Advertising Message Strategies Research Articles

No Slogan versus with Slogan: The Different Message Strategies for New Product Digital Video Ads

ABSTRACT Purpose Interestingly, some new product digital video ads use slogans, while some do not. This study aims to identify the similarities and differences between the message strategy elements used in two types of new product video advertisements (no slogan vs. slogan). In addition, it attempts to examine how product innovation newness may moderate the influence of video advertising (no slogan vs. slogan) on the presentation frequency of various elements of the message strategy. Methodology/Approach This study employed content analysis method to confirm the special features of the message strategy for the digital video ads. 1070 digital video advertisements of six technology-driven companies’ new products published on the YouTube website’s corporate accounts in the two-year period from 2018–2019 were collected. Findings This study clarified the ambiguous relationship between message strategy and creative strategy and confirmed the theoretical framework of an advertising message strategy. The results of a content analysis revealed that the presentation frequency of elements of the message strategies for the two types of new product digital video ads (no slogan vs. slogan) were significantly different and confirmed the moderation effect of the product innovation newness. Research Implications Extant literature has mostly confirmed the theoretical value and practical significance of advertising slogans. However, there are few studies on advertising message strategies with or without slogans. Our research attempts to provide a theoretical basis for new product video advertising message strategies with or without advertising slogans. Practical Implications When designing video ad copy, advertisers should have the awareness of integrating the four elements of message strategy for systematically planning. When the advertisers choose to use video ads with slogans, they should adopt more rational appeals, creative elements, information cues, and execution elements. The video advertisements of the two groups of new products (INP vs. RNP) differ significantly in the elements presented by the message strategy in the context of whether there are advertising slogans. Originality/Value/Contribution This is the first study that examines the similarities and differences between the presentation frequency of various message strategic elements of the two types of digital video advertisements (no slogan vs. slogan). In addition, it examined the influence mechanism of advertising slogans on the four elements of message strategy.

Descriptive Study of Advertising Message Strategy of Barista Special Blend by Top Coffee

Since 2017, For five consecutive years, Kopi Kapal Api has been the leading brand in Indonesia’s Top Brand chart in the instant roast and ground coffee category. The brand tagline, “Jelas Lebih Enak”, communicates the brand promise to deliver better taste, and has become one of the popular taglines among Indonesian consumers. Any coffee brand that wants to be perceived to be more excellent than Kopi Kapal Api needs to apply a distinguished Advertising Message Strategy to challenge the competition’s position. Therefore, this study aims to understand the distinguished applied Advertising Message Strategy by the newborn brand owned by an Indonesian Consumer Goods company, Barista Special Blend by Top Coffee. This study utilized The Elaboration Likelihood Theory Model as the analysis framework. This qualitative descriptive research collects data from literature studies and audiovisual advertising material from the official YouTube account of Top Coffee. The findings show that Barista Special Blend by Top Coffee endeavors to build a ‘Coffee Expert’ Brand Association and elaborate aesthetically on the process of serving a sophisticated Coffee-Making process made by the Barista Character. The study concludes that the Ad mainly uses the peripheral route to create expertise perception as the message strategy.

Save the Amazon Rainforest!: Message Strategies of Charity Advertising in Social Media

A common advertising message strategy used in gaining donations is utilizing images provoking emotion, statistics that support the need, and anecdotal wording to appeal to empathy. Utilizing the Elaboration Likelihood Model, this research examines the impacts of advertising message strategies on donation intention towards an environmental issue, by using a 2 (anecdotal versus logical appeal) × 2 (visual versus no visual) experiment. In addition, this study seeks to find relationships among other important factors such as the feeling of guilt, prior donation history, message comprehension, involvement, and gender. A result from 591 respondents using AmazonTurk showed that logical appeal influences respondents’ intention to recommend the cause to others and donation intention. Females were prone to feel higher amounts of guilt than males, females were more likely to recommend donating to others than males, and previous donors had higher intentions to donate and recommend donating to others. Further theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

It makes a difference! Impact of social and personal message appeals on engagement with sponsored posts

