Generation Effect

​Read online​

---

This ad outside my local opticians sticks in my mind.

At first glance, it's bizzare.

It doesn't promote the business, showcase a promotion, or entice people in.

And yet, I think it's weirdly effective due to the generation effect.

In 1978, researchers¹ asked participants to either read work pairs or generate missing words from cues. For example:

Read condition: hot → cold

Generate condition: hot → c___

Those generating answers consistently remembered more across all memory tests.

In 2020, the study was repeated² with brand names.

Participants were shown ads with brand names containing missing letters, for example, "H_BC."

It was obvious to readers that the bank was HSBC, but by removing one letter, the ad became more engaging.

Shotton, Treharne, and Burnett found that brand names with missing letters were 14% more memorable.

Many ads apply this finding in a literal way.

Like Cancer Research UK.

And American Red Cross.

But my local opticians do something unique.

On average, we blink once every 3 seconds.

So those who walk past this sign will almost certainly blink while reading it.

That blink, rather than being an unconscious action, is now reframed as a conscious engagement.

And rather than ignoring the ad, we're forced to think about it, kicking in the generation effect.

It's a lovely example, with a simple takeaway.

Don't spell it out. Let your audience do some heavy lifting.

---

The generation effect is one of 85 principles you'll find in the Nudge Vaults.​

In fact, Nudge Vaults subscribers can use VaultsGPT to apply this principle to their work:

Get access right now →​

Or you can preview your first 50 insights for free →

Cheers,

​Phill​