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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of sound branding by developing a new conceptual framework and providing an overview of the research literature on non-musical sound.Design/methodology/approach Using four mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive types of non-musical sound, the paper assesses and synthesizes 99 significant studies across various scholarly fields.Findings The overview reveals two areas in which more research may be warranted, that is, non-musical atmospherics and non-musical sonic logos. Moreover, future sound-branding research should examine in further detail the potentials of developed versus annexed object sounds, and mediated versus unmediated brand sounds.Research limitations/implications The paper provides important insights into critical issues that suggest directions for further research on non-musical sound branding.Practical implications The paper identifies an unexploited terrain of possibilities for the use of sound in marketing and branding.Originality/value The paper identifies a subfield within sound-branding research that has received little attention despite its inevitability and potential significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to respond to issues posed in the four commentaries on Armstrong, Du, Green and Graefe (2016, this issue) regarding the immediate usefulness of that paper’s test of advertisements’ compliance with persuasion principles, and regarding the need for further research. Design/methodology/approach – This paper addresses commentators’ concerns using logic, prior research findings and further analyses of the data. Findings – The superiority of the index method remains when a simple, theory-based, alternative weighting-scheme is used in the index model. Combinations of three unaided experts’ forecasts were more accurate than the individual forecasts, but the gain was only one-third of the gain achieved by using the Persuasion Principles Index (PPI). Research limitations/implications – Replications and extensions using behavioral data and alternative implementations of the index method would help to better assess the effects of judging conformity with principles as a means of predicting relative advertising effectiveness. Advertisers can expect more accurate pretest results if they combine the predictions of three experts or, even better, if they use tests of compliance with persuasion principles, such as the PPI. The PPI software is copyrighted, but is available now and is free to use. Originality/value – New analysis and findings provide further support for the claim that advertisers who use the PPI approach proposed by Armstrong, Du, Green and Graefe (2016, this issue) to choose among alternative advertisements will be more profitable than those who do not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend sponsorship literature by investigating the role of the fit construct and perceived sponsorship portfolio size for event sponsorship success. To analyze the sponsor–event fit in more detail, the authors draw on the network perspective and, as a consequence, split the sponsor–event fit into two constructs: the sponsor–artist fit construct and the sponsor–event organizer fit construct. Then, a model is developed and tested that examines the effect of these two constructs and perceived sponsorship portfolio size on sponsorship success. Design/methodology/approach – The model is tested with data from 330 visitors to two different concerts in Switzerland. Real events with non-student samples are examined. The data are tested using Mplus 6.0 structural equation modeling. Findings – Results report that the sponsor–artist fit, the sponsor–event organizer fit and perceived sponsorship portfolio size are important drivers of attitude toward the sponsor. Moreover, sponsorships that cause positive attitudes toward the sponsor are found to enhance willingness to pay a price premium and purchase intention. Practical implications – This paper reveals that it is important for sponsorship managers to correctly consider the fit construct and perceived sponsorship portfolio size for sponsorship success. Additionally, the tested model provides an instrument for measuring sponsorship effectiveness. Originality/value – The current paper reveals new results by investigating the impact of the sponsor–artist fit and the sponsor–event organizer fit on sponsorship success. Furthermore, the current research paper is the first to analyze the effects of a sponsorship portfolio which is not limited to one sponsorship category on sponsorship success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aims to evaluate the effect of inducing emotions (neutral, joy and fear) on the level of visual attention in beer advertisements. Design/methodology/approach: A between-subject experimental study with a multi-method design was carried out using three neuroscience equipment concomitantly. The electroencephalogram and the electrical conductance sensor on the skin were used to assess the emotions induced in the individuals, while eye-tracking was used to assess the visual attention to beer advertisements. Three independent groups were formed. Each group was induced to one emotion (neutral, joy or fear), and then the level of visual attention was observed in ten stimuli of beer advertisements. Findings: The results revealed that the induction of joy increased the visual attention to the brand name, while the induction of fear increased the visual attention to both the brand name and product packaging but reduced the visual attention to human faces within the ads. Research limitations/implications: This paper extends the literature, and to the best of the authors' knowledge, it is the first study to indicate that induced emotions before ad viewing influence potential consumers' visual attention. Practical implications: The findings can serve as a basis for developing advertising campaigns that use emotion induction before ad viewing to increase the visual attention of potential consumers. