Message characteristics

One-sided appeal:

Only presents the positive aspects of the product.

• Example: A soda ad showing only its refreshing taste.

Two-sided appeal:

Presents both positives and negatives, then refutes the negatives.

• Transcript insight: “You address negative side… by stating that, okay, we have… we have to dismiss it.”

Message Appeals

fear appeals, humor appeals, sex appeal, guilt appeals, value-expressive vs. Utilitarian appeals, combining appeals

Fear Appeals

• Evokes fear to motivate behavior.

• Effective in high-involvement or risky situations (insurance, medical, anti-smoking campaigns).

• Caution: Too much fear → rejected (social judgment theory; people only accept information within their latitude of acceptance).

Humor Appeals

• Generates positive emotions, improves memorability, and encourages sharing.

• Best for products like snacks, beer, casual brands.

• Transcript insight: “Humor… memorable… generates positive feelings… but may overshadow the actual message.”

Sex Appeals

• Attracts attention and evokes arousal; can reinforce product association with attractiveness.

• Must be subtle and tasteful to avoid alienating audiences.

Guilt Appeals

• Encourages donations or pro-social behavior by making viewers feel responsible.

• Common in nonprofit campaigns (UNICEF ads, dog adoption campaigns).

Value-expressive

Highlights how the product enhances self-image (Coke ad showing fun, happiness with friends).

Utilitarian:

Focuses on functional, practical benefits (a detergent’s cleaning power).

Combining Appeals

• can increase engagement but must be balanced.

Social Judgment Theory

• People accept new information only if it falls within their latitude of acceptance; extreme messages can be rejected.

• Transcript: “When you use fear… people often disregard it… must be within the acceptable level.”

Other Issues in Attitude: repetition

• Two-factor theory: repeated exposure increases familiarity but can cause boredom if overdone.

• Transcript: “A, B, C graph… attitude increases, then declines after too many exposures.

other issues in attitude : Comparative Ads

• Compare your brand to competitors.

• Typically used by #2 or smaller brands; #1 brand avoids mentioning others.

• Transcript: “Number one brand doesn’t mention other brands… example Coke vs Pepsi.”

Framing - Positive framing:

Emphasizes benefits gained.

• Example: “Quitting smoking reduces heart attack risk.”

• red wine is GOOD for your heart and DECREASES a chance of having heart disease —> positive

Framing - Negative Framing

Emphasizes losses avoided.

• Example: “Smoking increases your chance of a heart attack.”

if you DONT get this treatment, you RISK of a heart disease increase by 40% —> negative

in low involvement what works better ; high involvement what works more effective

low involvement —> positive framing ; high involvement —> negative framing

Attribute framing:

Focuses on specific attribute of product (e.g., 99% fat-free chicken).

Goal framing:

Focuses on consequences of behavior (e.g., heart health improvement).

. Intentions and Behaviors

Effective messages influence attitudes → intentions → actual behaviors.

strong intentions - more likely to lead to behavior

weak intentions - more easily changed

Measurement of Attitude

Likert Scale, Semantic Differential Scale, Ideal Point Scale

Likert Scale

• Measures agreement with statements (e.g., “I like this brand” – Strongly agree → Strongly disagree).

Semantic Differential Scale

• Measures perception using bipolar adjectives (e.g., Good–Bad, Fun–Boring).

Ideal Point Scale

Measures distance between consumer’s ideal point and product perception.

A = Wi x (Xi - Ii) the one that subtracts and chooses the lowest number from the brands

Limitations in Measuring Attitude

Self-report bias, Overemphasis on one dimension, repetition / fatigue

Self-report bias

People may not honestly reveal attitudes.

Overemphasis on one dimension

May miss complex feelings or motivations.

Repetition/fatigue

Too many questions can reduce accuracy.