Current Topic: Advertising

Remember the last time you donated to a preferred charity or cause. Was it because an advert caught your attention and you felt compassion, shame or outrage? Or was it because you know someone affected by the issue presented in the ad? It’s also likely you were aware of the non-profit organization work; you felt you were making a difference by paying attention or donating. Research suggests we make donations according to our personal preference and values, to reflect our own identity. That’s why we choose to give to different causes (Chapman et al., 2022).

I invite you to play along and do a short thinking exercise. Try to identify these slogans and taglines. Can you also associate them with their brand? (Take a peak at the end of the article to check your answers): “Got milk?”; “Don’t leave home without it.”; “Where’s the beef?”; “Think different.”; “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”; “Reach out and touch someone.”; “A diamond is forever.”; “Finger-lickin’ good!”; “The uncola.”; “Let your fingers do the walking.”; “Think outside the bun.”;  “We bring good things to life”; “Think small.”

Is banner advertising dead and buried? It certainly doesn’t look like it: banners are still highly prevalent across the web. Nonetheless, today’s click-through rates of these traditional banner ads are identical to zero, if you were to round at a single decimal (yes, CTR rates hover around 0,05%).

On a recent visit to New York City to explore the Trolls x CAMP experience with two toddlers, it was clear that nearly every adult armed with a smartphone would be sharing social media content to capture and share their memorable experience.

The use of scarcity marketing, employing phrases like "Before it's too late!" or "Limited Edition!" to trigger the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), has become a widespread practice in marketing. You’ve probably spent a pretty penny on websites with a countdown clock or rushed to your nearby Starbucks for a limited-time flavor. Pumpkin-spice latte, anyone?