With a reference to a specific brand or product category, analyze the ways in which an understanding of memory can help implement

effective marketing strategies.

Published online; 2nd December, 2011 ACADEMIC STUDY Author: Catherine McCann

The online version of this article can be found at: http://globalgirlk.blogspot.com/ http://www.scribd.com/GlobalGirlK

THIS DIGITAL COPY HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE FOR PERSONAL USE SO THAT YOU CAN ACCESS, DOWNLOAD AND PRINT A COPY.

Apple Incorporated is a global company who provide an exceptional world-class service by continually producing a vast range of highly acclaimed technological products, services, accessories, solutions and software. Apple Inc is powered by its creativity and innovative product offerings. The extent of their product portfolio requires both high and low involvement decision-making on the part of the customer. The Apple logo is a significant element of the Apple brand. It is recognised and respected by many creative professionals, enterprises, students and educational organisations. The classic bitten Apple symbol is a distinct selling point with its uniqueness, sophistication and world-renowned familiarity. This increases the likelihood of successful retrieval and deters competitive interference. Thus, Apple has millions of brand loyal followers. This is important in todays modern affluent society where there is an explosion of choice. Consumers are often bombarded with information and complicated choices. In the decision making process, consumers rely on their memories for a product that can provide a possible solution. The social norm is to follow trusted and credible brands, such as Apple. Marketers must consider memory as this could result in a change of consumers behaviour and lead to the meeting and satisfaction of consumer needs. The primary aim of this essay is to investigate how a comprehension of memory can impact upon the product and promotional strategies of Apple Inc. The essay will focus mainly on short term and long-term memory.

Proust (1927, cited in Memory, 2003) illustrates memory metaphorically;we are able to find everything in our memory, which is like a dispensary or chemical laboratory in which chance steers our hand, sometimes to a soothing drug and sometimes to a dangerous poison.

In essence, memory is the equivalent of a storage space where knowledge is kept. Memory is affected by a consumers familiarity, knowledge and experience of a product. The consumer experience is a buying experience. These experiences translate into memories that are stored away and can be retrieved subconsciously or unconsciously, thus affecting consumer choice and behaviour. The basic principle of consumer memory is that it is a storage space filled with learned knowledge encapsulated over time containing information on an abundance of products, brand names, shopping and consumption experiences. For knowledge to be 2

stored, consumers pass through the process of encoding, storage and retrieval (Blythe 2006). This involves the allocation, retaining and retrieving of information when necessary. In order for a product to be retrieved it must pass through the three stages of memory; sensory, short-term and long term.

Firstly, sensory memory is characterized as temporary information received by the senses as Hoyer (2004) points out that it lasts from a split second to several seconds(p.173). Sensory memory fades due to low levels of attention and motivation, as the consumer is not actively seeking information about a product or a particular brand. Sensory memory is divided into two parts: echoic and iconic (Hoyer, 2008). Echoic memory is associated with the sense of hearing and iconic memory is related to what one sees. For sensory memory to occur, a consumer is exposed to only a tiny piece of stimuli. Apple is recognized for their frequent product placement of Apple Macs in countless movies and TV series. When a person is briefly exposed to the sight of an Apple Mac book they may only realize shortly after this exposure has occurred. If the consumer is aroused and the information is relevant to them, they will be motivated to investigate it further. This allows for the transfer of information into short-term memory. Therefore, the person who was exposed to this product placement may be looking to purchase a new laptop. The Mac Book in this case acts as a stimuli in the consumers mind. After the film or TV programme has ended, the person in question might search for further information about a Mac Book laptop online or in a retail store.

Secondly, short-term memory occurs during the encoding process where information is stored briefly, as the brain attempts to make sense of the information being accepted. In contrast to sensory memory, it lasts approximately between eighteen to thirty seconds (Evans et al, 2009). Therefore, short-term memory is selective. It depends on a persons motivation, ability and opportunity to process information. People need to possess a certain amount of knowledge and familiarity of a brand, in this case Apple. For Apples products to enter into the short-term memory of a customer, Apple has to gain their attention, interest and desire. This can be achieved through product design, uniqueness, packaging and branding. Along with this, internal influences that affect memory and the physical characteristics of a message need to be taken into consideration. The colour of the Apple bitten logo is white. In 3