PurposeGrounded in uses and gratifications (U&G) theory and relying on the congruence/incongruence approaches, the current research aims to contribute to the study of interactive marketing by measuring the effectiveness of social and personal sponsored post message appeals on consumer psychological and behavioral engagement. A conceptual framework is suggested.Design/methodology/approachData were collected during a field experiment conducted on Facebook, consisting of two sponsored Facebook post campaigns, followed by a survey distributed to consumers who were exposed to the experiment.FindingsA structural path model suggests that the congruence of the social message appeal of sponsored Facebook posts leads directly to psychological engagement that follows affective response. This path elevates an indirect effect toward behavioral engagement. Additionally, it was found that the incongruence of the personal message appeal of sponsored Facebook posts leads directly to behavioral engagement.Originality/valueThe novelty of the current research focuses on the unexplored subject of sponsored Facebook post message appeal effectiveness. Based on U&G theory applied to social media and the (in)congruence approaches, the study suggests a new dichotomy of message appeal for digital advertising, i.e. social vs. personal message strategies. Consumer engagement with the two appeals adds value to theory and practice by conceptualizing the effect of sponsored post content strategies on consumer engagement in Facebook while incorporating ad content with a hierarchical process.

Global COVID-19 Advertisements: Use of Informational, Transformational and Narrative Advertising Strategies

ABSTRACT This study employs the informational and transformational approaches from Taylor’s Six-Segment Message Strategy Wheel and narrative transportation theory to understand the use of different advertising message strategies in COVID-19 advertisements on a global scale. Understanding how advertisers constructed their public messages during a global pandemic is a necessary first step before follow-up research can be done to assess which message strategies were most effective. Content analysis was performed on the entire COVID-19 video ad library (N = 354) from Ads of the World website that were published from March to September 2020 from 49 countries. Results suggested that most of the ads used a transformational strategy with a focus on the social aspect of limiting community spread instead of an informational approach. Many of the ads also employed a narrative message strategy that used storytelling to transport and persuade viewers. Perhaps the most interesting finding is that the use of narrative message strategy was related to storytelling, ad length, music, and humor, but independent from the use of informational strategies.

Effects of Farmers’ Facial Expression on Consumers’ Responses in Print Advertising of Local Food: The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence

In the context of ethical consumption, we examine the effects of farmers’ facial expression in print advertising on consumers’ responses to local food. Furthermore, we try to verify the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI) on consumers’ responses to the advertising message strategy. The advertising message strategy that connects farmers and consumers is expected to create more favorable responses among consumers toward local food and its retailers. This study examines consumers’ responses (perceived product quality, trust, and a positive attitude toward the local food retailer) to three conditions of farmers’ facial expression in the advertisement (neutral facial expression, positive facial expression, and product only, with no portrait) across two levels of EI (low and high). We find that farmers’ positive facial expressions in the advertisements have the greatest positive effects on consumers’ perceived product quality, trust, and attitude toward the local food retailer under a high level of EI. Therefore, individuals with a high level of EI were more influenced by facial expressions in print advertising, whereas those with a low level of EI were less influenced by facial expressions in print advertising, and their responses were indifferent to whether the local food farmer had a neutral or a positive facial expression in print advertising. Our findings suggest that marketing practitioners consider personal characteristics such as EI in persuading local food consumers in target markets to implement strategies to promote local food purchase and consumption.

How brand-cause fit shapes real world advertising messages: a qualitative exploration of ‘femvertising’

Brand-cause fit, the concept that a brand and a social issue ‘pair’ together conceptually, has been a topic of great interest yet it is not fully understood due to inconsistent findings and limited theoretical development. In this study, we take a different approach to understanding brand-cause fit to explore how and in what ways ‘fit’ shapes advertising message strategies. A growing trend in advertising is ‘brand responsibility’, wherein a brand aligns itself with a social issue. A prominent focus of these messages is gender equality, namely, female empowerment. Advertisers utilize ‘femvertisements’ to emphasize their support of women. The motive behind this work is often called into question, given brands’ inherent desire to sell products. Advertisers should consider how brands ‘fit’ with specific social issues. Through a qualitative analysis of advertisements that received an award for femvertising, this study sheds light on the differences in message themes between brands with high versus low brand-cause fit, specifically target audience brand-cause fit, in an effort to further this literature and advertising practice. Five key messaging themes are elucidated among high-fit brands (overt femininity, fixing the self, being a girl is a hardship, actors on set, and let’s talk about it) and four themes among low-fit brands (low femininity, breaking stereotypes, reminders that women and men do the same activities, and getting men on board); which shape how women are depicted, the overall brand message, and the overall social issue message. Indeed, fit should be considered beyond simple high/low congruence. Implications for advertising practitioners and researchers are discussed.

