Psychology and Advertising

Psychology and Advertising Video

A major focus in advertising as it relates to psychology is persuasion. Advertisers use visual aspects of the ad to persuade consumers to purchasing their product. The more someone wants a product or service the more involved they are with the possibility of buying it. For example, if you want to buy a new car of your choice and you see that car advertised, you are more likely to pay attention to that advertisement/commercial. By comparing prices and facts about the car you either become more or less involved with the car.

Some advertisements play to the consumer's emotions, feelings, and attractions instead of facts. Colors attract consumers more than black and white images because it makes the product or service more realistic. Each color has a different effect on our senses, feelings, and view points.

Advertisements also either affect consumers either positively (joy, hope, pleasure) or negatively (anger, fear, shame). How consumers view a commercial or advertisement persuades them to either buy or avoid the purchase of the product or service. Positive charged, emotional images and slogans that includes factual information encourages the consumer to feel connected and informed about the product or service.

Psychology and Advertising. YouTube.com, 2009. Film. 18 Jun 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC7VLjIw8hY>.

What do you think attracts you the most to a product or service? Do you think advertisers abuse their knowledge of persuasion to compel consumers to buy their product/service? Have you ever bought a item because of the involvement you had with it (ie: you bought an iPad because you wanted it and then saw a commercial for it)?

In-game Advertising

In-game advertising have recently become a more popular and profitable form of advertising. In fact, they have become so popular, that Microsoft Xbox created an advertising unit called NUads which went live in Fall 2012. It allows customers to respond to advertisers, by a simple wave of the hand or spoken word. As of January 7, 2013, 37% of viewers engaged with NUads when prompted with the option to vote. Of the 37%, 71% actually voted (Microsoft). In-game ads engage consumers far more than traditional tv commercials. The demand to advertise through gaming has increased drastically. The in-game ad market could grow to $1 billion globally by 2014. (ESA)

Like Xbox’s NUads, many other businesses are using in-game ads to market to their customers. Because in-game ads are very creative and interactive, there’s a certain market that companies have a particular interest engaging: children. Children have much purchase power, especially in the food industry. Children influence more than $100 billion in food and beverages each year, and over half of all cold cereal purchases (Ritchel).  In effect, many food companies, like General Mills, Kellogs, and Post, have purposely targeted children through in-game advertising.

For instance, kids can play games through an ad that can create characters, comic strips, etc. Also, while playing these games, the children have the capability to send results via email, text, etc (Ritchel). This is a great marketing strategy because advertisers can evaluate kid’s tastes and visual preferences. It also allows kids to become marketers themselves, by spreading the word to their peers. Also, in-game ads allow children to interact and customize preferences without their parent’s opinion, which is a great tool to clearly understand the child’s perspective on consumer products.

However, these enticing in-game advertisements may come with unhealthy consequences. For instance, Lesly is a 10 year old 4^th grader, who plays Baby Bottle Pops (make as hyperlink) and other candy and cereal games online (Ritchel). She sees multiple in-game ad banners of Baby Bottle Pops. But, like most kids her age, she doesn’t understand what advertisements are in general. She can’t tell the difference between an online game vs. an in-game ad, because both are amusing to her. As a result, she unknowingly participates with in-game ads frequently.

Lesly plays on the Baby Bottle Pops wesbite so much that she begs her mother for the product constantly. She enjoys the candy and its’ website.  She’ll even get her siblings to pressure her mother into buying it. In turn, her mom breaks down and buys the product apprehensively. Her mother believes Lesly has multiple cavities because of this sugary treat.

All in all, in-game advertising is great tool for companies to evaluate children’s preferences. Children take pleasure in the interactivity and customization that many in-game ads allow. However, these in-game ads can become destructive, since the ads are capable of marketing products directly to kids and bypass the parent.

Sources: 

ESA."Games: Improving What Matters." In-Game Advertising. Entertainment Software Association. Web. 17 Jun 2013.

Microsoft Xbox. "The Results Are In: Xbox NUads Makes Traditional TV Advertising More Engaging."Microsoft News Center. N.p., 07 01 2013. Web. 13 Jun 2013.

Richtel, Matt. New York Times. Web. 13 Jun 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/business/21marketing.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=mattrichtel>. 

Now, put on your thinking cap and pretend that your child is begging you for a sugary snack that they found through an in-game ad.  Do you think in-game ads are ethical for children, especially those under 10 who may not understand what ads are? Do you think companies should consider advertising health conscience products for in-game ads targeted to children? Please explain why or why not.

Internet Advertising using Facebook photos

Can Facebook use your personal photos to advertise without your permission? The answer is something you might want to be aware of.

I know like a lot of other people, I am guilty of just agreeing to the terms and conditions without really reading them. By just agreeing to the terms and conditions to Facebook you might just see yourself in an advertisement. One message that you might have seen on Facebook is " Facebook has agreed to let third party advertisers use your posted pictures without your permission." It continues with a prescription of how you can protect your photos.  Facebook admits in its terms of service that all Intellectual Property content, like photos and videos, belong to you, the user. But the fine print essentially allows Facebook to do what it pleases with such content, with some limitations. In the terms it also says " You can use your privacy settings to limit how your name and profile picture may be associated with commercial or sponsored content. You give us permission to use your name and profile picture in connection with that content, subject to the limits you place." That may be a vague statement but the point is that Facebook can use your pictures for online advertising.(Lyons) One thing to take away is make sure you actually read the terms of service, vague as they may be, before signing up for a social networking service. In the meantime, you can change your privacy settings. 

