Why is it so difficult to introspect on advertising[advertising?:advertising material cutting machine] and how it influences us? Too often, we look for the ability of advertising to persuade us. We look for a major effect rather than more subtle, minor effects.
But most effects of advertising fall well short of persuasion. These minor effects are not obvious but they are more characteristic of the way advertising works. To understand advertising we have to understand and measure these effects. Determining how much a child has grown in the last 24 hours is like evaluating the effect of advertising being exposed. In both cases, the changes are too small for us to notice. But even small effects of advertising can influence which brand we choose especially when all other factors are equal and when alternative brands are much the same.