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to investigate whether the emotion induction that happens before ad viewing can impact the level of visual attention to advertisements. The study also provides clear and comprehensible implications from marketing practices to improve visual attention to ads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how and why ideas regarding "intersectional" approaches to feminism and Black activism are drawn on in marketing content related to the concept of being "woke" (invested in addressing social injustices). It considers which subject positions are represented as part of this and what they reveal about contemporary issues concerning advertising, gender, race and activism. Design/methodology/approach: This study involves an interpretive and critical discursive analysis of so-called feminist advertising ("femvertising") and marketing examples that make use of Black social justice activist ideas. Findings: Findings illuminate how marketing simultaneously enables the visibility and erasure of "intersectional", feminist and Black social justice activist issues, with the use of key racialised and gendered subject positions: White Saviour, Black Excellence, Strong Black Woman (and Mother) and "Woke" Change Agent. Research limitations/implications: This research signals how brands (mis)use issues concerning commercialised notions of feminism, equality and Black social justice activism as part of marketing that flattens and reframes liberationist politics while upholding the neoliberal idea that achievement and social change requires individual ambition and consumption rather than structural shifts and resistance. Practical implications: This work can aid the development of advertising standards regulatory approaches which account for nuances of stereotypical representations and marketing's connection to intersecting issues regarding racism and sexism. Originality/value: This research outlines a conceptualisation of the branding of "woke" bravery, which expands our understanding of the interdependency of issues related to race, gender, feminism, activism and marketing. It highlights marketing responses to recent socio-political times, which are influenced by public discourse concerning movements, including Black Lives Matter and Me Too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: For the case of many content features, This paper aims to investigate which content features in video and text ads more contribute to accurately predicting the success of crowdfunding by comparing prediction models. Design/methodology/approach: With 1,368 features extracted from 15,195 Kickstarter campaigns in the USA, the authors compare base models such as logistic regression (LR) with tree-based homogeneous ensembles such as eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and heterogeneous ensembles such as XGBoost + LR. Findings: XGBoost shows higher prediction accuracy than LR (82% vs 69%), in contrast to the findings of a previous relevant study. Regarding important content features, humans (e.g. founders) are more important than visual objects (e.g. products). In both spoken and written language, words related to experience (e.g. eat) or perception (e.g. hear) are more important than cognitive (e.g. causation) words. In addition, a focus on the future is more important than a present or past time orientation. Speech aids (see and compare) to complement visual content are also effective and positive tone matters in speech. Research limitations/implications: This research makes theoretical contributions by finding more important visuals (human) and language features (experience, perception and future time). Also, in a multimodal context, complementary cues (e.g. speech aids) across different modalities help. Furthermore, the noncontent parts of speech such as positive "tone" or pace of speech are important. Practical implications: Founders are encouraged to assess and revise the content of their video or text ads as well as their basic campaign features (e.g. goal, duration and reward) before they launch their campaigns. Next, overly complex ensembles may suffer from overfitting problems. In practice, model validation using unseen data is recommended. Originality/value: Rather than reducing the number of content feature dimensions (Kaminski and Hopp, 2020), by enabling advanced prediction models to accommodate many contents features, prediction accuracy rises substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate how charitable advertising effectiveness in response to threat-based awe, an emotional response that typically arises in the presence of natural disasters, is likely to depend on the construal level. Design/methodology/approach: Three experimental studies were conducted to examine the positive and negative effects of threat-based awe on charitable advertising effectiveness. Further, the moderating role of construal level was tested and the underlying mechanisms established. Findings: Consumers who experience a high (vs low) level of threat-based awe donate more when evaluating a disaster-relief advertisement processed at a high construal level (e.g. when an advertisement is framed as a "why" message) but donate less when evaluating a disaster-relief advertisement processed at a low construal level (e.g. when an advertisement is framed as a "how" message). Further, the authors established two distinct mechanisms underlying these divergent effects. At a high construal level, consumers are driven by concern for others, whereas at a low construal level, consumers are driven by feelings of powerlessness. Research limitations/implications: The present research