Sex sells” is a phrase as old as the world of advertising, which turns out to be more of an empty formula than a reflection of reality. Despite what the cliché says and the large number of campaigns whose protagonists are sex and or violence. According to a recent study this strategy does not lead to greater sales. According to Harvard Business Review ( HBR). the research was carried out by Robert Lull and Brad Bushman, from Ohio State University. When analyzing the results of 53 previous studies to determine the effects of advertising. With sexual and violent content on consumers’ memory. Attitude and purchasing intentions. They discovered that in none of the three areas this type of communication is more effective for sell products. almost half of the most popular television programs. Movies and video games of the last 5 years were violent and a quarter of them It had sexual content.
What changes when it comes to advertising
The difference, according to the authors, is that reach and attention are not good ways to measure ad effectiveness. The purchasing Buy Bolivia Mobile Number Database decision, they explain, is only the last of 8 steps that are taken when a person consumes advertising. The first is to expose oneself to the advertisement, the second is to pay attention; the third, understan it. The fourth, evaluate it for or against. The fifth is to store it in long-term memory and the sixth to remember it later. Finally, the seventh is to decide between different brands and the end is to buy or not. Lull and Bushman’s study focused on the later stages. Concluding that when a brant advertises in a violent context. The content of its advertising is remembere less frequently. Evaluate less favorably, and the product is less likely to be purchase. The possible reason given by the researchers is that images of this type. Distract from the product they are trying to sell.
Because sex and violence are emotionally
They take up much of the attention span and leave very little for the brands being advertise. So maybe you notice the violence or the Belarus Phone Number List sex in the ad but you don’t remember the laundry detergent or whatever they wanted to sell you,” Bushman told HBR, adding that marketers and advertisers should rely less on intuition and sense. common and more by scientific evidence. Although scientists accept that these results must be corroborate by further studies. It is not too early for brands to analyze their communication style and look for options that are not only more socially responsible but also more effective. For years, various groups have called for advertising that moves away from the objectification of women and the glorification of violence. And the industry’s response has been to argue that “that’s what sells.
