A glance at today’s communication landscape reveals that pictures can speak more than a thousand words – and for good reason. In a world where attention spans are diminishing and visual stimuli are on the rise, images are gaining increasing importance in PR. The article Bildeigenschaften – wir schauen lieber als wir lesen (Adlmaier-Herbst 2013) illustrates why people prefer images and underscores their crucial role in public relations.
The loss of interest without images is a common phenomenon, whether it’s reading brochures or browsing the internet. Reading requires effort, and more and more people are reluctant to invest that effort. The visual element is gaining ground because it is perceived and processed more quickly. In presentations, we often remember only images and key phrases, not text deserts. Images have the unique ability to convey emotions more vividly and memorably than texts.
The advantages of images in PR are diverse. They stand out, activate quickly, are easily absorbed, and processed. A glance at an image is enough to form an initial impression, and we can remember images well even after brief observation. Images can convey emotions better and evoke intense experiences by engaging different senses. They are more convincing than text and can influence attitudes, opinions, and even behavior.
Particularly interesting is the unconscious processing of images, which strongly influences opinion formation. Politicians are evaluated in seconds based on visual impressions, regardless of their political expertise. (experiment by social researcher Siegfried Frey, showed students from Germany, France and the USA 180 film clips of 60 politicians from the TV news in the three countries. The clips contained short speech excerpts from these politicians, with the sound switched off. In just a few seconds, the test subjects formed a comprehensive judgment of the politicians. It did not matter whether they knew the politician or not.) This emphasizes the importance of unconscious processes in PR.
In the future, PR will need to focus more on these unconscious processes to fully understand the impact of images. The power of images in PR is not only evident but also profound, and it is up to communication professionals to skillfully harness this power. In a world of rapid consumption, images capture attention that text alone often cannot reach.
Let’s look at some numbers:
In a mere 0.1 seconds, our minds can conjure a rough impression beneath an image. Within a single second, we can swiftly recognize 5 images in rapid succession – a feat not achievable with a critical mindset. Devoting just 2 seconds to observing an image is adequate for secure later recognition. Therefore, for swift and effective communication, the emphasis should be on visuals.
When we contrast the reception of images and texts, an image advertisement captures attention for approximately 1.7 to 2 seconds. Within this brief period, observers grasp around 5 percent of the information; comprehending the entire content would demand 35 to 40 seconds. What is assimilated within the initial 2 seconds? A staggering 76 percent pertains to the image, 16 percent to the headline, and a mere 8 percent to the text. Viewers absorb 50 to 70 percent of the visual information but only 2 percent of the textual information – roughly equivalent to 6 to 7 words.
Insight for my research project: If I want complex content or content in general to be not only understood but also remembered, it would make sense to present it using graphics/pictures. As this article shows, many people prefer visual elements because they are processed faster and require less energy. The advantages of images are their eye-catching nature, quick impact, easy absorption, persuasive power, longer-term retention, and ability to convey intense emotions.
Source:
Adlmaier-Herbst , Prof. Dr. Dieter Georg (2013, February 7th). Bildeigenschaften – wir schauen lieber als wir lesen. https://edition.cnn.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-timeline-history-cec/index.html.
