Memory Retrieval

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Memory:

Memory is a process of acquiring information and storing it over time so that it will be available when we need it.^[2]

Memory Systems:

There are 3 distinct memory systems: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Each plays a role in processing brand-related information.^[3]

• Sensory memory stores the information we receive from our senses. This storage is very temporary; it lasts a couple of seconds at most. ^[4] 
• Example: Walk past a pizza parlor and the smell of the pizza makes you want to go inside and eat.
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• Short-term memory also stores memory for a limited amount of time, and it has limited capacity. This system is working memory; it holds the information we are currently processing.^[6]
• We store this information by combining small pieces into larger ones in a process called chunking.
  
•    Researchers believed that our STM was capable of processing between five and nine chunks of information at a time- they describe this basic property as the "magic number 7+/-." This is the reason phone numbers today have 7 digits.^[7]
• Chunking is important to marketers because it helps determine how consumers keep prices in short-term memory when they comparison shop.^[8]
  
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• Long-term memory is the system that allows us to retain information for a long period of time. A cognitive process we call elaborative rehearsal allows information to move from short-term memory into long-term memory.^[10]
• Marketers sometimes assist in the process when they devise catchy slogans or jingles that consumers produce on their own.^[11] 

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Spreading Activation:

Spreading activation allows us to shift back and forth among levels of meaning. The way we store a piece of information in memory depends on the type of meaning we initially assign it to. This meaning type, in turn, will determine how and when something activates the meaning. For example, we could store the memory trace for an Axe men's fragrance ad in one or more of the following ways:^[13]

Brand Specific:

Memory is stored in terms of claims the brand makes (it's macho").

Ad Specific:

Memory is stored in terms of the medium or content of the ad itself (a macho-looking guy uses this product).

Brand Identification:

Memory is stored in terms of the brand name (Axe).

Product Category:

Memory is stored in terms of how the product works or where it should be used (a bottle of Axe sits in a guy's medicine cabinet).

Evaluation Reactions:

Memory is stored as positive or negative emotions ("that looks cool").(^[14]

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How We Retrieve Memories When We Decide What to Buy

Retrieval is the process whereby we recover information from long-term memory. Although most of the information that enters our long-term memory does not go away, it may be difficult or impossible to retrieve unless the appropriate cues are present. 

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Individual cognitive or physiological factors are responsible for some of the differences in retrieval ability among people. Older adults consistently display inferior ability recall ability for current items, such as prescription drug instructions, although they may recall events that happened to them when they were younger with great clarity.

The recent popularity of puzzles, such as Sudoku, and centers that offer "mental gymnastics" attests to emerging evidence that we can keep our retrieval abilities sharp by exercising our minds just as we keep our other muscles toned when we work out on a regular basis^[17].

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Situational factors also influence retrieval; these relate to the environment in which we encounter the message. Not surprisingly, recall is enhanced when we pay more attention the the message in the first place. Some evidence indicates that we can retrieve information about a pioneering brand (the first brand to enter the market) more easily from memory than we can for follower brands.^[20]

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Spacing effect:

The spacing effect describes the tendency for us to recall printed material more effectively when the advertiser repeats the target item periodically rather than presenting it repeatedly in a short time period.

• Commercials we see during baseball  games yield the lowest recall scores among sports programs because the activity is stop and go and not continuous.
• General Electric found that its commercials fared better in television shows with continuous activity, such as stories or dramas, compared to variety shows or talk shows that are             punctuated by a series of acts.^[23]

The nature of the ad itself plays a big role in determining whether it is memorable. One study on print advertising reported that we are far more likely to remember spectacular magazine ads, including multipage spreads, three dimensional pop-ups, scented ads, and ads with audio components.^[24]