You're strolling through town on a frosty winter day and spot a poster advertising hot chocolate. Before you know it, you're standing in line, waiting for your hot drink. It seems only logical that hot chocolate ads would resonate better in the colder months than in the summer. But have you ever considered that almost any product can be made more appealing with advertising tailored to the ambient temperature? In this article, we explore how temperature influences our perception of advertising. We look at how temperature fluctuations affect our mood and thinking and how advertisers can use this knowledge to optimize advertising.
Embodied cognition
It's no secret that our mood is influenced by temperature. But did you know it can also affect the way we process information and perceive advertising? This is related to the concept of "embodied cognition." "Embodied cognition" means that our cognitive processes are based on our sensory experiences. For example, we perceive someone offering us a warm drink as friendlier than someone offering us a cold one. Just as our muscles tighten with exertion, helping us tolerate important but disruptive information, other physical experiences can also influence our thinking. For example, with a full bladder, we make more thoughtful decisions because the inhibitions triggered by a full bladder prevent impulsive decisions. Temperature can have similar effects on our mental state. A higher temperature can enhance our social perception and accelerate our consumption of cognitive resources. A lower temperature, on the other hand, can induce feelings of loneliness.
But how does all this relate to marketing and advertising? Temperature affects the way we process information. At higher temperatures, we tend to rely more on our emotions when processing information. Therefore, one might assume that emotional advertising works better at higher temperatures. This is partly true, but it's important to distinguish between pleasant and unpleasant temperatures, as they can have different effects.
Pleasant vs. unpleasant temperatures
When temperatures are pleasant, we tend to perceive warm cues in advertising and respond more positively to emotional advertising. This leads to a more positive attitude towards nostalgic advertising, which is often associated with warm memories and feelings. When temperatures are unpleasant, such as those experienced on very hot summer days or bitterly cold winter days, we react differently to advertising. Surprisingly, the opposite seems to be true. In cold weather, a need for psychological warmth arises to compensate for physical coldness. This can lead us to desire more emotional advertising or social activities to satisfy this need. On the other hand, when temperatures are high, we tend to look for ways to cool down and therefore respond more positively to less emotional, more rational advertising.
Advertisers can use this knowledge to make their advertising more effective. One possibility is to adapt advertising to the seasons. In winter, when temperatures are uncomfortably cold, ads that evoke warm and cozy feelings might be particularly effective. In summer, when temperatures are uncomfortably high, more rational ads might be more popular. Temperatures can also vary within a day, and advertisers can respond to this as well. In warmer times or places, emotional ads, such as nostalgic ads, might be well received, while in cooler temperatures, more informative ads might be preferred. Almost all major brands exploit this effect. Finally, I would like to present two examples:
Starbucks Red Cups: Starbucks is known for introducing its red cups during the holiday season. They promote warm, spicy drinks like Peppermint Mocha and Gingerbread Latte, which evoke feelings of both warmth and nostalgia. The red cups themselves are a symbol of the holidays and the warm and cozy feeling they evoke. This is an example of a company using the unpleasant, cold temperatures of winter to create warm and emotional advertising.
Coca-Cola's Summer Campaign: Coca-Cola often runs summer advertising campaigns that focus on the hot temperatures. They depict people enjoying a refreshing Coke while enjoying the sun or relaxing on the beach. This advertisement appeals to people's need to cool off in high temperatures. It conveys the image that a cold Coke is just what you need to refresh yourself in the summer heat. This is an example of a company using the uncomfortable, hot temperatures of summer to create more rational advertising.
