Exploring the role of memory for self-selected Ad experiences: Are some advertising media better liked than others?

Advertising media are associated with different degrees of self-selected versus intrusive ad experiences. The role of such media differences in attitudes toward advertising was explored in a nation-wide survey. The survey provides a national picture of attitudes toward specific ad media ranging from advertising media that deliver highly self-selected ad experiences (catalogs and business classifieds) to highly intrusive ones (TV). A total of 2,514 adults were surveyed regarding their opinions about ads in (1) TV, (2) radio, (3) catalogs, (4) business classifieds, (5) out-of-home, or (6) advertising in general. Media that allow for self-selected experiences, where perceived interest in an ad is the basis for attention to it, were evaluated much more favorably than more intrusive advertising media. Catalogs and business classifieds elicited the most favorable opinions; TV advertising elicited the least, and these media differences generally cut across demographic lines. Also, although more educated and affluent consumers generally held less favorable views of advertising, preliminary results suggested that this did not hold true for media that allow for self-selected processing. An additional study suggested that memory for advertisements plays a significant role in the evaluation of a self-selected ad medium (catalogs). That is, consumers' strongest memories are for those ads to which they paid the most attention, and consequently these engaging ads have a disproportionate influence on opinions toward the ad medium.