Bruce A. Huhmann

Combinatory and Separative Effects of Rhetorical Figures on Consumers' Effort and Focus in Ad Processing

Previous research demonstrates that rhetorical figures differentially affect the extent of ad processing. Specifically, tropes (a type of figure) deviate more from expected language use than schemes, with the greater deviation yielding more extensive ad processing. We extend previous research in two ways by focusing on the incongruity differences that exist between schemes and tropes. Study 1 uses syndicated data (Starch readership scores) to test how figures combine to affect the extent of processing. Results show that when figures leverage unique mechanisms (i.e., schemes and tropes), their combination yields incremental processing gains. Alternatively, when figures leverage redundant mechanisms (e.g., multiple tropes), their combination yields no incremental processing. Study 2 is an experiment that tests how figures separate in affecting the focus of ad processing. Results show that schemes generate a generalized focus on the entire ad, including both ad-stylistic and message-related aspects, while tropes generate a more selective focus on message-related aspects.

Pharmaceutical advertising in the USA: information or influence?

While many parts of pharmaceutical advertisements are regulated, each advertisement also contains a promotional component in which the advertiser conveys information to the consumer. The purpose of this research is to examine the promotional portion of pharmaceutical advertisements to determine whether factual information and rational arguments are being provided to consumers to inform them of health problems, treatment options, and medical science advances. The current research compares the promotional portion of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements for prescription drugs with advertisements for over-the-counter (OTC) remedies and dietary supplements using content analysis. The results indicate that DTC advertisements do not solely rely on rational appeals; instead, they are using more positive and negative emotional appeals than OTC remedies or dietary supplements. Further, DTC advertisements also feature fewer women in their advertisements, more characters under the age of 18 and primarily Caucasian models.

Does mutual fund advertising provide necessary investment information

Purpose – Finance theory proposes that consumers require information about the risk‐return trade‐off credibility information to relieve principal‐agent conflict concerns, and transaction cost information – for investment decisions. This paper aims to investigate whether or not such information is present in advertisements for one investment vehicle – mutual funds.Design/methodology/approach – All advertisements in Barrons and Money over two years were content‐analysed to determine the degree to which mutual fund advertising practice adheres to theories regarding information necessary for optimal investment decisions. Use of techniques known to influence advertisement noting (i.e. advertisement size and colour) and copy readership (i.e. visual size, text length, unique selling proposition/brand‐differentiating message, celebrity endorsements, direct or indirect comparisons with competitors, and emotional appeals) was also investigated. Finally, because mutual funds are a financial service, the presence of...

A model of consumer financial numeracy

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to develop a theoretical explanation – financial numeracy – for consumer proficiency with financial services. With sufficient financial numeracy, consumers benefit fully from financial services and make competent choices in regard to financial management.Design/methodology/approach – The article builds theory by combining consumer cognitive capacity and customer knowledge theories with findings from prior studies of consumer difficulties with financial services to introduce a comprehensive model of the antecedents and consequences of financial numeracy with testable propositions for many psychographic and cultural influences and moderators.Findings – Financial numeracy demands that consumers possess sufficient financial information processing capacity and ability as well as sufficient prior knowledge of financial concepts. Although partly a function of individual cognitive ability, it can be enhanced through appropriate experience with financial instruments and fam...

Appeals in Korean Magazine Advertising: A Content Analysis and Cross-Cultural Comparison

This paper examines the economic, advertising industry, cultural, and product factors influencing the use of emotional and rational appeals in advertising for South Korea and the U.S. Content analysis of 600 Korean magazine advertisements shows that emotional appeals predominate in headlines, but rational appeals are more common overall and in the illustrations. Compared to results from 403 U.S. advertisements, Korean magazine advertising uses more emotional appeals, though differences vary across product types and executional method. Implications for advertising practice and future research are discussed.

