Subliminal Advertising: What It Is and How to Use It for Your Brand
Subliminal advertising is a form of marketing that uses subtle messages, sounds, or visuals to influence the audience's behavior or perception without them being aware of it. The goal of subliminal advertising is to make the audience remember or feel a certain way about the product or service being advertised, even if they don't consciously notice the message.
Subliminal advertising has a long and controversial history, dating back to 1957 when James Vicary claimed that he increased the sales of popcorn and Coca-Cola by flashing the words "Eat Popcorn" and "Drink Coca-Cola" on a movie screen for a fraction of a second. Although his experiment was later debunked as a hoax, the idea of subliminal advertising sparked a lot of interest and debate among marketers, psychologists, and consumers.
Today, subliminal advertising is still widely used in various forms of media, such as TV, radio, social media, and online ads. Some examples of subliminal advertising are:
Provocative messages: These are messages that appeal to the audience's emotions, desires, or fears, such as "Feeling hungry? Grab a Snickers" or "Don't let them see you sweat". These messages are designed to create a sense of urgency or need in the audience and make them associate the product with a positive or negative feeling.
Logos with hidden messages: These are logos that contain hidden symbols or words that convey a message about the brand or its values, such as the arrow in the FedEx logo that suggests speed and delivery, or the smile in the Amazon logo that suggests customer satisfaction and variety. These logos are meant to create a lasting impression in the audience's mind and make them recognize and trust the brand.
Symbolic advertising: These are ads that use images or objects that represent something else, such as money, power, sex, or happiness. For example, KFC uses lettuce leaves in their burgers to imply that their products are affordable and fresh. These ads are intended to create a subconscious association between the product and the symbol and make the audience desire or aspire to it.
Tricky picture placement: These are ads that use clever positioning or manipulation of pictures and texts to create a hidden message or illusion. For example, Marlboro uses red roofs in their ads to resemble their cigarette packs, or Skittles uses rainbow colors in their ads to resemble their candies. These ads are aimed at creating a visual memory in the audience's mind and make them recall or crave the product.
The benefits of using subliminal advertising for your brand are:
It can increase brand awareness and recall: Subliminal advertising can help your brand stand out from the crowd and create a memorable image in your audience's mind. By using subtle cues and hints, you can make your brand more recognizable and memorable than your competitors.
It can influence consumer behavior and preferences: Subliminal advertising can affect your audience's attitudes and actions towards your product or service. By using emotional or psychological triggers, you can make your audience feel more positive or negative about your product or service and influence their purchase decisions.
It can enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction: Subliminal advertising can help your brand build a strong relationship with your customers and make them more loyal and satisfied. By using hidden messages that align with your brand values and personality, you can make your customers feel more connected and engaged with your brand.
However, there are also some challenges and risks of using subliminal advertising for your brand:
It can be unethical and illegal: Subliminal advertising can be seen as a form of manipulation or deception that violates the consumer's right to informed consent. Some countries have banned or regulated subliminal advertising due to its potential harm to consumers' health, safety, or welfare.
It can be ineffective or backfire: Subliminal advertising can be difficult to execute and measure effectively. If done poorly or excessively, it can have no effect or even a negative effect on your audience. For example, if your audience notices or dislikes your subliminal message, they may feel offended or distrustful of your brand.
It can be controversial and damaging: Subliminal advertising can cause controversy and backlash from your audience, competitors, regulators, or media. If your subliminal message is inappropriate, offensive, or misleading, it can damage your brand reputation and credibility and result in legal or public relations problems.
Therefore, if you decide to use subliminal advertising for your brand, you should follow some best practices and tips, such as:
Know your audience and their needs: You should research and understand your target audience and their preferences, motivations, and pain points. You should tailor your subliminal message to suit their needs and expectations and avoid anything that might offend or alienate them.
Know your brand and its values: You should define and communicate your brand identity and values clearly and consistently. You should align your subliminal message with your brand personality and tone of voice and avoid anything that might contradict or dilute it.
Know your goals and objectives: You should have a clear and specific goal and objective for your subliminal advertising campaign. You should define what you want to achieve, how you will measure it, and how you will optimize it. You should also have a contingency plan in case of any negative outcomes or feedback.
Be creative and subtle: You should use your creativity and imagination to create a unique and original subliminal message that will catch your audience's attention and interest. You should also be subtle and discreet in delivering your subliminal message and avoid being too obvious or intrusive.
Subliminal advertising is a powerful and intriguing form of marketing that can help you boost your brand awareness, influence consumer behavior, and enhance customer loyalty. However, it can also be unethical, ineffective, or controversial if done incorrectly or irresponsibly. Therefore, you should use subliminal advertising with caution and care and follow the best practices and tips mentioned above.
Source
(1) What Is Subliminal Advertising? Definition, Types & More - ShareThis. https://sharethis.com/marketing/2021/07/what-is-subliminal-advertising-and-should-you-leverage-it-for-your-brand/.
(2) What is Subliminal Advertising? 4 Examples and Types. https://www.marketing91.com/subliminal-advertising/.
FAQ's
What is subliminal advertising and why is it used?
Subliminal messages in advertising are designed to engage people subconsciously. These ads use various colors, shapes, and words that enable customers to make small but powerful associations between a brand and an intended meaning. In short, be subtle.
What does subliminal advertising mean in business?
Subliminal Advertising: A definition By one definition, it is: "The use by advertisers of images and sounds to influence consumers' responses without their being consciously aware of it."'
What is the use of subliminal perception in business?
An organization message is called effective when it sticks in consumers' minds and influences them to buy. Thus marketing messages that influence them unconsciously are called subliminal perception of customer's experience.
What are the uses of subliminal?
For this reason, subliminal messages have often been used as a simple way to influence people's thoughts and encourage them to change their behavior. People have tried using subliminal messages to change many kinds of behavior, including to quit smoking, exercise more often, boost self-esteem, and even lose weight.
