What Does the Term 'Noise' Mean in Marketing?

This sign delivers a clear message.

When professional marketers use the term "noise," they're referring to information an audience must filter through to receive the marketing message. Too much "noise" makes advertising unclear.

Effects

A distracting, unclear message.

When the target audience is distracted by noise, its members are less likely to remember the key concepts of the promotion. The audience may choose to overlook the advertisement because of its clutter, or the excess information may distract the receiver. Either way, the message is lost.

Types

Some examples of "noise" include distracting animation on a website, poorly designed signage, cluttered print ads or radio commercials that don't focus on the listener.

Prevention/Solution

Marketing professionals use test groups to gauge the success of an upcoming campaign. The test group, or focus group, is shown an advertisement, and the members of the group respond with feedback. Test-group responses can indicate if an advertisement is delivering a clear message.

References

• Dan O'Day: Commercial Copywriting
• Reference for Business: Focus Groups
• Dynamic Logic: Visual Noise - The Role of Site Clutter in Advertising Branding Effectiveness

Resources

• Bnet: The CBS Interactive Business Network