So much has changed. What we care about, what we worry about, the patterns of our lives. Among members of the Advertising and Insights communities, a big question on many minds is the ways that all these changes have affected how advertising works.
Based on Communicus’ research, the surprising answer is that there’s more that hasn’t changed than has. First off, people are still paying attention to some ads, and not to others. Across product categories and platform types, overall norms for advertising awareness are unchanged since the pandemic hit.
Likewise, many advertisers are still struggling to successfully make the connection between the ad experience and the brand in the long-term memory. We know how important it is to have the ad experience linked to the brand in a way that enables the message to enter that brand’s System 1 space in the brain – otherwise the ad experience has a very low likelihood of actually affecting brand attitudes or behaviors.
Branding hasn’t gotten any better during the pandemic, although for the most part it hasn’t gotten any worse either. Some brands that have developed new ads during the pandemic have been leaning too heavily into tactics that focus on conveying understanding and empathy (‘we know how you feel at this moment…’), and not enough on involving the brand within the heart of the message.
But this really isn’t new. Pre-pandemic, equal numbers of advertisers leaned too heavily into an emotion or story-driven tactic – and failed to include the brand in a prominent role. As such, overall brand linkage levels across product categories are basically unchanged since the pandemic hit.
Okay, but given how much – beyond advertising – is on people’s minds, how well is advertising doing in this current moment in persuading – motivating changes in brand attitudes and behaviors? The answer: about the same as before. Some ads and campaigns connect, resonate and persuade, and some don’t.
For advertisers who get it right, and effectively tap into System 1 dynamics, there is no shortage of consumers who can be persuaded. Even in categories that are hurting overall, there are opportunities to build brand connections in ways that can increase both short term share of market and longer term brand affinity.
This is not to say that the same messages will resonate in today’s world, and there’s certainly the risk of airing ads that come across as tone deaf. So, yes, what you say and how you say it may in some ways be different than before, but the advertising basics and the broader dynamics of advertising effectiveness are unchanged.
Advertising isn’t any less likely to work in support of brand objectives than pre-pandemic, but neither is it more likely to persuade today’s stressed and anxious consumers. It’s still a matter of getting it right – which for the most part involves the same ‘formula’ as has always made for successful advertising.
