Insights Into the Effectiveness of Advertising During the Recession Caused by COVID-19

Abstract

This study employs an online experimental approach to explore why an appropriate message appeal that resonates with consumers is crucial during a recession, rather than reducing investments in marketing, such as advertising spending. Drawing upon congruity theory and the accessibility–diagnosticity framework, the results of this experimental study demonstrate an interaction effect between message appeals and the state of a recession on consumers’ booking intentions. Furthermore, this effect is mediated by perceived advertisement diagnosticity, but only in the context of a price discount appeal in advertisements during a recession. This research contributes to extending the existing literature by examining the dynamic relationship between message appeals and the state of a recession on consumers’ behavioral intentions, mediated by their perceived advertisement diagnosticity. This explanation plays a significant role in bridging the gap in the lack of theoretical reasoning regarding relationships beyond the conceptual threshold through empirical testing. Second, the results of this study suggest more effective and actionable propositions for marketing and advertising professionals.