Subliminal Communication Techniques

Visual and audio perceptions are divided into figure and ground. Figure includes content, foreground, and subject, while ground includes background supportive to figure, and the environment within which figure exists (Key, 1989). Individuals unconsciously distinguish figure from ground, and the conscious mind focuses on figure, while ground is perceived unconsciously. If a threatening distraction is included in ground, ground becomes figure. Less than onepercent of the American population possesses syncretistic vision, which is the ability to view figure and ground simultaneously, although most people have such a capability when in an hypnotic trance (Key, 1989).

Figure and ground have long been significant in fine art. Advertising artists have adopted this technique. In advertising, figure typically provides a safe, uncontroversial, and nonchallenging presentation of information, while ground may contain vital data whic

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selling concept of marketing implies that consumers "have a normal tendency to resist buying . . . things that are not essential," but that they "can be induced to buy . . through various salesstimulating devices" (Kotler, 1989, p. 29). Subliminal advertising represents the nadir of application of the selling concept of marketing. The only goal of subliminal advertising is to persuade individuals to make involuntary purchase decisions. A third concept of marketing "holds that the key task of the (marketing) organization is to determine the needs and wants of target markets and to adapt the organization to delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than its competitors" (Kotler, 1989, p. 31). As good as it sounds, there are two significant criticisms of the marketing concept (DeLozier and Woodside, 1988, p. 16). First, the marketing concept fails to consider the conflict between individual want and satisfaction, and the longrun public interest. Second, the goal receiving the greatest emphasis in the marketing concept is that of organizational profit, not consumer needs. The marketing concept was dreamed up by academics, not by practicing marketers. Neverthele
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Approximate Word count = 4803
Approximate Pages = 19 (250 words per page)

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