contributes to the literature on how emotions influence charitable advertising effectiveness by establishing the divergent effects of threat-based awe and the moderating role of construal level. Practical implications: This paper offers managerial implications for nonprofits and charities in developing effective charitable advertising strategies in the context of natural disaster-relief campaigns. Originality/value: The present research provides a novel perspective on when and why threat-based awe, a unique emotion arising in the case of natural disasters, can lead to positive or negative effects on charitable advertising effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine a two-way interaction between social influencers' number of followers (micro vs meso) and argument quality (weak vs strong) on consumers' self-reported and brain responses to advertising posts on Instagram. Further, drawing upon source credibility theory and contemporary theories of persuasion, the Instagram users' perceptions of the influencer's credibility are predicted to mediate the hypothesized effects. Design/methodology/approach: Through an online (N = 192) and a lab study (N = 112), the authors examined Instagram users' responses to an advertising post from Instagram influencers in terms of perceived source credibility and electronic word-of-mouth intention, using validated multi-item scales from existing literatures and electroencephalogram (EEG) measures. The hypotheses were tested with a 2 (type of influencer: micro vs meso) × 2 (argument quality: weak vs strong) between-subject design using mediated moderated linear regression analysis. Findings: The results highlight that meso-influencers are perceived as a credible source of information only when their product-related post provides strong argument quality. Moreover, this process involves an increase in users' cognitive work (measured with EEG), with possible implications on marketing communication strategies and online message design. Research limitations/implications: The limitations of the work can serve as ideas for future research. First, this study did not account for the influencer's relevance and resonance. Second, the authors studied consumer responses to online communication produced by Instagram influencers within a single product category. Another important product type distinction that requires further attention is between hedonic and utilitarian products. Finally, the two studies only used positive review content. Further research should study how consumers evaluate the source credibility of a micro- vs meso-influencer when they are exposed to negative reviews containing weak vs strong arguments. Practical implications: The results suggest that marketers should carefully consider Instagram influencers based on the trade-offs between credibility and reach. Specifically, micro-influencers are perceived as more credible sources of information than meso-influencers, which means that they have greater potential to affect Instagram users' behavior. Moreover, the results suggest that meso-influencers should leverage argument quality to enhance their credibility and draw greater positive outcomes for the products and brands they endorse. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to investigate how the interaction between the type of social media influencer and the argument quality affects consumers' self-reported and brain responses to advertising posts on Instagram. Moreover, using neuroscience, this study aims to shed light on the neurophysiological processes that drive consumer responses to product-related communication posted by different influencer types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to present a commentary on the Armstrong et al. (2015) proposals to use checklists of Armstrong’s “advertising principles” to predict the effectiveness of alternative advertising executions and their tests of validity using paired ads with day-after recall scores. Design/methodology/approach – This paper discusses literature from anecdotal business journalism, cognitive science and behavioral economics that attempt to explain and accurately predict high-impact advertising. The commentary considers the value of using checklists and the relevancy complexity theory for examining whether or not checklists versus other tools are useful for accurately predicting advertising effectiveness. Findings – Anecdotal reports and scientific studies using true experiments support the practical benefits of advertising executives referring to advertising principles in the form of checklists when deciding which advertisement to run. Armstrong, Du, Green and Graefe (ADGG) provide a useful early warning tool that is useful for indicating ads that will not be effective, but their checklist method is unlikely to indicate which ads will have high impact. Researchers and executives should create and test the efficacy of configurations of content and design for identifying highly effective ads; testing should be done in clutter and using behavioroid measures (not seven-point scales); recall measures are inadequate proxies for behavior. Practical implications – By calling attention to the possibilities of using the persuasive advertising principles to test the ability to select specific ads that will most influence behavior such as purchases, ADGG offer a valuable contribution. Too often, advertisers and other decision makers ignore useful readily available information; creating tools useful for improving the quality of decision-making is missing in many marketing management contexts. ADGG indicate that such a tool is possible avoiding ads that are likely to be poor performing, advertising executions. Originality/value – This paper serves to emphasize the substantial value in using rigorous checklists as a step in making complex decisions such as advertising execution selections to