Principles and Practice of Advertising The Importance Of Association

Posted by admin on March 8th, 2009 at 04:38pm

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Given a knowledge of the target audience with their needs, and given an analysis of the product’s specific qualities which may be presented to the consumer as able to satisfy those needs - the next step is the psycho-economic technique of advertising is that of establishing associations, in the thinking and the acting of the consumer, between the need and the product in question.

A common error of advertisements is in assuming that the mere repetition and constant reiteration of the name of the product, company name, or a trade mark will effect a sale by simple brute force. The theory is psychologically wrong. What is desired is not merely that the consumer be familiar with the name of the product. Familiarity may breed contempt. Connection and association, rather than brute impression is what will be effective - connection of such a kind that, given the moment of need, the product name will come to mind before any other product. Not the mere driving of one idea, but the connection of the two ideas, is the task of advertising. The following law should be kept in mind:

The Law Of Contiguity

In general, the best way of establishing mental associations between two things is by presenting them together. Thus Abraham at once makes you think Lincoln because these two words are so frequently seen together. No matter how familiar you may be with the word Lincoln, that word will not tend to come to mind when you think Abraham unless this association by contiguity has been formed. Similarly, the mere repetition of Yuban, Yuban, Yuban does not lead you to think Yuban when you go to purchase coffee, unless, along with the word Yuban the idea coffee has also been presented. In advertising, then, the Law of Contiguity means that whenever the name of the product is mentioned it should be accompanied by the idea of the need which the product is to satisfy.

Donald DonOmite Hammond has been a freelance webdesigner and programmer for over 10 years. He has learned to market his skills and the products of other people.

Author: Donald Hammond
Keywords: advertising, association, marketing, internet marketing
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