Do you read the terms and conditions when using social media sites? Do you think that Facebook should be able to use your personal photos to advertise without your permission? Please explain your thoughts.

Resources:

Lyons, Catherine. "Facebook can use your pictures for ads, no permission required." Los Angeles Times [Los Angeles] 07 24 2009, n. pag. Print.

Internet Advertising Using Double Click

How is the internet targeting you and using your online activities to sell you products? One way is with the use of Google's Double Click Program.

(Delamarti, 2011)

To understand how you are being targeted you first have to understand what Double Click is and what does it do?

Double Click is a business owned by Google that makes money from online advertisers and publishers. The way it works is when a user opens a web site to which Double Click supplies advertising, the users computer sends a message to the web site’s server requesting that it send it the desired web page and it also deposits a cookie on the user’s computer that links the user’s computer to the Double Click server, which sends the advertising that belongs on that web page. The Double Click server contains a profile of the user which contains data about the user complied via cookies and other tracking technologies. The server uses the profile to target advertising to fit the preferences of the particular user. With the data they collect they use it to build a profile of your behaviors and send ads that are relevant to your online activities. This behavioral targeting comes in two categories. (Geary, 2012)

Targeting for one website owner:  An online publisher can set a Double Click cookie to tell them what sections of their sites you are browsing. Double Click will then judge the type of adverts you might like to see from what you're browsing. For example, if you are on a news website and you visit the sports pages, then advertisements for match tickets may be more relevant than makeup. This information belongs to the website owner only.

Targeting in advertising networks:  Google runs a service called AdSense, in which lots of different publishers pool the information they get on browsers. This helps them build up a better idea of the type of advertisements someone might want to see. This is a third-party advertising cookie.

Do you believe the internet has crossed the line concerning your privacy? Have you ever bought a product that you believe was a targeted ad to you? Please explain your thoughts.


Sources:

Delamarti, B. (2011, December 8). Excel Enthusiasts.

Geary, J. (2012, April 23). DoubleClick (Google): What is it and what does it do?

Internet Advertising and Cookies

How Online Cookies Are Used for Internet Advertising

And no, this blog isn't about chocolate chip and Oreo cookies :-) We'd like to focus on internet cookies. First, let's discuss what cookies are and their purpose. A cookie is the term given to describe a type of message that is given to a Web browser by a Web server. The main purpose of a cookie is to identify users and possibly prepare customized Web pages or to save site login information for you (Beal, 2008).

Varieties of internet cookies exist, but there are two main kinds of cookies. A session cookie is one that is erased when you close a Web browser. It is stored in temporary memory and is not retained after the browser is closed (Beal, 2008). A persistent cookie is the opposite. It is a cookie that is stored on your hard drive until it expires or until the user deletes the cookie (Beal, 2008). In essence, internet cookies are sophisticated enough to understand what type of information you're searching for, then display advertisements based on a previous search.

I was recently in the market to buy a new tablet. I did research on the iPad and Samsung tablets to compare price, quality, and ease of use. I went on websites like Target.com, Walmart.com and Bestbuy.com to find a tablet that would best suit my daily business and personal needs. After visiting these websites, I later visited Ebay.com. Before I even logged into my account, there were advertisements on Ebay showing tablets and electronics of all sorts!

Was Ebay following me? In short, they weren't but my online persistent cookies were. They had responded to my search patterns by displaying advertisements on future websites. This is not only a great business strategy, but it also helps businesses target the right audience.

What are your thoughts about the use of internet cookies to create online advertisements? Do you think they are smart and helpful or harmful and invasive as a consumer? Please explain.


Source:

Beal, V.. N.p.. Web. 5 Jun 2013 <http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2007/all_about_cookies.asp>.

Internet Advertising with Doritos

 DON'T TOUCH MY DORITOS! Whether in a bag or on a crunchy taco shell, you had better keep your hands off my delicious Doritos.

This year Frito-Lay decided to promote Doritos in a new avenue this year during Super Bowl XLVII. In past years they predominately advertised through just television commercials; however, by promoting their Doritos: Crash the Super Bowl contest on Facebook, the Frito-Lay brand was able to receive greater feedback and popularity for their product.

With roughly 2,800 videos submitted, the contestants' videos were chosen by the number of likes received on Facebook and by Frito-Lay personnel. The winners not only have their own commercial featured during the Super Bowl, but also win a substantial cash reward and the chance to work with director/producer Michael Bay (director of the Transformers).

"Doritos’ decision to move its seventh annual 'Crash the Super Bowl' campaign to Facebook proved to be a winner. The Frito-Lay brand—which had anchored the effort on a microsite in years past—drew nearly 100 million views for the five finalist videos in the user-generated contest, breaking its record (L., Dan)."

This contest allowed Frito-Lay to connect directly with their desired audience and persons outside of their target market. By giving contestants incentives to submitting their videos, it allowed them to feel connected to the company and product.

What advertisements are most memorable to you from this past Super Bowl? If you didn't watch it, what's the most recent commercial advertisement that was most memorable to you? Why did these advertisements attract your attention? Did you view these advertisements on any social media sites (Youtube, Facebook, etc) after the Superbowl? Did you think the Dorito: Crash the Super Bowl advertisement was a success? Why?

Sources:

 

L., Dan. "Doritos says their Crash the Super Bowl facebook app was actually a huge success." Video Contest News. N.p., 04 Mar 2013. Web. 3 Jun 2013. <http://videocontestnews.com/tag/doritos/>.