Understanding how to capture, retain, and guide customers’ attention is paramount for the success of businesses (Davenport & Beck, 2001). No attention means no ad processing and hence, no brand communication effects. Instead of basing the marketing on discernible product features, which can be quickly imitated and duplicated by rivals, companies are advised to imbue their products with meaning. Meanings and associations can be transferred to a brand (McCracken, 1989) e.g. from well-known stories and archetypes, such as Mona Lisa and Snow White.
Theoretically, our study applies the idea of meaning-based marketing (MBM), a sub-discipline of consumer culture theory (CCT). Research in this tradition holds that consumers are active meaning makers, seeking identity value from brands. (McCracken, 1989) We investigate how archetypes can transfer meanings in advertising by first, measuring consumers’ eye behavior, using eye-tracking as a research method. Eye behavior, encompassing gaze direction, fixation, saccades, blinks, and pupil dilation, serves as a window into individuals' higher cognitive functions (Holmqvist & Nyström, 2011; Wedel & Pieters, 2008). After the eye-tracking phase, we delve deeper into the participants’ (N=44) interpretations of the ads by having them fill out a questionnaire.