In some cases, advertising (whether rational or emotional in content) effectiveness is influenced not by the technique applied in the ad itself, but by the emotional context in which the ad appears. Contextual factors can work either to the benefit or detriment of the brand being promoted in the advertisement. Some theories suggest that interruption of an exciting program or story results in a heightened level of attention to an advertiser's message. Others disagree, stating that the interruption of highly stimulating programs or stories causes viewer frustration, which interferes with the processing of the advertising message (Mundorf, Zillman and Drew, 1991). No conclusive results have been presented on either side of this argument, so the debate continues.
Some evidence does exist to support the idea that affective elements of program or editorial content influence viewers'/readers' affective interpretations of the advertising messages placed within the program or story. For example, Mundorf, Zillman and Drew (1991) found that viewers' abilities to attend to, process and store ads shown shortly after disturbing news sequences were adversely affected by the viewers' preoccupations with the bad news. The residual effects of negative news appeared to last for as much as 2.5 minutes after the end of the segment, with attention levels returning to normal thereafter.
Gardner (1985) explains a study which further supports contextual effects on advertising. She discusses research which shows that the mood induced by an emotional film may transfer over to interpretations of ads placed within the film itself. For example, feelings elicited by a family drama may lead to warm feelings towards a product advertised during the program.
Advertisers recognized the power of contextual media placement long ago and regularly use it as a tool for selecting ad placement. The extraordinary fragmentation of both broadcast and print media over the past several decades has made contextual placement considerations a standard part of an effective media placement strategy. Many magazines produce special "advertorial" sections on a regular basis, capitalizing on the power of contextual placement. Other advertisers have brought their products to the silver screen via in-film product placement, hoping to align their brand with a particular star, activity sequence or film genre.
Home | Significance
Of Emotion
Relationship Between Cognition And Emotion
Inner Workings Of Emotional Advertising
Contextual Impact On Advertising | Hall Of
Fame | Citations