avoid undesirable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Previous research has investigated how performance outcome impacts effort and subsequent goal pursuit. However, little is known about the incidental impact of goal (non)attainment on consumer preference via changes in regulatory focus. This paper aims to suggest that performance feedback has a direct impact on consumers’ regulatory focus, which in turn influences their attitudes and preferences toward future events. Additionally, the authors assess the extent to which emotions arising out of goal (non)attainment play a critical role in the process.Design/methodology/approach In a series of three experiments, this paper demonstrates that goal (non)attainment induces a specific regulatory focus, which in turn interacts with the frame of an upcoming advertisement to impact consumer preference.Findings This research demonstrates that previous goal (non)attainment interacts with the framing of an upcoming message (promotion vs prevention) and impacts consumer preference. The authors also find initial evidence for the role of emotions on the relationship between goal (non) attainment and preferences for regulatory-focused message frames.Practical implications The findings have important implications because they reveal consumers’ preferences after goal (non)attainment.Originality/value This study complements prior research by integrating two research streams (goal pursuit and regulatory focus) to address an open question of whether/how goal (non)attainment impacts message persuasiveness and consumer preference through changes in regulatory focus. Therefore, this research is intended to contribute to the literature by addressing the interacting effects of goal attainment and regulatory focus on consumer decisions and the role of emotions in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide commentary on Armstrong, Du, Green and Graefe’s (this issue) article. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on reading and thinking about Armstrong et al.’s article. Findings – One appealing way that advertising practice can be evidence-based is by applying dependable generalizations about what makes for effective ads. Armstrong et al.’s article offers data concerning the application of Armstrong’s persuasive advertising: Evidence-Based Principles (2010) persuasion principles. The article does not provide convincing evidence for the predictive validity of the principles, but it does offer a clear proof-of-concept demonstration of the feasibility of principles-based advertising assessment. Originality/value – The paper’s value lies in its clarification of what claims Armstrong et al.’s data do and do not underwrite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to test whether a structured application of persuasion principles might help improve advertising decisions. Evidence-based principles are currently used to improve decisions in other complex situations, such as those faced in engineering and medicine. Design/methodology/approach – Scores were calculated from the ratings of 17 self-trained novices who rated 96 matched pairs of print advertisements for adherence to evidence-based persuasion principles. Predictions from traditional methods – 10,809 unaided judgments from novices and 2,764 judgments from people with some expertise in advertising and 288 copy-testing predictions – provided benchmarks. Findings – A higher adherence-to-principles-score correctly predicted the more effective advertisement for 75 per cent of the pairs. Copy testing was correct for 59 per cent, and expert judgment was correct for 55 per cent. Guessing would provide 50 per cent accurate predictions. Combining judgmental predictions led to substantial improvements in accuracy. Research limitations/implications – Advertisements for high-involvement utilitarian products were tested on the assumption that persuasion principles would be more effective for such products. The measure of effectiveness that was available –day-after-recall – is a proxy for persuasion or behavioral measures. Practical/implications – Pretesting advertisements by assessing adherence to evidence-based persuasion principles in a structured way helps in deciding which advertisements would be best to run. That procedure also identifies how to make an advertisement more effective. Originality/value – This is the first study in marketing, and in advertising specifically, to test the predictive validity of evidence-based principles. In addition, the study provides the first test of the predictive validity of the index method for a marketing problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to test TV sponsorship bumper effects, for the same brand, on 30-s TV spot advertising.Design/methodology/approach An experimental study tests sponsorship bumpers and 30-s TV spot ads for eight brands, four familiar and four unfamiliar, using realistic stimuli and a sample representative of the US population.Findings Sponsorship boosts ad effectiveness and is measured by ad awareness and ad liking. Both effects were stronger for unfamiliar brands.Research limitations/implications The results show that combining sponsorship with spot advertising has an additive effect. The study design did not allow tests for potential synergy (multiplicative) effects.Practical implications Advertisers can use the results to evaluate investing in sponsorship and advertising packages, which can help unfamiliar brands achieve familiar brand awareness.Originality/value To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to compare the effectiveness of sponsorship-boosted ads with sponsorship bumpers alone and with TV spot ads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to the marketing literature and practice by examining the effect of product placements on the host brand. The declining effectiveness of traditional