Persuasive Advertising - J. Scott Armstrong [17]
It is not entirely correct to describe a product as high or low-involvement because the terms relate not only to the nature of the product, but also to the involvement of the customers who are considering the product being advertised. Customers put more effort into the evaluation of some products than others. They are more involved when products are expensive, (e.g., automobiles), or might lead to personal risks (e.g., surgery), or may affect how the consumer is viewed by the consumer’s peer group (e.g., clothing). In addition, customers’ prior attitudes, knowledge, interests, or needs—as well as the nature of the product itself—can affect involvement. Finally, they are more involved when they are considering the purchase of such products. For simplicity, I will focus on the nature of the product.
Identifying a product as high or low-involvement could be critical to the design of an advertising campaign.
Utilitarian or hedonic products
Some products are purchased primarily to solve problems. These are referred to as “utilitarian products.” Examples include glue, maps, soap, can openers, trucks, and drills. In contrast, some are purchased primarily for enjoyment. They are typically referred to as “hedonic” products. Examples are art, perfume, chocolate, and vodka.
Distinctions between utilitarian and hedonic products can be difficult to make, as few products are at either extreme. However, some studies have found that products can be reliably classified using this scheme. For example, good inter-rater reliability was found in a study involving 34 experts who rated 43 products as to hedonic versus utilitarian (Kennedy and Sharp 1997). In addition, employees at Research Systems Research Corporation independently rated 891 television commercials as to whether the products were utilitarian or hedonic; using the criterion that four of five coders must agree, 94 percent of the ads were coded consistently (Laskey, Day, and Crask 1989). Finally, high agreement was found among ten judges when coding Dutch consumer magazine ads for 643 utilitarian and 720 hedonic products (Pieters and Wedel 2004).
Whether a product is hedonic or utilitarian can be important to how the product is advertised. For example, in 2003, Song Airlines, a subsidiary of Delta Airlines, ignored the fact that their new airline was a utilitarian service and instead treated it as hedonic in their advertising. They introduced their airline in 2003 using emotion as opposed to describing relevant features and benefits. Song lost money and ceased to exist in 2006.
Pro-social versus commercial products
Pro-social products are those that appeal to altruism; for example, “Please help to reduce hunger in Africa,” or “Let’s work together to save the planet.” The advertiser is seen as trying to help others rather than seeking personal gain. As a consequence, people are inclined to trust the ad’s claims. In contrast, a for-profit ad is obviously self-serving so people tend to be wary.
Search, experience, or credence products
Products can be classified by how consumers learn about them:
• Search products are those whose features can be checked prior to purchase, e.g., “This car has four doors.”
• Experience products are those that can be accurately evaluated only after the product has been used (e.g., the Bose Wave radio.) Of course, people might also check with friends to learn about their experiences, or even better, check with Consumer Reports or various Internet sites.
• Credence products are those that cannot be evaluated accurately even after the product has been used because of the consumer’s lack of technical expertise or because the cost of checking the truth of a product’s claim is higher than the value of the information. For example, typical customers are not able to determine whether “Intel Inside” improves their experience with a computer.
Target market
Woman is the buyer of everything.