The Effect of Brand–Health Issue Fit on Fast-Food Health-Marketing Initiatives

Recognizing that fast-food brands are increasingly interested in featuring health and wellness values in their marketing, this study investigated the effect of perceived brand–health issue fit on consumer responses to a fast-food health-marketing initiative. Consistent with previous findings and the schema-congruent framework, the results of the current study indicate that an advertising message with high brand–issue fit, compared to one with low brand–issue fit, elicited more favorable consumer responses. In addition, this study tested two different advertising message strategies (i.e., health issue-focused vs. brand-focused) under high and low brand–health issue fit conditions. In line with the predictions of categorization theory, the health issue-focused advertising message was more effective than the brand-focused advertising message under the low fit condition. The findings have theoretical and managerial implications and can help practitioners develop better marketing and advertising strategies for fast-food health-marketing initiatives.

Guilt and Shame: Environmental Message Framing Effects

The authors examine how two negative emotions—guilt and shame—influence responses to environmental ad messages framed as gains or losses. In Study 1, participants primed with guilt express higher intention to conserve water after they view a gain-framed water conservation ad; participants primed with shame express higher conservation intention after they view a loss-framed ad. Study 2 replicates and supports the proposed matching hypothesis using nonstudent adults. In Study 3, participants react to a recycling ad as they did in Studies 1 and 2 when they expend high effort by transcribing the recycle pledge before they view the ad, but not when they expend low effort by reading the pledge first. The findings overall provide converging evidence for the interplay between negative emotions and message framing. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed for developing environmental advertising message strategies.

Advertising message strategy analysis for award-winning digital ads

In anticipation of increasing interest in digital advertising, the present study examines the message strategy of digital Clio award-winning advertisements over a period of nine years. A sample of 291 digital ads (including TV, film, social media, mobile and Facebook ads) from Clio Awards was content analysed. The results indicate that the ritual view is dominant across all organisational types and product categories regardless of the country of origin. However, the finding supports that award winning marketers prefer to either alter consumers' social profile or advertise rational information for their products.

Forgotten classics: Motivation in Advertising, by Pierre Martineau (1957)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review and summarize Pierre Martineau’s Motivation in Advertising and to assess its status as a valid forgotten classic of the marketing literature. Design/methodology/approach Motivation in Advertising is reviewed and summarized, and its contributions to marketing and advertising history, thought and practice are assessed. Findings Martineau was among a handful of figures behind the “motivation research” movement among marketers and advertisers during the late 1940s to the 1960s. His “new philosophy” regarding communication theory, persuasion and advertising message strategy and tactics remains highly influential and relevant. Written during a period of tremendous growth in consumption in the USA and a revolution in the use of qualitative research in marketing and advertising, Martineau’s book represents much more than a work about his experiences with motivation research, but a significant contribution to advertising communication theory as well. Originality/value Pierre Martineau was the subject of a historical biography (Martin, 1985), which also focused substantially on the principal themes and contributions of Motivation in Advertising. The book was also widely reviewed shortly after its publication. This more recent review and assessment, however, reveals the work’s valuable historical insights into how postmodern consumption evolved and many present-day perspectives of consumer behavior and advertising effects coalesced during the Consumer Revolution and at the outset of modern advertising’s “Golden Age”.

When comparative valence frame affects brand extension evaluations: the moderating role of parent-extension fit

This research examines how comparative valence frame influences brand extension acceptance when parent-extension fit matters. The results of this research show that a positive comparison-framed ad message elicits more favourable extension evaluations and greater purchase intentions than a negative comparison-framed ad message under the similar extension condition, while both positive and negative comparison-framed ad messages contribute equally to brand extension evaluations and purchase intentions under the dissimilar extension condition. The findings also suggest that perceived extension risk serves as a critical mediator that underlies the interactive impact of comparative valence frame and parent-extension fit on brand extension evaluations. Theoretical and practical implications for advertising message strategies in brand extensions are discussed.

