Sex! Why Getting Your Attention Isn'T Always Enough

Sex! Why Getting Your Attention Isn't Always Enough

Lots of companies use interesting and attention-getting ads with the brand name or major takeaway buried somewhere in the ad--completely divorced from the attention-getting element. So what happens? Consumers remember this great ad, but for the life of them have no idea what it was for or who it was by. This is a huge waste of resources.

If we are dealing with a familiar product and we have a familiar message, maybe consumers can attend briefly to our message and brand name while they are doing something else. They can divide their attention because the ad and message are familiar and well-known. This is what reminder advertising is all about.

But if we have a new brand, a new message, or something complicated to say, consumers won't possibly be able to attend to this message while simultaneously undertaking the complexities of a stressful, multitasking, interruption-filled environment.

Does this mean we can't develop new or complicated messages? No, it just means that we have to be all the more careful about making consumers attend to the right things, and we have to make sure that our message is interesting enough to have them put aside something else and think about us alone.

What attracts and sustains attention?

Psychologists and marketing academics have learned important lessons about what attracts and sustains attention. We list some of them here. Think about them as a checklist for developing your ad, email promotion, or Web site. They will help you make your marketing effort interesting and attractive for the right reasons.

On a very broad level, things attract attention if they are personally relevant, pleasant, surprising, or easy to process. There are a lot of ways we can achieve these things, as explained below.

Is it personally relevant?

Consumers pay attention to things that that have implications or consequences for their lives, especially if they appeal to their needs, values, or goals. Mothers, for instance, pay attention to ads that feature kids, because kids are relevant to their needs, values, and goals.

We also pay attention to people who look, act, or seem like ourselves, perhaps because we think they have similar needs, values and goals; similar problems--and, perhaps, because they know something we don't.

Are you attuned to who your typical target consumer is? Are you using people like them in your ad? On your Web page?

Another way to capture consumers' attention is to ask rhetorical questions--those asked merely for effect. Questions like "How would you like to win a million dollars?" and "Aren't you glad you use Dial? Don't you wish everyone did?" make the consumer think, "Yeah, I do"! It gets consumers to shift their attention to your brand or service and what it can do for them.

Is it pleasant?

We attend to things that are inherently pleasant. No doubt this has evolutionary significance. We want to approach things that make us feel good and avoid those that don't. So, for the marketer appealing to the more primitive desires in consumers, here's what can be done.

First, use attractive visuals. Advertisements containing attractive models have a higher probability of being noticed because the models arouse positive feelings or a basic sexual attraction. Do you pay attention to ads with Cindy Crawford, Christie Brinkley and Mel Gibson? Of course you do. You also pay attention to beautiful sunsets, cute babies, enticing food, and beautifully decorated rooms. They are all pleasant to look at.

Music is another way of making something pleasant. Familiar songs have considerable attention-getting power, which is why some companies have used popular and familiar music and famous artists like Reba McEntire, Aretha Franklin, and the Beatles in commercials. Optimally, the chosen music fits with the message you are trying to send.

Humor can also be an effective attention-getting device. This is perhaps one reason Clio award-winning ads become winners. They have