The Effect of Value-Signaling Message Framing on Consumer Reactions: The Roles of Aesthetic Appeal and Status Consumption Orientation

This study examined the effects of message framing, image valence, and issue involvement on consumers’ advertising attitudes, brand attitudes and purchase intention in the context of green advertising. A 2 (message frame: gain vs. loss) X 2 (image valence: positive vs. negative) between-subjects randomized experimental study was conducted to address the proposed hypotheses. A total of 285 participants of the main study was recruited. This study found congruency between message framing and image valences affected consumers’ advertising and brand attitudes, and purchase intention. Consumers had positive advertising and brand attitudes toward gain-framing with positive image while they had negative advertising and brand attitudes toward loss-framing with negative image. However, for incongruent advertising, the effects of image valence diminished the effects of message framing. Specifically, regardless of message framing, positive images triggered positive advertising and brand attitudes while negative images lead to negative advertising and brand attitudes, and purchase intention. Last, this study found interesting results about issue involvement as a moderator. When consumers with low involvement were exposed to incongruent green advertising, image valence had stronger effects on their advertising and brand attitudes than message framing. Based on the results, theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

This study examined how message framing, reference points, and political affiliation influence audiences’ perceived information value for others and purchase intentions regarding an organization’s promotion of electric vehicles (EVs) on social media. The results from an experiment showed that participants (n = 506) evaluated posts emphasizing benefits for the self of purchasing an EV to have greater information value for the recipients in their network than posts highlighting benefits for the environment. When political affiliation was considered, the effects of framing and reference points were only observed among Democrats. Democrats found self/gain and environment/loss posts to have greater information value for others. No significant effects were found regarding message framing, reference points, or their interactions on purchase intentions.

We adopted a two-way analysis of variance to evaluate the effect of positive and negative message framing and consumers' regulatory focus (promotion- and prevention-focused) on the perceived credibility of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and purchase intention. Participants were 344 adults in Taiwan aged between 20 and 60 years. Results show that (a) prevention-focused (vs. promotion-focused) consumers perceived eWOM had greater credibility when they were presented with a negatively framed message, (b) negative (vs. positive) message framing increased the perceived credibility of eWOM for prevention-focused consumers, (c) promotion-focused (vs. preventionfocused) consumers had a stronger purchase intention when presented with a positively framed message, and (d) both prevention- and promotion-focused consumers had stronger purchase intention when exposed to a positively (vs. negatively) framed message. Our findings may provide a reference for companies to establish a set of eWOM marketing strategies.

Purpose In an era of information overload, advertising is an effective mean of influencing consumers’ food preferences. This study focuses on advertising message design and explores how temporal distance and message framing can be effectively combined to promote healthy food consumption. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in construal level theory, this study developed a conceptual model to examine the interactive effect of temporal distance (present vs. future) and message framing (positive vs. negative) on healthy food purchase intentions through three studies. Findings Study 1 found that when the message was negatively framed, the present temporal distance significantly increased purchase intentions for healthy food. In contrast, no significant effect of temporal distance was observed in positive framing. Study 2 discovered that conceptual fluency mediates this interaction effect. Study 3 demonstrated the moderating effect of general health interest (GHI). Specifically, a significant interaction effect between temporal distance and message framing on healthy food purchase intentions was observed only among consumers with low GHI, while those with high GHI were unaffected by message design. Research limitations/implications This study reveals that multidimensional message designs (temporal distance and message framing) in advertising influence consumers’ healthy food purchases through information processing mechanism (conceptual fluency), thereby enriching research related to message design and information processing in persuasive communication and providing valuable theoretical insights into healthy food advertising. Based on the findings of this study, the stakeholders, including managers, marketers and government agencies in the health food and wellness industry, can create more effective advertisements to promote healthy consumption, which enhances both business outcome and overall social benefits. Practical implications Based on the findings of this study, the stakeholders, including managers, marketers and government agencies in the health food and wellness industry, can create more effective advertisements to promote healthy consumption, which enhance both business outcome and overall social benefits. Originality/value In the healthy consumption context, this study elucidates the critical role of message framing in influencing how temporal distance affects consumers’ purchase intention from a persuasive advertising design perspective. Furthermore, it identifies the underlying information processing mechanism underpinning this interactive effect, which enriches the theoretical understanding of the mechanisms driving healthy food advertising effectiveness.