advertising has prompted increasing interest in strategies for placing products in media programming. Most existing research adopt the perspective of the brands embedded in media products, with limited attention to the impact that product placement has on the media product that serves as a host brand for the embedded brands. The authors investigate this effect in the context of motion pictures and develop a theory-driven conceptual model. Design/methodology/approach – The authors test their hypotheses with two experiments in which randomly assigned participants view one of seven versions of a custom-made, seven-minute short film that differ in their level of placement prominence. Findings – The results from a mediation analysis indicate that, after controlling for audiences’ general attitudes toward the embedded brand, greater placement prominence heightens consumers’ reactance to persuasion attempts and negatively affects their evaluations of the host brand. A post hoc experiment confirms that even very low levels of placement prominence can worsen host brand evaluations. Originality/value – This research is among the first to investigate the effects of product placement from a host brand perspective. It issues a warning to producers of entertainment content: a product placement strategy may generate additional earnings, but it also can lower audiences’ evaluations of the focal entertainment product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to empirically test a conceptual model, analysing the effects that features of mobile phone location-based advertising (MLBA) services (customisation, permission and intrusiveness) have on attitudes and purchase intentions, using the theory of interactive advertising. In addition, the moderating effect of receiving such messages at point of purchase (POP) is assessed. Design/methodology/approach – Scenario-based online surveys were used, which manipulated the timing and levels of customisation of the message. Responses were received from 422 “net generation” consumers. Findings – Customisation, permission and intrusiveness all have a direct effect on consumer attitudes towards MLBA messages, and subsequently purchase intention. In addition, receiving such messages at POP strengthens the relationships between intrusiveness and attitudes, but surprisingly weakens the effect of customisation on attitudes. Research limitations/implications – Future research could consider more widespread product categories and try to measure actual behaviour. There is also potential to investigate mobile relationship marketing. Practical implications – Through permission, consumers can control the flow of messages and customise the messages they receive. While consumers benefit greatly, managers also gain opportunities through facilitating co-creative functions. These efforts will be in vain, however, if the consumer perceives the messages to be intrusive. Originality/value – While there is much research that looks at the impact of interactive advertising features on attitudes and behaviour, research has yet to consider these factors in an MLBA context. In addition, it has not considered how providing such messages at POP can influence these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this research is to understand the relationship between publicity, advertising activity and corporate sales in the context of a company's existing reputation. Design/methodology/approach -- The study brings together four unique industry datasets and uses discriminant analysis and multiple regression methods to examine the relationship between existing corporate reputation, publicity, advertising activity and sales levels for major multi-national companies in the technology products sector. Findings -- Positive publicity is most important in distinguishing between firms with higher and lower sales. The effects of negative publicity and advertising are dependent on a firm's existing reputation. For companies with weaker reputations, positive publicity in tandem with business-to-consumer (B2C) advertising is most highly associated with higher company sales. Conversely, for firms with stronger existing reputations, advertising has a significantly diminished role; positive and even negative publicity are most crucial in distinguishing between companies with high and low sales. Negative publicity can be harmful to these firms though if it is not balanced by more positive publicity. Finally, the topic of news coverage is related to sales. Generally, stories that are positive reporting on business outcomes, leadership and business future and marketing practices are most important in discriminating between firms with stronger vs weaker sales. Practical implications -- For this set of technology product firms, publicity and advertising are relevant for sales. Firms with higher levels of sales have both more positive and negative publicity, but the volume of positive stories is much higher. Attracting negative publicity is common for firms that achieve higher sales, but it is offset by a greater number of positive stories, an aspect that public relations efforts can influence. B2C advertising spending meanwhile matters more for firms with weaker rather than stronger existing corporate reputations. It is most effective for firms with weaker existing reputations to maximize the positive signals in the marketplace as exemplified by positive publicity and B2C advertising efforts. Originality/value -- Little research has examined the relationship between different forms of corporate communications and sales; this study is a rare examination using publicity, advertising spending, existing reputation and sales in a durable goods and services context where there has been a particular dearth of even basic advertising studies. Beyond understanding the relative importance of publicity advertising, it also uniquely focuses