[VIDEO] From interruption to integration: how to put the “quality” in quality time

Life moves fast, and there’s always something demanding our attention – work, bills, errands, and an endless news cycle, all amplified by constant smartphone notifications. In the rush, quality time often takes a back seat. So how can marketers connect with people during these increasingly fleeting, yet important, moments?

To find out, Amazon Ads and Crowd DNA conducted a study, resulting in their latest report, ‘Everyday Moments: The Role of Brands in Quality Time and Entertainment.’ The report defines ‘quality time’ as “the meaningful time we set aside for ourselves – outside of daily or weekly responsibilities and commitments” and it reveals that entertainment plays a key role in shaping these moments.

What’s crucial for marketers to understand, the report finds, is that different types of entertainment create different consumer mindsets. To successfully connect quality time, entertainment and your brand, your ads must align with what consumers seek – whether it’s enjoyment, convenience or relaxation.

To learn more about how timeliness influences advertising effectiveness, Campaign and Amazon Ads spoke with Richard Shotton, author of ‘The Choice Factory’ and ‘The Illusion of Choice’. Shotton references a 2007 Fred Bronner study, where participants flipped through a newspaper and were asked to recall as many ads as possible. “The twist in the experiment is he [Bronner] has also asked them what mood they're in: happy or sad, relaxed or stressed,” says Shotton. “And he finds that people are approximately 52% more likely to remember ads if they're in a good mood rather than a bad mood.” Shotton’s key takeaway? “If you want people to notice what you're saying, identify when they're relaxed, identify when they're happy, and you are much more likely to succeed.”

Knowing when to reach people – being timely – is just one of four key principles that Shotton points marketers to. The EAST framework, developed by the Behavioural Insights Team in 2012, comprises: Make it Easy, Make it Attractive, Make it Social, and Make it Timely, and it was designed to make behavioural science easier for marketers to apply. 

Watch our video, produced in partnership with Amazon Ads, to find out more about the EAST framework and discover “the most tried and tested” persuasion tactic that Shotton says the industry is forgetting…