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Last Minute Holiday Shopping Dilemma – SOLVED!
Contributed By Sandra Pimentel
Where to find the best last minute gifts for everyone on your list? The Bookstore!
And I don’t mean the book section at Target. I mean head to a Barnes and Noble or your local bookstore (hopefully they haven’t all disappeared). Recently I went into my local bookstore to pick up a children’s book and ended up buying 12 gifts! Who knew you could find so many great gifts at the bookstore? I know what you are thinking…the person on my list doesn’t like to read. That’s fine, bookstores have much more than just books. They have wall and desk calendars, toys, games, magazines and unique gifts put out for the holiday season. And surprisingly, those people who call themselves “non-readers” often actually like books too, as long as they are short and sweet and are about something that interests them.
During my recent trip, I found books I never would have thought about, but as soon as I spotted them, I knew, “this would be a perfect gift for someone on my list.” Most people have a hobby or passion- running, knitting, traveling, recycling, even mad libs. They are the easiest to shop for since there are books that cover every activity from almost every angle.
In situations where you don’t know the hobbies or passions, think about what kind of person they are. Do they like learning new, interesting facts? Do they have a great sense of humor? Are they into nature? There are always books that reflect someone’s personality, something you know about them or something you share with them.
Don’t worry about the “non-readers”, either. The bookstore has plenty of options for them, too. There are great coffee table books, amazing picture books and short books that are fun and quick. You can also pick up a funny or inspirational desktop calendar and even games at the bookstore. Go in with an open mind, browse around and pretty soon you’ll find a gift for everyone on your list.
All you have to do is head to a bookstore.
That’s my take on Holiday shopping; now check out how Forbes used MindSight to explore people’s motives driving holiday shopping.
Validity in Assessing Ad Communication & Impact
Under The Radar
by David Forbes, Ph.D. & Judith Retensky
Typically, good advertising has to come in “under the radar” – that is, be persuasive in ways that are subtle – appealing to emotions and deep-rooted psychological motivations. One type of research that attempts to measure these reactions is the communication check.
Communication check research typically takes place when advertisers have reached a fairly specific vision about an upcoming ad campaign. The “check” is used to gain a preliminary look at how the ad will “work” – what messages it will convey and how those messages will be received.
However, respondents are often unable to give accurate reports about their reactions to advertising since the important communications usually take place below the conscious intellectual level, and the kinds of impact good advertising can create are precisely those that respondents don’t want to acknowledge. Given these constraints, how should researchers proceed? Following the 6 steps in the communication check process can help to accurately measure reactions and optimize the campaign.
Step 1: Use Developed Stimuli
Stimuli for advertising communication research should be as fully developed as possible. Although showing the ad at any stage (sketch, storyboard, etc.) works, well-developed executions will deliver the underlying strategy in a way that can come in “under the radar,” just like a real ad.
The more stimuli look and feel like finished advertising, the greater validity in the findings.