on the individual topics of news publicity. Paper type Research paper [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Extant research on comparative advertising has focused only on “market leader” comparisons (a brand targeting the market leader), whereas in the marketplace, “multi-brand” comparisons are more prevalent (Kalro et al., 2010). Moreover, most research focuses on direct comparisons only. Hence, this research aims to investigate the interplay between comparison ad strategy (“market leader”/“multi-brand” comparisons) and comparison ad format (direct/indirect comparisons) on the effectiveness of comparative advertising.Design/methodology/approach This paper uses four 2 × 2 fully crossed factorial designs (comparison ad format: direct vs indirect and comparison ad strategy: market leader vs multi brand) with established and new brands in two categories: powdered detergents and smart phones. All studies were conducted in metropolitan cities of India.Findings By and large, the experiments indicated that direct (indirect) comparisons lowered (heightened) perceived manipulative intent and enhanced (reduced) attitude-toward-the-ad for multi-brand (market leader) comparisons.Practical implications Findings suggest that when advertisers use comparative advertising, they may use direct ads when using multi-brand comparisons and use indirect ones when using market leader comparisons. It could also be argued that when advertisers use multi-brand comparisons because of fragmentation in the marketplace, they may directly compare against these multiple brands. When advertisers need to compare against a market leader, they may do so indirectly.Originality/value This research is among the first to investigate multi-brand comparisons that are widely used in the industry and that too in the context of both direct and indirect comparison formats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose While substantial scholarly attention has been given to children’s understanding of advertising in the context of traditional advertising channels, there is a gap in the literature with regard to children’s commercial awareness in the context of online social networking sites. This paper aims to seek to explore the nature and extent of advertising literacy among young consumers in the context of their use of social networking sites, namely, Facebook and Bebo.Design/methodology/approach A three-stage study was conducted with 12 to 14-year-old girls, using focus group discussions, participant observation and in-depth interviews.Findings The study illustrates that the increasingly blurred line between online advertising and other forms of online brand-related content is militating against the development of advertising and marketing literacy in young consumers. A key issue which is discussed is the extent to which the traditional conceptualisation of advertising literacy is “fit for purpose” in an online context.Originality/value The authors propose an alternative to the advertising literacy concept, namely, the Online Brand Communications literacy framework. This framework recognises the convergence of traditional online advertising and other forms of online brand content and also acknowledges that the messaging around a brand may originate from the brand owner in a variety of overt and covert forms. Equally, online consumers may also act as brand promoters when they engage in brand-related word-of-mouth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose It is generally believed that children’s advertising exposure decreases life satisfaction. This paper aims to investigate whether and how it does by examining the relation between advertising exposure and life satisfaction (Aim 1), as well as the mediating roles of psychological wellbeing (Aim 2) and its underlying dimensions (Aim 3).Design/methodology/approach Three-wave panel data were collected among 1,133 8-12-year-olds. Psychological wellbeing was measured overall and per dimension (i.e. environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, self-acceptance, autonomy and positive relationships with others).Findings The authors found a nonsignificant total effect of advertising exposure at Wave 1 on life satisfaction at Wave 3: The negative direct effect was annulled by the positive indirect effect via overall psychological wellbeing at Wave 2. Detailed analysis revealed that personal growth and autonomy functioned as positive mediators, and purpose in life as a negative mediator in the relation between advertising exposure and life satisfaction.Social implications This research informs the ethical debate surrounding child-directed advertising, showing it might stimulate children’s sense of control over their environment, openness to new experiences, direction in life and sense of self-agency.Originality/value This study is the first to examine advertising’s effect on life satisfaction and psychological wellbeing simultaneously. The study used a large sample and a longitudinal panel design, allowing conclusions about the specific effects of advertising exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To date, the cultural and societal effects of controversial advertising have been insufficiently considered. This study aims to investigate how advertising that uses violent representations of women transgresses the taboo of gender-based violence.Design/methodology/approach This study encompasses a visual analysis of the subject positions of women in five violent advertising representations and a critical discourse analysis of the defensive statements provided by the client organisations subsequent to the public outrage generated by the campaigns.Findings The authors identify taboo transgression in the Tease, Piece of Meat and Conquered subject positions, wherein women are represented as suggestive, dehumanised and submissive. Client organisations seek