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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 195 (2015) 309 – 314

World Conference on Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Attributes for Image Content That Attract Consumers’ Attention to

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Muhammad Helmi Abu Bakara, Mohd Asyiek Mat Desaa, Muhizam Mustafaa *
a
School of Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysi

Abstract

Advertisement is an essential tool in promoting products and services to customers. Image is one of the components in an
advertisement, which gives a clearer picture of what is being promoted. Accordingly, image was identified as one of the factors
that can attract consumers’ attention to advertisement displayed in a media. In connection to the previous study, the factors
regarding on the advertisement avoidance has been determined. As for that, this study will be looking at image content that
attract consumers’ attention to an advertisement. Factors analysis was used as the methodology in gathering and analyzing all the
factors studied. This study will contribute to the knowledge in marketing strategy and gives guidance to designers in designing an
effective and attracting advertisement. In addition to that, this study will also discuss in detail on all the factors that contribute to
the media attention.

©
© 2015
2015Published by Elsevier
The Authors. Ltd. by
Published This is an open
Elsevier Ltd.access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of Istanbul University.
Peer-review under responsibility of Istanbul Univeristy.
Keywords: Advertisement; Ad clutter; Attention; Social Media

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +604-653 3888; fax: +604-657 6296.

E-mail address: helmikkjs@gmail.com

1877-0428 © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of Istanbul Univeristy.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.349
310 Muhammad Helmi Abu Bakar et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 195 (2015) 309 – 314

1. Introduction

Advertising is a key to market product or services as it helps to create awareness among consumers. As
mentioned by Abd Aziz & M.Ariffin (2010), advertising becomes one of the way to boost awareness of product and
services marketed. Based on this approach, advertising has the capability to raise consumers’ alertness on the goods
and services offered. Along with that Naidoo (2011), also agrees that, advertising has the ability to convince or
influence consumers’ mind in making decisions to acquire the goods and services offered. Awareness on product
and services plays a major role in achieving the goal of a business. This matter is essential as there are a large
number of goods and services offered to consumers. Based on Barroso & Llobet (2012), awareness will dictate
consumers’ choice among the large option of products offered to them. In connection to that, advertising will be a
major tool to marketers in order to make their product and services visible in an extensive market landscape.

Apart from that, advertising is suggested to trigger consumers’ action based on the message delivered to them
(Zigmond & Stipp, 2010). The contribution of advertising would lead to certain actions that will benefits marketers
as well as consumers themselves. As stated, advertising would be one of the reasons for consumers to become aware
on products and services offered. This will lead to an action by consumers whether to look for more information on
the regarding product and services as well as possessing the product or obtain the services offered. This kind of
action will give benefits to both parties, which consumers gain the goodness of the product or services offered while
marketers accomplish their goal in marketing. This is to shows that, advertising is a prominent tool in marketing
activities. From this point of view, it shows that advertising activities gives the advantages to both consumers and
marketers in the same time based on the action taken by consumers regards to the raise of awareness to product and
services advertised.

Formerly, media such as television, radio, magazine and newspaper served as the premier platform for
advertising. Advertisement produced and transferred to consumers via these media. According to Naidoo (2011),
conventional promotional approach such as television, radio and print advertising are the most popular media which
being used by businesses in transmitting ads to consumers. However, with the growth of Internet technology,
businesses have a new way to deliver ads to consumers. Hence, online advertising has become a new approach to be
looked into. As mentioned by Jerome, Shan, & Khong (2010), online advertising has grown as a new medium for
marketers in delivering words about product to consumers. In line with that, online advertising is said to be more
attractive, less disturbing compared to other advertising and tolerable (Tavor, 2011). This might be a good reason for
businesses to divert from conventional media to online advertising.

Nevertheless, issue regarding consumers inattention on ads displayed online might be one of the reasons for
businesses fail to achieve the desired marketing goal. Inattention may result to ineffective of an advertisement. For
ads to be effective and success in delivering information to consumers, it first needs to be attentive. Online ads are
displayed in a website which is full of other elements and information. It is possible for ads to be ignored, as it needs
to compete with other elements in an environment. As mentioned by Simola, Kuisma, Oörni, Uusitalo, & Hyönä
(2011), the information delivered in our visual environment are far too exceed. This shows that, ads are competing
with each other in an online environment that have too much of information. For this matter advertising need to be
salient in order to gets people attention.

2. Literature Review

In the advance of communication technology these days, advertisements are easily transferred to consumers.
Formerly, conventional medium such as television, radio and print media were among the popular platform in
disseminating advertisement to consumers. Today, however, Internet has given a new opportunity for businesses to
have an alternative platform to distribute advertisement to consumers. According to Bergemann & Bonatti (2011),
Internet has become an essential platform for advertising and has allowed businesses to target its own consumer
beyond the reach of traditional media. This is a good advantage for businesses to advertise their product and services
 Muhammad Helmi Abu Bakar et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 195 (2015) 309 – 314 311

via Internet. Message about product and services can be sent to consumers no matter where they are. Consumers can
be reached wherever they are, although their geographical areas are beyond reachable by conventional media. In
relation to that, businesses today has recognized that Internet advertising is the most popular and economical method
compared to traditional advertising (Hsieh & Chen, 2011). Businesses is said to consider Internet advertising as the
preferred medium in delivering marketing messages to consumers. In addition to that, Internet advertising has been
identified as the most cost-effective medium compared to conventional media. Less budget allocation for Internet
advertising but the most effective way to achieved marketing goal.

