Release pleasure engines
Kathy O'Meara on whether or not neuroscience can help measure the value of advertising

In these darker economic times, it's being loudly whispered that advertising is about to become an endangered species. Or, will the most cunning players evolve, with Darwinian precision, into a new hybrid species to ensure their own survival?

How the brain responds to stimuli has long been debated across media portals, with little consensus. The exploration of cognitive functioning has moved on apace with neuroscientists now examining, through MRI scanning, the separate neurons in the brain responsible for memory encoding, decision making, mirrored learning and emotion.

The aim is to produce a scientific rationale for ad appeal. Prof Gemma Calvert of  Neurosense said: "Because so much of our thought occurs in the unconscious, traditional research methods that mine the surface are likely to miss many of the factors that influence consumer behaviour. Bridging the gap between mind and behaviour is one of the challenges facing marketers today. Cognitive neuroscience bridges that gap."

Ergo, our cells will predict with far greater accuracy future decisions and buying patterns, than waking consciousness. Nor will the cells be embarrassed to reveal predilections and preferences... Is this development alarming? Sinister? Academically interesting? John Hegarty argues that as soon as we begin to understand the brain it will subvert and reshape. Our emotions, not logic, overtake us, and that's what makes us interesting.

Many of the greatest creative minds have an instinctive, not learnt, understanding of the evolving human psyche. Sony Bravia ‘Colour Like No Other' originated as a two-line script outlining coloured balls bouncing through a San Francisco streetscape. The frog appeared as a last minute humour bolt-on, generating a significant ‘light up' on the neuroscanner. Similarly, the emotional response generated by Cadbury's ‘Gorilla' mirrored the creative intention to communicate the feeling of scoffing a bar of chocolate. Do we need neuroscience? Can it solve the conundrum of which half of advertising spend is wasted? Perhaps now, when harnessing brilliant creative brains seems such a hurdle, harnessing a few brilliant neuro-boffins may be the answer.

MERSEY SIDERS

As capital of culture, Liverpool earned £800 million and 5.2m visitors last year. Being as proud of the Fab Four as the next woman, it was sad to see John Lennon International Airport surrounded by archive gurnings of the mop-topped muppets (and Yoko Ono's breasts, but she don't count). The airport deserves something a little more modern from the media men. Perhaps our Coleen in a special episode of Brookside atop a Liver Bird?  Ken Dodd, minus his Diddymen, was wheeled out. Thankfully, no one noticed.

ATLANTIC CROSSING

To New York, where the recession is being felt across all media. Outdoor is dominated by ads promoting remedies for the hangover of a previously hedonistic lifestyle, cinema showed stars urging people to donate body parts. Magazines seemed virtually weightless. Notwithstanding that early year issues tend to be slender, even in good times, some issues were less that half their bodyweight of a year ago. Conde Nast has been hit hard by the cutbacks, citing a combination of long lead times, less advertisers and inflexible pricing.

In the New York Times, Jack Hanrahan, former print director at OMD, argues that in a negotiating environment you'd be better off taking the hit now with regard to paging, but preserving your well-established pricing position of being equitable across advertisers, and not engaging in heavy discounting and endless negotiations.

Will circulation suffer as pagination drops by up to 40 per cent? It is an interesting stance to take when most media suppliers are dropping their drawers to secure annual guaranteed spend. Best ad of the year? ‘Talk to Frank', a €1m anti-drugs campaign with Pablo, a drug mule dog, voiced by David Mitchell. Outstanding.

ART OF SEDUCTION

Media diversification is becoming part of the planning zeitgeist. Agencies are looking at programming, feature films and online episodes to reach audiences. EuroStar and its Mother agency aim to create "entertainment ideas and non-traditional communications".

Mother completed an 85-minute film called ‘Somers Town' which garnered plaudits in Cannes and Edinburgh and created a halo effect for the brand, which should eventually see profits from cinema, TV and DVD. Mother founder Robert Saville has his views.

Saville said our world is changing. "We get pissed off with the headlong rush towards everything digital," he said. "Our view is that consumers have choices. And if we want their time and money, entertainment, in whatever medium, is king."

"You have to give consumers something they want to connect with, and the less [branding] you put in, the more powerful it becomes because consumers feel more genuine towards it." Saville's sentiments were echoed by Chris Foster of Fallon.

"Creativity," Foster remarked, "and the value it adds will be in greater demand as clients see budgets cut. Giving people things that they can engage in, get involved in and that entertain them in these dark times, will hold even greater value."

Leave the light on, there's hope out there.

kathy@mediarepublic.ie

HUE BEAUTY The Sony Bravia ‘Balls' by Fallon London has been hailed as one of the finest TV productions in recent years but it started out as a two-line script.

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