What makes some ads more shareable than others? RetailWire – RetailWire
Mar 18, 2021
by Guest contributor
Knowledge@Wharton staff
Presented here for discussion is a summary ofa current article published withpermission from Knowledge@Wharton, the online research and business analysis journal of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
A new study from Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger and Daniel McDuff of Microsoft Research finds that positive emotions result in more sharing, but so do feelings of disgust.
The study evaluated the emotional triggers that make people want to share advertising content. Thousands of participants in five countries were asked to watch a random set of commercials on their home computers while their webcams recorded their facial expressions.
Self-reports are often inaccurate, Prof. Bergershared with Knowledge@Wharton. People dont always have a good sense of what they are feeling, and even if they give you an answer, its not always correct. Further, people sometimes bias their responses based on what they think you want to hear.
The study, not unsurprisingly, found that people share things that make them feel good and avoid sharing things that make them feel bad. Some negative emotions, however, like sadness or confusion, decreased sharing, while others, like disgust, increased it.
Consistent with otherresearch weve conducted, this highlights that rather than just being about feeling good or bad, sharing is also about the physiological arousal associated with different emotions. Emotions that fire us up to take action, like anger and anxiety (and in this case, disgust) boost sharing, while emotions that power us down (like sadness), decrease sharing, Prof. Bergersaid.
For marketers, one implication is that making people feel good isnt enough to make them share. He said, You have to fire them up. Make them feel excited, inspired, or surprised.
Prof. Bergeradded, Second, you dont have to shy away from negative emotions. Because they fire people up, anger, anxiety or even disgust can be leveraged to encourage word of mouth.
The paper further found some of the emotions that boost sharing dont necessarily lead to increased sales. Prof. Bergerstated, An ad that shows something gross might boost sharing, but it might reduce the chance people buy the product.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Whats the mystery behind why some ads are shared broadly across social media platforms and others arent? What advice would you have for retailers or brands seeking to create ads that go viral?
"There are loads of tips to make something more shareable, but going viral is more like capturing lightning in a bottle. But it does begin with triggering an emotion."
"Shock, awe, surprise! Whatever is newsworthy in the larger press is newsworthy among friends, too"
"Ads that evoke strong emotions, positive or negative, trigger responses from consumers."
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What makes some ads more shareable than others? RetailWire - RetailWire