This study intended to empirically verify the effect of message framing, cognitive need for closure, and type of fashion products on purchasing attitude of PB fashion products in discount stores. The design consisted of three-mixed design of 2(POP(Point of Purchase)message framing: benefit message vs. loss message) <TEX>${\times}2$</TEX>(cognitive need for closure: high vs. low) <TEX>${\times}2$</TEX>(PB fashion product type: utilitarian vs. hedonic). Survey of this study was conducted on 330 men and women in 20~50's in Seoul and Gyeong-gi, and a total of 287 data were analyzed. Data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0 program, and three-way ANOVA, simple interaction effects and simple main effects analysis were conducted. The results of this study are as follows: First, it was identified that the framing type of POP message of discount store, cognitive need for closure, and PB fashion product type had significant effect on preference and purchase intention. Secondly, it was identified that consumers with both high and low cognitive need for closure had high preference level and purchase intention when they encountered the benefit message framing than the loss message framing. Thirdly, the benefit message framing was more effective than the loss message framing for hedonic PB fashion products in discount stores, but utilitarian PB fashion products did not get affected by the message framing. Fourthly, it was identified that groups with both high and low cognitive need for closure preferred hedonic PB fashion products. Lastly, it was verified that benefit message framing POP advertisement on a group with high cognitive need for closure was effective for Hedonic PB fashion products in discount stores, and utilitarian PB fashion products showed no difference in purchase intention according to the POP message framing type and cognitive need for closure.

Mr. Potato Head fights food waste: The effect of anthropomorphism in promoting ugly food

Reducing food waste constitutes a critical strategy for promoting sustainable development and has attracted considerable attention from countries around the world. The present study adopts the conceptual framework of ego-moving and time-moving metaphors to examine how message framing influences consumers’ food saving intention (FSI). Drawing on framing effect theory (FET) and conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), this study investigates the congruence effect of message framing and time metaphors on consumers’ FSI, with a focus on elucidating the underlying “black box” mechanisms through three scenario-based experiments. It was found that the use of the gain frame under ego-moving was better able to persuade customers to engage in food conservation, that the use of the loss frame of expression worked better under the time-moving condition, and that pride and indebtedness acted as parallel mediators in this interaction effect. The congruence effect between time metaphors and message framing is not static but is moderated by the level of resource scarcity. The research findings not only provide theoretical support for the effectiveness of enriched message framing but also offer practical and targeted strategies for the design of public service advertisements (PSAs).

Effects of message framing and health literacy on intention to perform diabetes self-care: A randomized controlled trial

Roughly half of all new sexually transmitted infections (STI) occur in adolescent and college-aged populations. College students tend to underestimate their personal risks of contracting STIs. Consequently, many college students do not engage in protective behaviors that would reduce STI transmission rates. This study examined the effect of source credibility (high vs. low) and message framing (positive vs. negative) on college students’ behavioral intentions to get screened for STIs via a 2 × 2 experiment (n = 207). Further, drawing on both Prospect Theory and Protection Motivation Theory, the study tested whether coping and threat appraisals mediated the effects of source credibility and message framing on behavioral intentions. Results reveal that both highly credible sources and negatively framed messages influenced behavioral intentions to screen for STIs. However, the interaction term of source credibility by message frame was not significant. Mediation models suggested that efficacy perceptions partially explained the effect of source credibility on behavioral intentions, but not for the effect of message framing. Perceptions of severity and susceptibility did not mediate the effect of either source credibility or message framing. Practical and theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

There are two types of appeals in green ads: those that emphasize self-focused reasons and those that emphasize other-focused reasons. This research investigates the effect of green appeals and message framing in green ads on the purchase intention of green products. Results indicate that for social-benefit green products from which consumers experience heightened public accountability for environment, consumers respond better to positively framed ads. For self-benefit green products, negatively framed ads can lead to greater purchase intention. Findings contribute to existing research on consumers’ green consumption decision making and provide evidence for the matching effect of message framing and green appeals.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of brand and message framing on consumers’ evaluations and purchase intentions of smart health-care clothing. The study also examines the mediating effect of consumers’ evaluations on the effects of the brand and message framing on purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachThrough an experimental approach, a total of 240 US consumers’ evaluation of smart health-care clothing is compared according to the existence of a well-known brand (vs. none) and message framing (technology-focused vs. fashion-focused).FindingsThe results show that consumer evaluation of smart health-care clothing is higher when the product is from a well-known brand, where consumers’ fashion consciousness and health consciousness positively influence such an evaluation as covariates. Message framing, however, did not have an influence that revealed any significant difference between technology-focused and fashion-focused messages. The consumer’s evaluation of smart health-care clothing eventually increased their purchase intentions and mediated the effects of brand on purchase intentions.Originality/valueSmart health-care clothing refers to clothing that measures, records and manages the user’s activity and health status through conductive fibers or sensors that are woven in the clothes. Despite its benefits, smart health-care clothing is still not widely adopted among consumers, except for a few successful examples. Closing this gap, the results of this study provide implications regarding whether and how brand and message framing maximize consumers’ evaluations toward smart health-care clothing, which the developers and marketers of such products can use to increase the product’s market penetration.

