What Really Sells? Comparing Psychological Appeals in Food Advertising
G. Tweeboom
Seisen International School, Tokyo, Japan
Publication date: January 28, 2025
Seisen International School, Tokyo, Japan
Publication date: January 28, 2025
DOI: http://doi.org/10.34614/JIYRC202440
ABSTRACT
This paper aimed to examine the effects and associations of different psychological advertising appeals on consumer attitudes and intentions, with a focus on food products. Advertisers in a variety of industries often utilise appeals such as beauty, endorsement, emotion, fear, and humour to shape perceptions and drive purchasing behaviour. The study used primary data (n=110), evaluated responses to different advertising appeals, specifically in the context of Coca-Cola advertisements as well as running an ordered logit regression on demographic factors and viewing habits to analyse how these variables influence advertisement appeal ratings. Results indicated that aesthetic appeals ranked highest in influencing consumer preferences, while celebrity endorsements were the least impactful. The findings supported previous research that emotional and humorous appeals outperform fear-based approaches but contradict the expectation that celebrity endorsement would significantly drive purchasing behaviour.
This paper aimed to examine the effects and associations of different psychological advertising appeals on consumer attitudes and intentions, with a focus on food products. Advertisers in a variety of industries often utilise appeals such as beauty, endorsement, emotion, fear, and humour to shape perceptions and drive purchasing behaviour. The study used primary data (n=110), evaluated responses to different advertising appeals, specifically in the context of Coca-Cola advertisements as well as running an ordered logit regression on demographic factors and viewing habits to analyse how these variables influence advertisement appeal ratings. Results indicated that aesthetic appeals ranked highest in influencing consumer preferences, while celebrity endorsements were the least impactful. The findings supported previous research that emotional and humorous appeals outperform fear-based approaches but contradict the expectation that celebrity endorsement would significantly drive purchasing behaviour.
