Memory factors to improve advertising effectiveness: A question of explicit or implicit memory?

Abstract

Among the different contributions that psychological research canprovide to the field of publicity, one of the most remarkable is thestudy of the factors that can improve the recall of the publicitymessages. Considering publicity as a differed sale, the elements relatedwith acquisition and retrieval of information must be taken intoaccount. The aim of the present study is to investigate the factors thatcan favour the acquisition of information in television advertising. Asample of 23 advertisements was tested 3 times in 3 consecutive years by773 students of Psychology who didn't know the objective of theexperiment. All the advertisements of the sample had been actuallybroadcasted on the spanish television before 1990. The subjects watcheda television programme about publicity, which was followed by the sampleof the 23 advertisements, and then were asked to list the advertisementsthey remembered. The results show a clear serial position effect, andthe importance of both duration of ad and repetition of product orbrand. Other factors less studied as colours, context or music seem tohave a mighty influence on memory.