Exploring persuasion knowledge in food advertising: an empirical analysis

Svenja Mohr,Rainer Kühl

doi:10.1007/s43546-021-00108-y

Abstract

Food purchase decisions are characterized by habitual purchase behavior and low consumer involvement. The main aim of food marketing is to influence food consumers, for example, through advertising. In order to illustrate the interaction between consumers and marketers, Friestad and Wright (1994) developed the Persuasion Knowledge Model. The Persuasion Knowledge Model postulates that consumers’ dealing with persuasion attempts depends on three knowledge factors: persuasion, agent, and topic knowledge. In this paper, we apply the Persuasion Knowledge Model to food advertising. Based on an online survey with German students (n = 420), a structural equation analysis is used to investigate how persuasion knowledge determinants influence food consumers’ avoidance of the persuasion attempt which is presented as a hypothetical but typical food advertisement. Results show that the dependent variable beliefs about consumers’ avoidance of the persuasion attempt is negatively influenced by consumers’ beliefs about psychological mediators in the advertisement and by consumers’ beliefs about the appropriateness and effectiveness of the persuasion tactic. The determinant consumers’ beliefs about persuasion coping goals and tactics positively influences consumers’ avoidance of the persuasion attempt. From these findings, we derive recommendations for food industry advertisers and consumer education.

Highlights

Consumers are often not aware of food advertising and food purchase decisions are typically habitual
The design of food advertising messages is influenced by the habitual purchase behavior of food consumers
Our results show that the evaluation of the effectiveness and appropriateness of the persuasion tactic have a comparatively large impact on whether consumers avoid the chocolate bar advertisement or not

Summary

Introduction

Consumers are often not aware of food advertising and food purchase decisions are typically habitual. The cognitive effort required to make purchase decisions for food is low among consumers and usually a once learned purchase behavior persists. This is accompanied by a low tendency to use information and small financial risks of a failed food purchase. Food marketing aims to persuade consumers about food products across all media (Ham et al 2016). Due to the low involvement of food consumers in purchase decisions, advertisers try to involve consumers in advertising messages through, e.g., emotional elements and to persuade them to buy their products (Neumann 2009). Advertisers aim to direct consumer preferences to the advertised product and to strengthen brand trust, in particular, for products which are bought habitually (Schweiger and Schrattenecker 2001)

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