The Mind of the Buyer

(^52) TH E M IN D O F TH E B UY E R
This c as e sh ow s in extrem e form wh at m ay
h app e n i n l ess e r degree to any b uye r. An
a dve rti sing app eal to which h e p ay s li ttl e a t
t en tion a t th e time , may, if repeat ed often
en ough , l e ave a n imp ressi on which will a t som e
l a ter tim e infl uenc e h im to b uy. Th e reade r
m ay te st hi s o wn m em ory in thi s resp ec t i n th e
foll owin g paragraph :
Wh a t trade n ame s fi rst c om e into your min d
in c onnec ti on wi th th ese c omm oditie s : Lini
m en t, gum , c ou gh drop s, c ame ra, wat ch
ga rter, roofing, p ai nt talc um powde r?
In connec ti on wi th each o f th ese co mmo di
ti e s it i s p rob abl e t h a t a c e rtain n am e a ros e
in sta ntly—th a t. o ne which a ppea rs m os t fre
q uently on ca r-ca rds, bill -b oa rds, n ew spap ers
an d magazine s. It i s likely th a t if th e rea der
w ere b uying th e a rticl e fo r th e fi rs t time, h e
w oul d b uy th i s c ert ain kind. Th ough in hi s
daily li fe he p rob ably h ad no t p ai d m uch
a t t en tion to th ese fl aring signs, stil l h e wa s
imp resse d “ subc onsci ou sly, ” a s i t were, an d
wh en h e cam e to buy, h e w oul d ac t acc ord
ingl y. Thi s fa c t i s j u stifica tion fo r th e lib eral
use of “ displ ay” a dvertising.
Repetiti on affec t s th e sal e i n oth er w ays
t h a n th rough at tention an d m em ory. I t may
i nfluenc e l at e r stage s o f confidence and de