Ad Creativity via Augmented Reality Technology in Online Video Ads: the Differential Role of Novelty,Message Usefulness,and Ad-Consumer Association

This study aims to examine the role of ad creativity in YouTube video ads featuring augmented reality (AR) technology. Through an online experiment, we compared people who hold positive preexisting attitudes toward a familiar brand, people who hold negative preexisting attitudes toward a familiar brand, and people who are unfamiliar with a brand in terms of their perceived creativity of a video ad featuring AR technology. Further, we explored the differential effect of three dimensions of ad creativity, namely, message usefulness, ad novelty, and ad-consumer association, on short and long-term brand name recall, short and long-term brand message recall, ad attitudes, and brand attitudes. Results demonstrated that for a familiar brand, people’s perceived creativity of an ad is biased by their preexisting brand attitudes. For an unfamiliar brand, since people do not hold preexisting attitudes toward it, their perceived creativity of an ad for the unfamiliar brand is mostly shaped by their ad evaluations. Moreover, results revealed that the three dimension of ad creativity play different roles in ad effectiveness.     

Tweet this,not that: A comparison between brand promotions in microblogging environments using celebrity and company-generated tweets

Despite the popularity of social media in general and Twitter specifically, little empirical research exists to assist marketers in how to successfully connect with consumers in these environments. The purpose of this study was to identify the ways in which brands can connect with consumers through Twitter and to examine how the category of Tweet impacts brand engagement. Findings reveal that whereas celebrity Tweets may be successful at capturing attention and disseminating brand information, they have minimal impact on changing brand opinions. What influence celebrities do have may be best served with unfamiliar brands rather than familiar ones – results suggest that not unlike in traditional offline media, in social media celebrities may be influential in drawing attention to unfamiliar brands. Our results also suggest that companies with established familiar brands should be cautious about paying to seed their own Tweets using Twitter's ‘Promoted by’ option, particularly if the brand is one that consumers have a neutral opinion of, as this can lower consumers' opinion of the brand. Instead, these companies should encourage consumers to follow them on Twitter as this will enable the brand to interact directly with consumers.     

The Effects of Humor on Ad Processing: Mediating Role of Brand Familiarity

The effect of humorous advertisement on memory and attitude has been an important topic among advertising scholars. However, scholars have used fake brands to test the effects of humor. Since the possibility for consumers to be exposed to the commercial for a completely new brand is very low, using a fake brand to test humor effects is not realistic. Hence, this study examined the role of brand familiarity on the effects of humor on memory and attitude by using existing brands in a laboratory experiment. This study suggests a different structural model for familiar and unfamiliar brands based on the previous studies in consumer behavior. Results revealed different effects of humorous advertisements for the familiar or unfamiliar brands. The structural model proposed for this study revealed a mediating role of brand familiarity on humor effects. Humorous ads worked better for the unfamiliar brands. For the familiar brands, the effects were mediated by the subjects’ brand familiarity and prior brand attitude.     

“Don't pretend to be my friend!” When an informal brand communication style backfires on social media

Social media are now essential platforms for marketing communications, and the volume of consumer-brand interactions on these platforms is exploding. Even so, it remains unclear how brands should communicate with consumers to foster relationships and, in particular, to gain their trust. A fundamental decision in this regard is the choice of a communication style, specifically, whether an informal or a formal style should be used in social media communications. In this paper, we investigate how adopting an informal (vs. formal) communication style affects brand trust and demonstrate that using an informal style can either have a positive or negative effect on brand trust, depending on whether consumers are familiar with the brand or not. We further show that these effects occur because consumers expect brands to behave according to social norms, such that the use of an informal style is perceived to be appropriate for familiar brands and inappropriate for unfamiliar ones.     

Selecting the right cause partners for the right reasons: The role of importance and fit in cause‐brand alliances

Cause‐brand alliances (CBAs) are becoming a routine strategy to enhance the image of the brand and the cause and to encourage brand sales. This research conducted two studies to evaluate importance and fit as selection criteria for the cause partner. Study 1 evaluated the relative importance of a cause on attitudes and purchase intent for a familiar versus an unfamiliar brand. Results suggested that importance of the cause had an effect on attitudes and purchase intent for an unfamiliar brand but not for a familiar brand. Based on an unexpected finding in Study 1, a second study was conducted that addressed the issue of cause–brand fit. Results show that perceptions of logical fit between the cause and the brand does not have an effect for either the familiar or unfamiliar brand. These findings suggest that the importance of the cause may be a more relevant criterion for optimizing a CBA for an unfamiliar brand but, unlike other forms of alliances and contrary to popular anecdotal belief, perceptions of fit may not be relevant for either familiar or unfamiliar brand. ©2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Does competitive clutter in television advertising “interfere” with the recall and recognition of brand names and ad claims?

