Controversial recall
The BB blog had an earlier post about 'controversial' ads that had been banned by the government. BS conducted a short survey to see the effect of these controversial ads on brand recall and on top line sales. They found that nine out of ten people responded, “Oh, the brand with that woman washing a man’s undies?”
That meant that all the controversies surrounding the ads and commercials did help recall. But in the long run did such controversies help? BS wanted to know.
What did the experts say? Most of them felt that in the long run if Ads turn out to be offensive they harm the brand.
What do I think?
Its not as simple as that. The reality is that public memory is absolutely short. One controversy is replaced with another. What's important to note is that most people exposed to ads or commercials forget what they have seen unless the message they have been exposed to is reinforced through repeated exposures.
No repeated exposure. No memory. So a brand that has faltered with an offensive communique would have to pull that communique off air and replace it with a more sensible one, reinforce the new message and watch the brand grow. Can the opposite happen? Sure, that's if the offensive communique lingers long enough for consumers to be put off by it.
That meant that all the controversies surrounding the ads and commercials did help recall. But in the long run did such controversies help? BS wanted to know.
What did the experts say? Most of them felt that in the long run if Ads turn out to be offensive they harm the brand.
What do I think?
Its not as simple as that. The reality is that public memory is absolutely short. One controversy is replaced with another. What's important to note is that most people exposed to ads or commercials forget what they have seen unless the message they have been exposed to is reinforced through repeated exposures.
No repeated exposure. No memory. So a brand that has faltered with an offensive communique would have to pull that communique off air and replace it with a more sensible one, reinforce the new message and watch the brand grow. Can the opposite happen? Sure, that's if the offensive communique lingers long enough for consumers to be put off by it.
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