Thinking vs. Feeling: The Psychology of Advertising

C.A : The feeling is more important part of the advertising because "consumers prefer emotional ads", the more successful advertisement targeted emotions, and according to “Freudian theory everybody is driven by powerful sex urges has long been popular with advertisers.”

 

According to economics, advertisement is a crucial part of Research and Design, in which a firm spreads awareness of the product and increases the consumer at the same time. Though some say it is relatively inexpensive, it still does cost quite a lot of money. Thus, it is a firm’s duty to make the advertisement effective. In the article, “Thinking vs. Feeling: The Psychology of Advertising” Derek Thompson, the author of the article, evaluates the importance of logo and ethos.  He concludes that pathos, the emotions, are the more significant part of the advertisement. I agree with his conclusion on the bases of Thank you for Arguing, an English project, and according to a lecture.

            According to the book Thank you for Arguing, the main point of an argument is to make the listeners to act. This is the exact thing that the advertisers want the viewer to do, look at the advertisement and buy the product. In the book Thank you for Arguing, Heinrichs refers back to Aristotle’s opinion of the importance of logos, pathos and ethos. According to Aristotle it is the pathos that effects the audiences’ mind the most. The same point that Thompson is making in the article, thus I agree which the article.

           

           On first week of March 2012, a huge project for English, regarding the book Thank you for Arguing, was due. Two parts out of eleven parts of the project was regarding advertisement. As it was a group project and comments were needed I read through the entire project. While reading the parts of advertisement I found an interesting thing, I was most moved by the pathos approach than ethos or logos approaches.  I really wanted to buy and try the products pathos was used on, unlike other that I did not feel anything. Therefore, with my own personal experience I agree with Thompson.

            During winter break 2011, I was focused to go to a business conference with my parents. Though I did sleep though most of the lecture I do remember some parts, one of the being the part of advertisement. The guest speaker, a successful CEO in Korea, said that advertisement is perhaps the most important part of the R&D in a firm. He also said his firm only survived IMF with the help of the advertisement. He said the key to the effective advertisement is manipulating the emotions of the audience. I agree with the article because central arguments of the article and the lecture that I heard are alike. 

           

            There are many firms in the world that has to compete with each other, however, there are only few successful firms in the world. There are many difference between the failed firms and successful firms and one of the differences the effectiveness of the advertisement. According Thompson the key for a successful advertisement is using pathos, I agree with this argument with the helps a book, Thank you for Arguing, my personal experience and a conference that I went to.