fMRI Imaging vs. Cookie Puss.
In the last year, ARF (the Advertising Research Foundation) here in NYC has undertaken a study to attempt to predict—before the ads run—if a campaign will produce results. They believe that fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technology can offer "fundamental predictive insights." I KNOW! Sooo FUNNY. These uselessly over-educated Marketing Dimtwits believe that by putting subjects into an fMRI machine with a TV monitor and hooking them up proper, they can gauge positive emotional response through brain waves and changes in skin conditions, and thusly, forecast if that person would likely purchase the advertised product or service.
Basically, it's a Lie Detector Test.
Exhibit B is Cookie Puss (above, right). Just the mention of those two words has instantaneously put the nearly incomprehensible voice of Greek immigrant, Genius, and native New Yorker Tom Carvel into many of your heads. Carvel employed grade school children (really) to help create his $100 TV spots which helped him build an ice cream empire from nothing. People often talked about absolutely hating his commercials. Stick that in your MRI machine, idiots. (add'n: long live Fudgie The Whale!)
previously:
1. CE-O what a mistake.
2. Today I am a CEO.
3. Inside the Puffs® testing laboratory.
posted by copyranter @ 1:10 PM
8 Comments:
Worst thing is, these two-cent planners think they are ""creative"" - double quotes necessary for irony -
Simple test: if it sticks in your head, good or bad, it's an effective ad. If not, not.
that's pathetic
i want ice cream cake. now.
Thank you. My best and most remunerative sessions are about the death of nutty marketing pseudosciences that (thanks, Circus Americana!) had a nice fifty-year run. Yet I love that panicked execs are still flying blind with the help of "science"-backed "facts."
Carvel's a genius, of course, but that's another story....
After reading this article about software that can actually predict hits and identify changes that will make a song more popular, I believe anything. (It predicted 50 Cent's stardom and tagged Norah Jones, too.)
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_SDDTSGR
FMRI is no silver bullet, but every agency person, planner, media, account and creative needs to consider the following fact…
There is incredibly effective advertising out there that target audiences never recall seeing. The idea that an ad "HAS TO BE REMEMBERED" to be effective was disproved decades ago -- but most of the retards in our agencies have never read an article, much less a book on how the human brain processes outside stimuli like advertising and so they fall back on antiquated bullshit like AIDA Glenngarry style. Classic attention is not required for effective consumer processing – look it up.
I can't think of too many situations where the current expense of FMRI would be justified. But I can't think of too many situations where an agency person wouldn't benefit from 100+ years of neurophysological research on human communication.
The agency that figures out a way to embrace a modern paradigm communication based on the body of available research will put almost everyone else out of business – and they may do so with creative that is conventionally dull and creatives that make less than 6 figures.
funny thing is, what fMRI can do well is tell whether a person has had a strong emotional reaction to something--not whether it's positive or negative. Sure there are people cashing in on the hype. But, if you think it's just lie detector level information, you're wrong.
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