This paper contrasts the effects of competitive clutter on the recall and recognition of information from ads for familiar brands. An experiment was conducted utilizing ads for the type of relatively familiar brands typically advertised on network television; the dependent variables were recall and recognition of brand names and ad claims. Results showed that brand name recall scores were substantially reduced by competitive clutter. However, exposure to competitors' ads had little effect on ad claim recall. These data are consistent with the view that information about familiar brands will tend to be compartmentalized in memory, reducing interference effects in attribute recall. Exposure to competitive clutter had relatively little effect on recognition task performance. Suggestions for future advertising research considering competitive interference and brand familiarity issues are provided.The authors thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their guidance. Ray Burke. Frank Kardes, James Kellaris, Karen Machleit, Joe Mandese, and Don Schumsky provided helpful comments on various aspects of this research.     

Should We Hire David Beckham to Endorse our Brand? Contextual Interference and Consumer Memory for Brands in a Celebrity's Endorsement Portfolio

Imagine that you are browsing through a magazine, and you see one of your favorite celebrities in an advertisement. Then, a bit further into the magazine you see that same celebrity in an ad for a different product. A few hours later, you think of the celebrity again and try to remember the products s/he was endorsing, but what will you actually recall? This paper examines consumer memory for celebrity advertising under conditions where a single celebrity advertises for more than one brand. Using contextual interference as the theoretical lens, the current research posits and demonstrates how brands in a celebrity's “endorsement portfolio” compete with one another when consumers use the celebrity as retrieval cue for information that was contained in the ads. The findings of the laboratory experiment reveal that brands sharing either a high or low match with the celebrity win the battle during retrieval and inhibit consumers’ ability to accurately recall ad information for brands sharing a more moderate match with the celebrity. The theoretical practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

“Retail is detail! Give consumers a gift rather than a bundle”: Promotion framing and consumer product returns

Retailers often use the promotion strategy of offering supplementary products (e.g., free gift, bundle) to attract consumers and increase sales. Despite the growing literature on the promotions that are differently framed but offer economically identical values, little research has examined the link between promotion framing and consumer product returns. The current article sheds light on this relationship, hypothesizing that a free gift promotion would be superior to a bundle promotion in reducing consumer product returns. The findings suggest that a gift‐framed promotion leads to a lower product return intention than an economically equivalent bundle promotion, because consumers tend to perceive more loss from giving up the gift‐framed (vs. bundle‐framed) deal. Further, this study examines a moderating role of brand familiarity (familiar vs. unfamiliar) and shows that the merits of free gift framing on product return intention via perceived loss are amplified (attenuated) when the promoted brand is familiar (unfamiliar). Overall, the investigations of this study imply that it is better to frame a promotion as a “free gift” than a “bundle” to increase perceived loss in returning the purchase and thus to decrease consumer product returns. This strategic intervention works especially when the gift is offered by familiar brands.     

Brand placement repetition in a fictional text

This paper investigates the effect of brand name repetition on brand attitude in the context of a fictional text. Furthermore, it tests the moderating impact of brand familiarity, narrative transportation, and individual differences in need for cognition (NFC). Participants in an experiment read the full text of a real short-story, which featured the target brand. Brand name repetition and brand familiarity were systematically manipulated. The results show that brand name repetition affects attitude towards an unfamiliar brand and readers’ narrative transportation and NFC moderate this effect: Attitude towards the brand improves with repetition only when both transportation and NFC are relatively high. No effects were found for the familiar brand.     

Drivers of autonomous vehicles—analyzing consumer preferences for self-driving car brand extensions

Autonomous cars are considered to be the next disruptive innovation that will affect consumers. It can be expected that not only traditional automakers will enter this market (e.g., Ford) but also technology companies (e.g., Google) and newer companies dedicated to self-driving cars (e.g., Tesla). We take a brand extension perspective and analyze to what extent consumers prefer autonomous cars from these brand categories. Our empirical study is based on discrete choice experiments about adopting autonomous vehicles in a purchase scenario and in a renting context. Our findings show that brands play a central role when making autonomous driving decisions. Brand preferences differ systematically when buying versus renting a self-driving car. While technology brands are most preferred overall, consumers favor automaker brands over new brands only when purchasing, not when renting. We further disentangle the brand strength into the marginal effects of image associations. For example, Google’s strong brand positioning can be explained by experiences with the parent brand, but it could still improve brand strength by highlighting the relevance of the associated brand portfolio for self-driving cars. The effect of these brand extension success factors differs between parent-brand categories and also between the renting and purchasing scenarios, which requires a dedicated brand management.

