Marketing Communications

96 CHAPTER 3 HOW MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS WORK

purely informative ad. Their conclusion was that both brand attitude (Ab) and purchase

intention were influenced not only by brand beliefs, but also to a great extent by the attitude

towards the ad (Aad). Another study found that the difference in brand preference before

and after exposure to advertising was twice as positive for consumers who liked the ad a lot

as compared with consumers who had a neutral Aad.^75 When consumers feel indifferent

towards the available brands as a consequence of low brand differentiation or insignificant

consequences of a non-optimal choice, their choice goal is likely to be to buy the first brand

that they like.^76

Ad likeability might be an important factor because of its ability to attract attention

and facilitate information processing. Peripheral cues such as humour, music, animals and

children may attract attention, induce curiosity which leads consumers to watch the whole

ad, and induce a favourable Aad^77 which can lead to a favourable Ab.

The Aad transfer model receiving most empirical support is the dual mediation model

(Figure 3.6).^78 According to this model, the evaluation of the ad has not only an immediate

impact on the evaluation of the brand, but also an indirect effect on brand attitude via brand

cognitions. The reasoning behind this model is that consumers who hold a positive attitude

towards the communication are more likely to be receptive to arguments in favour of the

brand advertised. For example, if you like the Frisk commercial in which a cook accidentally

drops a Frisk (a mint) in an aquarium, a fish eats it and gets so much energy out of it that the

fish jumps into the next aquarium, then the next, and at the end out of the window, you might

be less inclined to think of counter-arguments, or you might find yourself thinking of more

support arguments (e.g. Frisk gives energy, Frisk is refreshing) because you think the com-

mercial is clever, original and humorous.

Feelings transfer

In line with the foregoing, some researchers suggest that the feelings an ad evokes may be

transferred to the attitude towards the ad, the brand attitude and the purchase intention

without much deliberation.^79

Why consider ad-evoked feelings? Several studies show that people in a positive mood

make decisions more quickly, use less information, avoid systematic processing, evaluate

everything more positively, accept a persuasive message more easily and pay less attention to

details.^80 According to some researchers, ad-evoked feelings might even have a greater impact

on communications effectiveness than mood.^81 Mood affects brand evaluation only if this

Figure 3.6 Dual mediation hypothesis

Source: Based on and reprinted with permission from ‘The role of attitude toward the ad as a mediator of advertising

effectiveness: a test of competing explanations’, Journal of Marketing Research, published by the American Marketing

Association, MacKenzie, S.B., Lutz, R.J. and Belch, G.E., 1986, vol. 23, p. 131.

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