Emotional Appeal in Social Advertising On Consumer Attitude and Purchase Intentions
Emotional Appeal in Social Advertising On Consumer Attitude and Purchase Intentions
1 Introduction
The global advertising landscape is increasingly emphasizing the importance of
emotional advertising. Statista has predicted that global advertising spending will reach
$989 billion by 2024, especially for digital advertising and social media Statista [1].
This trend highlights the importance of predicting customer sentiment to increase the
effectiveness of advertising, as well as the importance of advertising in marketing
activities.
When developing advertising strategies, to increase customer engagement, emphasis
should be placed on the emotional level, especially in diverse and competitive markets
[2]. Ho Chi Minh City is a major economic hub, so studying the effectiveness of
advertising in a major economic hub will create effective engagement with customers
here [3]. Therefore, studying the effectiveness of advertising will help brands develop
appropriate advertising content strategies.
Previous research has indicated the crucial role of emotional advertising in shaping
consumer behavior and purchase decisions [4, 5]. Emotional adversiting expressed
love, humor, and excitemnent content that enhance consumers’ attitudes toward brand,s
thereby, improving purchase intentions and fostering brand loyalty [6]. By creating
hedonic value, emotional advertising can attract consumers’ attention [7]. ABC model
of attitude encompasses affect, behavior and cognition that provides a key theoretical
background to creative advertising campaigns. In that, affect (emotion) is easy to create
a engagement between brand and consumers [8]. Affect includes both positive and
negative sides. Positive side mentions positive feelings and entertainment to the
audiences [9]. Meanwhile, negative side mentions fear, worrried to the audiences.
Depending on different purposes, brands choose a right side to engage with their
consumers. By leveraging the affective component of this model, the current study
seeks to dissect how positive emotions such as humor and enthusiasm not only shape
consumer attitudes towards advertisements but also drive behavioral outcomes like
increased purchase intention [10]. This approach allows for a more detailed analysis of
the emotional dynamics at play in social marketing, offering insights that can help
businesses craft more effective and emotionally resonant advertising strategies.
However, there is lack of research in findings types of positive emotional advertising
in social marketing that enhancing the appealings then encouraging consumer behavior
[11, 12]. This study provides insightful information for companies looking to improve
their marketing tactics in a cutthroat market by examining the ways in which emotions,
humor, and excitement impact consumer attitudes toward advertising and brand
perceptions.
2 Theoretical background
The ABC Model of Attitudes, which includes affective, behavioral, and cognitive
components, offers a complete framework for investigating the evolution of consumer
attitudes and their impact on behavior [13, 14]. The affective component, which refers
to a consumer's emotional or feeling attachment to a product, typically has a significant
influence on opinion development. For example, an individual's taste for chocolate ice
cream may stem mostly from pleasant feelings rather than a cognitive evaluation of its
flavor [15]. The cognitive side of the object includes thoughts or facts about the item
that legitimize or explain these sentiments and behaviors, but the emotional response
typically results in linked actions, such as buying the item.
The application of the ABC model in social marketing expressed the key role of
emotional appeals influencing consumer behavior. Previous studies have shown the
affective emotions advertising encouraging engagement and actions [9, 12].
Nevertheless, there is a deficiency in comprehending the complete impact of good
emotional advertising on customer behavior and views. The objective of this study is
to investigate the impact of various emotional appeals, such as love, comedy, and
excitement, on customer emotions (affective), following purchasing behaviors
(behavioral), and brand perceptions (cognitive) [16].
3 Hypotheses
Love can be expressed in a variety of contexts, often evoking admiration and positive
emotions in the viewer (Khana, 2016). When there is love, consumers will have a
positive feeling towards the ad, which makes them more inclined to want to own the
advertised product or service.
Humor is a powerful marketing strategy that can engage viewers and generate
interest in the advertised product or service. Humorous advertising is more effective
than serious advertising in increasing consumer awareness and preference for a product
(Speck, 1987; Weinberger & Gullas, 1992). When consumers feel happy, they become
more agreeable, as well as evaluate the ad positively.
Advertising that focuses on excitement and enjoyment is effective in increasing
brand awareness and promoting brand recall. By using enthusiasm to engage consumers
in actively learning about the special features of a product, advertisers can improve
understanding of their message (Khana, 2016). Therefore, it can be inferred that
excitement appeals are expected to have a positive impact on the entertainment value
of advertising.
Hypothesis 1 (H1): The inclusion of emotional appeals in advertising will
enhance the perceived entertainment value of the advertisement. Specifically:
● H1a: Love appeals in advertising will positively influence the perceived
entertainment value.
● H1b: Humor appeals in advertising will positively influence the perceived
entertainment value.
● H1c: Excitement appeals in advertising will positively influence the
perceived entertainment value.
