Abstract
Abstract. The goal of this study is to explore that whether using anthropomorphism in ads stimulates active information processing by increasing attention paid to the brand and creates some positive results on brand recall and attitude toward the brand. In this context, moderating roles of involvement level and product type were also investigated. Using experimental design, hypotheses were tested in two product groups. Offering important insights to practitioners to build an effective advertising message, results not only support that anthropomorphism could increase attention in advertisements but also emphasize the significance of context-specific factors in consumer perceptions.
Keywords. Anthropomorphism, Advertising, Product involvement, Consumer need, Turkey.
JEL. M37, M31, M30.
References
Adler, J. L. (2008). Two modes of thought: the narrative/paradigmatic disconnect in the bailey book controversy. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37(3), 422-425. doi: 10.1007/s10508-008-9318-0
Aggarwal, P., & McGill, A. (2007). Is that car smiling at me? Schema congruity as a basis for evaluating anthropomorphized products. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(4),468-479. doi: 10.1086/518544
Aggarwal, P., & McGill, A. L. (2012). When brands seem human, do humans act like brands? Automatic behavioral priming effects of brand anthropomorphism. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(2), 307-323. doi: 10.1086/662614
Ahmed, Z. U., Johnson, J.P., Yang, X., &Fatt, C. K. (2004). Does country of origin matter for low-involvement products? International Marketing Review, 21(1), 102-120. doi: 10.1108/02651330410522925
Alba, J., & Hutchinson, J. (1987). Dimensions of consumer expertise. Journal of Consumer Research, 13(4), 411-454. doi: 10.1086/209080
Baker, T. L., Hunt, J. B., & Scribner, L. L. (2002). The effect of introducing a new brand on consumer perceptions of current brand similarity: the roles of product knowledge and involvement. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 10(4), 45-57.
Batra, R., & Ray, M. L. (1985). How advertising works at contact. In L. F. Alwitt & A. A. Mitchell (Eds.), Psychological processes and advertising effects (pp. 13-44). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Batra, R. (1986). Affective advertising: Role, processes and measurement. In R. A. Peterson, W. D. Hoyer, & W. R. Wilson (Eds.), The role of affect in consumer behavior: Emerging theory and applications (pp.53-85). Lexington, MA: Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Batra, R., & Ahtola, O. T. (1987). The measurement and role of utilitarian and hedonic attitudes. Marketing Letters, 2(2), 159-170.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-529. doi: 10.1037//0033-2909.117.3.497
Bennett, P. D., & Harrell, G. D. (1975). The role of confidence in understanding and predicting buyers' attitudes and purchase intentions. Journal of Consumer Research, 2(2), 110-117. doi: 10.1086/208622
Brooks, L. (1978). Nonanalytic concept formation and memory for instances. In E. Rosch& B. B. Lloyd (Eds.), Cognition and categorization (pp.169-211). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Brown, S. (2008). Are marketing’s metaphors good for it? Marketing Review, 8(3), 209-221.
Brown, S. (2010). Where the wild brands are: Some thoughts on anthropomorphic marketing. The Marketing Review, 10(3), 209-224. doi: 10.1362/146934708X337645
Bruner, J. (1986). Actual minds, possible worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. doi: 10.2307/357832
Calder, B. J., Phillips, L. W., & Tybout, A. M. (1981). Designing research for application. Journal of Consumer Research, 8(2), 197-207. doi: 10.1086/208856
Chandler, J., & Schwarz N. (2010). Use does not wear ragged the fabric of friendship: Thinking of objects as alive makes people less willing to replace them. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 20(2), 138-145. doi: 10.1016/j.jcps.2009.12.008
Chattalas, M., Kramer, T., & Takada, H. (2008). The impact of national stereotypes on the country of origin effect: A conceptual framework. International Marketing Review, 25(1), 54-74. doi: 10.1108/02651330810851881
D’astous, A., & Ahmed, S. A. (1999). The importance of country images in the formation of consumer product perceptions. International Marketing Review, 16(2), 108-126. doi: 10.1108/02651339910267772
Delbaere, M., McQuarrie, E. F., & Philips, B. J. (2011). Personification in advertising using a visual metaphor to trigger anthropomorphism. Journal of Advertising, 40(1), 121-30. doi: 10.2753/JOA0091-3367400108
Dover, P. A., & Olson, J. C. (1977). Dynamic changes in an expectancy-value attitude model as a function of multiple exposures to product information. In B. A. Greenberg & D.N. Bellenger (Eds.), Contemporary marketing thought (pp. 455-459). Chicago: American Marketing Association.
DiSalvo, C. F., & Gemperle, F. (2003). From seduction to fulfillment: the use of anthropomorphic form in design. Designing Pleasurable Products and Interfaces, Pittsburgh, Penn: ACM Press, 67-72. doi: 10.1145/782896.782913
DiSalvo, C. F., & Forlizzi, J. (2005). Imitating the human form: four kinds of anthropomorphic form. Cognitive and Social Design of Assistive Robots, Carnegie Mellon University, (available at http://www.anthropomorphism.org/pdf/Imitating.pdf). Accesed 10 February 2015.