Investigating the moderating role of sport service type and personality on audiences' emotional responses to hedonic vs. cognitive advertisements

Although advertising theorists have suggested that for maximum effectiveness the type of message appeal needs to match the type of service offered (i.e., a rational advertisement message appeal is more effective for a utilitarian service; an emotional advertisement message approach is suitable for a hedonic service), empirical inquiry in the area of advertising for services has produced contradictory evidence. After considering the limitations of previous research, this study utilized a series of mixed experimental designs to examine the moderating role of the type of sport service and personality trait (i.e., sensation seeking) on the relationship between the type of advertisement message and the consumers' emotional responses. The mixed measures ANCOVA results revealed that sensation seeking fails to show a moderating effect between the type of message appeal and participants' emotional responses. However, sport service type moderates the effect of the advertising message on the participants' emotional responses, indicating that the proper usage of advertising message strategies might improve the effectiveness of advertising for the service segment of the sport industry.

Psychological ownership: a social marketing advertising message appeal?

The authors assessed psychological ownership as a potential persuasive advertising message appeal in social marketing efforts. Psychological ownership is a feeling of possession; it occurs when individuals feel that something is theirs even though they cannot hold legal title to it. Interestingly, the first study indicated advertising messages that generate psychological ownership yielded less favourable attitudes, word of mouth and willingness to pay price premiums among women. Women responded more negatively to messages that attempted to induce psychological ownership than to neutral messages. The adverse responses of women prompted the second study, in which both the psychological ownership message and cognitive capacity were manipulated. Results indicate that, in a limited cognitive capacity condition, women responded similarly towards higher psychological ownership and neutral advertising messages. Further, these effects were mediated by inferences of manipulative intent and not feelings of guilt. Theoretical and managerial implications are offered for marketers attempting to use psychological ownership as an advertising message strategy and gender as a segmentation strategy.

Rx for Brand Consistency

<h3>Objectives</h3> (i) To synthesise the evidence-base for Schwartz Center Rounds (Rounds) to assess any impact on healthcare staff and identify key features; (ii) to scope evidence for interventions with similar aims, and compare effectiveness and key features to Rounds. <h3>Design</h3> Systematic review of Rounds literature; scoping reviews of comparator interventions (action learning sets; after action reviews; Balint groups; caregiver support programme; clinical supervision; critical incident stress debriefing; mindfulness-based stress reduction; peer-supported storytelling; psychosocial intervention training; reflective practice groups; resilience training). <h3>Data sources</h3> PsychINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE and EMBASE, internet search engines; consultation with experts. <h3>Eligibility criteria</h3> Empirical evaluations (qualitative or quantitative); any healthcare staff in any healthcare setting; published in English. <h3>Results</h3> The overall evidence base for Rounds is limited. We developed a composite definition to aid comparison with other interventions from 41 documents containing a definition of Rounds. Twelve (10 studies) were empirical evaluations. All were of low/moderate quality (weak study designs including lack of control groups). Findings showed the value of Rounds to attenders, with a self-reported positive impact on individuals, their relationships with colleagues and patients and wider cultural changes. The evidence for the comparative interventions was scant and also low/moderate quality. Some features of Rounds were shared by other interventions, but Rounds offer unique features including being open to all staff and having no expectation for verbal contribution by attenders. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Evidence of effectiveness for all interventions considered here remains limited. Methods that enable identification of core features related to effectiveness are needed to optimise benefit for individual staff members and organisations as a whole. A systems approach conceptualising workplace well-being arising from both individual and environmental/structural factors, and comprising interventions both for assessing and improving the well-being of healthcare staff, is required. Schwartz Rounds could be considered as one strategy to enhance staff well-being.

The impact of advertising message strategy – fair labour v. sexual appeal – upon Gen Y consumers' intent to patronize an apparel retailer

