A few weeks ago, I stumbled across a bee on Instagram. Not just any bee — @Bee_nfluencer —a quirky, non-human virtual influencer buzzing about environmental change. I laughed, I clicked, I followed. I didn’t expect to feel anything, but oddly enough, I did.
That moment made me pause. Why did I connect with a cartoon bee?
It turns out, there’s a psychological reason for this — and a powerful one at that.
There’s a heated debate among advertisers about the role of attention in ad effectiveness. More specifically, the interplay between duration and frequency causes quite the controversy.
On the one hand, there’s the faith of ‘Total Time Hypothesis’. Its proponents argue that advertising effectiveness grows linearly with the amount of time devoted to that ad. So the more precious seconds of viewer attention, the better. This resembles the classical view of ad effectiveness, and it favors duration over frequency.
You’re sitting in a movie theater, popcorn in hand, as the lights dim. The first trailer plays, and you lean over to your friend, whispering, “That looks terrible.” The next one flashes across the screen, and you nod, “I’d watch that.” But does what you say out loud match what your brain is thinking?
A recent study suggests your brain may be a better predictor of movie success than you are. The study by Boksem et al. (2024) explored whether Electroencephalography (EEG), a tool that measures brain wave activity, can be a predictor of market-level success, particularly in advertising. Researchers used EEG to measure brain activity while people watched trailers, finding that gamma waves—linked to comprehension and cognitive engagement—were the strongest predictor of box office performance. This means the movies that activate certain brain signals, regardless of what viewers claim to like, are the ones more likely to succeed.
Imagine walking into a supermarket or department store. From the get-go, you’re greeted by an assortment of products made from different ingredients or materials. How do you go about choosing products that best meet your needs? What about choosing items that align with your values and expectations?
The answer lies in contextual framing. Research suggests that the way how products are presented plays a significant role in shaping consumer decisions. In essence, it’s not just about what the product offers—the product’s narrative and whether it resonates with consumers is just as important.
Did you happen to stroll through the busy streets of Italy in 2011? If you had, you’d have stumbled upon a unique pedestrian crosswalk—where all its stripes were grey, except one. A brilliantly white stripe standing out, with Mr. Clean logo on it. The unexpected contrast stopped people on their tracks and instantly communicated the brand’s promise of superior cleaning. This guerrilla marketing stunt by Procter & Gamble is a type of surprise marketing that successfully captures consumer attention through unexpected moments.
