Memory-Based Measures for Assessing Advertising Effects: A Comparison of Explicit and Implicit Memory Effects

Abstract

Prior marketing studies investigating memory for advertisements have relied almost exclusively on examining effects contingent on explicit memory retrieval. This process involves a deliberate effort on the part of the consumer to think back to an advertisement in an attempt to recall the ad information. Studies in this area have shown that a lengthy delay between ad exposure and test, as well as divided attention during the ad exposure episode, hinder or even eliminate successful explicit memory retrieval. The premise of this paper is that an alternative retrieval process, implicit memory, may function differently. This form ofmemory retrieval is automatic in nature and does not rely on consumers deliberately searching their memory for a previously viewed advertisement. Comparisons with explicit memory retrieval suggest that implicit memory is preserved even in conditions of delay and divided attention, whereas explicit memory is affected detrimentally by those conditions. The two different forms of retrieval processes are validated with the use of a process dissociation procedure. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

The Effectiveness of "in-Game" Advertising: Comparing College Students' Explicit and Implicit Memory for Brand Names

“…The disassociation between implicit and explicit memory has been suggested by numerous scholars (Graf andSchacter 1985, 1987;Jacoby and Dallas 1981;RichardsonKlavehn and Bjork 1988;Roediger 1990;Schacter 1987;Tulving, Schacter, and Stark 1982). Indeed, in a recent study on implicit and explicit memory for brands placed in movies, there was no relationship between implicit and explicit memory (Yang 2004; see also Auty and Lewis 2004;Shapiro and Krishnan 2001).…”

“…Indeed, unlike the generally passive audiences of most television shows or movies, video game players are more active, and their attention is divided between what they are watching and the game controls (see, e.g., Grodal 2000), which may interfere with memory for the in-game brand placements (Liu andShrum 2002, 2005). For example, Shapiro and Krishnan (2001) found that when people's attention was divided between visually presented advertisements and listening to a broadcast, their memory for the advertisements was diminished. Nevertheless, it is not yet clear how the interactivity of video games might influence the effect of brand placements on memory.…”

“…Indeed, the limitations of explicit memory measures in evaluating advertising effects has led researchers to consider implicit memory as a supplementary way of measuring advertising effects (Shapiro and Krishnan 2001). First of all, explicit memory measures can only reveal advertising effects that are accessible to conscious retrieval (Krishnan and Chakravarti 1999).…”

The Impacts of Moral Character in Celebrity Endorsement

“…In addition to the effects of endorser characteristics, extant endorsement research has also verified the perceiver effects of selfconstruals [35][36][37][38], self-regulatory [39], self-concept [40], implicit selftheory [41], self-empowerment [42], and explicit and implicit memory [43].…”

Level of Creativity and Attitudes Toward an Advertisement

“…Since individuals' attitudes toward those elements could influence their future behaviors regarding a brand and=or product, researchers and ad agency professionals have attempted to acquire satisfactory answers regarding related questions (Shapiro, MacInnis, & Heckler, 1997). Regarding the likeability of an ad and the advertised brand and product, many different factors have been investigated as essential, including types of media (Yang & Smith, 2009), uniqueness of the vehicle (Zhu & Meyers-Levy, 2005), length of commercials (Spence & Driver, 1998), advertising appeal (Shapiro & Krishnan, 2001), product characteristics (El-Murad & West, 2004), and brand awareness (Vanden Bergh & Stuhlfaut, 2006). In addition, the creativeness of an ad (Sasser & Koslow, 2008) and the roles of audience members as advertising professionals or regular consumers (Chong, 2006) were discussed as important factors in predicting individuals' attitudes toward an ad, a brand, and the product appearing in the ad.…”