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The Effects of Feature and Benefit Sentences in Advertising Copy on Consumers’ Memory and Attitudes

Received: 5 July 2018     Accepted: 20 September 2018     Published: 29 September 2018
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Abstract

The objective of this study was to empirically test how these dependent variables are influenced by features and benefits in advertising copy. Advertising copy testing research has produced conflicting results regarding the independence of recall, recognition and attitude constructs. Most copy-testing research, however, has focused on consumers’ responses to the ad as a whole. The study reported here focuses on sentence-level manipulations to determine how variations in sentence patterns influence consumer memory and attitudes for advertised claims. A within-subjects experiment using magazine ads as stimuli was conducted in which the presence or absence of pairs of consumer benefit and product feature sentences were manipulated. The dependent variables were phrase recognition, morpheme recall and attitude toward the ad. Results showed that benefit and feature sentences did not improve recognition memory for phrases. However, ads with benefits or features enhanced morphemic recall and attitudes compared to the control condition. In particular, for ads that contained integrated benefit sentences and feature sentences together, an interactive effect was observed. Readers of these copy blocks displayed more positive attitudes toward the ad and higher levels of morpheme recall than benefits-only or features-only ads. The results are consistent with predictions from construal level theory, which has shown that benefit-based appeals are more effective in high construal situations while benefit- and attribute-based appeals are equally effective in low construal situations.

Published in International Journal of Business and Economics Research (Volume 7, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijber.20180705.12
Page(s) 136-143
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2018. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Advertising, Copy Testing, Benefits, Features, Phrase Recognition, Morpheme Recall

References
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[17] Leigh, James H., George M. Zinkhan, and Vanitha Swaminathan (2006). “Dimensional Relationships of Recall and Recognition Measures with Selected Cognitive and Affective Aspects of Print Ads,” Journal of Advertising, 35: 1 105-122.
[18] Lowrey, Tina M. (2006), “The Relation Between Script Complexity and Commercial Memorability,” Journal of Advertising 35 (3), 7-15.
[19] Lowrey, Tina M., L. J. Schrum, and Tony M. Dubitsky (2003), “The Relation Between Brand-Name Linguistic Characteristics and Brand-Name Memory,” Journal of Advertising 32 (3), 7-17.
[20] MacInnis, Deborah J. and Bernand J. Jaworski (1989), “Information Processing from Advertisements: Toward an Integrative Framework,” Journal of Marketing 53 (4), 1-23.
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[22] Meeds, Robert (2004), “Cognitive and Attitudinal Effects of Technical Advertising Copy: The Roles of Gender, Self-assessed and Objective Consumer Knowledge,” International Journal of Advertising, 23, 309-335.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Robert W. Meeds, Olan F. Farnall. (2018). The Effects of Feature and Benefit Sentences in Advertising Copy on Consumers’ Memory and Attitudes. International Journal of Business and Economics Research, 7(5), 136-143. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijber.20180705.12

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    ACS Style

    Robert W. Meeds; Olan F. Farnall. The Effects of Feature and Benefit Sentences in Advertising Copy on Consumers’ Memory and Attitudes. Int. J. Bus. Econ. Res. 2018, 7(5), 136-143. doi: 10.11648/j.ijber.20180705.12

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    AMA Style

    Robert W. Meeds, Olan F. Farnall. The Effects of Feature and Benefit Sentences in Advertising Copy on Consumers’ Memory and Attitudes. Int J Bus Econ Res. 2018;7(5):136-143. doi: 10.11648/j.ijber.20180705.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijber.20180705.12,
      author = {Robert W. Meeds and Olan F. Farnall},
      title = {The Effects of Feature and Benefit Sentences in Advertising Copy on Consumers’ Memory and Attitudes},
      journal = {International Journal of Business and Economics Research},
      volume = {7},
      number = {5},
      pages = {136-143},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijber.20180705.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijber.20180705.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijber.20180705.12},
      abstract = {The objective of this study was to empirically test how these dependent variables are influenced by features and benefits in advertising copy. Advertising copy testing research has produced conflicting results regarding the independence of recall, recognition and attitude constructs. Most copy-testing research, however, has focused on consumers’ responses to the ad as a whole. The study reported here focuses on sentence-level manipulations to determine how variations in sentence patterns influence consumer memory and attitudes for advertised claims. A within-subjects experiment using magazine ads as stimuli was conducted in which the presence or absence of pairs of consumer benefit and product feature sentences were manipulated. The dependent variables were phrase recognition, morpheme recall and attitude toward the ad. Results showed that benefit and feature sentences did not improve recognition memory for phrases. However, ads with benefits or features enhanced morphemic recall and attitudes compared to the control condition. In particular, for ads that contained integrated benefit sentences and feature sentences together, an interactive effect was observed. Readers of these copy blocks displayed more positive attitudes toward the ad and higher levels of morpheme recall than benefits-only or features-only ads. The results are consistent with predictions from construal level theory, which has shown that benefit-based appeals are more effective in high construal situations while benefit- and attribute-based appeals are equally effective in low construal situations.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

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    T1  - The Effects of Feature and Benefit Sentences in Advertising Copy on Consumers’ Memory and Attitudes
    AU  - Robert W. Meeds
    AU  - Olan F. Farnall
    Y1  - 2018/09/29
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    T2  - International Journal of Business and Economics Research
    JF  - International Journal of Business and Economics Research
    JO  - International Journal of Business and Economics Research
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    EP  - 143
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijber.20180705.12
    AB  - The objective of this study was to empirically test how these dependent variables are influenced by features and benefits in advertising copy. Advertising copy testing research has produced conflicting results regarding the independence of recall, recognition and attitude constructs. Most copy-testing research, however, has focused on consumers’ responses to the ad as a whole. The study reported here focuses on sentence-level manipulations to determine how variations in sentence patterns influence consumer memory and attitudes for advertised claims. A within-subjects experiment using magazine ads as stimuli was conducted in which the presence or absence of pairs of consumer benefit and product feature sentences were manipulated. The dependent variables were phrase recognition, morpheme recall and attitude toward the ad. Results showed that benefit and feature sentences did not improve recognition memory for phrases. However, ads with benefits or features enhanced morphemic recall and attitudes compared to the control condition. In particular, for ads that contained integrated benefit sentences and feature sentences together, an interactive effect was observed. Readers of these copy blocks displayed more positive attitudes toward the ad and higher levels of morpheme recall than benefits-only or features-only ads. The results are consistent with predictions from construal level theory, which has shown that benefit-based appeals are more effective in high construal situations while benefit- and attribute-based appeals are equally effective in low construal situations.
    VL  - 7
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Author Information
  • Department of Communications, California State University, Fullerton, USA

  • Department of Advertising, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA

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