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Repeated studies show that “the ear is superior to the eye…people remember more if they hear words than if they see them.” In fact, the mind is able to understand a spoken word in 140 milliseconds, while it takes 180 milliseconds to understand the printed word. Why? Psychologists believe this 40 millisecond delay occurs when the brain attempts to translate visual data into aural sounds it can understand.
Similarly, what you hear is retained longer in your memory than what you see. A visual image fades in about one second, while an image received by the ear lasts four or five times as long. Since sound lasts so much longer in the mind, the spoken word leads to greater clarity of thought than a picture does. Additionally, the tone of the human voice gives words an emotional impact that printed words alone can’t impart.
To consumers, most categories of products pretty much look alike. What differentiates them are the intangible ideas imparted by the words we use to describe them. BMW has “driving,” Maytag owns “reliable,” and Crest means “cavity prevention.”
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that the ear drives the eye, and then the ear works the mind. Thinking is a process of manipulating sounds, not images. As a result, you see what you hear – and what the sound has led you to expect to see – not what the eye tells you it has seen.
According to noted positioning authority Jack Trout, this new understanding of how the ear influences the mind calls for a complete reorientation from the visual to a verbal point of view. Visu-als still play an important role in communications, but the verbal message should be the primary driver.
Consider This
Consumers spend 85% of their time with ear-oriented media, such as Radio, but spend only 15% of their time with such eye-oriented media as newspapers and magazines.
Yet advertisers spend 55% of their dollars on eye media (print) and only 45% of their dollars on ear media such as Radio and television (although research suggests that sound plays a far more crucial role in the effectiveness of TV than many advertisers realize).
What Does It Mean
Since marketing (and branding) is a matter of successfully creating a positive association for your product or service in the minds of consumers, and since the mind works by manipulating sounds rather than images, then Radio – the premier sound medium – is one of the best ways to directly influence the minds of consumers.
Three out of four consumers who watch a television spot will “replay” the visual image mentally when they hear a Radio commercial using the same audio.
How? It’s called Imagery Transfer, and it’s the process by which visual elements of a TV commercial or program are transferred into the consumer’s mind by using a similar audio track in its Radio counterpart. Through Imagery Transfer, Radio creates a synergy with television that can work for virtually any advertiser or agency. Radio is able to keep images fresh and top-of-mind. It increases product awareness. And, by developing a campaign that combines Radio with the visual aspects of television, you can enhance your overall advertising strategy and market position.
When you use Radio as an integral part of your TV campaign, Imagery Transfer lets you:
By incorporating Imagery Transfer into your campaign, you can reinforce the dollars you spend on television by using Radio to build the reach and frequency necessary to target your best customers effectively… and with far greater results.
