Chunking in marketing?

According to Stafford (2014) grouping information into bite-sized bits of meaningful chunks can help readers or viewers retain important content contained in your marketing collateral. This concept is referred to as chunking. The bits of information are stored in the short-term memory whereby the consumer familiarizes himself or herself with the product information. The information, after being understood, is moved to the long-term memory whereby it cannot be easily forgotten.

Advertisement that illustrates chunking

An example of such an advertisement is the Red Bull advertisement on YouTube which is indirectly related to the energy drink that they manufacture. They post thrilling video clips in YouTube involving action sports. Once you watch the video elsewhere or if it flashes through your memory, you immediately remember Red Bull. Moreover, the videos involve high energy and action, which is what a Red Bull energy drink provides. An example of such video clips is one of the “Wingsuit Gliding through the ‘Crack’ Gorge in Switzerland” (Red Bull, 2011).

How the video clip employs chunking

Information that goes through the chunking process is one that is expected to be retained by the consumer, information that is meant to be searched or information presented in a place with distractions such as noise. In the case of Red Bull, the information being presented is meant to be retained by the consumer. The idea of the purpose that the energy drink serves is conveyed by the actions involved in the video clips.

Why the video clip?

How did they come up with the advertisement strategy at the first place? “Someone has then said, ‘Hey, we are in the ‘have a good time industry.’ Our drinks are a form of entertainment – they are enjoyable. Red Bull is all about the buzz, the thrill – so let’s entertain, thrill and give our target audience a buzz” (Trounce, 2016). They placed themselves in the consumers’ shoes, and then figured out the experience of drinking a can of Red Bull. How does a consumer feel? Thrilled, entertained and energized.

The advert, therefore, had to be something thrilling, entertaining and involves energy and action so that the consumer retained the information, and easily recalled the drink after viewing something similar or exact. The clip that involves extreme action sports perfectly served this purpose.

Conclusion

The art of winning and maintaining loyalty of the target audience requires content that matches their tastes and preferences, and then providing a regular and frequent stream of the same. It is important to note that the content of the adverts should match the product that the company provides.

References

Stafford, A. (2014). Chunking Information in Marketting Collateral to Improve Recall. Marketting Communications blog. Retrieved June 6, 2016 from www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com/chunking-information-collateral-reader-retention/

Trounce, D. (2016). Chunk Up Marketing – The Art of Finding Your Angle. Mallee Blue Media. Retrieved June 6, 2016 from www.malleeblue.com/chunk-up-marketing-the-art-of-finding-your-angle/

Red Bull. (2011, December 27). Wingsuit Gliding through the ‘Crack’ Gorge in Switzerland.

            [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/sKqTe8F18sQ