Controversial advertisement executions and involvement on elaborative processing and comprehension

Previous explorations of the effect of controversial/shock appeals in advertising have been confounded by using different advertisements in controversial and non‐controversial execution conditions or by not controlling the influence of attitude toward the advertisement. Therefore, the experiment presented here seeks to determine the effect that a controversial advertisement execution has on elaborative processing and brand message comprehension when potential contaminating influences are held constant in the controversial and non‐controversial execution conditions. Results demonstrate that controversial advertisement executions increase elaboration (i.e. the number of cognitive responses and ratings of elaborative processing) regardless of the level of product involvement. A cross‐over interaction reveals that higher product involvement subjects better comprehend a controversial advertisement execution, but lower product involvement subjects better comprehend a non‐controversial advertisement execution. Comprehension results are consistent with the resource‐matching perspective. The resource‐matching perspective holds that there is an upside‐down U‐shaped relationship between processing outcomes and cognitive resources required to successfully process an advertisement execution, such that information processing is optimized when required resources match the resources that one has made available for advertisement processing. The study did not show any differences in processing controversial advertisement executions across gender or ethnic identity (i.e. Hispanic or non‐Hispanic white).

Does rhetoric impact advertising effectiveness with liking controlled

Purpose – Rhetorical works (schemes and tropes) can increase advertisement liking. Because liking impacts advertising effectiveness, this study aims to investigate if positive processing, brand awareness, and persuasion outcomes previously associated with rhetoric are spurious and chiefly attributable to liking.Design/methodology/approach – An experiment (n=448) employed natural advertising exposure conditions and a 3 (headline: nonfigurative, scheme, trope)×2 (copy length: long, moderate)×2 (involvement: high, low) between‐subjects factorial design.Findings – Absent of liking differences, schemes and tropes are robust motivators of available resources devoted to processing (elaboration and readership). Favourable arguments only influence brand awareness and persuasion if processed. Consumers negatively view longer copy. Nonfigurative headlines encourage insufficient processing as copy lengthens. Insufficient processing decreases brand awareness and persuasion. However, schemes and tropes overcome negativ...

A Model of the Cognitive and Emotional Processing of Rhetorical Works in Advertising

This book chapter develops an extensive model of the processing of rhetorical works (i.e., figurative language and visual rhetoric). The model synthesizes two theories - experimental aesthetics, which has explained the processing of creative works (e.g., art, geometric shapes, music, and product designs), and the resource-matching perspective, which holds that processing approaches optimization when resource demand matches the resources that an audience is willing and able to make available. The models combination of these two theories clarifies phenomena (e.g., the Wundt curve or the components of resource demand) that are otherwise unaccounted for. Further, the model subsumes previous research on advertising rhetoric into a single unified explanation. Additionally, extending the resource-matching perspective to encompass emotional appeals expands the scope of advertising rhetoric research into the unexplored emotional component of rhetorical works. This model should also make important contributions to the literature by suggesting theoretically supported hypotheses for future research.

Visual complexity in banner ads

Two studies investigate visual complexity in banner ads and support predictions based on the resource‐matching perspective, which suggests that processing is optimized when the resources required to process a stimulus match the resources available. A content analysis of actual banner ads indicates that Internet advertising tends to rely on a moderate degree of visual complexity. This implies that advertisers’ experience may be encouraging them to combine visual elements, such as color, line art, photography, animated text, and animated visuals for moderate complexity, which should improve message processing. A follow‐up experiment verifies that, when processing resources are constrained, memory is better for images with moderate visual complexity than for simpler or more complex images.

Anthropomorphic responses to new-to-market logos

Abstract To examine design antecedents and consumer responses to ascriptions of anthropomorphic features for logos, we applied a best-practices conceptual framework to evaluate 120 US collegiate sports logos. Data collected from three logo experts and 119 consumers indicate that (1) processing fluency mediates the relationship between elaborateness and all logo personality dimensions, and (2) ascriptions of aggressiveness (negatively) and activeness (positively) influence consumer affect and purchase intentions. These findings imply that universities should benefit from brand management informed by anthropomorphic ascriptions to their sports logos. Possible future research could consider the effect of sports logo elements (i.e. colour, parallelism, symbolic meaning) on yet-to-be-assessed anthropomorphic ascriptions.