     

Leveraging Virtual Attribute Experience in Video Games to Improve Brand Recall and Learning

This article extends the concept of virtual direct experience (VDE) from a product to an attribute as video gamers can virtually experience an attribute within a gaming environment. Using a 2 (VAE: present versus absent) x 2 (order of brand presentation: first or second) between subjects experimental design, we find that associating a brand with virtual attribute experience (VAE) by exposing consumers to the brand name and the virtual experience simultaneously has a positive effect on brand recall, brand extension acceptance, overall attitude, and purchase intention. In addition, our results demonstrate a significant interaction between VAE and telepresence on brand recall.     

Communicating brand gender through type fonts

The marketing literature suggests that positioning a brand in terms of brand gender (i.e., brand masculinity and brand femininity) generates favorable consumer responses, yet there is little research on how brand gender perceptions arise. This research examines whether type font can be employed to create brand gender perceptions in the context of unfamiliar brands. Building on the theoretical framework of personality inferences based on static cues, three studies involving a range of type fonts, brand names, and product categories demonstrate that type font influences consumers’ perceptions of brand gender. Type font effects emerged for brand names presented in isolation (Study 1), brand names presented on signage (Study 2a), and brand names on product labels (Studies 2b and 3). Importantly, type font effects on brand gender persisted in the presence of a competing brand gender cue (i.e., brand name with gender associations), and type font and brand name influenced brand gender perceptions independently. A fourth study demonstrates that type fonts representing the brands influence consumers’ likelihood to recommend the brand. The article concludes with a discussion of theoretical and brand management implications.     

Interference of Picture and Brand Name in a Multiple Linkage Ad Context

This study investigates the superiority effects of picture incongruency and brand name suggestiveness on recall of target benefit claims. Depending on the juxtaposition of the picture and brand name with these claims, a relevant picture can interfere with and inhibit recall of a brand name claim under selected conditions. Specifically, recall of brand name claim was higher under an irrelevant rather than a relevant picture condition. Similarly, a suggestive brand name interfered and diminished recall of a picture claim compared to a nonsuggestive brand name. Additionally, the recall patterns of the picture (source) versus the picture claim (target) under various incongruency conditions showed that the effectiveness of picture incongruency on traditional picture recall measure cannot be extended to picture-related claim recall performance. Explanations based on theoretical extensions to the associated network model and interference theory are furnished together with the managerial implications regarding the effective use of picture incongruency and brand name suggestiveness.     

The role of brand exposure and experience on brand recall—Product durables vis-à-vis FMCG

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of brand exposure and experience on brand recall, mediated by three affectional drivers: brand trust, brand image and self-image congruence. The study distinguishes between an individual consumer׳s brand exposure and experience, and how these impact brand recall. Using original data collected from a survey of 219 consumers, brand recall models in two product categories (Fast Moving Consumer Goods FMCG and durable goods) were tested. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied, resulting in models for the two types of goods, establishing notable differences between durables and FMCGs. Experience influences brand recall in durable goods while brand recall is established via exposure for fast-moving consumer goods. This suggests that consumers are better able to recall durable goods brands if they have personally used them, while consumers of FMCG are more heavily influenced by advertising. Our study also established that brand trust has a significant role in mediating both of these relationships. Ultimately, the study establishes key differences between the brand recall of product categories, as well as the mediating role of brand trust, providing a framework for future brand recall research.     

Price Awareness and Consumers’ Use of Deals in Brand Choice

There is evidence that consumer knowledge of prices is limited, implying that, on occasions, consumers may not be fully informed of prices when making a brand purchase. On such occasions, how do consumers make their brand choice decision? One possibility is that consumers use their expectation of prices. This raises an interesting question. To what extent is brand purchase either a function of preferences and posted prices or, of preferences and expectation of brand prices? Another important issue relates to the role of displays and features in simplifying consumer brand choice. First, do promotions cause consumers to restrict their attention to only promoted brands? Second, do promotions affect the price aware consumers more than the price unaware consumers? Our study uses scanner data on ketchup and peanut butter categories to answer the foregoing questions. We find that between 40 and 50% of the purchases are made by consumers using expectations of prices rather than posted prices. Consumers using price expectations may be thought of as being “unaware” of prices. We also find that promotions cause some consumers to focus exclusively on promoted brands, and this effect is greater on the price aware consumers than on the price unaware consumers. Our findings have an important bearing on the rationality of consumer expectation of prices, especially of the promoted brands. Price aware consumers act as a check against firms promoting without accompanying price cuts.     

