SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES IN ADVERTISING: DO THEY REALLY WORK?

Abstract

Subliminal messages appear in movies, commercials, music videos, and even cartoons. These are hidden signals inserted into advertising messages sent to a target audience to influence their subconscious behaviour. Such advertising is often considered unethical and, in certain types of advertising, even forbidden by law. Most research to date indicates that people do, in some way, perceive subliminal stimuli that can have an impact on their behaviour. Subliminal messages are viral and are used to manipulate consumers. However, most human psyche researchers are still inclined to think people cannot be persuaded on an unconscious level to behave in a way they would not consciously act. How crucial the influence of subliminal messages is for behaviour has not yet been sufficiently explored. The main goal of this paper is to determine whether people are aware of the existence of subliminal messages in the media and media manipulations and do they find them ethical. An online survey was conducted to assess the respondents' awareness, attitudes, and beliefs regarding subliminal advertising. The results show that the understanding of subliminal perception related to instinct and emotion is evident. The contributions will help both; marketing managers when deciding should they use subliminal messages in their advertising and consumers when deciding if they want to purchase a specific product.