general, people associate white with purity and sophistication. The logo acts as a retrieval cue and features on the packaging. This helps to enhance a consumers memory as they are repeatedly seeing the Apple logo image and associate it with this idea of purity, sleekness and sophistication. The majority of Apple IPod advertisements contain bright, fresh and funky colours, depending on the target audience. For instance, the amazing IPod and ITunes commercial advertisements create the illusion of music albums bursting out of an IPod. Thus illustrating how much memory and capability an IPod has. This visual spectacle makes these advertisements unforgettable, as the image is the message. This consistency of simplicity is repeatedly spread over all of Apples IPod advertisements. The purpose of these advertisements is to increase familiarity of the Apple brand amongst consumers so that it shall remain at their top of mind in a situation of recall, whether in a store or shopping online. Moreover, from these advertisements a consumer can form his or her own expectations of the IPod. This increases the likelihood of a purchase, as the consumer knows what to expect. The functions of advertisements are to provide information, generate awareness, remind loyal customers and to increase sales. Consequently, advertisements should be clear, consistent and not overload the consumer with padded information that cannot be retained or could potentially cause confusion with a competitor. The psychologist George Miller (cited in Coon, 2007) held the belief that our shortterm memory can process between five and nine chunks of information at a time (p.252).

Once the information exceeds nine chunks it shall be forgotten. Hence, applying Millers ideology, one may stress that copy points of a message i.e. the essential attributes of a product should be illustrated clearly in order to abstain information from decaying and dissolving. Apple is one of the minorities of brands that is capable of utilizing an image alone as a cue without providing text, which acts as a recall in a consumers mind. However, the image may not necessarily improve comprehension of the brand but it might motivate consumers to examine further as they do not feel overloaded with information and therefore, can easily differentiate Apple from its competitors.

For information to be transferred into long-term memory, it must be rehearsed, recirculated and elaborated on. An example of elaboration can be clearly seen in the IPod billboard and print advertisements released in the United States of America in 2007. Jonathan Ive, senior designer at Apple cleverly designed countless, colourful and cool adverts displaying a silhouette of a person plugged into their IPod performing a variety of gestures. Poynor (2007) coined these advertisements as dancing to the sound in your head as they convey a person letting go of their daily problems, dancing around, relaxing and utilizing the IPod as a form of escapism. This promotes a feeling of happiness that is constantly being pursued by people and therefore, surrounds the Apple brand with positivity. These adverts excellently display what one might do with this product or how it can serve to function in the daily life of a consumer. This positive association transcends to a deeper meaning and symbolism that becomes established into long-term memory through the encoding process in the brain.

Thirdly, long-term memory allows one to retain information permanently or for a long period of time. This is where Apple should aim to be placed in the mind of a consumer as this interprets that the consumer maintains a high knowledge, familiarity and high usage of the Apple core products, which is a reflection of brand loyalty and trust. The assumption is that this long term awareness induces the consumer to make a purchase. Long-term memory is categorized into semantic and autobiographical memory (Hoyer 2008). Autobiographical memory relates to personal memories we have of our past and of ourselves. These memories are often filled with vivid imagery and involve the five senses of sight, touch, taste, hearing and even smell. This can be accomplished through the use of nostalgia. Nostalgia is a reflection of the past to promote brands. Hoyer (2008) emphasizes that its not just about the brands; it is about the memories they bring to you (p.170).

The launch of the Apple Macintosh directed by Ridley Scott made its debut in 1984 during the NFL Super bowl, where millions viewed the commercial. Years later, this same commercial was re-enacted in an episode of Futurama. In 2004, the advert was re-released. However, the protagonist of the commercial was featured wearing an 5

IPod, reflecting the changing times and continual product development of Apple. This could have also impacted upon peoples sensory memories. Furthermore in 2008, Hillary Clinton manipulated the commercial to compel people to vote in the presidential election. It is clear that the Apple Macintosh advert has been cloned on multiple occasions. Consequently, the advertisement acts a reminder to the consumer of the brand and a consumer can then associate it with how they felt at the time when they first saw the commercial at the NFL super bowl. Thus, proving its effectiveness in evoking happy and pleasant memories located in the subconscious mind that a consumer values. These feelings could then be associated with the Apple brand, creating positivity and a vital reminder to consumers of their offerings. Nonetheless, it accentuates the longevity of Apple and boosts its credibility. Therefore, nostalgia is an excellent platform on which to base promotional and product strategies.

