This study examines how different advertising messaging strategies comparatively influence brand and product evaluations, product preferences and visual information processing. We compare a product-focused messaging strategy that emphasizes product attributes with a company-focused narrative strategy that highlights a brand’s history and family values.
Using two experiments, we investigate the relative and complementary effects of different messaging appeals and measure their effects via multiple measurement tools – a quantitative survey, moment-to-moment (MTM) feeling dials and eye-tracking area-of-interest measurement – to capture attitudes, product preferences and visual processing. In Experiment 1 (N = 157), participants viewed one of two video advertisements (brand narrative vs product attributes) while using MTM feeling dials and completing pre- and post-test surveys assessing brand and product evaluations and preferences. Experiment 2 (N = 125) employed eye-tracking software to analyze visual elaboration on textual product packaging.
Results indicate that the company narrative generated greater brand favorability while product messaging produced more visual elaboration and was more persuasive for product evaluations and product preferences. Additionally, both brand and product evaluations mediated the persuasive process between viewing an advertisement and ranking the brand’s product among competitors.
A single product was used on a student sample, which limits generalizability.
Marketers should more heavily rely on messaging that focuses on the attributes of products rather than company values, but the inclusion of values into a product attributes-oriented marketing plan can provide added benefit.
Though people do want to support companies that share their values, product evaluations have a great influence on purchasing decisions.
This study examines the comparative and complementary effects of message strategies using multiple forms of measurement which triangulate the findings. By partnering with a real-world brand, it also contributes to the intersection of industry and academia. Both the company narrative and product-focused message proved persuasive, although the product-focused strategy had more substantial effects across all measurement methods. Moreover, the study contributes to our understanding of how these different marketing approaches influence purchasing decisions. Values-orienting marketing takes a more indirect route of influence through company evaluations before affecting product evaluations and purchasing decisions. The study not only examines the relative effect of the two marketing approaches but also the combined effect. In sum, the innovative experimental design, use of technology, different context, triangulation, analysis of the mediated process of influence and examination of both the relative and combined effects contribute to our understanding of values- and product-attributes-oriented marketing.