to defend these taboo transgressions through the use of three discursive strategies – subverting interpretations, making authority claims and denying responsibility – which legitimise the control of the organisations but simultaneously work to obscure the power relations at play.Practical implications The representational authority that advertisers hold as cultural intermediaries in society highlights the need for greater consideration of the ethical responsibilities in producing controversial advertisements, especially those which undermine the status of women.Social implications Controversial advertising that transgresses the taboo of violence against women reinforces gender norms and promotes ambiguous and adverse understandings of women’s subjectivities by introducing pollution and disorder to gender politics.Originality/value This paper critically assesses the societal implications of controversial advertising practices, thus moving away from the extant focus on managerial implications. Through a conceptualisation of controversial advertising as transgressing taboo boundaries, the authors highlight how advertising plays an important role in shifting these boundaries whereby taboos come to be understood as generative and evolving. However, this carries moral implications which may have damaging societal effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This research aims to examine the moderating role of consumers’ persuasion knowledge (PK) on the persuasive effect of combined advertising and publicity within the same medium. The synergistic effect experienced when two messages are thus combined is reversed for readers with high PK who are first exposed to publicity then to advertising. Believability of the message is found to be a mediator within this context.Design/methodology/approach Based on a review of the appropriate literatures on PK and integrated marketing communication (IMC), this paper tests the hypotheses using two experimental studies.Findings The results of two experiments show that publicity-then-advertising yields poorer persuasion than advertising-then-publicity, especially under a high PK condition. The reduced synergistic effect of combinations of advertising and publicity is found especially when consumers activate temporary PK and/or when they have chronically high PK. A mediator for a decrease in the synergistic effect of combinations of advertising and publicity, believability, is examined.Practical implications This study contains significant managerial implications for marketing communicators about how to most effectively combine and coordinate publicity and advertising in the implementation of an IMC strategy.Originality/value Other than making a contribution to the IMCs’ literature, this research extends understanding of the power of PK within an IMC framework. The research contributes yet another extension to the original PK model of Friestad and Wright (1994) by suggesting an underlying theoretical mechanism to explain how PK works in the IMC domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to reflect on the generalisability of the predictive validity test of the Persuasion Principles Index (PPI) conducted by Armstrong et al. (2016). Design/methodology/approach – Different aspects of the test are considered, such as the sample of ads, the dependent variable and the comparability of the methods used to predict effectiveness, in terms of how relevant these are to real-world advertising testing. Findings – The sample of ads and the testing procedure may have contributed to the success of the PPI predictions over the other copy-testing methods. The sample of print ads does not bear a close resemblance to current advertising. The competing copy tests do not represent modern advertising copy testing. Research/limitations/implications – More research is needed to test the validity of the principles and the predictive accuracy of the PPI across a range of conditions (e.g. different ads, media, products and cultures). Testing against advertising sales effectiveness would be the ideal next step. Practical/implications – It certainly seems the index method has the potential to help advertisers make better decisions regarding what executions to support, for high-involvement products at least. Given the accessibility of the software, it should be easy and cost effective for advertisers to trial the PPI. Originality/value – This commentary directs researchers to the real-world conditions under which advertising pre-tests need to be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss Armstrong et al.’s (2016) finding that ads that more closely follow evidence-based persuasion principles also achieve higher day-after-recall. Design/methodology/approach – The author evaluates the importance of Armstrong et al.’s result and considers the criticisms that their work only examines some aspects of persuasion and that their dependent variable is known to have a low correlation with sales. Findings – Armstrong et al.’s result provides a major advance in the knowledge of persuasive advertising. While they do not examine all aspects of persuasion, the scope of their tests is still very extensive. Day-after-recall is also arguably a better measure of advertising effectiveness than sales impact, due to the difficulty of identifying small sales changes among the random fluctuations that constantly occur in most markets and given the known processes by which consumer memory operates. Originality/value – By synthesising prior work on advertising and consumer memory, the author provides a simple model of how advertising interacts with memory. This model explains why ad recall ought to be poorly correlated with sales, and highlights the need for Armstrong et al.’s result to be followed by further research into how contextual cues at the point of purchase affect memory retrieval and brand choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the moderating roles of emotional arousal levels (elevated vs mild) and emotional valence (positive vs negative) stemming from outcomes of self-regulatory goal pursuit in understanding effectiveness of the product attribute type on product evaluation. