Search Results (78)

Advertising research highlights the crucial role of creative strategy in shaping consumer behavior. Yet, limited attention has been paid to how creative appeal and message strategy jointly influence persuasion in social media contexts. This study examines the interactive effects of informational versus transformational appeals and personal versus social-experience message strategies on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. A 2 (creative appeal) × 2 (message strategy) experimental design was implemented using Facebook post advertisements for a fictitious beer brand. Data was collected from 231 participants randomly assigned to one of four ad conditions. Results show that informational appeals outperform transformational appeals in generating immediate purchase intentions. Attitudes toward the ad and attitude toward the brand mediated these effects, consistent with the Dual Mediation Hypothesis. Moreover, in accordance with the Construal Level Theory, message strategy moderates the relationship: informational appeals were most effective when paired with personal strategies but lost persuasive power under social-experience strategies. These findings advance the theoretical understanding of digital advertising persuasion by explicating how creative appeal and message strategy jointly shape both attitudinal and behavioral responses. Practically, the results suggest that advertisers seeking short-term conversions should combine informational appeals with personal strategies. Full article

Instant noodles have become a staple convenience food worldwide, with rising consumption particularly among younger, busier populations. This study investigates consumer perceptions, health concerns, consumption habits, and purchasing behaviors related to pre-packaged noodles in Kosovo. A structured questionnaire was administered to 400 participants, exploring attitudes toward health impacts, ingredient awareness, product preferences, and purchasing motivations. Findings revealed mixed perceptions of noodle healthiness, with older and more educated individuals significantly more likely to view them as unhealthy (p < 0.001). Although most respondents expressed concern about ingredients such as fat, calories, and salt, awareness of additives like monosodium glutamate (MSG) remained low (p < 0.001), indicating a gap in consumer knowledge. Consumption patterns varied notably by age, gender, income, and health status. Younger and lower-income groups consumed noodles more frequently (p < 0.001), often driven by time constraints rather than taste or nutritional value. One-third of participants reported a sense of addiction, strongly linked to both frequency and portion size. When purchasing, consumers prioritized label clarity, origin, and natural ingredients over sensory appeal, and advertising exerted only a moderate influence on choices. These results suggest that while practical needs drive consumption, health concerns and demographic factors strongly shape perceptions and behavior. Efforts to reduce unhealthy consumption should focus on clearer labeling, accessible nutrition education, and promoting healthier, convenient alternatives. Full article

In the era of Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC) transforming advertising production, existing research lacks comprehensive exploration of how AIGC advertisements shape consumer responses. This study integrates attention allocation theory and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to investigate dual cognitive processing mechanisms of relevant and divergent AI advertisements via eye-tracking experiments and questionnaires. Findings reveal that relevant AI advertisements enhance perceived usefulness (PU) through product area attention allocation, improving purchase intention; Divergent AI advertisements boost perceived entertainment (PE) via non-product creative cues, positively influencing ad attitudes; and product involvement (PI) moderates these paths as high PI strengthens PU’s role in central processing, while low PI amplifies PE’s effect in peripheral processing. By constructing a dual-path cognitive model, this research bridges gaps in understanding AI advertising’s implicit attention mechanisms and explicit perceptual outcomes. The findings provide theoretical guidance for advertisers to optimize AIGC strategies, balancing technological utility and creative appeal to achieve precise attention guidance and enhance smart marketing effectiveness. Full article

Public-health campaigns have to capture and hold visual attention, but little is known about the influence of message framing and visual appeal on attention to bowel-cancer screening ad campaigns. In a within-subjects test, 42 UK adults aged 40 to 65 viewed 54 static adverts that varied by (i) slogan frame—anticipated regret (AR) vs. positive (P); (ii) image type—hand-drawn, older stock, AI-generated; and (iii) identity congruence—viewer ethnicity matched vs. unmatched to the depicted models. Remote eye-tracking measured time to first fixation (TTFF), dwell, fixations, and revisits on a priori pre-defined regions of interest (ROIs); analyses employed linear mixed-effects models (LMMs), generalized estimating equations (GEEs), and median quantile regressions with cluster at the participant level. Across models, the AR slogans produced faster orienting (smaller TTFF) and more intense maintained attention (longer dwell, more fixations and revisits) than the P slogans. Image type set baseline attention (hand-drawn > old stock > AI) but did not significantly decrease the AR benefit, which was equivalent for all visual styles. Identity congruence enhanced early capture (lower TTFF), with small effects for dwell-based measures, suggesting that tailoring benefits only the “first glance.” Anticipated-regret framing is a reliable, design-level alternative to improving both initial capture and sustained processing of screening messages. In practice, the results indicate that advertisers should pair regret-based slogans with warm, human-centred imagery; place slogans in high-salience, low-competition spaces, and, when incorporating AI-generated imagery, reduce composition complexity and exclude uncanny details. These findings ground regret framing as a visual-attention mechanism for public-health campaigns in empirical fact and provide practical recommendations for testing and production. Full article

