The Blink Factor is the ability to stand out and effectively communicate a meaningful and differentiated offering, and must be present during the at-purchase moment to ensure maximum impact. Visual Communication in Branding. t is vitally important that consumers notice your brand, which can be difficult when surrounded by competitors and other visual stimuli.

1. June | 2014
Research Paper
Psychology
& Visual Design
The Role of Attention, Perception, and Memory in Branding

2. ThinkBlink
At Shikatani Lacroix, we design compelling at-purchase
moments that connect in the blink of an eye.
Our philosophy and strategic design approach,
ThinkBlink, is driven by a consumer’s motivation to make
a purchase decision. Everything we do is geared to owning
the “at-purchase” moment. Our firm has a well-earned
reputation for designing integrated brand experiences that
effectively connect brands with consumers to drive
measurable results for clients. !!
About the author
Sydney McMurter, Research & Strategy
Shikatani Lacroix
As a researcher and strategist at Shikatani Lacroix, Sydney
conducts research and analysis for brands such as TD Bank,
PepsiCo Canada, and Tim Hortons. !
Prior to joining SL in 2012, Sydney graduated from York
University with a Honours BSc degree in Psychology and a
certificate in Urban Studies, where she researched the
connection between psychology and design. !
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3. introduction
Vision is a dominant sense, with a large portion of the brain
dedicated to perceiving and interpreting visual information.
Furthermore, visual stimuli have been reported to be more
memorable, more recognizable, and communicate information
more quickly than text stimuli (Stenberg, 2006). Therefore
visual design can be a powerful tool to create a distinct and
compelling brand image, whether it is applied to packaging, a
retail environment, or a website. Brand graphics can also serve
as a link of familiarity and coherence between an increasingly
complex network of channels. For example, in Shikatani
Lacroix’s 2011 Packaging in an Online World research study, it
was shown that consumers buying online look for brand
graphics that they recognize from retail stores. !
Brand visuals with the Blink FactorTM catch attention,
communicate quickly, and are memorable. Therefore the Blink
FactorTM works by designing to the key psychological
principles of attention, perception, and memory. These three
design goals will be deconstructed in the following sections.
!
“The Blink FactorTM s the
ability to stand out and
effectively communicate a
meaningful and
differentiated offering,
and must be present
during the at-purchase
moment to ensure
maximum impact.” Jean-
Pierre Lacroix, President,
Shikatani Lacroix
Visual Communication in Branding
The Shikatani Lacroix Think Blink Process
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4. step 1
Catch Attention!
It is vitally important that consumers notice your brand, which
can be difficult when surrounded by competitors and other
visual stimuli. Attention exists as a survival mechanism to focus
on relevant information, therefore a brand must find a way to
be relevant and worthy of attention. Furthermore, due to a
phenomenon called “inattentional blindness”, even very
noticeable stimuli can go unnoticed if an individual is absorbed
in another task (Mack & Rock, 1998). For example, a shopper
that has already decided on the product they want to buy is on
a mission, and while in search mode the shopper is often
essentially blind to all other products. !
Habit is another powerful force to break. In a research study
conducted by the market research company TNS, it was found
that 69% of supermarket shoppers buy the same brand as they
previously did in that category, and 45% buy exactly the same
product. Therefore, habits can be dangerous for brand
marketers looking to gain new customers, but work in favour of
the brand that is linked to a habit. !
So, for a brand to have a disruptive effect and overcome
inattentional blindness and habits, one must first understand
the two main cognitive processes that filter and take in
information. The first cognitive system is used for quick
decisions, and uses heuristics, or shortcuts, to accomplish this
task. These shortcuts are “rules of thumb” that sacrifice
accuracy for speed and make decisions on limited information,
and can develop into habits. The second cognitive system is
more rational, but slower, and not often used in routine tasks.
In fact, it takes a considerable amount of attention and
conscious effort to activate this second system, as the brain
likes to conserve energy and use the first system whenever
possible (Kahneman, 2011).
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5. Therefore disruptive design strategies need to
take these processes into account. To catch the
attention of the first filtering process, the
unconscious system 1, a brand must be visually
designed to connect to consumers immediately.
Stimuli that can pose a threat to survival are
perceived the fastest. For example, objects that
are moving, unexpected, mysterious, and unique
will be attuned to unconsciously (Bodenhausen
& Hugenberg, 2009). Colour and shape are also
perceived quickly, and can unconsciously "pop-out",
depending on their context (Mack & Rock,
1998). In addition, stimuli related to personal
aspects and one’s sense of self stand out when
being cognitively filtered for relevancy
(Wingenfeld et al., 2006). These insights can be
applied by using emotional messaging that
connects to the target audience's sense of self,
emphasizing uniqueness through design, owning
a specific colour and shape, and using motion-based
technology such as digital screens. The unique design and finishes of the
Cineplex VIP theatre signify an
upscale experience and catch the
attention of consumers.
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6. Communicate quickly.
