Point of view: Brand-washed

This article discusses the hype around the behavioural economics, arguing that the idea that advertising can work a 'hidden magic' on consumers is difficult to substantiate.

Point of view: Brand-washed

Byron SharpEhrenberg-Bass Institute

Currently, there is great interest in subconscious decision-making, as there should be, because buying rarely involves much conscious deliberation. Unfortunately, along with this interest in 'fast buying' and 'low attention' has come the silly notion of strong psychological effects.

A year ago, we all learnt that the research on subliminal advertising was faked, and that such effects are trivial at best; yet today I hear people making claims that sound an awful lot like the old myth of strong subliminal effects.

Unfortunately, many marketers find themselves in the frustrating position where advertising...

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