Can We Turn ASMR Experiences Into Advertising?

Despite the emergence of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) as a marketing tool, limited research has explored its effectiveness. This study uses in-depth interviews and social media text mining to examine college-aged consumers’ experiences, uses, and interpretations of ASMR content and advertising. Regarding ASMR content, themes that emerged include sensations described as weird at first but later “tingles,” relaxation, stress and anxiety management, use as a sleep-aid tool, and experiences enhanced with earphones. For ASMR advertising, themes encompass attention-grabbing, product-centered approaches; targeting young people; and friendly, soft-speaking voices. Sentiment analysis of 7,724 YouTube comments on IKEA’s ASMR campaign revealed that 24 percent of the total comments were categorized as positive.