4 Research Method
4.2 Measurement
Likert scale was used to measure the items (1-Strongly disagree, 5-Strongly agree).
The scale items were adopted from previous studies and adjusted to fit with the current
content. Advertising value, humor, exhilaration, entertainment, and informativeness
items were adapted from [31]. Emotion of love items were adapted from [32]. The scale
for attitude toward the advertisement was adapted from [33], and the scale for brand
attitude was also adapted from the same study. Ultimately, the scale for assessing
purchase intention was adapted from [32].
In order to evaluate the model, it is crucial to undertake two primary steps: appraising
the dependability and accuracy of the scales, and reviewing the connections among the
hypotheses in the model [34]. The initial stage is assessing the measurement model by
scrutinizing the reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the
constructs inside the model. Subsequently, as recommended by [35], the structural
model is assessed using a sequence of procedures: (1) Conducting tests on the route
coefficients, (2) calculating the coefficient of determination (R²), and (3) evaluating the
impact magnitude (f² value).
292 M. T. H. Le et al.
In order to evaluate the dependability of the variables in this quantitative investigation, the
research team first used the following criteria: outer loadings more than 0.5, Cronbach's Alpha
greater than 0.7, and Composite Reliability (CR) greater than 0.7 [36]. Nevertheless, to more
closely match the precise goals of the study, the team opted to adjust the CR threshold to a
number exceeding 0.6. Based on the first analysis utilizing the technique, it was found that two
variables, EE3 and GT1, were considered unreliable due to their outer loadings being below
0.6, and they did not match the adjusted reliability criterion. These two factors were then
eliminated, and the algorithm analysis was performed again.
Convergent validity of the study variables was also evaluated using the Average Variance
Extracted (AVE) method. All variables have AVE values that surpass the threshold of 0.5. In
addition, the variables meet the Fornell-Larcker criterion for discriminant validity, since the
square root of each variable's average variance extracted (AVE) is higher than its correlations
with other variables. Furthermore, all HTMT values in the Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT)
criteria are below 1, as demonstrated by [34].
5.3 Structural model
The researchers employed the bootstrapping technique, with 5,000 sub-samples, to validate the
structural model and assure the precision of the PLS estimates ([36]. The results suggest that
the effect linkages are statistically significant, since the P-value is below 0.05. All impact
coefficients have a positive value, signifying that the linkages within the model are direct. In
order to assess the relative impact of independent factors on a given dependent variable, we
conducted a comparison of the absolute values of the coefficients obtained from the original
sample. A greater magnitude signifies a more significant influence. According to Table 2, all
hypotheses in this model are accepted.
The analysis results show that the independent variables EE, FU, and CT have a minor impact
on GT entertainment. However, GT has a significant impact on GQ (0.694), indicating that
entertainment strongly influences the perceived value of advertising. TQ variables significantly
impact TH variables (0.691), demonstrating that attitudes toward online advertising strongly
influence brand attitudes. The value of advertising has a strong influence on attitudes towards
online advertising. Furthermore, the TH variable significantly impacts the YD variable (0.732),
meaning that attitude toward a brand substantially influences purchase intentions.
6 Conclusion
6.1 Discussion
These findings are consistent with the existing body of literature, providing support and
extending previous research. For example, the significant influence of entertainment on
advertising value supports [20, 21] focus on the importance of entertainment in improving
advertising effectiveness. Furthermore, the consistent findings of [28], Ganesan, Sridhar [33]
support the notion that favorable brand sentiment plays an important role in influencing consumer
purchase behavior. Furthermore, these discoveries offer fresh perspectives by elucidating the
exact impacts of various emotional appeals on the value of advertising and the attitudes of
consumers [7, 12]. This study enhances our comprehension of the interaction between emotional
and entertaining factors in influencing customer buying decisions.
6.2 Theoretical implications
Aligned with the ABC theory, which examines the impact of emotions, actions, and
ideas on attitudes and behaviors, this study's findings offer valuable insights into the
theoretical implications of employing emotional advertising to shape customer
behavior. The results indicate that using emotional appeals in advertising has a
substantial influence on the level of amusement provided by the advertisement.
Consequently, this has a beneficial effect on customer perceptions of both the
commercial and the brand being endorsed. The observed sequential impact is in line
with the ABC model, indicating that emotional engagement (affect) has a substantial
influence on customer perceptions and subsequent purchase intentions. The study found
that overall impressions of a campaign are significantly influenced by the satisfaction
gained from emotional advertising, which in turn influences opinions about the brand
and ultimately determines purchase intention. This supports the theory that emotional
advertising creates a positive impression of the brand, thereby increasing purchase
effectiveness. This result confirms the importance of advertising campaigns to increase
consumer purchase motivation by attracting their attention.
