Principles and Practice of Advertising - The Law Of Sequence


By Donald Hammond

The Law of Contiguity states that one thought will lead to another based on conditioning. Such as "Abraham" and "Lincoln". As a matter of fact two ideas are never present at precisely the same moment; so that "contiguity" really means "rapid succession". One idea being given, the other follows directly in its wake. So in reading advertisements one word of a headline is seen before another, one part of a paragraph follows an earlier part, so that a "train of ideas" is set up. The Law Of Sequence states that mental associations work more easily in one direction than in the other. "Forward associations", that is, associations in the direction in which ideas were originally presented, are stronger, more lively, and more easily recur than backward associations.

This is especially true of such ideas as take the form of spoken words and other sort of acts that involve motor processes. Thus I have seen the letters in the word "advertising" so often, one immediately after the other, that I can begin with "a", "d", "v" and go on quickly and easily to spell the whole word. But it is a very significant fact that I cannot spell the same word backward. The letter "a" calls up "d" and these two call up "v" etc. But if I begin with "g" and try to reverse the direction of the original sequence I can proceed only with difficulty.

In advertising this means that ideas should be presented in the order which they will later be desired to take. The first idea in the mind of the prospective purchaser will be the feeling of some particular need - such as "hotel". Effective advertising means that when this need is felt, it leads at once, by virtue of established associations, to the hotel you are advertising. First the need then the product is the sequence in the mind of the buyer. This should be, therefore, the order in which the two ideas are presented in the advertisement, in the brand-name, the trade-mark, etc.

Some examples would be: Hotel Astor
Academy Riverview
Cafe Boulevard
Encyclopedia Britannica

Contrasting with these names are those such as the following, which fail to take advantage of the law and in so doing sacrifice real association and memory value:

Douglas Shoes
Mennen's Talcum
Ridgefield School

The same law holds for the arrangement of items in the advertisement as a whole. The common practice of beginning the advertisement with the name of the brand or firm or company and following it with a description of the need it satisfies may gratify the personal vanity of the firm, but it does not establish the most effective associations in the mind of the reader. In reading the advertisement the mind should be led in the direction in which it should go on the occasion of need.

Donald "DonOmite" Hammond has been a freelance webdesigner and programmer for over 10 years. He has marketed his own talents and products and those of his customers.

More Resources

Business Ideas: 5 Uncommon Ways To Generate More Online Business
Sometimes, it is not an obvious business idea that will makeyou more money.It may be what is not so obvious, which most people never thinkof that may make you money.
The Not-So-Hidden Persuaders: The Power of The Media Upon Us All
In 1957, a perspicacious young journalist from Pennsylvania named Vance Packard wrote a book called The Hidden Persuaders. It was meant to explain to the public at large why they buy the products they do and to warn them about the psychological aspects of consumer appeal that lie beneath the levels of consciousness.
Dont Put All Your Eggs in The Same Basket
Solution: You can protect yourself by partnering with other lead sources because it is unlikely that they will all have a problem or technical issue at the same time.Other alternative: It doesn't hurt either to use a few marketing tools to generate leads for your business.
Create Your Own Business Cards, Part 1
In this lesson, we will create a business card, using Microsoft Word. I created a new template for my business card.
Juice - Scam of the Decade or Opportunity of the Century
If you are an ardent web surfer and MLMer like I am, then I am sure you would have seen the sales pitch "Give away free broadband and earn £27 GBP each time". Depending on which side of the fence you are, this product is either God's gift to freebies enthusiasts, MLMers and all paying ISP subscribers or it is the biggest scam yet, bar none.
Womentisements
The unnecessary and extensive use of female models in advertisements is common not only in America & Europe, but also in Pakistan and rest of the world. Women are used to sell everything from cars to cigarettes.
100 Excellent Words and 70 Action Getting Phrases for Ad Writing
100 Excellent Words Absolutely. Amazing.
Top 9 Reasons To Advertise
Advertising is not for every company. But some require it because their market is big and constantly changing and evolving.
Advertising Your Holistic Business
The most basic answer is the same answer as to the question, how does advertising work? Advertising works through repetition, and Holistic Hometown offers you that repetition.What all successful companies know is that advertising it a process.
How to SAVE Yourself from Spending too Much Money on Advertising!
How much money have you spent in Advertising, Promotion & Marketing? If you're like most people you've probably spent over $1000 or more. Many individuals and companies have spent $2000 to $50,000 in Advetising within a course of 1 Year.
7 Questions to Ask Before You Advertise
Most business owners and managers keep a fairly close eye on their marketing budgets.And nothing throws a budget out of whack faster than advertising.
The Truth in Advertising
Most of us have seen at least a dozen different toothpaste commercials that claim, "Three out of four dentists recommend..
When Advertising Wears Out
One of the challenges facing marketers is determining the most effective level of advertising exposure for a brand, while maintaining a given budget. Conceptually, the media planner could choose continuous advertising (even exposures spread over a period of time) or follow a strategy of pulsing ("on" for some months and "off" for others).
A Lunchtime Lesson on Print Advertising
I promise you'll be able to finish this article before you finish the first half of your PBJ. Are you sitting down? Good.
Information Gathering & Delivery May Never Be The Same!
Give Us The Bottom Line!If you are like most people, you may have skipped down to the bottom to see how much we charge. Well we don't! That's right, the free customized information product we give away is totally free.
Direct Response Advertising; Radio vs TV
Radio advertising vs. television advertisingMany new advertisers assume that they should start on radio and "move up" sometime later to TV.
Books, Bibles and Fast-Talkers
Every community has 'em. Fast talkers who rollinto town with a clever idea to sell to people inbusiness.
Radio Interview 101
Different Types of Station ContactReaching radio hosts (for the purpose of trying to get booked foran interview) can take on various forms, depending on the typeof station the show is done at. What's best? All of them at thesame time, of course.
Ten Ways To Sell Advertising Space Fast
1. Give your customers a discount when they spendover a certain dollar amount for ad space.
7 Unique Ways To Get FREE Advertising
1. Give Testimonials When you purchase a product or service and it exceeds your expectations e-mail the business a testimonial.