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the literature on goals, emotions and behaviors, this research advances and tests hypotheses with two studies and an ANOVA. Findings – This study shows that when consumers experience positive emotions stemming from the success of self-regulatory goals (approach vs avoidance), the impact of product attribute type on product evaluations is primarily driven by the emotional arousal levels and that the type of regulatory goals does not matter. In contrast, when consumers experience negative emotions stemming from the failure of goal pursuit, the impact of product attribute type is determined not only by the emotional arousal levels but also by the type of goals. Practical implications – Marketing managers should use appropriate product attributes in advertisements that match with the consumers’ emotional arousal levels, emotional valence and regulatory goals by identifying customers’ specific emotional state and its source. Originality/value – This study shows that emotional valence moderates the impact of emotional arousal levels on the effectiveness of product attribute types in advertisements, and that the regulatory goals as the source of such emotions matter only under the elevated negative emotions. The major contribution of this research is that to understand the impact of emotions stemming from regulatory goal pursuit on product evaluations, not only emotional valence but also emotional arousal levels and regulatory goals should be taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to compare the influence of spokesperson appearance (visual congruence) and the sounds contained in a spokesperson's name (verbal congruence) on consumer perceptions of spokesperson-product fit. Design/methodology/approach -- Two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 ensured that verbal congruence impacted perceptions of spokesperson-product fit. Experiment 2 compared the effect of verbal congruence versus traditional match-up (visual congruence) on perceptions of spokesperson-product fit. The mediating role of spokesperson-product fit on attitude towards the advertisement and the moderating role of need for cognition (NFC) was also tested. Findings -- Findings indicate that verbal congruence influences consumer perceptions of fit, regardless of visual congruence. Perceptions of spokesperson-product fit also act as mediators between visual and verbal congruence and attitude towards the advertisement. However, verbal congruence did not influence consumer perceptions of spokesperson-product fit when the NFC was low. Research limitations/implications -- This research has implications for advertisers and brand managers considering the creation of a name for a non-celebrity spokesperson or the development of a brand/spokes-character. However, this research is limited, as it examines only male names. Originality/value -- This research shows that perceptions of spokesperson and product fit are not only influenced by spokesperson appearance (visual congruence) but also by spokesperson name (verbal congruence). This research also identifies limitations of the applicability of phonetic symbolism theory by identifying a condition under which phonetic symbolism (verbal congruence) exerts no effects on perceptions of spokesperson-product fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Through investigating how Belgian LGBTQ people evaluate gay-themed print and television advertising in mainstream media, the purpose of this study is to explore how gay-themed advertising strategies are evaluated in relation to context. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 Flemish self-identified lesbian, gay male and bisexual people. Findings: Findings of this research demonstrate the importance of the situated context in which LGBTQ people receive and evaluate gay-themed advertisements. By offering a common stock of social knowledge and experience, context creates a framework against which LGBTQ people evaluate gay-themed advertisements. In this specific research that was conducted in a Western-European LGBTQ-friendly society (Belgium), critical evaluations of gay-washing and the dirty laundry effect were found. The positive evaluations of explicit gay-themed and inclusive advertisements also highlighted the importance of advertising an inclusive society. Research limitations/implications: In considering how gay-themed advertising evaluations relate to context and lived experiences, this research contributes to current knowledge on gay-themed advertising and its reception within LGBTQ groups. Practical implications: This research offers valuable insights to marketers on how to target sexual minorities in LGBTQ (un)friendly societies. Social implications: Findings highlight the social importance of minority-oriented advertising. Not only can such advertising promote civic inclusion and social recognition of minority groups, it also has the potential to play a key role in the construction and normalisation of identities. Originality/value: In an effort to reinvigorate current marketing debates on gay-themed advertising, this study builds on theoretical insights gained via reception research and LGBTQ studies. In doing so, this research yields a more nuanced and contextualised understanding of LGBTQ people's engagement with various gay-themed advertisements. Considering within a Western European society the relevance of context when researching gay-themed advertisement reception, the results add to primarily US-based research on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]