While the capability of generative AI to generate high-quality content is well-recognized, there is still a lack of in-depth research on its actual impact on marketing effectiveness within real-world marketing environments. This study addresses this gap by conducting experiments to examine the effects of AI-generated advertisement images, created using text-to-image diffusion models, on consumer responses and the boundary conditions of these effects. Study 1 (n = 130) found that for coffee ads, attitudes were descriptively higher toward AI-generated images (η_p² = 0.17), whereas for medical-aesthetics and public-service ads, evaluations favored human-made images; none of these differences reached significance. Study 2 (n = 79) revealed that when consumers were informed about the source of the image (AI or human), they showed significantly more positive attitudes toward human-made images than those generated by AI (d = 0.52). Study 3 (n = 209) demonstrated that in commercial advertising contexts where usage motivations were disclosed, consumers’ negative reactions to AI-generated images were moderated by the specific usage motivation (η² = 0.04). When the motivation was privacy protection, evaluations were comparable to human-made images. In contrast, visual appeal produced slightly lower but non-significant ratings, whereas cost efficiency led to significant declines in trust and purchase intention, with attitude showing only marginal decreases and preference no differences. This study aims to understand the innovative potential of generative AI and provides critical insights for businesses, consumers, and policymakers regarding its effective utilization. Full article

This study examines whether sexual appeals, specifically nudity (body coverage) and model gender, shape consumer responses to advertising. Guided by the Elaboration Likelihood Model, we test whether these factors operate as peripheral cues when argument strength is minimal (fragrance advertising). In a 3 (model gender: male, female, both) × 2 (clothing: swimwear vs. outdoor wear) between-subjects experiment (n = 195), participants viewed one of six real advertisements from the same luxury fragrance brand featuring the same professional models. Nudity level did not affect attitudes toward the ad, brand attitude, or purchase intention. By contrast, ads depicting both a male and a female model produced small but reliable omnibus improvements in brand attitude and purchase intention relative to single-model ads; attitudes toward the ad were unaffected. Mediation tests indicated that these differences were not explained by attitude toward the ad or brand attitude, consistent with peripheral-cue processes rather than the classic ad → brand attitude sequence. Practically, the results challenge the assumption that “more nudity” is persuasive and suggest that, in low-argument contexts, gender-balanced model composition can be a modest, context-dependent cue. Advertisers should prioritize brand/category fit, pretest in the intended media environment (and locale), and expect incremental rather than large effects. Full article

This study investigates the psychological and emotional mechanisms underlying women’s reactions to breast cancer awareness advertisements through the dual lens of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and neuromarketing methods, addressing a gap in empirical research on the integration of biometric and cognitive approaches in health marketing. Utilizing a lab-based experiment with 78 women aged 40 and older, we integrated Facial Expression Analysis using Noldus FaceReader 9.0 with semi-structured post-exposure interviews. Six manipulated health messages were embedded within a 15 min audiovisual sequence, with each message displayed for 5 s. Quantitative analysis revealed that Ads 2 and 5 elicited the highest mean fear scores (0.45 and 0.42) and surprise scores (0.35 and 0.33), while Ad 4 generated the highest happiness score (0.31) linked to coping appraisal. Emotional expressions—including fear, sadness, surprise, and neutrality—were recorded in real time and analyzed quantitatively. The facial analysis data were triangulated with thematic insights from interviews, targeting perceptions of threat severity, vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy. The findings confirm that fear-based appeals are only effective when paired with actionable coping strategies, providing empirical support for PMT’s dual-process model. By applying mixed-methods analysis to the evaluation of health messages, this study makes three contributions: (1) it extends PMT by validating the emotional–cognitive integration framework through biometric–qualitative convergence; (2) it offers practical sequencing principles for combining threat and coping cues; and (3) it proposes cross-modal methodology guidelines for future health campaigns. Full article

