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Weekend


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January 24, 2003

Strange But True!

  • A weekly column of incidental information, off-the-wall observations and other random facts about the world.
    • By BILL SONES and RICH SONES, Ph.D.
    Special to the Journal

    Q. Calculate the shrinking consumers' bull's-eye that advertisers spend hundreds of billions of dollars every year trying to hit. What chance have they got?

    A. Estimate one person in 5 will be exposed to any particular ad or series of ads (Probability = .2). Of these, maybe half will pay attention (P = .5). Out of this group, perhaps nine in 10 will comprehend the ad (P = .9). (Based on "Consumer Behavior" by William L. Wilkie)


     
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