Mastodawn

Does advertising really work?
Everyone I know mutes TV ads when they come on.
Everyone I know uses ad-blockers online.
I avoid sites that say 'You can't view this site unless you turn off your ad-blocker.'
And some ads are so annoying &/or repetitive that I refuse to use the product on principle.

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Graham Downs

@Richard_Littler It's got to do with the rule-of-thumb that a person needs to be exposed to a message 7 times before they take action. So if you see an add for a product, even without sound, and even for a split second before deliberately turning your attention, that's 1.

If you're browsing the web and you catch a banner ad for the same product, that's 2.

Reading an article and the author mentions that product in passing (even in a negative light)? That's 3.

Driving along the highway and see a billboard for that product, even if you don't consciously take note of it? That's 4.

In the supermarket and see that product stacked on the shelf? That's 5 -- but you're not ready to buy, yet.

On your way home, you turn on the radio and catch an ad for that product, but by that time you're so sick of hearing about it that you change the channel immediately? That's 6.

Turn on the TV and watch a YouTube video, and your ad-blocker fails momentarily and you see an ad for that product? That's 7, even though you spend all your time waiting for the "Skip" button to become enabled.

Something happens in your life that means you urgently need something like that product? Now that particular product is the first and perhaps ONLY one that sticks in your mind, it's cheap enough, and you need a solution urgently, so what do you do? You go out and buy that product.

Yes. Yes, it works. And it works to the *benefit* of the consumer, too. At least, as a consumer, that's what I've often found. :-)

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Richard Webb Feb 10

@GrahamDowns @Richard_Littler

This is why hitting the x on offensive quack ads encourages more quack ads. More exposure, even though I feel more nauseous next time.

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Graham Downs Feb 10

@Fasgadh @Richard_Littler Unconscious exposure is still exposure, and as they say, there is no such thing as bad publicity (within reason).

Unless you're previously committed to not patronising a particular company for principled, political, philosophical, or religious reasons. But then, it depends on exactly how strongly you feel. And you could still be swayed, even then. The marketers just need to work harder to convince you, is all.

"I'll NEVER buy anything from Amazon!"

Well, fair enough, but by definition, that means that Amazon is always prominent in your mind. If they continue to do the things that made you detest them, you will continue to be adamant in your decision. But if they start doing things which make you think, "Hey, they might actually be turning around," they could still win you back. Or if all of your friends start telling you how awesome they are, maybe you start gaslighting yourself into thinking they can't actually be that bad. Or you really really want a product and the only place to get it is on Amazon....

And even if not, if you're truly so hell-bent on Amazon, you're going to tell all your friends how terrible and evil they are and how you're never going to buy from them. But that puts them top of your *friends'* minds, which makes them more likely to buy from Amazon, if they don't feel quite so strongly as you do.

It's all deeply rooted in psychology and human nature.

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Sanka Feb 10

@GrahamDowns @Fasgadh @Richard_Littler I agree with most of your points but the last part doesnt really make sense to me. The part after you said hell bent. Shouldnt it be the other way around?

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Graham Downs Feb 10

@Fasgadh @Richard_Littler @sanka_s it depends. When people get really passionate about a topic, it tends to be the only thing they talk about. And that can end up just being tiresome for people ("Oh, here comes the Amazon hater again!"). And then they might stop listening to the actual substance of what you're saying. Especially if they don't actually share your values, but would rather not tell you that because they don't want to encourage you.

In that case, all you end up doing is constantly reminding them that Amazon exists, potentially making them MORE likely to just buy from Amazon next time they need something. What's more, they might buy more from them than you ever would if you weren't boycotting them.

If they're totally with you, then of course it's another matter.

It's like the old joke, "How do you know someone's a vegan?"
"They tell you. [As frequently as possible]" 😆

I'm like that with Mastodon/the Fediverse. I think I've pissed off some of my friends so much that when they see me coming, they walk the other way; they just don't want to hear about Mastodon anymore....

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Sanka Feb 12

@GrahamDowns @Fasgadh @Richard_Littler

haha, okay I get it now. thanks for the explanation.

Yeah, I just discussed it yesterday with my friend how things can be rather "annoying" when someone is forcing something into you.

A bit different topic but the discussion was about religion, how its everyone's right to choose their own path, and forcing it into others is bad.

I think the best way is just to do it **really** patiently and nonchalantly. And to respect their own preferences.

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Sanka Feb 12

@GrahamDowns @Fasgadh @Richard_Littler but I still do believe the importance of *talking* about it the elephants in the room in a open discussion way.

Lets just hope that both they and us have ours ears open and listen to the reasonings.

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Graham Downs Feb 16

@sanka_s @Fasgadh @Richard_Littler Yip. Religion is a tricky one, because people do get super passionate about it, and some religions (notably Christianity) actually explicitly require their adherents to go out and tell the world.

But you know what? There's productive and unproductive telling, and ramming your beliefs down someone's throat, constantly telling them that they're wrong, judging and condemning people, is very unproductive indeed, and I believe many people have been completely turned off religion because of it.

I'm a Christian, but what I've learnt is that it's not my job to make you believe, and that showing is better than telling. So yes, I'll mention to you that I'm a Christian (I just did), and then I'll just... be here, living my life, trying to live out my convictions as best I can -- and getting it wrong sometimes, because I'm human -- and just... making myself available.

I think that's far more useful than responding to every interaction by reminding you that I'm a Christian and telling you what (my opinion of) Christianity says about everything that you do and say to me, all the frickin time, without ceasing, when you never asked.

At some point, you're not going to want to associate with me anymore. Or worse: at some point, you're going to be so turned off the idea of Christianity/religion in general that you're going to turn into a militant atheist.

You're right, this is exactly the same as someone telling you at every opportunity why Amazon is bad, or why they're a vegan, or why Star Wars is better than Star Trek, despite the fact that the person you're telling strongly believes otherwise.... :-)