Why the media context to shape the message works

Information is not processed neutrally. We are swayed by contextual cues.

Jeremy Bullmore, former Creative Director and Chairman of JWT in London, notes that this affects not just headlines, but advertising too:

A small ad reading “Ex-governess seeks occasional evening work” would go largely unremarked in the chaste personal columns of ‘The Lady’. Exactly the same words in the window of a King’s Cross newsagent would prompt different expectations.

Behavioural principles

Behavioural ideas at play in this post

Short, plain-English explanations of the principles behind this post, with links to related books and examples in the archive.

Framing effect

Equivalent facts can lead to different choices depending on how they are framed.

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Expectation effect

Expectations change how the same experience feels.

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Choice architecture

The way options are arranged changes what people notice and choose.

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Why the media context to shape the message works

Behavioural ideas at play in this post

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