Erik Modig

Think outside the ad: : can advertising creativity benefit more than the advertiser?

This article adds to the literature on advertising creativity as well as the growing body of research on the unintended effects of advertising. In three experimental studies we “think outside the ad” and test whether there could be unintended, positive effects of advertising creativity. The results show advertising creativity to have a positive influence on consumers’ own creativity as well as their perceptions of media vehicle value. The effects are mediated by processing and perceived creativity. In discussing the results we encourage advertisers not only to take responsibility for avoiding unintended negative effects on consumers but also to explore and factor in potential positive effects that benefit consumers.

Consumer-perceived signals of ‘creative’ versus ‘efficient’ advertising: Investigating the roles of expense and effort

The paper investigates the effects that consumer-perceived sender expense and effort might have on brand perceptions. More specifically, it extends the marketing signal literature to advertising by including both sender expense and effort, and by including both positive and negative effects. A quantitative analysis of 4,000 consumers’ perceptions of creativity award winning, effectiveness award winning and non-award winning advertisements finds that advertisements with higher-than-average perceived expense and effort have positive impacts on brand attitudes, brand interest and word-of-mouth (WOM), while advertisements with lower-than-average perceived expense have corresponding negative impacts.

Twitter for two: investigating the effects of dialogue with customers in social media

This article highlights – and compares – the effects of communicating with customers in social media with either one-way communication or dialogue. In an experiment, the authors let randomly selected consumers follow real company Twitters using one of the two strategies for 1 week and then compared their impressions of the companies compared to control groups. They found that while dialogue enhanced brand attitudes and purchase intentions, one-way communication did not. This effect can be explained, in part, by the increased perceived expense and perceived caring signaled by using dialogue. Implications for both researchers and practitioners are discussed.

The value of ambient communication from a consumer perspective

Ambient communication, in which nontraditional media are creatively employed to implicitly communicate a target message, is increasingly popular. Advertising on eggs, elevator panels, and public fountains are all real-life examples of this. In the present study we investigate the value of ambient communication from a consumer perspective. More specifically, we argue that advertising communicated through congruent nontraditional (ambient) media enhance consumer perception of advertising value compared to advertising placed in traditional or incongruent nontraditional (non-ambient) media. We also argue that ambient ad placements are seen as a sign that the brand cares about consumers. The results of an experimental study support our logic; to fulfill its potential advertising in nontraditional media needs to be aligned with the message being communicated. When this is the case, ambient communications help create equitable exchanges between consumers and brands as indicated by positive effects on perceptions of advertising value and consumer care.

Can advertising creativity affect product perceptions and retailer evaluations

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of advertising creativity on consumer perceptions of product quality, value, retailer brand attitude and purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach – Two experimental studies were conducted. Study 1 shows the impact of creativity (high/low) for two product categories (mineral water and chewing gum) and one known retailer. The findings are replicated and extended in Study 2 for four categories (mineral water, chewing gum, batteries and detergent) and two known retailers. Findings – The results show that advertising creativity positively signals perceived product quality, which increases perceived value. These effects fully mediate a positive impact on retailer brand attitude and purchase intentions. The positive effect of advertising creativity on perceived product quality is mediated by perceived advertisement effort. Practical implications – This study introduces advertising creativity as a way for retailers to increase perceived product quality an...

The allure of the bottle as a package: an assessment of perceived effort in a packaging context

This paper aims to assess the impact of perceived effort related to packaging on overall product evaluations. Perceived effort, defined as the consumer’s perceptions of how much manufacturer effort that lies behind an offer, is assumed to contribute to evaluations by signaling unobservable characteristics of an offer.,Three between-subjects experiments were conducted with soft drink bottles, which were subject to variation in perceived effort.,The results show that perceived effort was positively associated with overall evaluations. The results also show that the impact of perceived effort was mediated by product quality perceptions, which indicates that effort signals quality.,Perceived effort has to date not been examined in the packaging literature. The present findings thus imply that models of packaging characteristics and their impact on consumers would benefit from including the effort aspect.