An experiment examined the combinatory effects of advertising message framing, desirability of end states, and brand zealotry on consumers’ responses to wearables advertising. The compliance framed ad elicited more favorable ad attitude, purchase intention, and word of mouth (WOM) intention compared with the noncompliance framed ad. Results also showed brand zealotry moderated the interaction between message framing and desirability of end states on WOM intention. Specifically, for low brand zealotry individuals, the compliance-framed ad elicited greater WOM intention than the noncompliance-framed ad regardless of the desirability of end-states. The desirable end-state ad triggered a greater WOM intention than the undesirable end-state ad regardless of message framing. For high brand zealotry individuals, the effect of message framing on WOM intention relied on the desirability of end-states. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Extant experimental research in corporate social responsibility (CSR) separately has examined the effects of message framing (operationalized in numerous ways) and the effects of corporate communication strategy, which can emphasize either a corporation’s ability (CA) or its CSR efforts in trying to help society. To investigate the potential combined effects of message framing and communication strategy, the current 2x2 online experiment assessed the impact of episodic/thematic framing and a CA/CSR strategy on consumers’ brand perceptions and purchase intent. Based on the two message factors, each participant (N = 232) read one of four possible press releases about a company’s efforts to combat hunger, then responded to a series of questions, which were analyzed via MANOVA and PROCESS mediation models. Results indicated a straightforward pattern of interaction effects on brand attitude, purchase intent, and several related outcome measures – episodic framing performed best when the brand implemented a CA strategy, and thematic framing was more persuasive when a CSR strategy was employed. Further, several other important consumer perceptions (perceived credibility, altruism, and company reputation) mediated the relationships between message manipulations and brand-related outcome measures. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

With the advancement of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology, understanding drivers’ responses to takeover requests is crucial for ensuring safety and operational efficiency when driving with ADAS. However, existing research mainly focused on providing information through different modalities (e.g., visual or audial), while the combined effects of transparency and message framing on drivers' perception and behaviors when faced with takeover requests have not been thoroughly explored from an information design-based perspective. This study aimed to investigate the combined effects of transparency (i.e., transparent vs. not transparent) and message framing (i.e., gain vs. loss) on drivers’ perceptions of designed information and behaviors (takeover time, emotional reaction, and message attitude) during takeover requests. Thus, the experiment employed a 2×2 within-subject design, with 31 participants (i.e., 23 females and 8 males) completing a driving simulator study featuring four distinct message prompts. The results indicated that: (1) The transparency significantly impacts drivers’ takeover performance, with longer takeover time observed when the information is not transparent; (2) The message framing significantly influences drivers’ emotional reactions, in which loss-framed messages evoke stronger emotional reactions compared to gain-framed messages; (3) Both the transparency and message framing significantly influence drivers’ attitudes towards the designed messages. More specifically, transparent messages generally result in more positive attitudes, while gain-framed messages consistently lead to higher message attitudes compared to loss-framed messages. The findings of this study underscore the critical role of transparency and message framing in enhancing the safety of drivers when driving with ADAS, which could be used to guide the design of human-machine interaction interfaces, foster drivers’ acceptance of ADAS, and further calibrate drivers’ mental models of and trust in ADAS.

BackgroundWith the increasing health care burden of cancer, public health organizations are increasingly emphasizing the importance of calling people to engage in long-term prevention and periodical detection. How to best deliver behavioral recommendations and health outcomes in messaging is an important issue.ObjectiveThis study aims to disaggregate the effects of gain-framed and loss-framed messages on cancer prevention and detection behaviors and intentions and attitudes, which has the potential to inform cancer control programs.MethodsA search of three electronic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed) was conducted for studies published between January 2000 and December 2020. After a good agreement achieved on a sample by two authors, the article selection (κ=0.8356), quality assessment (κ=0.8137), and data extraction (κ=0.9804) were mainly performed by one author. The standardized mean difference (attitude and intention) and the odds ratio (behaviors) were calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of message framing (gain-framed message and loss-framed message). Calculations were conducted, and figures were produced by Review Manager 5.3.ResultsThe title and abstract of 168 unique citations were scanned, of which 53 were included for a full-text review. A total of 24 randomized controlled trials were included, predominantly examining message framing on cancer prevention and detection behavior change interventions. There were 9 studies that used attitude to predict message framing effect and 16 studies that used intention, whereas 6 studies used behavior to examine the message framing effect directly. The use of loss-framed messages improved cancer detection behavior (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.64-0.90; P=.001), and the results from subgroup analysis indicated that the effect would be weak with time. No effect of framing was found when effectiveness was assessed by attitudes (prevention: SMD=0.02, 95% CI –0.13 to 0.17; P=.79; detection: SMD=–0.05, 95% CI –0.15 to 0.05; P=.32) or intentions (prevention: SMD=–0.05, 95% CI –0.19 to 0.09; P=.48; detection: SMD=0.02, 95% CI –0.26 to 0.29; P=.92) among studies encouraging cancer prevention and cancer detection.ConclusionsResearch has shown that it is almost impossible to change people's attitudes or intentions about cancer prevention and detection with a gain-framed or loss-framed message. However, loss-framed messages have achieved preliminary success in persuading people to adopt cancer detection behaviors. Future studies could improve the intervention design to achieve better intervention effectiveness.