This study presents a computational analysis of industry-specific advertising message strategies through the theoretical lens of the FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) grid framework. Leveraging the AiSAC (AI Analysis System for Ad Creation) system developed by the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation (KOBACO), we analyzed 27,000 Korean advertisements across five major industries using advanced machine learning techniques. Through Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling with a coherence score of 0.78, we identified five distinct message strategies: emotional appeal, product features, visual techniques, setting and objects, and entertainment and promotion. Our computational analysis revealed that each industry exhibits a unique “message strategy fingerprint” that significantly discriminates between categories, with discriminant analysis achieving 62.7% classification accuracy. Time-series analysis using recurrent neural networks demonstrated a significant evolution in strategy preferences, with emotional appeal increasing by 44.3% over the study period (2015–2024). By mapping these empirical findings onto the FCB grid, the present study validated that industry positioning within the grid’s quadrants aligns with theoretical expectations: high-involvement/think (IT and Telecom), high-involvement/feel (Public Institutions), low-involvement/think (Food and Household Goods), and low-involvement/feel (Services). This study contributes to media science by demonstrating how computational methods can empirically validate the established theoretical frameworks in advertising, providing a data-driven approach to understanding message strategy patterns across industries. Full article

Green advertising messages often face challenges of abstraction and outcome ambiguity. To address this, we apply the framing effect theory to explore how concrete versus abstract expressions in green advertising interact with consumer perceptions. Drawing on the Stereotype Content Model (SCM), we propose a congruence framework: concrete messages align with competence appeals, while abstract messages align with warmth appeals. Through two experiments, we demonstrate that such congruence significantly enhances green purchase intention. Experiment 1 establishes the interaction effect between message framing (concrete vs. abstract) and appeal type (competence vs. warmth), revealing that concrete–competence and abstract–warmth pairings outperform mismatched conditions. Experiment 2 further validates advertising attitudes as a mediator and product involvement as a moderator, clarifying boundary conditions. These findings advance the theoretical understanding of framing effects in sustainability communication and offer actionable strategies for marketers: aligning message specificity (concrete/abstract) with appeal dimensions (competence/warmth) can amplify consumer engagement, particularly when tailored to product contexts. Full article

We extended real estate property listings on the online prop-tech platform. On the platform, the images were classified into the specified classes according to quality criteria. The necessary interventions were made by measuring the platform’s appropriateness level and increasing the advertisements’ visual appeal. A dataset of 3000 labeled images was utilized to compare different image classification models, including convolutional neural networks (CNNs), VGG16, residual networks (ResNets), and the LLaVA large language model (LLM). Each model’s performance and benchmark results were measured to identify the most effective method. In addition, the classification pipeline was expanded using image enhancement with contrastive unsupervised representation learning (CURL). This method assessed the impact of improved image quality on classification accuracy and the overall attractiveness of property listings. For each classification model, the performance was evaluated in binary conditions, with and without the application of CURL. The results showed that applying image enhancement with CURL enhances image quality and improves classification performance, particularly in models such as CNN and ResNet. The study results enable a better visual representation of real estate properties, resulting in higher-quality and engaging user listings. They also underscore the importance of combining advanced image processing techniques with classification models to optimize image presentation and categorization in the real estate industry. The extended platform offers information on the role of machine learning models and image enhancement methods in technology for the real estate industry. Also, an alternative solution that can be integrated into intelligent listing systems is proposed in this study to improve user experience and information accuracy. The platform proves that artificial intelligence and machine learning can be integrated for cloud-distributed services, paving the way for future innovations in the real estate sector and intelligent marketplace platforms. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study investigated whether exposure to various types of information online can influence adults aged 40 and above in their likelihood to purchase hearing aids (HAs). Specifically, it examined the effects of price anchoring, using high or low HA prices in advertisements, and attribute framing, using product descriptions that highlighted lifestyle appeal or technological capabilities. Methods: In a 2 × 2 experimental design, 271 participants browsed a website simulating an online search for hearing health information. Participants then rated their likelihood of purchasing three fictitious HAs as well as their likelihood of not purchasing any device. Results: Two-way ANCOVAs indicated no significant main effects of anchoring or framing on purchase likelihood for the fictitious devices (covariates included self-rated hearing ability, trust in online health information, and HA knowledge and importance). No significant interaction effects emerged. However, exploratory analyses revealed significant anchoring effects for two of the three devices among participants with below-median self-rated hearing. Additionally, self-rated knowledge was a significant covariate in the model for all devices (p < 0.001), positively correlating with purchase likelihood. Participants with above-median self-rated knowledge showed significantly higher purchase likelihood for all devices (p < 0.001, d ≥ 0.572 for all comparisons), while those with below-median knowledge displayed a significant anchoring effect for two outcomes. Conclusions: Enhanced HA knowledge may increase HA purchase likelihood and reduce the potential anchoring effects of online advertising. Further research is needed to determine the impact of exposure to high or low prices on HA purchase decisions, especially among those with poorer hearing. Full article