6.3 Practical implications
The study highlights the effectiveness of emotional appeals, such as love, laughter,
and excitement, to enhance the entertainment value of advertising. Marketers will
therefore be able to create more engaging content that engages viewers with positive,
fun emotions. In highly competitive markets, this emotional differentiation can provide
a distinct competitive advantage.
Furthermore, marketers should focus on creating positive yet authentic
advertisements, which will increase the strong personal evaluation between the
individual and the brand, thereby increasing purchases due to a strong emotional
connection with the brand.
The study also found that increasing entertainment value can increase perceived
advertising value, which influences brand awareness and purchase decisions. This in
turn increases loyalty and increases conversion rates. Therefore, businesses should
prioritize increasing creative advertising tactics that emphasize emotional storytelling.
Emotional Appeal in Social Advertising on Consumer Attitude 295
This is especially important in the digital marketing stage because it creates active user
engagement.
Disclosure of Interests. The authors have no competing interests to declare that are
relevant to the content of this article.
References
20. Jung, J.M., K.S. Min, and J.J. Kellaris, The games people play: How the
entertainment value of online ads helps or harms persuasion. Psychology &
marketing, 2011. 28(7): p. 661-681.
21. Yin, X., et al., Attention marketing in fragmented entertainment: How
advertising embedding influences purchase decision in short-form video apps.
Journal of retailing and consumer services, 2024. 76: p. 103572.
22. MacKenzie, S.B. and R.J. Lutz, An Empirical Examination of the Structural
Antecedents of Attitude toward the Ad in an Advertising Pretesting Context.
Journal of marketing, 1989. 53(2): p. 48-65.
23. Ohanian, R., Construction and Validation of a Scale to Measure Celebrity
Endorsers' Perceived Expertise, Trustworthiness, and Attractiveness. Journal
of advertising, 1990. 19(3): p. 39-52.
24. Huh, J., D.E. Delorme, and L.N. Reid, The Third-Person Effect and its
Influence on Behavioral Outcomes in a Product Advertising Context: The
Case of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising. Communication
research, 2004. 31(5): p. 568-599.
25. Van-Tien Dao, W., et al., Social media advertising value: The case of
transitional economies in Southeast Asia. International journal of advertising,
2014. 33(2): p. 271-294.
26. Lee, Y.-J., J. Choi, and A.F. Muldrow, The Role of Interdependent Self-
Construal in Increasing Donation Behavioral Intention: Underlying
Processing Mechanism of Impression Motives. Journal of current issues and
research in advertising, 2020. 41(1): p. 104-118.
27. Phelps, J.E. and M.G. Hoy, The Aad-Ab-PI relationship in children: The
impact of brand familiarity and measurement timing. Psychology &
marketing, 1996. 13(1): p. 77-105.
28. Spears, N. and S.N. Singh, Measuring Attitude toward the Brand and
Purchase Intentions. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising,
2004. 26(2): p. 53-66.
29. Punyatoya, P., Linking Environmental Awareness and Perceived Brand Eco-
friendliness to Brand Trust and Purchase Intention. Global business review,
2014. 15(2): p. 279-289.
30. Kudeshia, C. and A. Kumar, Social eWOM: does it affect the brand attitude
and purchase intention of brands? Management Research Review, 2017.
40(3): p. 310-330.
31. Logan, K., L.F. Bright, and H. Gangadharbatla, Facebook versus television:
Advertising value perceptions among females. Journal of research in
interactive marketing, 2012. 6(3): p. 164-179.
32. Hosany, S., et al., Measuring Tourists’ Emotional Experiences:Further
Validation of the Destination Emotion Scale. 2015. 54(4): p. 482-495.
33. Ganesan, P., M. Sridhar, and S. Priyadharsani, Advertisement attitude, brand
attitude and purchase intention - reciprocal and mediation effect study.
International journal of business excellence, 2016. 9(4): p. 488-510.
34. Henseler, J. and W.W. Chin, A Comparison of Approaches for the Analysis of
Interaction Effects Between Latent Variables Using Partial Least Squares
Path Modeling. Structural equation modeling, 2010. 17(1): p. 82-109.
298 M. T. H. Le et al.
35. Black, W. and B.J. Babin, Multivariate Data Analysis: Its Approach,
Evolution, and Impact, in The Great Facilitator: Reflections on the
Contributions of Joseph F. Hair, Jr. to Marketing and Business Research, B.J.
Babin and M. Sarstedt, Editors. 2019, Springer International Publishing:
Cham. p. 121-130.
36. Hair, J.F., et al., An Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling, in Partial
Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R: A
Workbook. 2021, Springer International Publishing: Cham. p. 1-29.
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/),
which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any
medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the
source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.
The images or other third party material in this chapter are included in the chapter's
Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material
is not included in the chapter's Creative Commons license and your intended use is not
permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain
permission directly from the copyright holder.