Stimulus-Response

It is useful to go into an understanding of some of the finer points of maximizing responses to produce business when you want it (stimulus-repsonse).

1) Position- There is an ugly phrase that is based upon some measure of a truthful principle It is ”last liar has the best shot”. Humans remember the last thing that they heard on a subject. I once got a job through an employment agency partly because the agent thought I had the best chance of getting it if he placed me in the last position for the interview. It worked. The human mind is somewhat like a computer. It processes information and retains it. It recalls it with more ease if it was the last of the stimulus received. That’s why people cram for tests; the recent ingesting of information is easily recalled.

2) Frequency- Reinforcement of the message causes ease of recall. (unlike computers, which recall all with the same level, emotion is a non-factor with electronic memory.) This is always the reason all media companies advise you to run ads frequently. Even if they have an agenda, the theory is based on somewhat valid statistical evidence.

3) Positive Emotional Reliability- The other two are valid, but, the more the message touches the heart, the easier it is to remember. So, combine both and get the best of both avenues. It is always the memories that stir up emotions that are more easily and vividly recalled.

4) Variety of Approaches- If you see the same ad over and over, unless it really touches you in a positive way, and even then sometimes, it loses it’s effect because the instant you see or hear it, you shut off the conscious absorption of it because you are already familiar with it and you shut down receiving it any more. This is why Madison Ave. tries to use ”funny” all the time. This is done to get people to pay attention to the whole message They would be better off using a positive emotional benefit to get them to listen with impact. So, change the ad, rotate ads that deliver a logical message, an emotional response and an unusual message. Companies run ads frequently because they work. However, they would work better if they varied the angle of appeal, thus would not become stale too quickly.

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