There’s a force that has tapped into our everyday routines and emotions and associations. It knows how and why and when we make the decisions we do, often better than we do. It’s brilliant; it’s powerful; it’s advertising, and it’s steering our most valuable asset – our attention. But is it steering us in the right direction?
A few months ago, I started thinking about the impact of advertising, and communications more broadly, on our thoughts when a company I was working with needed to announce its big offering and its rebrand on the same day. In my opinion, my inbox is personal space that I guard closely from trespassers, and more than one unsolicited email in a day is grounds for unsubscribing. My colleague argued that the data on mass practice says otherwise. Simply put, campaigns are more effective when they target audiences consistently. I was concerned: even though our message was purposeful, was it justified to push the boundaries of personal space? Later that week, the Daily Show exposed once respected news networks for intentionally producing deplorably speculative, sensationalist coverage because it’s good for ratings. The kicker was a study released that week advising beauty companies to advertise their products at the times of the week its research found women to be most insecure and vulnerable.
Attention is our highest form of currency. Google has even found a way to directly monetize it, patenting its Google Glass ‘pay per gaze’ advertising where advertisers pay for ads based on user engagement and responses, tracked by subtle eye movement. Typical ads and communications target the ancient parts of our brains that are highly reactive to messages that encourage a sense of fear and of not having or being enough, creating a ‘need’ for products and services. Their messages are ubiquitous, taking much more of our attention than we even realize for messages that incite negative emotions and put profit over well-being.
Where we focus our attention impacts our world. We see how our stories shape our society, and we’ve seen how powerful advertising’s tactics can be. When used to create a sense of empowerment and connection, they can be extremely valuable – and not just in dollar form. Advertising has much to gain from stronger relationships established through positive experiences, whilst telling its message. The question is: what would advertising look like as an empowering and valuable contributor to society?
Originally posted on Texture Transcribed.
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