whereas blue colors
performed better with the gain frame.
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When your ad contains substantial text content and vivid colors,
viewers feel overwhelmed with stimuli. As a result, they feel less
motivated to process the contents of your ad:
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THE CONTEXT
So far, we’ve examined the content and visuals of your advertisement.
Now let’s look at the context and environment. Specifically, you’ll learn
the ideal framing, variations, and medium.
FRAMING
Framing always sparks a heated debate. Should you use a rational
argument or an emotional appeal? Should you use negative or positive
framing? Those questions haunt advertisers.
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Because people devote more processing resources to negatively framed
ads, those ads can also spark behavior, such as impulse purchases (Shiv,
Edell, & Payne, 1997).
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experienced by participants during exposure.” (Bolls,
Lang, & Potter, 2001, pp. 647)
Thus, if you want people to remember your brand (e.g., next time
they’re choosing a product at the store), then use positively framed ads.
Your ads will generate a stronger impact on long-term memory, and
people will be more likely to remember your brand.
But what about rational vs. emotional appeals? Where do they fit in?
Seems like a lot to remember, right?
To help you pinpoint the best framing for your ad, I organized the
previous tactics into the chart below. Whenever you’re creating an ad,
you can reference this chart to know which frame you should use
(based on your market and advertising goal).
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VARIATIONS
Ideally, you should expose people to slight variations of your ad. With
repeated exposures, people begin to process your ads more easily,
generating a stronger affinity toward your brand (Zajonc, 1968).
But why create slight variations? Why not repeat the same ad? If you
repeat the same ad, you’ll often trigger annoyance — especially for
unfamiliar brands (Campbell & Keller, 2003).
There are other reasons too. This section will explain a few tactics
applying those reasons (and how you can create ad variations that will
be effective).
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Can such a small change make a difference? Researchers think so.
When you add a slight visual change, people will subconsciously notice
the change. And they’ll develop a stronger preference toward that
content because of higher fluency.
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“…when consumers are exposed to advertising that is
consistent with a salient dimension of their self, they
spontaneously self-reference the ad. This leads to
more favourable thoughts, attitudes and purchase
intentions.” (Lee, Fernandez, & Martin, 2002, pp.
374)
Suppose that you’re using Facebook ads. You might have wondered
how to use the overwhelming targeting criteria:
Well, this tactic can help you tailor your ad campaign. Instead of
displaying the same ad to everyone, replace the model with someone
who resembles a particular segment.
Either way, research shows that your ad will perform better when the
model resembles the segment (Forehead & Deshpande, 2001).
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With dispersed exposures, viewers can encode and recall your ad more
effectively. Plus, highly concentrated ad schedules can often annoy
customers:
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concentrated, high-repetition ad schedules in order to
avoid alienating consumers.” (Campbell & Keller,
2003, pp. 301 – 302)
MEDIUM
Where should you advertise your product? Like the other suggestions
in the article, the best answer will always depend on various factors.
This section will explain those factors so that you can choose ad
mediums that will be favorable for your product.
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Cai, Shen, Hui (2012) examined that effect with product images. In their
study, they showed participants two lamps on a screen. The result?
Participants estimated a higher price for lamps that were presented on
the right.
The same effect would occur in magazines, flyers, and other physical
mediums.
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The color of the pen was a priming cue. When people were exposed to
the orange pen, their concept of orange became activated. With greater
activation of that node, their brain could process orange products more
easily. That ease, in turn, enhanced their evaluation (and subsequent
choice) of orange products.
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when it is primed by a related construct (e.g., an
image of ketchup following an advertisement of
mayonnaise), participants develop more favorable
attitudes...” (Lee & Labroo, 2004, pp. 151)
How can you apply that principle? When choosing places to advertise
your product, choose mediums that share semantic qualities with your
product.
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“…for a random subset of users, we change
“Sponsored links” or “Ads” labels to instead read “Paid
Advertisements.” Relative to users receiving the
“Sponsored link” or “Ad” labels, users receiving the
“Paid Advertisement” label click 25% and 27% fewer
advertisements, respectively.” (Edelman & Gilchrist,
2012, pg. 2)
Boerman, van Reijmersdal, and Neijens (2012) even found that the
duration of disclosure can make a difference. In their study, people
developed more critical attitudes of an advertisement based on a 6-
second disclosure (compared to a 3-second disclosure).
Wedel and Pieters (2000) suggest that the end of a magazine might be
the best place. Because magazine readers are exposed to a large
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amount of information, content presented toward the end of a
magazine will be memorable:
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CONCLUSION
Take a deep breath.
And I know…I threw a lot of info at you. But don’t feel overwhelmed.
When creating an ad, you don’t need to incorporate all of the tactics. In
fact, you shouldn’t incorporate all of the tactics.
These tactics are merely ideas. Use this guide as a starting point for
your ad. After you create it, then use this guide as a checklist to see if
you can enhance your ad. If you can’t think of a way to improve it, then
move on. Don’t force any of the tactics.
Academic research is great. And it can be very insightful. But at the end
of the day, common sense reigns supreme. If a tactic reduces the visual
appeal of your ad, then don’t follow it. Go with your gut.
Lastly, advertising is a huge topic — much too big for a single article. If
you enjoyed the article, then you can subscribe to my blog to stay
updated when I post new content.
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