Katharine Hubbard

Metaphors make ads more interesting than a barrel of monkeys at a water park In advertising, using straight visuals with bent copy, or bent visuals with straight copy, is a common principle. But what does that really mean, and is there research to back it up. My indirect claim of a water park. (Image from flickr by nikoretro) Direct vs. indirect claims A direct claim leaves no room for the customer to use their imagination. It is “straight” forward and to the point. A direct claim for Cheerios would be, “Made with oats.” Indirect claims leave the meaning open to the consumer and can give rise to multiple meanings. An indirect claim for Cheerios would be, “Great for the heart.” This could mean any number of things: it could mean that it feels good to eat, it makes one happy to eat it, that people love Cheerios, or it is good for lowering cholesterol. Using metaphoric language and images as indirect/bent claims Figurative language or figures of speech, w...

The short story on framing messages for  pro-environmental behavior  “I hate the environment,” are not words one is likely to hear in our daily lives, yet all across the country, sustainable living and pro-environmental behaviors are not being utilized. There are a number of factors that influence our choices in regards to the environment. In the case of bottled water usage, dissatisfaction with the taste, health/risk concerns, perceived quality of the water source, trust in tap water companies, and demographic variables all play a part in why consumers choose bottled water over reusable water bottles. Other factors that can influence positive or negative pro-environmental behavior are external factors, such as the economy, social and cultural factors, and infrastructure, or internal factors, such as motivation, knowledge, values, attitudes, and awareness. This is an overview of a recent study that used different types of advertising messages, positive or negat...