Serial Position Effect In A Nutshell
The serial position effect refers to our tendency to remember the first and last pieces of information in a series better than those in the middle. This theory is determined by 2 key components: the primacy effect and the recency effect.
The primary effect posits that we often find it easy to recall information displayed at the beginning of a list as it is stored in our long-term memory. To explain, we typically allocate more cognitive effort to process these initial items without constraint.
Yet, the primacy effect becomes small when the first items are quickly presented, giving the audience less time to process them adequately. Consequently, brands aiming to capture initial attention by placing key messages at the start of promotional campaigns should present them thoughtfully to give the audience enough time to process them.
The recency effect, in contrast, is our tendency to recall the last items of a list as they are kept in working memory. These recently stored items are still fresh and readily accessible.
By strategically placing key messages at the beginning and the end of marketing campaigns, we can significantly affect how customers remember and interact with brands.
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The Role of Serial Position Effect in Digital Marketing
1. Ad Placement in the marketing funnel
The placement of ads within the marketing funnel can significantly influence consumer choice due to the serial position effect.
Believe it or not, cognitive biases can emerge simply from the order in which options are presented.
For instance, in short sequences, the primacy effect is powerful since people focus most on processing the first item/advert.
In longer sequences, typically including more than 5 messages, the last one will benefit from the recency effect since people always store it in working memory.
Research on choice preference states recency effect is pronounced among customers with higher knowledge or interest in the products, as they tend to engage in detailed comparisons to make the best buying decision.
2. Native Advertising: how people recall naturally displayed adverts
Native advertising, which is designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding content to become less interruption, has become prominent with the rise of sponsored posts and streaming ads on digital platforms.
A study on 120 native adverts figures that ads placed at the beginning or end of a content feed result in higher click-based metrics and conversion rates.
Since native ads are seamlessly and naturally promoted on the platform, users often perceive them as part of the feed. Placing these ads at the beginning is believed to make them more memorable and easier to recall.
3. Email Marketing: Why Subject Lines Matter
The structure of an email can greatly influence its effectiveness.
Subject lines, being the first thing recipients see, are heavily influenced by the primacy effect. It only takes 69% of the recipients some initial seconds to decide whether the email is spam or misleading.
Personalized subject lines are 22% more likely to be opened, highlighting the importance of targeting personal preferences.
Hence, A/B testing subject lines are advisable for substantial improvements, with some companies experiencing a 26.96% increase in click-through rates.
By strategically placing key insights in the subject line, marketers can harness the serial position effect to enhance email performance and drive better results.
To leverage the recency effect, a strong Call-To-Action (CTA) at the end of an email ensures it remains fresh and memorable in customers’ minds.
Marketers should avoid using generic terms like “Buy Now”, and “Click Here” as these are vague and unpersuasive. Instead, the ultimate benefits of action should be presented clearly to give recipients extra reasons why they must prioritize your brand over others.
4. Paid Social Media Advertising
On social media platforms, where users scroll through vast amounts of content, strategic ad placement is crucial.
Ads placed at the top of the feed leverage the primacy effect, capturing immediate attention. Similarly, ads placed at the end of a session can take advantage of the recency effect, being the last message users see before they leave the platform.
This strategy ensures that key messages are remembered, increasing the likelihood of user interaction.
Leverage Serial Position Effect For Traditional Advertising
Print Media
The serial position effect plays an important role in print advertising effectiveness and ROI. For instance, ads on magazine front covers enjoy a 78% higher recall rate than middle placements, while the back cover ads see a 29% increase.
This translates directly to improved ROI, with front cover ads generating a 40% higher sales lift compared to interior ads, and back cover ads achieving a 30% boost.
Even within articles, strategic placement matters – ads on the first page of an article have 20% higher recall and 25% greater sales lift than those in the middle.
These findings underscore the importance of leveraging primacy and recency effects in print advertising.
TV and Radio
For TV and radio commercials, the order in which ads are aired can significantly affect their recall. Commercials placed at the beginning and end of ad sequences are more likely to be recognized and recalled for a long period.
For instance, a study analyzing TV commercial slots suggests the audience can easily identify commercials placed in the first positions better than those in the middle. This reveals that placing advertisements at the beginning or end of commercial breaks leads to higher brand awareness and more positive perceptions.
