The role of informational versus transformational ad appeals in building consumer-based brand equity for low involvement products

Abstract

ABSTRACT Prior literature suggests that, for low involvement products, transformational advertising should be favored over informational advertising. The current study on 927 consumers from the United Kingdom indicates that transformational and informational ad appeals are equally effective in enhancing brand awareness, but informational ad appeals are more effective in increasing positive quality perceptions and company associations. Confirming previous findings, the positive effect of informational ad appeals on brand awareness is greater for utilitarian products than for hedonic products. This study provides insights guiding the adoption of informational and transformational ad appeals to achieve specific advertising objectives depending on the product type.