ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on how advertising influences people evaluation of brand alternatives. A brand, company or service can also be perceived in different ways depending upon the frame of reference that people bring to it. Frame of reference is a psychological term that refers to a mind set or previous experience. A confectionery brand could focus on attributes like fun, popularity, self indulgence, color, taste, shape or texture and so on. One of the most important aspects of advertising is to play the focal beam of attention on a particular attribute and make that attribute more salient for people when they think of the brand. In other words, advertising influences the attribute agenda for a brand by rearranging the order in which people think of its attributes. Words and images can be used to make the positive attributes of an advertiser's brand or product more salient.