More Advertising Information:

Related Articles

13 Facts About Newspaper Advertising
Advertising in the paper works for many people inbusiness. The astute merchant understands thenewspaper's weaknesses and works to avoid themwhenever possible.
Choosing a Print Mail Dealer
"Print & Mail is a type of service that is popular among small mail order operators. It is an inexpensive way to get your ad material printed and mailed to people.
2005 Super Bowl Ads... Winners and Losers
Well, Super Bowl XXXIX is history. Too bad for the folks who consider themselves the always-pullin'-for-the-underdog type.
Can I Write and Print My Own Business Brochures and Business Cards?
If you have a computer and a printer, preferably one that can print in color, then you can make your own brochures and business cards that are very professional-looking! Be sure to use good quality paper (that is available at any office supplies store like Office Depot or Staples) for anything that you are going to hand out or send to potential customers and clients.Writing Text for Your Brochure and Business CardThe very best thing to do is to get a few examples of business brochures and business cards, preferably from the same type of business as the business you are starting.
Brand Young and You Brand for Life; Why Cinema Advertising is an Effective Tools for Marketers
In the world of advertising there are many forms of media that can be utilized to get an advertisers message to its intended audience. Newspapers, television, radio, Internet and billboards are effective tools in this effort but one form of advertising that is often overlooked is Cinema Advertising.
Is there anything new under the sun? Heres how to find out if your bright idea is unique.
"There's nothing new under the sun" is probably the one phrase no inventor wants to hear, seldom believes, and is always trying to prove wrong. However, moving too quickly to prototype stage and first disclosure can turn out to be costly for the inventor who doesn't take the time to find out if his or her invention is already patented.
5 Tips for Hot Yellow Pages Ads
Yellow Pages advertising is one of the mostpopular forms of advertising in the country today.Almost every home in America (96.
Advertising Basics for Beginners
So many of us who have decided to do business online have no background in marketing or advertising. It can be so frustrating without any kind of guide.
Boost Headline Believability With Specifics
Don't use vague generalities in your headlines. Be as specific as possible.
Getting the Most Out of Your Networking Group
Here is my personal list of things to do at your networking group:(1) Bring your business cards. Sound simple? Well, I regularly meet people at networking groups who have forgotten their cards or their cards are at the printers.
A Lunchtime Lesson on Print Advertising
I promise you'll be able to finish this article before you finish the first half of your PBJ. Are you sitting down? Good.
Is Advertising Art?
Oh Grand and Glorious Southern Guru, I am perplexed. What ails thee, my peabrained little grasshopper? My sleep has been short, my walls have been climbed, my hair has been pulled.
Advertising 101
Advertising has truly become a part of all of our lives as consumers, as business owners, as parents, as concerned citizens. We simply cannot escape from its presence no matter how hard we try.
10 Tips to Use Giveaways Effectively
Walk around any trade or consumer show and you will be able to collect a bag full of advertising specialties, or giveaway items all designed to promote. But look a little more closely.
Do Your Adverts Get You More Sales?
Philadelphia retailer and US Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, once said, "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."If you're spending $10,000 a month on advertising $5,000 is going straight down the tubes.
Lamination of Signs
I suspect that everyone has an idea of what lamination is even if you have only seen it in passing. Restaurant menus are a common example.
Diamonds Are For Evil
The task of executing successful advertising campaigns for products made exclusively for women is understatedly tempestuous. Any Average Joe consumer would relay the message that feminine product commercials put him under a great deal of stress and discomfort.
10 Tips For Writing A Profit Producing Ad
1. You can get ad copy ideas by studying similar product's advertising material.
3 Inside Secrets To Making You Richer Using Direct Mail!
Making money using direct mail isn't easy. And anyone who tells you it is, is lying.
The Shrinking Ad Dollar
CPR CPA CTR..