Images Paired with Concrete Claims Improve Skeptical Consumers’ Responses to Advertising Promoting a Firm’s Good Deeds

Journal of Marketing Communications, Forthcoming

38 Pages Posted: 13 Sep 2013 Last revised: 22 May 2016

See all articles by Jeff Joireman

Jeff Joireman

Washington State University - Department of Marketing

Richie Liu

Washington State University

Ioannis Kareklas

State University of New York at Albany

Date Written: 2013

Abstract

Previous research has focused attention on state skepticism over corporate social responsibility (CSR) communications, but little work has focused on how to override pre-existing differences in consumer skepticism. To gain insight into this issue, the present studies explore whether company ads promoting a firm’s good deeds generate more positive responses when the ads contain concrete claims and/or images related to the firm’s corporate social responsibility claims, and how these elements of the CSR communication interact with individual differences in advertising skepticism. Results show that highly skeptical consumers (a) respond less favorably to ads than less skeptical consumers, overall; (b) respond more favorably to ads that contain a combination of concrete claims and images supporting those claims; and (c) respond as favorably as less skeptical consumers when ads feature concrete claims with supporting images. Additional results suggest that images are effective among highly skeptical consumers because skeptical consumers have a reduced ability to visualize advertising claims. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Keywords: advertising skepticism; advertising effectiveness; vague versus concrete advertising claims; use of images in advertising; corporate social responsibility advertising

Suggested Citation

Joireman, Jeff and Liu, Richie and Kareklas, Ioannis, Images Paired with Concrete Claims Improve Skeptical Consumers’ Responses to Advertising Promoting a Firm’s Good Deeds (2013). Journal of Marketing Communications, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2324357 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2324357

Jeff Joireman (Contact Author)

Washington State University - Department of Marketing ( email )

382 Todd Addition
Pullman, WA 99164
United States
(509) 335-0191 (Phone)

Richie Liu

Washington State University ( email )

Pullman, WA 99164
United States

Ioannis Kareklas

State University of New York at Albany ( email )

1400 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12222
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.ioanniskareklas.com/

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