Despite all of the doom and gloom during the recent recession, it seems laughter truly is the best medicine--especially when it comes to advertising. According to a recent Nielsen study, ads that make consumers laugh are more effective than other types of advertising.

 

Consumer response to advertising is closely tied to confidence and spending, so discovering what kind of advertising best appeals to customers is key. In their study, Nielsen set out to determine if the economic downturn had affected consumer response to various advertising tactics.

 

Nielsen studied 4,000 packaged-goods commercials from 2006 through 2011 and evaluated the effectiveness of various approaches, including humor, sentiment, narrative, and product, promotion, and value. The "effectiveness" of an ad was measured by likability, appeal, recall, and intent to purchase.

 

The study found that humorous advertising resonates most with consumers, regardless of the economy's state. Before the recession, humorous TV ads were 47 percent more appealing to consumers than the average ad. During and after the recession, humorous ads were still 33 percent more appealing to consumers than the average ad.

 

It seems regardless of the state of the economy, American consumers really love to laugh--and funny commercials allow consumers to connect with an ad on a personal level, which may, in turn, lead them to a purchasing decision.

 

Surprisingly, the study also found that ads that focused on pricing and special promotions didn't perform as well--even when consumers were spending less and scaling back during the recession.

 

Nielsen also released their most-liked ads of 2012, which showed that these trends are continuing as the economy starts ticking up again. Four out of the top ten ads featured funny-girl Ellen DeGeneres, whose hilarious ads for JCPenney created a continuing story line that propelled the struggling retail store back into the forefront of consumers' minds.

 

As you continue planning for your marketing strategy in 2013, take a look at the ways you are appealing to your customers. Try injecting a little humor into your advertising, and connect to consumers on a level that makes them laugh. Without a doubt, humor keeps your company top-of-mind with consumers.

 

 

Sincerely, 

 

Mona Graham
 
Monogram Communication Services

798 University Avenue

  

  

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