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From Exposure to Attention: What Works, What to Avoid, and What Media


A successful communication from the marketer to consumer typically happens in a 3 step process.

  1. The consumer is exposed to the message in some fashion.

  2. The message gains the attention of the consumer

  3. The consumer interprets the message being portrayed by the marketer.

However this is not always the case. Not every marketing message is successful at going through these steps.

In this blog article I am going to go over step #1: EXPOSURE

Exposure is when a stimulus is in range and has the potential to be noticed.

Consumers can be exposed to marketing messages in 3 ways:

  1. Actively seeking : Searching online for information about a product or brand.

  2. Random exposure:Watching a YouTube video, and seeing a marketing message on the bottom of the screen, or a message before the video.

  3. Active avoidance: Muting the ads, fast forwarding through them, or changing channels. Consumers can also get pop-up blockers.

Ways to more effectively move from step #1 to step #2

  • Offering consumers incentives to increase consumers involvement

  • Find the right media to place these messages

  • Make unique and interesting ways to convey the message

  • Place marketing messages into content that the consumers are already actively seeking out. (sponsor influencers to have them use your products, virtual marketing, product placement, virtual messages). See: How to get your products on top TV shows Find fashion influencers: Top Fashion Influencers.

Issues of sponsoring influencers and product placement

& how to avoid them:

  • ISSUE:There is a chance that a negative message can be associated with the brand or product.

  • AVOID IT BY: Make sure you have detailed scripts or instructions so that there can be no misinterpretation of the message you are trying to convey.

  • ISSUE: The product or brand could be integrated so much that consumers will realize that it is a marketing effort, rather than something more natural or organically integrated.

  • AVOID IT BY: It is important not to force the integration of the product or brand. Make sure it more naturally integrated: Keep in mind it is better to have a neutral message associated to your brand/product than to have it too obviously integrated. Or you can make it so obvious that it is humorous to consumers.

  • ISSUE: Some consumer’s may see these influncers’ as “sell outs”, which may give a negative connotation to the message.

  • AVOID IT BY: Research and select influencers wisely. Pick an influencer that matches your brand/product, and that is trusted. It is important they actually like your brand and product, so that their integration is more natural and is honest. Also look at their content closely to determine weather or not how they integrate other product/brands fits how you want them to integrate your product/brand.

How to find Influencers: 15 Ways to Find Top Influencers

Information about using Influencers in your marketing: 8 Rules of Influence Marketing

Selecting the Right Media for the Message

There are many things to consider when selecting the type of media:

  • Marketing Budget

  • Your brand image/personality

  • Your industry

  • Your consumer

  • The message

For fashion brands, I would suggest the following media:

  • Social media (In particular Instagram:Why Instagram should be the go-to social media site for your fashion brand ) Using programs likeHootSuite can help you manage your social media site more effectively. They offer paid and free plans.

  • Print: fashion magazines (There are many small local fashion magazines that won’t break the bank)

  • Internet/online marketing (Side panel ads, social media advertisements/promoting posts)

  • Direct/Email Marketing (Sending out emails for special deals, new product lines, new fashion trends, coupons and sales. For promotional sale ideas: Marketing Tactics: The Persuasion of Scarcity) There are free and paid options for email marketing: Mail Chimp and MadMimi. Some websites also have their own form of email marketing (Wix, wordpress, etc.)

  • Instagram-Teal-Circle
  • Pinterest-Teal-Circle
  • Twitter-Teal-Circle
  • Facebook-Teal-Circle
  • LinkedIn-teal-Circle
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