Abstract:

There is a gap between the stimulus which an advertisement offers to the consumer and the response which it evokes; there is a gap between the medium as it is designed by its editorial staff and the medium as it is used by its audience; there is a gap between the evidence at our disposal when we make an advertising decision and the action which we decide to take. Nowhere does one find a sequential linear process with each stage linking really with the last. This presentation will concentrate on illustrating, with reference to data from our research programme, how decisions about the role of media in communication can become more informed and improved.