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine Gen Y consumers' responses to American Apparel's use of two advertising message strategies – fair labour and sex appeal, using the theory of reasoned action to predict intent to patronize American Apparel and comparing the utility of the classic reasoned action model with an extended model that included variables external to the theory.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was administered to 425 consumers, who were randomly assigned to one of four advertisement exposure groups. Group 1 evaluated an American Apparel ad (Ad No. 1) that promoted fair labour practices. Groups 2, 3, and 4 evaluated Ad No. 1 as well as one of three additional ads that featured messages employing sex appeal of varied intensities.FindingsParticipants' attitudes toward American Apparel were more positive when they were exposed to the fair labour message, only, than when they were exposed to the fair labour message in conjunction with one of the three sex appeal messages. In the classic reasoned action models, intent to patronize American Apparel was consistently predicted by attitude toward the retailer. Extending the models increased the explained variance for Groups 1, 2, and 3, with several variables adding predictive utility.Research limitations/implicationsA fair labour message may contribute to positive evaluations of apparel advertisements and may build positive attitudes toward apparel retailers. Thus, when appropriate, apparel retailers might consider using a fair labour message strategy, rather than a sex appeal message strategy.Originality/valueThe study explores consumer responses to two distinct advertising message strategies not often used simultaneously by a single company within the contemporary marketplace and examines the influence of these responses and other variables on patronage intention.

Claude Hopkins, Earnest Calkins, Bissell Carpet Sweepers and the Birth of Modern Advertising

This study of the lives and careers of Claude C. Hopkins and Earnest Elmo Calkins from their boyhood experiences with periodical advertising in the 1870s though their professional contributions to the field at the turn of the century provides a ground-level view of modern advertising's emergence. Among other things, it shows that certain marketing concepts emerged earlier than is often assumed and that these concepts were often developed independent of major advertising agencies and far from the urban centers of advertising production. Calkins and Hopkins had very different philosophies of marketing, and between them they defined a spectrum of advertising message strategy that still characterizes the field. The happenstance that Hopkins and Calkins both wrote ads for the Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, provides a symbolic center for this analysis that brings these developments into focus.

Chinese children's perceptions of advertising and brands: an urban rural comparison

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how perceptions of truthfulness of television advertising and perceptions of brands vary among urban and rural children in Mainland China and also to collect information about the basis of judgment children used to determine whether commercials are true.Design/methodology/approachDescriptive statistics were compiled to give the perceptions of television advertising and brands of the overall sample, as well as the urban and rural sub‐samples. Chi‐square tests and independent sample t‐tests were conducted to examine the urban‐rural difference in perceptions of television advertising and brands. The sample was divided into two groups that were of similar size (age six to nine and age ten‐15). Chi‐square tests were conducted to examine the age difference in advertising perceptions.FindingsThe urban‐rural difference in consumer perceptions of advertising and brands indicates that children's development in consumer socialization depends on the environment. Urban respondents were more skeptical towards advertising than rural children. Urban and rural children shared two similarities: older children were less likely to perceive television commercials truthful than younger children. Younger children liked television commercials more than older children.Research limitations/implicationsThe three surveyed urban cities were highly advanced in terms of their economies and advertising development compared with all other Chinese cities. The seven surveyed rural counties cannot be generalized to the very poor rural provinces in China.Practical implicationsThe study should serve as an advertising guideline for marketers and advertisers that target urban and rural children in China.Originality/valueThis paper offers insights for employing different advertising message strategies to disseminate market information to urban as well as rural children in China.

Brand commitment in consumer–brand relationships: An investment model approach

The present paper uses a theoretical model from research on interpersonal relationships, the investment model, to predict brand commitment. The investment model uses three variables—satisfaction, alternatives and investment—to predict level of relationship commitment. In Study 1, a survey established the link between the three predictor variables and the level of commitment to three different brands: a participant-selected brand, a product brand (Coca-Cola) and a service brand (Bell South). In Study 2, the levels of the three predictor variables were manipulated experimentally and three hypothetical brands were used. The results from both studies provided strong support for the investment model predictions regarding commitment to a brand. Implications for marketing and advertising message strategies are offered.

Advertising message strategies for encouraging young White working class males to consider entering British universities

One hundred and sixty-one 16 to 18 year old White working class youngsters currently enrolled on post-school vocational courses at two further education colleges in central London viewed four advertisements designed to arouse interest in the idea of going to university. Two of the advertisements contain visual images with no accompanying text; two contain purely documentary information. Each advertisement relates to either a hedonistic or a utilitarian theme. Participants' responses were analyzed with respect to a person's financial status, prior knowledge of the characteristics of university life, perceptions that university attendance carries a high-risk of not obtaining long-term financial benefit, levels of personal ambition, and fear of possible social isolation consequent to enrolling on an undergraduate programme.