How can a weak force have strong effects?
But a weak model is troublesome. A lot of new information, including Jones’s influential and widely circulated analysis of Nielsen panel data, show a single exposure can strongly influence which brand is purchased. If advertising is a weak force, how can a single ad message produce a strong effect?” The answer is “Recency”. The idea that advertising messages “sell” those consumers whom are ready to buy. There is no inconsistency between strong effects on certain individuals and weak effects on the total market. It is as if there is a window of opportunity for the ad message preceding each purchase. Advertising’s job is to influence the purchase, media’s job is to put the message in the window. With these new ideas in the air, there is an uneasy revolution in packaged-goods advertising. Recency is gradually replacing effective frequency as the planning model. A single exposure is ‘reach’, more exposures are ‘frequency’. John Jones’ basic analysis shows a single exposure in the 7 days be