In line with that, Internet have been serving consumers from all over the world as the easiest way to communicate
and the creation of diverse social media sites has made the activity effortless (Cowden, 2014). From the creation of
this new platform of communication, businesses have a new opportunity in delivering marketing messages to
consumers. Businesses begin to employ social media as another platform to communicate to consumers about
product and services offered. Compared to conventional marketing, which uses television, radio or printed materials,
social media gives another experience to businesses as well as consumers. Conventional media is said to be a one-
way communication, whilst social media, the communication is in diverse directions (Tariq, 2011). The style of
communication executed in social media gives an advantage for businesses in promoting product and services to
consumers. Businesses may promote their product and services and at the same time give feedback to any query
from consumers. Unlike conventional advertising approach, consumers are only exposed to any promotion messages
delivered to them with no direct feedback can be given to consumers due to any inquiries.

Based on the advantage discussed, it is agreed that social media advertising formats are one of the approach that
allow businesses to gain direct response from consumers, and vise versa (Lindstädt & Budzinski, 2011). A direct
reaction between businesses and consumers can be achieved through this medium. Based on this matter, it is also
said that, the usage of social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, for advertising had
significantly risen (Wakolbinger, Denk, & Oberecker, 2009). This shows that, businesses have already taking a new
step to embark in utilizing social media platform to promote product and services to consumers. Based on that,
businesses will gain benefit from the usage of social media as it prepare a dynamic platform for businesses to get in
touch with consumers directly. Besides a targeted promotional activity, consumers will gain better understanding on
the goods being advertised or services offered based on their needs. In short, social media platform prepare a new
way of advertising and at the same time it also encourage a dynamic communication between marketers and
consumers.

However, issues regarding on attention on social media advertising would be one of the subject to be discussed in
order to achieved the desired goal. An effective advertising should be able to attract consumers’ attention, hold
interest to the message exposed, arouse desire to a product advertised and obtain action. This is based on AIDA
model, which indicate the advertising strategy. According to the model, primarily, advertisement should be in the
first place in creating attention among consumers to the product advertised (Zulkifly & Firdaus, 2014). The first step
is crucial, as attention need to be raised before consumers take further action. According to Müller, Alt, & Michelis
(2011), based on AIDA model, attention is the initial in the buying process to ensure the success of selling product.
However, these days, consumers are exposed with tremendous numbers of advertisements and information in an
environment. A website for instance, it is packed not only with information but it is also loaded with so many
advertisements. That gives a bad deal for advertisements to be noticed by consumers.

Getting consumers’ attention to an ad might be a great challenge for businesses regardless of the medium used.
According to (Taylor, 2013) no matter what kind of medium used, conventional internet advertising, social media or
even SMS, it is said to be a challenge to gain consumers attention to an advertisement posted. As reported by Fenton
& Barassi (2011), consumers didn’t pay much attention on messages on social media such as Facebook as they got
too overloaded. Consumers are exposed with a great numbers of messages in a social media. Due to that, there
would be possibilities for advertisement to be disregarded by consumer. Inattention to advertisement would be a
great problem as consumers were exposed with a high numbers of messages in an environment, in this case social
312 Muhammad Helmi Abu Bakar et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 195 (2015) 309 – 314

media platform. In addition to that, there is an issue concerning on advertising clutter in social media platform.
According to Cowden (2014), social media becomes the popular medium for today's communication and advertising
clutter has been identified as the factor that reduce the effectiveness of advertisement posted. The increased amount
of clutter is identified to encourage inattention toward advertisement posted. Consumers are preoccupied with the
other information or messages that also posted on the same medium. Therefore, a study of advertising design
elements that attract consumers’ attention to advertisements posted on social media is in need to cater this problem.
This is to maximize the usage of social media as one of the medium for today’s advertising.

3. Methodology

3.1. Research Goal

This study is run to determine the image characters that have an impact on consumers' attention to
advertisements displayed on the social media platform. Document review was the method used to achieve the
objectives of this study. The result of this study is a list of image content and image style that is said to
improve the attractiveness of advertisement. Moreover, the outcomes of this study will be identified as an
input for designers to design an effective advertisement for the social media platform. A qualitative research
method was conducted by reviewing past research documents to fulfil the objectives of this study. All the
documents of previous studies in regards to Internet advertising, advertising on social network and eye
tracking research were analysed.

