MBA Notes - Advertising Appeals
Question - What is Advertising Appeal? Describe different types of advertising appeal.
Answer
Advertising Appeal is an igniting force which stimulates the customer mindset towards the product or services. It not the only factor in the marketing mix which initiates a consumer for buying the product but it is certainly one of the advertisers' most important creative strategy decisions involves the choice of an appropriate appeal.
Advertising appeals are designed in a way so as to create a positive image of the individuals who use certain products. Advertising agencies and companies use different types of advertising appeals to influence the purchasing decisions of people. There are three types of appeals:
- Rational or Informational Appeal
- Emotional Appeal
- Moral Appeal
Rational or Informational Appeals
This is generally product oriented appeal, highlights the functional benefits like- quality, economy, value, or performance of a product. Following are different types of rational appeals:
- Feature Appeal - Advertisements based on such appeal are highly informative, provides information of product attributes or features that can be used as the basis for rational purchase decision. Technical and high involvement product often uses this appeal.
- Competitive Advantage Appeal - Such appeal is used to compare the product with the competitor's product directly or indirectly and advertiser try to present his product superior then competitor's product on one or more attributes.
- Favourable Price Appeal - Here price offer is considered as the dominant point of the message.
- News Appeal - Some type of news or announcements about product or company dominates the advertisement.
- Product Popularity Appeal - Product popularity is considered as the dominant point of advertisement by highlighting the increasing number of users of brand or the number who have switched to it.
- High Quality - Some products are preferred for their quality not merely because of their taste or style, such products are advertised by highlighting the quality attribute in advertisement .
- Low price - Many people prefer low priced goods. To target such audience products are advertised by highlighting the low price tag of the product.
- Long Life - Many consumers want product of durable nature that can be used for a long period, in advertisement of such product durability is the dominant point of the message.
- Performance - Many advertisements exhibit good performance of product.
- Economy - Many customers consider savings in operation and use of product, for example in case of automobile the mileage is considered while selecting the brand or model.
- Scarcity - Another appeal that is occasionally used is scarcity. When there is a limited supply of a product, the value of that product increases. Scarcity appeals urge consumers to buy a particular product because of a limitation.
- Other Rational Appeals - Other rational appeals include purity, more profits, time saving, multifunction, more production, regular supply and availability of parts, limited space required, artistic form, etc. that can make advertising effective.
Emotional Appeals
An emotional appeal is related to an individual’s psychological and social needs for purchasing certain products and services. Emotions affects all type of purchase decisions. Types of emotional appeals are as follows:
- Positive Emotional Appeal - Positive emotions like- humour, love, care, pride, or joy are shown in advertisements to appeal audience to buy that product. For example- Jonson and Jonson baby products.
- Negative Emotional Appeal - This includes fear, guilt, and shame to get people to do things they should or stop.
- Fear - Fear is an emotional response to a threat that expresses some sort of danger. Ads sometimes use fear appeals to evoke this emotional response and arouse consumers to take steps to remove the threat. For example- Life Insurance
- Anxiety - Most people try to avoid feeling anxious. To relieve anxiety, consumers might buy mouthwash, deodorant, a safer car, get retirement pension plan.
- Humour - Humour causes consumer to watch advertisement, laugh on it, and most important is to remember advertisement and also the product connected with humour. For example- Happydent, and Mentos.
Moral Appeals
Moral appeals are directed to the consumes’ sense of what is right and proper. These are often used to exhort people to support social and ethical causes. Types of Moral Appeal are as follows:
- Social awakening and justice
- Cleaner and safe environment
- Equal rights for women
- Prohibition of drugs and intoxication
- Adult literacy
- Anti-smuggling and hoarding
- Protection of consumer rights and awakening
Other Type of Appeals
- Reminder Appeal - Advertising using reminder appeal has the objective of building brand awareness. For example- IPO
- Teaser Advertising - Advertisers introducing a new product often use this appeal. It is designed to build curiosity, interest and excitement about a product or brand. For example- Ponds ad of Saif & Priyanka
- Musical Appeals - Music is an extremely important component in advertising. It captures the attention of listeners. For example- Docomo, Airtel
- Transformational Appeal - The idea behind this appeal is that it can actually make the consumption experience better. For example- Ambay products
- Comparison Appeal - In this appeal a brand’s ability to satisfy consumers is demonstrated by comparing its features to those of competitive brands. For example- Tide & Surf
- Direct Appeals - Direct appeals clearly communicate with the consumers about a given need. These extol the advertised brand as a product which satisfies that need.
- Indirect Appeals - Indirect appeals do not emphasize a human need, but allude to a need.
