What Is Interesting?

At its core, interestingness is an appraisal—a judgment that something is worth paying attention to, exploring, or understanding. In the realm of advertising, interestingness prompts consumers to engage with a brand, stimulating mental processing and increasing the likelihood of brand recall and consideration.

  1. Generating Appraisal: The primary goal of interesting advertising is to elicit appraisal, or active thought, about the brand. This differs from merely seeking emotional responses or message comprehension. By creating reasons for consumers to think about the brand more frequently, advertising enhances mental availability, which is essential for brand growth.

  2. Interest Leads to Memory and Mental Availability: Interest sparks attention, comprehension, and memory. As psychologist Paul Silvia notes, "interest increases attention, promotes comprehension, and memory." Memory is crucial in advertising, as it ensures that a brand remains accessible in consumers' minds during purchasing decisions.

  3. Interest as an Emotion: Emotions and cognitive processes are intertwined. Stimulating emotions can enhance memory, but so can engaging the mind. Cognitive processing, such as thinking about a brand, strengthens memory structures and contributes to its mental availability.

  4. A Pattern of Change: Our minds are adept at recognizing and processing patterns. Interestingness arises when familiar patterns are followed or broken, prompting cognitive processing and memory reinforcement. Whether reinforcing existing patterns or introducing new ones, interesting advertising captures attention and fosters engagement.

  5. The Effect of Interestingness: Interesting advertising pays dividends by stimulating continued mental processing. It increases the chances of being noticed, remembered, and chosen by consumers. Brands with rich networks of memory structures are more likely to be top-of-mind during purchasing decisions.

  6. Efficient Reach and Mental Availability: Interesting advertising efficiently reaches consumers by capturing attention and echoing in their minds for longer periods. This not only increases the likelihood of being noticed but also strengthens mental availability, enhancing the brand's chances of being chosen.

  7. In Service of Meaning: While being top-of-mind is essential, it's equally crucial for brands to convey meaningful associations. Interestingness serves as a technique for adding depth and significance to a brand, prompting consumers to appraise its values and attributes.

  8. A More Useful Approach: Interestingness offers a practical framework for creating high-quality creative in advertising. Instead of focusing solely on fame, love, or creativity, advertisers can leverage interestingness to generate mental availability and meaningful brand associations.

In essence, interestingness in advertising prompts consumers to think about and engage with a brand, strengthening memory structures and increasing its accessibility during purchasing decisions. It's a multifaceted concept that goes beyond mere entertainment or emotional stimulation, serving as a catalyst for brand growth and consumer engagement.

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