Book Review

Media fragmentation and proliferation, in concert with declining television advertising efficacy, has engendered interest in developing more effective ways to reach consumers – particularly non-users of a brand. This study explores the effect of active product placement in computer games on both brand attitude (A_brand) and recall. Findings suggest that exposure to a particular brand in a computer game can increase A_brand among consumers whose pre-existing attitude towards the brand in question is fairly low. We conclude that product placement within computer games is an effective means of fostering high spontaneous brand recall and even of influencing consumers less positively predisposed towards a brand (analogous to non-users). These findings have promising managerial implications for firms looking to grow their customer base through acquisition and conversion.     

The effects of an advertising retrieval cue on young children's memory and brand evaluations

Young children's memory for television advertising is important in order for children to recognize brands in stores and/or to recall the brand name in making a purchase request. Two experiments showed that the use of visual advertising retrieval cue (a green frog as the brand character) improved memory performance and brand evaluations. Study 1 (n = 40) showed promise in the cue's assistance in children's recalling the brand name (cued recall) from the ad memory trace. Study 2 (n = 40) contained multiple exposures to the ad, which resulted in greater free recall and in support for the cue's assistance in better access of the brand name from the ad memory trace (cued recall). Affected ad memory resulted in more favorable brand evaluations and intent to request the brand's purchase. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

How does a Brand Ally Affect Consumer Evaluations of a Focal Brand?

Published research has shown that an alliance with a well‐known, reputable brand can improve quality perceptions of a previously unknown focal brand. Much of this research is based on signaling theory's bonding hypothesis. However, customers face information search costs when evaluating brands with which they may be unfamiliar. The authors contend that, since consumers are self‐interested, they will prefer to realize cost savings for themselves relative to a future conditional opportunity to punish a false signal sender. Three studies show that the effect of brand ally information on quality perceptions of an unfamiliar brand is mediated by perceived risk reduction due to lower information search costs.     

How special rewards in loyalty programs enrich consumer–brand relationships: The role of self-expansion

Although brands offer different kinds of rewards through their loyalty programs, little is known about how they can impact consumer–brand relationships and brand attitude. How do loyalty program rewards influence the consumer–brand relationship? And which kinds of rewards establish or maintain closer relationships between consumers and brands than others? To answer these questions, the present research makes use of self-expansion theory (Aron & Aron, 1986) and two experiments that manipulate the extraordinary character of rewards offered to consumers. Our findings show that special rewards produce higher self-expansion than mundane rewards. Moreover, the positive effect of the rewards’ extraordinary character on brand evaluation, recommendation, and identification is sequentially and fully mediated by self-brand inclusion and self-expansion. Finally, we show that consumer satisfaction moderates the impact of special and mundane rewards on self-brand inclusion.     

Conveying Trustworthiness to Online Consumers: Reactions to Consensus, Physical Store Presence, Brand Familiarity, and Generalized Suspicion

Etailers have been losing market share to brick and mortar retailers that also sell products online. Two related studies investigate means by which etailers can convey trustworthiness to consumers and thereby increase purchase intentions relative to hybrid firms. Study 1 examines whether consensus information (i.e., the extent of satisfaction agreement among previous customers) and brand familiarity exert independent or interactive effects on consumer perceptions across retailers that possess, or lack, a physical presence. Study 2 tests a potential boundary condition of the effects of consensus information and brand familiarity by introducing generalized suspicion, which is a common condition for online buyers. Results suggest that consensus information provides a broad cue that conveys trustworthiness and leads to greater purchase intentions for both familiar and unfamiliar brands, as well as hybrid and etailer firms. In comparison, the effects of physical presence and brand familiarity were somewhat narrower in scope. However, we find that consensus information alone is not sufficient to buffer against active, generalized suspicions online. Instead, a combination of high consensus and brand familiarity is necessary for this purpose. The paper concludes with recommendations on how etailers can convey trustworthiness in online exchanges and how future research can build upon these findings.