April 16, 2013

Advertising Series #4: The Image - Humanize - What Age? What Race? Picasso and Perceived Value

Many research shows that people prefers to look at younger people to older people. Moreover, a funny fact is people like looking at older people who have the same sex and younger people who have the opposite sex. Probably, it is due to envy and attraction.

Another fact is advertising focusing on children prefer baby boys than baby girls. I feel it is kind of sexist and this is a result of research from McCollum Spielman, a worldwide research market-and-communication company. I just found a video interesting about the co-founder of this company and he is talking about SuddenlySolo. It's interesting.

http://suddenlysolo.org/about/

Research shows that most aged people will perceive your ad easier if your ad can make them feel younger! Your dad will prefer looking the ad showing the time he was in the college and hung out with his ex, rather than your mom. Your grandpa will better like seeing him exercising than staying at home.

Many researchs have shown that customer behaviors is a sum of original characteristics, customs, and language. When you direct your ads and to different cultural values and nail them correctly and authentically, your ads will help increase revenue and profit.

Another fact of reading the book gives me is the playing role of race in advertising. The African American prefers to look at their own race in the advertising and it is the same thing happen to Asian, Hispanic, and Caucasian. I think it is not right, may be it is changing now because of the multicultural factors, some Asian people like to look at Caucasian people because they think they are more attractive, it is just my personal opinion. What do you guys think?

Final point is the book showing that your ad can be so successful in one country, but it doesn't mean it will make the same result in another country. I think it is so true because the context of ad has been changed. Different countries mean different culture, different values, and different lifestyles.