The exercise was simple: To update a presentation on print-advertising effectiveness, Philip W. Sawyer, senior VP-solutions consultant at Harris Interactive, needed to select about 20 ads to test their stopping power, branding ability and level of engagement -- the three key elements that drive purchase consideration and, ultimately, sales. He looked through 15 magazines and pulled about 50 ads that either positively or negatively exemplified those principles. Later, as he tried to cull my 50 ads down to 20, he came to a shocking realization: Almost all of the ads had caught his eye because they were egregiously negative examples of the principles.
