UND Discovery THEY’RE EVERYWHERE
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JOONGHWA LEE AND SOOJUNG KIM
They’re Everywhere
To get a handle on this, take a closer look at your Facebook account or your favorite magazine. Many items you see are actually advertisements—such as that full-page write-up about some new pharmaceutical or therapy. Check out the sponsored links and suggested posts on your social media accounts. These are all placed ads to inform you about a product or service, in the hope that you will identify with that product (or service),
It’s advertising that says ‘gotcha’ when you don’t expect it
remember it, and eventually buy it. Advertisements used to be obvious
By Juan Pedraza
Advertising—do you recognize it? Avoid it? More importantly, can you identify it 100 per cent of the time?
Once, there were only a few TV and radio stations to choose from so competition for time (and viewer attention) was less. Those ads were obvious. Now, with hundreds of viewer and listener choices, as well as the electronic devices we all use—
Joonghwa Lee and Soojung Kim are here to help.
including the remote control—Kim says advertisers are finding it
Both natives of Seoul, Korea, Lee and Kim bring an international
harder and harder to gather viewers’ attention. The challenge is
experience to their research.
not only how to make a lasting impression on the viewer about
Lee’s interest is in interactive and non-traditional media (i.e., online video advertising and mobile media) as well as consumer behaviors in strategic communication. Kim focuses on understanding international and intercultural strategic communication and the psychology underlying the effects of advertising (such as advertising avoidance). Their research agenda focuses on advertising, public relations, and health communication; they are faculty members in the Department of Communication. Together they have researched a new style of product pro-
a product, but where to place that information so it is seen and remembered rather than avoided. Today’s consumer is unlike earlier consumers; we are better informed because we have so much information at our fingertips, the research team points out. “We have learned how to ignore standard advertising, so ad placement is the key. If it doesn’t look like an advertisement, maybe it won’t be avoided,” Kim says. Lee and Kim joined the UND Department of Communication Program faculty in fall 2015.
motion called “native advertising.” This research was recently
Joonghwa Lee is an Assistant Professor. He earned his PhD in
published in American Behavioral Scientist, a leading journal in
Journalism (Emphasis: strategic communication) from the
the field of the social and behavioral sciences.
University of Missouri and an MA in Advertising from Michigan
Native advertising is a form of paid media where an item appears
State University.
to belong in the context of what is being observed, but in actu-
Soojung Kim is an Assistant Professor. Kim received both an MA
ality has been placed to promote that product. Lee says, “Native
and PhD in Mass Communication from the University of Minneso-
advertising is any kind of branded content that is similar to the
ta and a BA in Mass Communication and Psychology from Korea
media platform on which it is appearing.”
University.