IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joepsy/v38y2013icp90-103.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

When comparative ads are more effective: Fit with audience’s regulatory mode

Author

Listed:
  • Pierro, Antonio
  • Giacomantonio, Mauro
  • Pica, Gennaro
  • Mannetti, Lucia
  • Kruglanski, Arie W.
  • Tory Higgins, E.

Abstract

According to regulatory fit theory (Higgins, 2000, 2005), people experience regulatory fit when the manner in which they pursue a goal sustains (vs. disrupts) their regulatory orientation, and this fit strengthens their engagement in what they are doing. We tested whether the relative effectiveness of comparative and noncomparative ads varied as a function of their fit with the audience’s regulatory mode concerns, either assessment concerns with making critical evaluations or locomotion concerns with maintaining movement, with these concerns being situationally induced (Studies 1a and 1b) or chronic predispositions (Study 2). As predicted, three studies found that for participants with assessment concerns comparative ads were more effective than noncomparative ads, whereas for participants with locomotion concerns noncomparative ads were more effective than comparative ads. Supporting the mechanism predicted by regulatory fit theory, the studies also found that these fit effects on purchase intentions were mediated by strength of engagement with the message.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierro, Antonio & Giacomantonio, Mauro & Pica, Gennaro & Mannetti, Lucia & Kruglanski, Arie W. & Tory Higgins, E., 2013. "When comparative ads are more effective: Fit with audience’s regulatory mode," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 90-103.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:38:y:2013:i:c:p:90-103
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2012.10.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167487012001237
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.joep.2012.10.006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shailendra Pratap Jain & Charles Lindsey & Nidhi Agrawal & Durairaj Maheswaran, 2007. "For Better or For Worse? Valenced Comparative Frames and Regulatory Focus," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 34(1), pages 57-65, April.
    2. Shailendra Pratap Jain & Nidhi Agrawal & Durairaj Maheswaran, 2006. "When More May Be Less: The Effects of Regulatory Focus on Responses to Different Comparative Frames," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 33(1), pages 91-98, June.
    3. Pechmann, Cornelia & Stewart, David W, 1990. "The Effects of Comparative Advertising on Attention, Memory, and Purchase Intentions," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 17(2), pages 180-191, September.
    4. Pechmann, Cornelia & Ratneshwar, S, 1991. "The Use of Comparative Advertising for Brand Positioning: Association versus Differentiation," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 18(2), pages 145-160, September.
    5. Aaker, Jennifer L & Lee, Angela Y, 2001. ""I" Seek Pleasures and "We" Avoid Pains: The Role of Self-Regulatory Goals in Information Processing and Persuasion," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 28(1), pages 33-49, June.
    6. Angela Y. Lee & Punam Anand Keller & Brian Sternthal, 2010. "Value from Regulatory Construal Fit: The Persuasive Impact of Fit between Consumer Goals and Message Concreteness," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 36(5), pages 735-747, February.
    7. Aaker, Jennifer L. & Lee, Angela Y., 2006. "Understanding Regulatory Fit," Research Papers 1910, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mathmann, Frank & Chylinski, Mathew & de Ruyter, Ko & Higgins, E. Tory, 2017. "When Plentiful Platforms Pay Off: Assessment Orientation Moderates the Effect of Assortment Size on Choice Engagement and Product Valuation," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 212-227.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cheng, Yin-Hui & Yen, HsiuJu Rebecca & Chuang, Shih-Chieh & Chang, Chia-Jung, 2013. "Product option framing under the influence of a promotion versus prevention focus," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 402-413.
    2. Jungsil Choi & Duane Myer, 2012. "The effect of product positioning in a comparison table on consumers’ evaluation of a sponsor," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 367-380, March.
    3. Kareklas, Ioannis & Muehling, Darrel D. & King, Skyler, 2019. "The effect of color and self-view priming in persuasive communications," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 33-49.
    4. Yi He & Qimei Chen & Dana L. Alden, 2016. "Time will tell: managing post-purchase changes in brand attitude," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 791-805, November.
    5. Zou, Lili Wenli & Chan, Ricky Y.K., 2019. "Why and when do consumers perform green behaviors? An examination of regulatory focus and ethical ideology," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 113-127.
    6. Easley, Richard W. & Bearden, William O. & Teel, Jesse E., 1995. "Testing predictions derived from inoculation theory and the effectiveness of self-disclosure communications strategies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 93-105, October.
    7. Freling, Traci H. & Vincent, Leslie H. & Henard, David H., 2014. "When not to accentuate the positive: Re-examining valence effects in attribute framing," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 124(2), pages 95-109.
    8. Ghiassaleh, Arezou & Kocher, Bruno & Czellar, Sandor, 2020. "Best seller!? Unintended negative consequences of popularity signs on consumer choice behavior," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 805-820.
    9. Li, Andrew & Evans, Joel & Christian, Michael S. & Gilliland, Stephen W. & Kausel, Edgar E. & Stein, Jordan H., 2011. "The effects of managerial regulatory fit priming on reactions to explanations," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 115(2), pages 268-282, July.
    10. Ying Hua & Shuang (Sara) Ma & Yonggui Wang & Qimeng Wan, 2017. "To reward or develop identification in online brand communities: evidence from emerging markets," Information Technology for Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(3), pages 579-596, July.
    11. Rai, Dipankar & Lin, Chien-Wei (Wilson), 2019. "The influence of implicit self-theories on consumer financial decision making," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 316-325.
    12. Chatterjee, Subimal & Rai, Dipankar & Heath, Timothy B., 2016. "Tradeoff between time and money: The asymmetric consideration of opportunity costs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(7), pages 2560-2566.
    13. Xin Liu, 2019. "The Role of Enterprise Risk Management in Sustainable Decision-Making: A Cross-Cultural Comparison," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, May.
    14. Billore, Soniya & Anisimova, Tatiana & Vrontis, Demetris, 2023. "Self-regulation and goal-directed behavior: A systematic literature review, public policy recommendations, and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    15. Haipeng (Allan) Chen & Woojin Choi & Yan (Lucy) Liu & Haoying Sun & Fu Liu, 2021. "More or Less? Consumer Goal Orientation and Product Choice," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 8(1), pages 16-26, June.
    16. Lim, Rachel Esther & Sung, Yoon Hi & Lee, Wei-Na, 2018. "Connecting with global consumers through corporate social responsibility initiatives: A cross-cultural investigation of congruence effects of attribution and communication styles," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 11-19.
    17. Alden, Dana L. & Friend, John & Schapira, Marilyn & Stiggelbout, Anne, 2014. "Cultural targeting and tailoring of shared decision making technology: A theoretical framework for improving the effectiveness of patient decision aids in culturally diverse groups," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 1-8.
    18. Bambauer-Sachse, Silke & Heinzle, Priska, 2018. "Comparative advertising: Effects of concreteness and claim substantiation through reactance and activation on purchase intentions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 233-242.
    19. Bambauer-Sachse, Silke & Heinzle, Priska, 2018. "Comparative advertising for goods versus services: Effects of different types of product attributes through consumer reactance and activation on consumer response," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 82-90.
    20. Hofacker, Charles F. & de Ruyter, Ko & Lurie, Nicholas H. & Manchanda, Puneet & Donaldson, Jeff, 2016. "Gamification and Mobile Marketing Effectiveness," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 25-36.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Comparative advertising; Regulatory fit; Regulatory modes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M39 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Other
    • M37 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Advertising

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:38:y:2013:i:c:p:90-103. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/joep .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.