Does
advertising really work? If yes, when, why and how
does it work? Is it merely background noise or does
it control people's minds? The book under review
tries to answer these and many other questions.
It evaluates and summarizes an extensive body of
research on advertising effectiveness and also looks
at the carryover effects of advertising on consumer
choice, sales, and market share.
Living in advertising pervasive times, evaluating
the effectiveness of advertisers on the rich variety
of ad appeals and suggests which appeals work, explaining
when, how, and why they work.
A
comprehensive effort, as it reviews more than
50 years of research in the fields of advertising,
marketing, consumer behavior and psychology. It
covers all aspects of advertising and its effect
on sales, including sales elasticity, carryover
effects, content effects, and effects of frequency.
Gerard
J. Tellis successfully dismisses many popular
myths about advertising, such as:
Advertising
has a powerful influence on consumers and often
generates consumer need
Advertising is virtually important for free markets,
but its action is subtle an its discovery is fragile.
-
The effects of advertising persist for decades
- If
an ad fails initially, repetition will ensure
its ultimate success
-
Ads need only one to three exposures to succeed
-
Advertising by argument is the most effective
method
-
The best ads are unique and original
-
Advertising is very profitable
-
Humor in ads trivializes their appeal
Tellis
then provides alternatives and establishes the
following truths about advertising:
Advertising
is vitally important for free markets, but its
action is subtle and its discovery is fragile
- The
effects of advertising are short-lived
-
If ads are not initially effective repetition
will not make them more effective
-
Scientific principles can show which ads work,
though firms often ignore advertising research
and persist with ineffective ads.
-
Advertising by emotion, including humor, may
have the most effective appeal
Templates can yield very effective ads
-
Advertising is often unprofitable
There
are the effective Advertising will be an important
text for courses in advertising, marketing and
business communication. It will also be an invaluable
reference tool for professionals and researchers
working in these fields.
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