Clutter and Serial Order Redefined and Retested

The traditional definitions of advertising clutter and serial order have deficiencies. The position effects may be better defined in terms of two components, i.e., proaction from preceding ads and retroaction from succeeding ads. Clutter and serial-order effects can be seen as results of interaction between proaction and retroaction. There is also a need to distinguish pod clutter from program clutter. A holistic theory of position effects is proposed based in part on the redefined concepts. A naturalistic quasi-experiment was conducted in North Carolina during the 1992-1994 Super Bowl games. The results suggest that preceding ads have negative effects on brand recall, brand recognition, and advertisement liking; and succeeding ads have a negative effect on brand recognition. Each proactive effect is stronger than its counterpart retroactive effect. Hence, an advertisement would fare better in a pod of less ads and/or in an earlier position within the pod. Further, position effects appear as strong as the effects of more established factors such as advertising frequency, length, or quality. Also discussed are implications for advertisers, television networks and stations, researchers, and consumers.