Read More: Cognitive Dissonance: Why Is It So Hard To Change Attitudes?
Serial Position Effect In Product Listings
E-commerce
In e-commerce, product pages can be optimized by highlighting key items at the top or bottom of the list. This placement leverages the primacy and recency effects, ensuring that these products are more likely to be noticed and remembered by shoppers. Featuring best-sellers or high-margin items in these positions can drive higher sales and enhance the overall effectiveness of the product listing.
Menu Design for Food Restaurants
For restaurant menus, placing high-profit or signature dishes at the beginning and end of the menu can increase their likelihood of being ordered. This strategic placement takes advantage of the serial position effect, ensuring that these key items are more memorable to diners.
Practical Examples of Serial Position Effect
Apple
Apple’s product launches and marketing campaigns exemplify a practical application of the serial position effect. Their meticulously structured events typically commence and conclude with their most anticipated products, effectively leveraging both primacy and recency effects.
This approach is shown by their tendency to initiate presentations with updates to flagship products like the iPhone, immediately capturing the audience’s attention. The events often culminate in groundbreaking announcements, such as the launch of the Apple Watch or AirPods, ensuring these innovations occupy the final, highly memorable slot.
Research in cognitive psychology supports this strategy, indicating that items presented at the beginning and end of a sequence are most readily recalled.
Overall, Apple extends this principle to their advertising, where products frequently bookend commercials, reinforcing brand memory through strategic placement.
Nike
Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” campaign serves as a prime example of the serial position effect in action.
Introduced in 1988, this slogan has consistently appeared at the commencement or conclusion of their advertisements, maximizing its potential for recall. This placement strategy aligns with studies on message retention, which demonstrate enhanced memory for opening and closing statements.
Nike’s narrative-driven advertisements often initiate with a powerful visual or statement and conclude with their distinctive swoosh logo and slogan. This structure creates a cognitive framework that enhances brand recall.
This calculated placement leverages both the serial position effect and natural visual scanning behaviors, ensuring the brand remains at the forefront of consumer cognition.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is known for leveraging the serial position effect to enhance brand recognition.
For example, their “Share a Coke” campaign, which personalized bottles with popular names, strategically placed the Coca-Cola logo at the beginning and end of advertisements.
This dual placement capitalizes on both primacy and recency effects, as supported by psychological research on memory formation.
In their seasonal campaigns, such as the renowned Christmas truck advertisements, Coca-Cola employs a similar tactic. These ads typically open with the instantly recognizable red truck and close with their logo prominently displayed on Santa’s bottle.
This deliberate structuring ensures that the Coca-Cola brand forms both the first and last impressions, maximizing the potential for recall.
Conclusion
The serial position effect is a powerful psychological principle that savvy marketers can leverage to enhance brand recall and campaign effectiveness.
From digital marketing strategies like email subject lines and social media ad placement to traditional media such as print ads and TV commercials, the primacy and recency effects play crucial roles in capturing consumer attention.
By strategically positioning key messages at the beginning and end of content, marketers can significantly improve brand recognition, ad recall, and ultimately, ROI. This underscores the importance of integrating psychological insights into marketing strategies, allowing brands to create more memorable and impactful campaigns that resonate with their target audience.
Read More: Understand The Framing Effect In Marketing
Academic Sources For This Blog:
Mantonakis, A., Rodero, P., Lesschaeve, I., and Hastie, R. (2009) Order In Choice: Effects of Serial Position on Preferences. Psychological Science. 20(11). pp.1309-1312.
Li, C. (2009) Primacy effect or recency effect? A long-term memory test of Super Bowl commercials. Journal of Consumer Behavior. 9(1). pp.32-44.
Terry, W.S. (2005) Serial Position Effects in Recall of Televisions Commercials. Journal of General Psychology. 132(2). pp.151-163.
Wang, P., Xiong, G., and Yang, J. (2019) Serial Position Effects on Native Advertising Effectiveness. Journal of Marketing. 83(2). pp.82-97.
Sy Chu
As an analytical and creative marketing enthusiast skilled in customer analysis, content research and brand management, my passion is help businesses gain insights into their brand and marketing strategies to drive impactful outcome to their success.