NeuroFact 4: Low Attention Processing

Low attention processing is a well-documented theory developed from neuroscientific ideas by advertising researcher Heath and best covered in his book The Hidden Power of Advertising (2). He picks up on a theory that was offered by Herbert Krugman in the 1960s.

High attention processing is activated at will and is called 'active/explicit' learning in the world of brain science (11). It is the way in which we learnt at school. High attention processing might be used to evaluate price - how much, how does it compare to other products, what is the benefit of buying the cheaper one, etc. We pay attention and make a judgement about whether the product is worth the price.

Low attention processing, according to Heath, is a mixture of conscious and semi-conscious activity. Much of it involves 'implicit' learning - learning that takes place without conscious knowledge. Heath picks up on Krugman's experiments which showed, using EEG technology, that TV is a low involvement medium compared to print. That is, when watching TV, our brains operate on a slower than normal wave pattern and, with each subsequent showing of an ad, the pattern slows further.

Information on TV isn't actively digested as a book would be, where the reader controls the speed of processing and amount of information read.

Significantly, it is now commonly understood by neuroscientists that information entering the memory implicitly (e.g. through TV) has a far greater chance of being retained in long-term memory. It is, therefore, a highly effective way of increasing a set of brand associations.

This has caused a considerable disturbance in the world of advertising testing, which is founded on recall (many ad testing methods such as Millward Brown's Link include recall as a key measure). The problem with recall is that it assumes that the message/memory is taken in explicitly, i.e. consciously.

But if conscious recall isn't as relevant as everyone thought it was, how should we measure communications? Millward Brown's Erik du Plessis has taken Heath on in public about this as it questions the company's advertising testing models. Du Plessis' recent book12 formally addresses the debate - significantly he, too, draws on neuroscientific findings to show how emotions influence memory of advertising. The debate rages on.

Meanwhile, knowing about how the brain processes information does give us guidance on the types of messages that 'work' more effectively than others as well as the media that are suited to each. High involvement messaging is usually required to put across rational, logical or time-sensitive information that needs immediate attention. Typically, print, internet and to a lesser degree radio, are effective (see The Newspaper Marketing Association's new advertising campaign, 'The Attention Channel').Low involvement processing is not active or conscious but can be extremely effective in building long-term associations for a brand. TV is typically processed at low levels of involvement, thus it is well suited to thematic or brand messages that don't require an instant call-to-action.