Media pronking: what advertisers can learn from antelopes
It might look like a counter-intuitive act, but the highest ‘pronking’ antelopes are the most successful – is the same true for advertisers, asks ZenithOptimedia’s Richard Shotton.
Imagine for a second that you were being chased by a lion. Admittedly not an everyday occurrence in Central London but bear with me. What would be the best tactic? Run in the opposite direction or jump up and down on the spot?
The answer seems ludicrously simple, but as with many things, the obvious approach might not be the best one. When antelopes are chased by predators they will often ‘pronk’, that is jump up vertically in the air. It seems like a counter-intuitive tactic as it wastes energy and slows their getaway. But intriguingly, it’s a successful tactic.
According to the eminent biologist Zahavi the power of the signal comes from its costliness. Only the most energetic antelope can afford to waste energy otherwise any predator calling their bluff would catch them.
If this were a one off it might be nothing more than an interesting anecdote but there are numerous other examples. The bower bird builds wonderfully extravagant nests to attract mates. The power of the signal comes from its honesty: only successful food gatherers can build truly extravagant nests. Less talented birds, who spend more time foraging, don’t have the time to build a palatial nest.
Intriguingly, a similar process may occur in advertising. The economist Richard Nelson, from Columbia University, suggested that the advertiser communicates not through the explicit message but through the fact that it’s a costly signal. Only a company with substantial commitment to their brand would invest significant sums of money in advertising.
This theory neatly explains why communications which don’t transmit any explicit information but are obviously costly, like high profile sponsorships, can be effective. However, since the communication is implicit consumers may be unaware of their effect.
At ZenithOptimedia we put this theory to the test by surveying 1,003 consumers. We told them about a new brand, Black Sheep Vodka, which was supposedly about to launch in the UK. The twist was that two-thirds were also told that the brand would be sponsoring a major TV programme.
On all the measured metrics (appeal, likelihood to try or recommend, and willingness to pay) the scores were higher if it was thought the brand was sponsoring a programme. Yet when asked directly only 5% said sponsorships strongly influenced them.
The theory of honest signals raises interesting questions for advertisers.
Firstly, it suggests a healthy scepticism towards what consumers claim influences them. More importantly it questions the emphasis on short terms efficiencies.
A procurement driven marketing approach avoids extravagant tactics, whether that’s 60 second ads or high profile sponsorships.
However, by focusing on an illusory efficiency important implicit values are not transmitted. In the long term this may damage the effectiveness of many campaigns.