Advertising must build mental availability. To start doing that, it must be noticed.

Getting noticed is not easy. Think about lipstick. Many lipstick brands are also shouting loudly to be heard. To win the war for mental availability, advertising must have an impact.

Of course, empty impact is no impact at all. So, we must aim for “branded impact.” That is an impact people can clearly link to the brand.

To establish branded impact, we need to harness the power of distinctiveness, memory structures and emotion.

 

Distinctiveness

“When the world zigs, zag.” According to ad creative guru John Hegarty, to cut through the noise, we must make distinctive work that stands out, otherwise, we risk buying the world’s most expensive wallpaper.

Marketers need to be brave but test safely in pre-market research.

Refresh and rebuild memory structures

Building memory structures via distinctive brand assets provides the clarity, consistency and cut-through we need to grow the user base, writes Byron Sharp in How To Grow Your Brand.

Consistency is vital. Once memory structures are established, marketers need to refresh them to keep them relevant and exciting.

Emotion

Neuroscience confirms that emotion is the primary way we make decisions before engaging our rational brain to rationalize a decision after we have made it.

Brands often deliver emotional states well beyond any functional purpose they provide.  You don’t buy a fragrance; you buy confidence.

Using emotion in this way drives mental availability and will cut through the noise.

Building mental availability through media

If, as some have argued, a brand’s sales are like the height at which an aeroplane flies, ad spend is its engine.

While the engines are running, everything is fine. But when the engines stop, the descent begins.

Just as advertising works better when there is lots of physical availability, the reverse is also true.  Advertising works less well when it is turned on and off.

The good news is that advertising can affect memory structures even if given little attention.  Consumers may notice a brand on the shelf and feel slightly more optimistic about it, simply because they have seen its advertising  -without realising this has happened.

To build mental availability through media – and keep the engines running – we need to do three things:

1) Shout louder

2) Shout wider

3) Shout longer

Shout wider: reach

The law of mental availability tells us we must try to reach as many people in the category as possible.

If coverage is king, broadcast media must dominate, and TV will be the most effective choice. (At least for now.)

Shout louder: share of voice

Empirical studies suggest a correlation between the share of voice and the share of the market. If brands wish to grow, they must invest to increase their share of voice, which in turn will increase their share of market.

Shout longer: continuity

Consumers buy products 24/7/365.

Brands cannot afford ever to be silent, if we wish to stay top of mind with our buyer. It is vital to reach all buyers of the category continuously.

This is especially important with impulse purchases such as nail polish.

Many brands are shifting from a burst to a drip media strategy across key consumption periods.

A consistent ad presence during a key consumption period is more important than an intense burst of activity over a shorter period.

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About the author

My name is Andy Pemberton. I am an expert in data visualization. I guide global clients such as Lombard Odier, the European Commission and Cisco on the best way to use data visualization and then produce it for them: reports, infographics and motion graphics. If you need your data visualized contact me at andy@furthr.co.uk or call 07963 020 103

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