Background: Exposure to visually appealing food items can enhance their subjective realism, leading to increased cravings, salivation, and automatic approach tendencies. Prior research suggests that brief mindfulness instructions promoting dereification—recognizing stimuli as transient mental events—can mitigate these automatic reactions. Objectives: This study assesses whether brief mindfulness instruction can mitigate automatic consumption tendencies induced by food advertisements, exploring the corresponding behavioral, physiological, and neurophysiological mechanisms. Methods: Sixty participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one receiving brief mindfulness instruction and the other a non-dereifying control instruction while exposed to advertised foods. This was followed by an approach–avoidance task (AAT), during which behavioral data, salivary volume, event-related potentials (ERPs) from electroencephalogram recordings, and self-reports were collected. Results: The results showed no significant differences in approach behaviors between the groups. Hunger, food craving, and salivation levels increased uniformly in response to food cues for both groups. The N1, N2, P3, and late positive potential (LPP) ERPs remained unaltered by the instructions and consistent with the established AAT literature. Advertising heightened the appeal of neutral foods, as evidenced by increased N2, P3, and LPP responses. Conclusions: The brief mindfulness instruction failed to shield participants from the automatic responses elicited by food advertising, contrasting with the effects seen with non-advertised food. Full article

This study aims to enhance the visual design of ABC.com, a leading Indonesian online news portal, by using usability and eye-tracking methods. As news media transitions from print to digital, maintaining an optimal user experience is crucial. This study addresses design deficiencies on ABC.com, particularly related to news accessibility, search functionality, and the impact of advertisements. This research employs questionnaires and eye-tracking technology to identify user behavior and validate the findings. Key usability aspects, such as content accessibility, error prevention, and visual appeal, are analyzed to improve the website’s layout. The eye-tracking results reveal that users focus mainly on the center of the screen, often missing critical elements like the latest news and the search engine. This study proposes enhancements in typography, contrast, and page layout, based on the identified needs. The final design of ABC.com improved by enhancing efficiency, clarity, aesthetics, readability, and user comfort. The redesign showed mean improvements of 0.16, 0.41, 0.65, 0.32, and 0.54 in these criteria, respectively, indicating a notable enhancement in usability. This study’s findings offer a practical guideline that can be directly applied to enhance similar online news platforms in Indonesia. Full article

Urban visual pollution, mainly driven by outdoor advertisements, is becoming increasingly prevalent in built environments. While urban visual pollution and outdoor advertising have been thoroughly examined in the Global North, less is known about these issues in the Global South. Therefore, this study examines the prevalence and impact of outdoor advertising in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focusing on both its forms and the perceptions of residents and commuters. The study employed key informant interviews, field observations, and surveys. The results show a significant increase in outdoor advertisements with 78% of respondents noting a recent rise and 62% feeling overwhelmed by their abundance. Additionally, the study reveals the negative effects of outdoor advertisements on urban aesthetics, as 82% of respondents believe these advertisements diminish the visual appeal of the city. The study underscores the perception of visual pollution, particularly in densely populated areas, where advertising clutter compromises the urban environment. Key contributing factors include a lack of regulation, poorly placed outdoor advertisements, inconsistent design, excessive size and brightness, and overcrowding. This study suggests the need for improved regulatory frameworks and community engagement in outdoor advertising to enhance the visual quality of urban spaces in developing countries like Ethiopia. Full article

The paper aims to examine the relationships between behavioural biases (such as overconfidence and herding) and the rational behaviour of Australian female consumers when making financial decisions. In doing so, the paper showcases the financial illiteracy of Australian female consumers when confronted with irregularities within the Australian financial markets. From a theoretical standpoint, the study adopts the notions of the adaptive market hypothesis (AMH) to understand the reasoning behind the relationships between behavioural biases (such as overconfidence and herding) and the rational behaviour of Australian female consumers when making decisions rationally. Using a quantitative approach, a structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted on the proposed theoretical framework with a cleaned dataset of 357 Australian female consumers, which revealed that behavioural biases significantly influence each stage of rational decision-making when making financial decisions. More precisely, the structural equation modelling (SEM) showcases that herding behaviour has a significant positive relationship with the information search and evaluation of alternative stages when making financial decisions. However, overconfidence behaviour has a significant negative relationship with demand identification and evaluation of alternative stages when making financial decisions. Moreover, the findings also showcase that the proposed theoretical model closely fits with the data utilised, indicating that Australian female consumers do follow rational decision-making when making financial decisions. Additionally, the findings revealed that the education and income levels of Australian female consumers positively influence the stages of rational decision-making. The findings also contend that Australian female consumers have a risk-averse attitude (i.e., within three key hypothetical scenarios) towards financial decisions due to the presence of financial illiteracy. Hence, it is strongly suggested that financial institutions highlight the calculative benefits and returns from financial product purchases in advertising and promotions in a way that appeals to female consumer segments. Full article