Elevate Your Marketing Game with ASMR: Find Out How!
Whether the trend of ASMR is booming or not, the question to ask is if there is an unlocked potential within the realm of content marketing for ASMR to drive purchasing intention. A quick search on Google reveals that ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and that people often search for it to cope with sleeping difficulties or for relaxation. It usually involves recording sounds from minor movements such as tapping, scratching, whispering, or interacting with delicate instruments to stimulate a person’s auditory senses, which induces them to have a tingling sensation in the brain that triggers relaxation.
In a creative bid to hop onto the ASMR trend, several brands such as IKEA, KFC, and BMW have made their own versions of ASMR videos featuring their products. Reportedly an article by Medium stated in 2021, ASMR-related videos on YouTube received over 65 billion views. Additionally, another article by Claruz Digital stated that ASMR has become one of the most searched keywords on YouTube globally, with 67.4 million searches made monthly.
Despite a clear and high demand for this type of content, most studies have only managed to relate the effectiveness of ASMR advertisements to understanding consumers’ perceptions of it. However, little to no research has been done on whether ASMR advertisements have been effective in persuading consumers to buy a product or service, which is why this thought experiment was carried out.
In conducting this thought experiment, we used two participating groups. Group A was exposed to three videos: a fried chicken ad, a gaming keyboard ad, and an ear massage video, all presented in an ASMR format. Similarly, a second group, labeled as Group B, was exposed to the same products and services, but the ads were non-ASMR in nature. Both groups were then required to answer a series of surveys pertaining to each category they were exposed to.
The key learnings from this experiments based on the results of the survey was:?
1. ASMR ads/videos magnifies appeal.
When studying the results from both groups, it was found that Group A, who was exposed to the ASMR ads, scored higher in the food and service categories compared to Group B. However, Group B participants showed a higher interest in gaming keyboards than Group A, resulting in Group B having a higher appeal to the gaming keyboard advertisement even though the ad was not ASMR-related.
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2.? ASMR ads/videos provide a stronger immersive experience.
3.? ASMR ads/videos can drive purchasing intention.
Likewise, the ASMR ads were found to drive better purchasing intention, especially in the food and service categories. These categories likely performed better because the ads were able to evoke emotional feelings of satisfying hunger and feeling relaxed, which could trigger participants to develop a purchasing intention towards the featured food and services.
Although the study of ASMR and its power to influence purchasing intention is limited, there is strong potential for ASMR to strengthen the perception of a brand, product, or service, which can drive purchasing decisions among consumers. When done appropriately, ASMR can immerse the audience in a unique experience that not only brings stronger awareness but could also be the persuading factor for consumers to make a purchase, as ASMR can trigger a consumer’s emotional need on a deeper level.
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