On the other hand, semantic memory is related to general knowledge and not to specific experiences. A consumer knows the existence of a product but not necessarily all of the brands that produces this product. Hence, Apple positions their products by maintaining a unique design, packaging and logo. This provides a sense of differentiation amongst competitors such as Microsoft and Dell. Apple does not want to be perceived as a generic prototype. Nevertheless, Apple has been the subject of copycat producers in China, who have developed similar products to the IPod, IPhone and IPad. One way Apple have attempted to combat this competitor interference in the mind of a consumer is through comparative advertising. Comparatives are continually being drawn between a Mac versus an ordinary PC. They illustrate a Macs distinct product attributes and core features in a humorous light against ordinary PCs simple attributes. These series of advertisements appeal to the target audience as they are short, engaging and act as a trigger memory recall of the Apple brand. Along with this, these comparative advertisements serve, as a justification of price and thus a consumer is able to generate a perceptual map that allows for the link of words associating with the Apple brand in collaboration with the semantic or associative network. Information can be stored into long-term memory through the semantic or associative network. The semantic network allows for the retrieval of information by associating words with a brand in question. For instance, when one thinks of the Apple brand, one may think of quality, professionalism, reliability and sophistication. The spreading of 6

activation of these words improves the chance of a consumer retrieving or accessing information relative to the brand. Marketers need to take note of these associative links when designing the product and promotional strategies, as they need to provide prompts in order for the consumer to make relevant connections. These prompts may come in the form of cues, chunking, rehearsal, recirculation and through the use of humour, nostalgia and celebrity endorsements. All of which, assist in prolonging information decay and interference.

In summary, a knowledge of memory is essential to the implementation of effective product and promotional strategies of Apple Inc. Having conducted a further study of memory, I agree with Prousts view that the human memory is similar to a dispensary(1927, cited in memory, 2003), into which marketers attempt to insert product and brand information, with the intent that it shall be firmly established in long-term memory. If Apple continues to examine consumer memory and portray it through their company strategies, they will remain to be perceived as a world leader of product innovation and diversification, which will in turn continue to positively influence their product sales and market presence.

Bibliography

Apple Inc. (2010), Annual report [Online] <Available at: http://phx.corporateir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9Njc1MzN8Q2hpbGRJRD0tMXxU eXBlPTM=&t=1> [Accessed 11th November 2010] Baines, P. Fill, C. and Page, k. (2008) Marketing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Blythe (2006), Principles and Practices of Marketing. London: Thomson. Coon, D. (2007), Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behaviour. 12th edn. U.S.A. Cengage. Cooper, L. (2010) Keep in mind how a human brain works, Marketing Week. [Online] <Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/trends/keep-in-mindhow-a-human-brain-works/3015809.article> (Accessed 2nd November 2010). Elliot, J. (2007), A rough guide to the inside of your brain. BBC [Online]. <Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6642719.stm > (Accessed 13th November). Evans, M. Jamal, A. and Foxall, G. (2009) Consumer Behaviour. 2nd edn. Sussex: Wiley Hoyer, W. & D. MacInnis (2010), Consumer Behaviour. 3rd edn. U.S.A. Houghton Mifflin. Hoyer, W. & D. MacInnis (2008) Consumer Behaviour, 5th edn. U.S.A. Cengage. Kent, R., (1994) Competitive Interference Effects in Consumer Memory for Advertising: The Role of Brand Familiarity, 58(3), pp. 97-105 JSTOR [Online] <Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1252313> (Accessed 13th November 2010). Memory, 2003. [Radio broadcast] BBC Radio 4, 29th May 2003 21.30. <Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00548yy> (Accessed 1st November). Poynor, R. (2007) Dancing to the Sound in Your Head, the Design Observer Group, 4th of May <Available at: http://www.designobserver.com/observatory/entry.html?entry=5377> (Accessed: 15th November). Think box (2010) How creativity in TV advertising impacts the brain, Marketing Magazine. [Online] <Available at: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/1028747/creativityTV-advertising-impacts-brain/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH> (Accessed 11th November 2010). Solomon, M. (2009), Consumer Behaviour; buying, having and being. Global 9th edition. U.S.A. Pearson.