Once a stimuli has captured the unconscious attention of
system 1, it then has a chance of being assessed consciously by
the more rational system 2, that makes decisions on value at a
less superficial level, and has a stronger influence on long-term
memory (Kahneman, 2011). Yet, although system 2 is more
rational, it still must be convinced quickly. For example, even if
a unique element of a package catches the attention of system
1, if it does not communicate its value quickly it may be
dismissed almost immediately. ! Therefore brand identity and positioning, or the value
proposition, need to be clearly and succinctly expressed in the
short period of time before attention wanes or a negative
judgment can be made. Clear, quick communication of a value
proposition makes a decision easier and makes shoppers
happier, which can result in more sales. Visual design can play
a key role in accomplishing this task. It is certainly an art and
science to successfully combine design elements such as line,
colour, size, typography, movement, communication hierarchy,
imagery, and contrast in order to create an appealing visual
that communicates the correct message very quickly.
step 2
“Colour, shape, and
imagery play a pivotal
role in creating the right
visual shorthand that will
drive brand recognition
and preference.” Jean-
Pierre Lacroix, President,
Shikatani Lacroix
!
!!!!!!!
Vivitas’ unique packaging shape and graphics communicate
that the product is a natural health supplement for women,
and colour is used to easily differentiate between products. !
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7. Another strategy to design a visual with the Blink Factor is
to combine elements (and their associative meanings) in
such a way that they give off a general impression and
cohesive message when perceived together. This strategy
is based on Gestalt theory that refers to the process when
the perceptual system completes shapes, groups similar
objects, and creates visual meaning by perceiving
individual aspects as a whole (Bodenhausen & Hugenberg,
2009). It is a cognitive process that allows humans to
make sense of an incredibly complex informational world,
without which we would not be able to read words, since a
word is perceived as a sum of its individual letters.
!
The individual elements representing the natural, specialty, and fresh divisions of KeHE are
perceived together to represent an Earth icon that gives off a unified impression.
!!
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8. step 3
“Brands reside in the
networks of neurons that
house our memories of
them.” (TNS, 2014)
!!
Be memorable.
Equally important to catching attention and communicating
value quickly, visuals must be memorable to ensure continued
engagement and loyalty past the first purchase or experience.
Again, however, with so many competing brands it is difficult
to stand out as a distinct memory (and recognizable brand)
and create a lasting impression. !
Another strategy to increase brand memorability through
visual design is to exploit the associative network system of
the brain that forms memories. Information in the brain is
stored in networks of associated concepts that become linked
together to form a single memory. If a brand can become
linked to memories and part of an associative neural network,
its influence will be drastically increased. The brand will be
recalled with exposure or priming to any single associated
item, such as an emotion, a colour, or a behaviour, and the
subconscious connection to this item can exert a powerful
impact on decisions. Affective memories, which are connected
to personal feelings and motivations, are particularly strong
and rich neural networks. !
Since visual elements are stored in memory much more
effectively than other forms of communication and are often
the first items that are recalled about a brand (Stenburg,
2006), they are very important to the process of integrating a
brand into the memory network. Logos and visual elements
(along with the name of the brand), can serve as a central pillar
to which associations from media, advertising, personal
experience, and anecdotes are connected. It is also important
to note that brand memories are not static, and can be
updated or reinforced with new exposure to the brand.
The bright colours and emotional
link to personal relaxing experiences
and memories gives this Corona
packaging the Blink FactorTM. !!
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9. In conclusion, the workings of attention, perception, and
memory are important to assess when designing for optimal
visual communication and branding. For new customers, brand
visuals need to be distinct and relevant enough for them to
actually notice and assess its offering. For current customers,
the brand needs to remain compelling compared to
competitors in order to keep their loyalty while also being
easily identified and recognizable to facilitate the purchase
decision. Sustained attention is only possible after an initial
attraction, and an opportunity to appeal to the more rational
cognitive system and communicate further benefit is a bonus
after this initial consideration occurs. Furthermore, to optimize
visual communication, it is also important to reinforce a
message through associations and meanings of colour and
shape, and through strategies that enhance the memorability
of a visual design. If successful, a brand will stand out,
represent its message, and create a lasting impression.
!
summary
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10. references
1. Stenberg, G. (2006). Conceptual and perceptual factors in picture superiority effect. European
Journal of Cognitive Psychology. !
2. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Daniel Kahneman. 2011. Anchor Canada. !
3. TNS Intelligence Applied. 2014. http://www.tnsglobal.com/intelligence-applied. !
4. Mack, A., & Rock, I. 1998. Inattentional Blindness. MIT. !
5. Bodenhausen, G. V., & Hugenberg, K. (2009). Attention, perception, and social cognition. In F. Strack
& J. Förster (Eds.), Social cognition: The basis of human interaction (pp. 1-22). Philadelphia: Psychology
Press. !
6. Wingenfeld K1, Bullig R, Mensebach C, Hartje W, Driessen M, Beblo T. Psychol Rep. (2006). Attention
bias towards personally relevant stimuli: the individual emotional Stroop task. Dec;99(3):781-93. ! 7. Setchell, J., & Wickings, E. (2005). Dominance, status signals, and coloration in male mandrills
(Mandrillus sphinx). Ethology, 111, 25–50.
!!
| Visual Design Psychology | Research Paper | May 28, 2014
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