Are you familiar with Louis Cheskin?

Greetings Group,

I recently came across some interesting studies by Louis Cheskin. Here is a short bio of him as described by Karen Hegmann.

"Cheskin was a motivational researcher who sought to understand how consumer's perceptions motivated their purchase behaviour. He coined the term "sensation transference", and spent most of his life researching how people's perceptions of products or services were directly related to aesthetic details of their design." - Karen Hegmann

If you are not familiar with the phrase: "Sensation Transference", here is two pictures and a brief explanation to demonstrate Cheskin's findings.

In the Fall of 1992, this print ad appeared in people's mailboxes. This ad implies that Domino's cuts corners, but Pizza Hut doesn't.

A month later this ad (below) followed. (The copy extending from the Domino's box reads: "Domino's medium cheese pizza." The copy extending from the Pizza Hut box reads: "Pizza Hut medium cheese pizza. We teach our crews to pile on 70% more cheese.") This ad implies that Pizza Hut gives more then Domino's.

The ad campaign showed that one competitor's product was ok, but using "Sensation Transference" with a side by side comparision, along with some short but pointed copy, the other competitor's product appears more superior to the viewer. Hence giving them a better market position and a more desirable product.

Has anyone here read any of Cheskin's books? If so, what did you think and did any of his ideas change your marketing or advertising?

Woody Quiñones
The Promotional Guy

Woody,

Thanks for mentioning Cheskin.

I've mentioned Cheskin previously. But those posts are in the Un-Added Archives - the posts still awaiting to be added to the archives. (Dien, any ETA on getting additional posts added into the archives?)

His research extends beyond mere ads to video tape of which direction people turn when entering stores, how the color groupings can help sell more - it ain't no coincidence the towels on display in K-Mart are arranged in those color patterns, the speed people walk past shops next to banks, past windows with mirrors in them, the speed adjustments over distance they make when entering stores and how putting displays a step or two further Into the store can increases sales of those items, and so on and so forth. The Royal Blue of IBM's logo is no happenstance. And heaps of other Research of consumers.

The ads you mentioned above use the same technique so cleverly used in The Wall St Journal Letter. The ad never actually says that Dominos cuts corners or skimps on anything - the reader makes that leap themselves.

Politicians and their campaigns, and lobby groups and Minority groups crying hard done by all use the same technique. It's good to be aware of the techniques so you know when they are being used on you.

Michael Ross