In this episode of The Brainy Business podcast, Melina Palmer sits down with Dr. Jake Teeny, an assistant professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management. Together, they delve into the world of advertising, specifically focusing on what makes an ad ineffective. They discuss the common pitfalls brands encounter, from failures of attention to unclear messaging and memory issues. Jake shares insights from his extensive research on social influence and persuasion, helping listeners understand how to create more impactful advertisements while avoiding the mistakes that lead to cringe-worthy campaigns.

Melina and Jake explore the importance of having a clear objective for advertisements, the dangers of overloading messages, and the need for emotional resonance in ads to enhance memorability. They also touch on the consequences of failing to distinguish your brand in a crowded market, and how tunnel vision can lead to offensive or tone-deaf marketing efforts. The episode wraps up with Jake’s actionable framework for evaluating ads, ensuring you’re on the right track to creating memorable and effective marketing communications.

In this episode:

Discover the two main types of ineffective ads and how they can waste resources.
Learn the importance of having a clear objective and specific goals for your advertising campaigns.
Understand the impact of emotional high points on memory retention and brand recall.
Explore the concept of “tunnel vision” and how it can lead to misjudged advertising strategies.
Gain insights into the ad plan framework to evaluate and improve your advertising efforts.

Get important links, top recommended books and episodes, and a full transcript at thebrainybusiness.com/509.

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509. The Anatomy of Bad Ads

The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics