Learning and Memory

Learning

“Every time an advertisement or commercial appears, the objective is to have the reader or viewer learn something …. and remember what he learned “ (Britt 1955)

There are two types of conditioning learning – classical and operant.

A well known example of classical learning is that of Pavlov and his dogs. By giving his dog food each time he rang a bell he made the dogs accaosite food with the bell. This type of learning can be seen in many different situations. We all relate materilists things to types of people. For example i relate burberry to a chav, BMW to a wealthy man, People Carrier - mum and family.

Repetition!

Operant learning consists of a reward and punishment system, much like your bedtime when you was a little kid. You can see similar systems everywhere, Nandos for example provide loyality cards…. Eat there 10 times and you get a whole chicken free!! Same thing at many supermarkets… nectar points!

Memory plays a huge part in all learning, if companies can leave consumers with a good memory of their experience, the likely hood is that they will be back! If you learn that the experince wasn’t nice and you store that information to make sure you don’t make the same mistake again. Same with customer service, you impresson and perception on that brand could be ruined by an unpleasant staff member.

YOU WANT TO CREATE BRAND LOYALTY!

Memory.

“learning is the acquisition of knowledge & memory is the storage of internal representations of that knowledge” (Blakemore, 1988)

Memory consists of taking in information and storing it for when its needed last. There are three main types of memory:

Sensory Memory

This memory system involves taking information from our main senses – and can only last a few seconds. An example would be the smell of a BBQ, or look of a certain person. Whether the individual acts on these senses determines whether the information is then stored as Short- term memory.

Short-term memory

Just like sensory memory, this type also is limited to how much, and how long it can store information. This system consists of ‘chunking’ small bits of information together for easier storing. For example, when learning mobile numbers we chunk out different sections for easier learning.

Long-term Memory

This consists of information being stored over a large period of time. This happens when the individual thinks deeply into the stimuli information pick up by our senses. It often helps if the new information can relate to that of already stored in our long term-memory.

Marketing towards Memory.

Marketers try to make sure their adverts are stored as long term memory by creating catchy slogans and jingles so we repeat them over and over in our heads.

Also, marketers use a technique named post-experience advertising. Meaning they distort the consumers view on their product or brand by advertising to them after they have experience it. As the consumer has already taken in information about the brand (because they have already brought and experienced it) the post experience advertising is more easily stored as long term memory and the consumer is more likely to trust and purchase into the brand.

Nostalgia

When a stimulus is capable of recreating a personal event, even after many years, there often follows a bitter-sweet sentiment known as nostalgia” (Dubois, 2000)

Marketers can use imagery, music, smells etc to relate their advertisement, their brand, to a fond memory. Especially effective with older men, possible mid life crisis victims…..

‘BACK IN THE DAY!!!’