We also tweaked the timings, introducing a five-minute delay before asking participants to remember the words. Not as long as we need to remember ads in real life, but a step closer to reality than Begg’s immediate recall.
Our results were even more pronounced than the original study.
Participants remembered 6.7% of the concrete phrases, but just 0.7% of the abstract ones. That’s a ten-fold difference.
These lab studies are also supported by real-world evidence. The book “Made to Stick” describes the analysis of ancient stories conducted by Michael Havelock, a classicist at Yale. Havelock has shown that stories that have been passed down by word of mouth, such as the Odyssey and the Iliad, have plenty of concrete words but few abstractions.
Begg suggests that concrete phrases are stickier because we can visualize them.
What should marketers do?
To boost memorability, take a look at the language you’re using. Strip out anything abstract and replace it with something real. Never use words such as durable, fast, easy or innovative without explaining in concrete terms why these adjectives apply.
One great example of concreteness in action comes from Apple’s early iPod days.
While other MP3 players of the day emphasized their storage size in megabytes, Apple made it real with “1,000 songs in your pocket.” The consumer was able to picture the device in their jeans pocket, easily storing all their favorite tunes. That act of visualization helped cement the claim in the mind.
Apple’s preference for concrete language is not as common as it should be. Far too many brands are attracted to vague abstractions such as Rightmove’s “Find Your Happy” or Hitachi’s “Inspire the next.”
Work hard to paint a picture that your customers can imagine. Even better if they feature in that scene—like the iPod in their pocket.
And they’ll literally keep you in mind. If you can create a scene as impactful as a rainbow, like Typo’s limited rainbow experience, then you’re really onto something.
