May

19

Banner Psychology

May 19, 2007 |

We are a feeble bunch. Just show us enough banner ads and we will have positive feelings towards your product.

At least, that is what a recent article in the Journal of Consumer Research seems to point out. The article is behind a paywall, but Ars Technica has a good summary:

So, the psychologists have a better grip on their theories, and advertisers have a few things to consider. The first is that banner ads may provide a valuable function in fostering familiarity even if those that view them never click through to the source of the ads. The downside for advertisers is that any evaluation of the positive
impressions that this familiarity creates, even one based on false premises, is enough to make those positive feelings vanish. This suggests that familiarity-based advertising may work best for impulse buys, where more detailed evaluations aren’t likely to occur. More importantly, this gives us a glimpse into the way our unconscious works with visual stimuli.

Then, of course, there is another group of surfers done with the idea that they are being manipulated: those who use AdBlock and haven’t seen an ad in years. On the other hand, hopefully articles like this will drive marketers back to the banner ads and away from PayPerPost and its consorts.

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