What happens when consumers fast-forward through ads?

A new study has suggested that it may not be bad news for companies that consumers rarely devote any conscious attention to processing the brand information.

Authors Linyun W. Yang (University of North Carolina), Keisha M. Cutright (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania), Tanya L. Chartrand, and Gavan J. Fitzsimons (both Duke University), said that their research suggests that minimal processing of brand information may not necessarily be a bad thing for either consumers or firms, especially when multiple brands with different personalities are seen together.

They said that their study found that when a focal brand is seen with a brand that has a dissimilar personality, it will seem more distinctive than if it is seen with a brand that has a similar personality.

In one study, consumers watched a video clip of a television series that was interrupted by two commercials both played at faster than normal speed.

They viewed a commercial for Mountain Dew preceded either by an ad for Hummer or by an ad for a Honda Pilot. Interestingly, while Mountain Dew is more associated with the rugged brand of Hummer, consumers who saw that ad paired with the relatively dissimilar brand of Honda were more willing to buy Mountain Dew.

However, this was only the case when consumers viewed the commercials at the faster than normal speed. When consumers viewed the commercials at regular speed, there were no differences in preferences for Mountain Dew.

Across other studies the researchers were able to show that the "dissimilarity advantage" is driven by perceptions of uniqueness and distinctiveness related to being exposed to a brand that has a different personality from the others in the environment.