3.2. Analyses and Results

Based on the analysis conducted, this section specifically discusses on the finding or result. This discussion
wills cover two (2) areas: Image Content and Image Style. Image content will covers on the composition of
images posted. The discussion will considering on the factors that form an image for advertisement. In addition to
that, review on image style will covers on the second part of the discussion. Image style will be considering on the
image pattern that form an image for an advertisement.

x Image Content
Based on this review, the content that forms an image for an advertisement will be discussed. This review will be
looking into the factors that contribute to consumers’ attention to an advertisement based on the image content.

x Human Figure
Human figures have the ability to consumers’ attention. Even though it is placed in an environment full with
distraction, it’s still an effective way to attract consumers’ attention. Based on this, Wilkinson & Light (2011),
concluded that, human figures in a photograph have the ability to attract attention though it is displayed close to
other distractors. In a social media environment, we were presented with abundant of distractors. Distractors might
lead to consumers’ inattention. Status and posting placed on a social media wall creates clutter within the platform.
Inattention to advertisements might occur due to this matter. For that, advertisements with human figure would be a
good suggestion to solve the problem. Based on the experiment conducted by Beh & Badni (2010) the analysis
shows that, human figures have been the factor that encouraged viewers to repeatedly fixed to within a visual
information environment. This shows that human figures are capable in attracting consumers’ attention in an
environment fill with distractors.

x Human Faces
Human faces also have its own ability to attract attention. As reported by Ohme, Matukin, & Pacula-lesniak
(2011), human faces are among the factors that lead to the fastest recognition by consumers compared to other
elements or stimuli presented. Human faces with emotional character capture attention quickly. This gives a better
approach in producing a better yet attractive ad in an environment stuffed with other element, which is more
 Muhammad Helmi Abu Bakar et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 195 (2015) 309 – 314 313

distracted. This matter also reported by Hutton & Nolte (2011) which agreed that faces are capable to capture
consumers attention to an advertisement displayed. As for that, designers might consider putting human faces in an
advertisement, as it will attract consumers’ attention to ads displayed.

x Celebrity Image
Image of celebrities are also effective in attracting consumers’ attention to an advertisement posted on certain
platform especially online advertising platforms. According to Li, Lee, & Lien (2012), utilizing of celebrities’ image
while using the product was identified as one of the powerful approach in attracting consumers’ attention.
Advertisers may hire celebrity in order to promote the product to consumers. Advertisement, which uses the image
of celebrities promoting the product, may gain a higher attention from consumers to the posted ads. As mentioned
by Ryu, Suh, & Dozier (2009), celebrity image may attract viewer’s attention. The appearance of celebrity’s images
in an advertisement has positive impact to consumers’ attention. As for the celebrity profile, he/she need to be
pleasant look and among the recognized by people. As reported by Tayebi (2010), in the interest to gain consumers’
attention, celebrity need to be among the person who is attractive. Advertisers need to consider this factor in the
interest of obtaining consumers’ attention.

Other than that, factors concerning image style also have its own way in attracting consumers’ attention to
advertisement. The next discussion will be focusing on image styles that attract consumers’ attention.

x Color
Advertisement in an online advertising platform has been confirmed to be competing with each other in the same
medium. The use of attention-grabbing tool such as animation, large size elements and vivid colors has been
reported to be the features that can attract consumers’ attention (Lee & Ahn, 2012). Apart from the other elements
discussed, color would be the elements that can attract consumers’ attention. For this reason, it is worthwhile to use
colored images with regard to gain consumers’ attention. As for bottom-up or stimulus-driven attention, it was also
recognized that colors are among the feature that can attract attention (Greenberg, 2012). Elements that have
different contrast from it surrounding will attract more attention. In this case colors have the ability to develop a
contrasting features.

x Image Size
Size of an image also gives an impact to consumers’ attention to any posted advertisement in an online platform.
As mentioned by Tayebi (2010), a big size image has a better impact on consumers attention than the smaller size of
image. Due to that, it is important to consider a larger image size of an advertisement in an advertising medium.
This is one way to overcome the problem of inattention to advertisement due to cluttered environment. According to
Lee & Ahn (2012), size of an elements are among the attention-grabbing tool to capture consumers attention. The
used of large size image may result to an effective way in getting consumers’ attention.

x Background Complexity
Regarding on this matter, we will be looking at feature complexity factors in an advertisement. As mentioned by
Pieters, Wedel, & Batra (2010), images with high complexity in features would have a negative impact on
consumers’ attention. Ads consist of features such as colors, luminance and edges. Based on this, advertisement that
have more detail on the basic features as listed is considered complex. This kind of complexity would have an
impact to consumers’ attention. According to Pieters, Wedel, & Batra (2010), complexity level can be classified into
three levels, which are, low feature complexity, medium feature complexity and high feature complexity. Above all
these three levels, low feature complexity has a positive impact on consumers’ attention. This can be achieved by
putting object of attention on a uniform background, such as white colored background.

4. Conclusion

This study has investigated the potential of design elements that have the possibility to attract consumers’
attention to advertisement. Image in an advertisement is an essential element that can attract consumers’ attention.
314 Muhammad Helmi Abu Bakar et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 195 (2015) 309 – 314

With all the factors discussed, it is hope that it will give a guide for designer in designing an effective advertisement
for social media platform. This study is also hope to overcome issues regarding on advertising clutter in a social
media platform. As a result to that, an effective advertisement can be produced.

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