Epley, N., Waytz, A., & Cacioppo J. T. (2007). On seeing human: A three-factor theory anthropomorphism. Psychological Review, 114(4), 864-886. doi: 10.1.1.362.4683
Escalas, J. E. (2004). Narrative processing: Building consumer connections to brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14(1-2), 168-179. doi: 10.1207/s15327663jcp1401&2_19
Farah, M. J., Wilson, K. D., Drain, M., & Tanaka J. N. (1998). What is “special” about face perception? Psychological Review, 105(3), 482-498. doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.105.3.482
Freling, T. H., & Forbes, L. P. (2005). An examination of brand personality through methodological triangulation. Journal of Brand Management, 13(2), 148-162. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540254
Gelbrich, K., Gathe, D., &Westjohn, S. A. (2012). Effectiveness of absurdity in advertising across cultures. Journal of Promotion Management, 18(4), 393-413. doi: 10.1080/10496491.2012.693058
Gordon, M. E., McKeage, K., & Fox, M. A. (1998). Relationship marketing effectiveness: The role of involvement. Psychology and Marketing, 15(5), 443-459. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6793(199808)
Guthrie, S. E. (1993). Faces in the clouds: A new theory of religion, New York: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1207/s15327582ijpr0503_9
Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. E., & Black W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis with readings. 5thed. New York: Prentice-Hall International Inc.
Hart, P. M., Jones, S. R., &Royne, M. B. (2013). The human lens: How anthropomorphic reasoning varies by product complexity and enhances personal value. Journal of Marketing Management, 29(1-2), 105-121. doi: 10.1080/0267257X.2012.759993
Hellén, K., & Sääksjärvi, M. (2013). Development of a scale measuring childlike anthropomorphism in products. Journal of Marketing Management, 29(1-2), 141-157. doi: 10.1080/0267257X.2012.759989
Hirschman, E. C., & Holbrook, M. B. (1982). Hedonic consumption: Emerging concepts, methods, and propositions. Journal of Marketing, 46(3), 92-101. doi: 10.2307/1251707
Jacoby, J., Chestnut, R. W., & Silberman, W. (1977). Consumer use and comprehension of nutrition information. Journal of Consumer Research, 4(2), 119-128. doi: 10.1086/208687
Jacoby, J., Chestnut, R. W., & Fisher, W. A. (1978). A behavioral process approach to information acquisition in nondurable purchasing. Journal of Marketing Research 15(4), 532-544. doi: 10.2307/3150623
Kemler Nelson, D. G. (1984). The effect of intention on what concepts are acquired. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 23(6), 734-759.
Kim, S., & McGill, A. L. (2011). Gaming with Mr. Slot or gaming the slot machine: Power, anthropomorphism, and risk perception. Journal of Consumer Research, 38(1), 94-107. doi: 10.1086/658148
Kniazeva, M., & Belk, R. W. (2010). If this brand were a person, or anthropomorphism of brands through packaging stories. Journal of Global Academy of Marketing Science, 20(3),231-238. doi: 10.1080/12297119.2010.9707349
Landwehr, J. R., McGill, A. L., & Herrmann, A. (2011). It’s got the look: The effect of friendly and aggressive “facial” expressions on product liking and sales. Journal of Marketing, 75(3), 132-146. doi: 10.2307/41228601
Laroche, M., Papadopoulos, N., Heslop, L. A., & Mourali, M. (2005). The influence of country image structure on consumer evaluations of foreign products. International Marketing Review, 22(1), 96-115. doi: 10.1108/02651330510581190
Loudon, D., & Bitta, A. J. D. (1993). Consumer behavior, concepts and application. 4th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill Inc.
Lee, W. N., Yun, T. W., & Lee, B. K. (2005). The role of involvement in country-of-origin effects on product evaluation. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 17(2/3), 51-72. doi: 10.1300/J046v17n02_04
Lee, E. J. (2010). What triggerssocial responses to flatteringcomputers? Experimentaltests of anthropomorphism and mindlessness explanations. Communication Research, 37(2), 191-214. doi: 10.1177/0093650209356389
MacInnis, D. J., & Price, L. L. (1987). The role of imagery in information processing: Review and extensions. Journal of Consumer Research, 13(4), 473-491. doi: 10.1086/209082
MacInnis, D. J., & Jaworski, B. J. (1989). Information processing from advertisements: Towards an integrative framework. Journal of Marketing, 53(4), 1-23. doi: 10.2307/1251376
MacKenzie, S. B., Lutz, R. J., & Belch, G. E. (1986). The role of attitude toward the ad as a mediator of advertising effectiveness: a test of competing explanations. Journal of Marketing Research, 23(2), 130-143.
MacKenzie, S. B., & Lutz, R. J. (1989). An empirical examination of the structural antecedents of attitude toward the ad in an advertising pretesting context. The Journal of Marketing, 53(2), 48-65. doi: 10.2307/1251413
Miesler, L., Landwehr, J. R., Herrmann, A., & McGill, A. L. (2010). Consumer and product face-to-face: Antecedents and consequences of spontaneous face-schema activation. Advances in Consumer Research, 37, 536-537.
Miesler, L., Landwehr, J. R., McGill, A. L., & Herrmann, A. (2011a). Paper 1: The face of anthropomorphism: The effects of face-like product design features on consumers’ perceptions and evaluations of products. In Imitating human forms in product design: How does anthropomorphism work, when does it work, and what does it affect, 5-43
Miesler, L., Leder, H., & Herrmann, A. (2011b). Paper 2: Affective consumer responses to babies in non-faces and non-babies: an evolutionary perspective of baby-schema effects in product designs. Imitating Human Forms in Product Design: How Does Anthropomorphism Work, When Does It Work, and What Does It Affect, 44-75.
Miesler, L. (2011c). Paper 3: Do i need a car or a friend? A scenario-based investigation of the context dependency of preferences for anthropomorphic product designs. In Imitating human forms in product design: How does anthropomorphism work, when does it work, and what does it affect, 76-91.
Miesler, L., Leder, H., & Herrmann, A. (2011d). Isn’t it cute: An evolutionary perspective of baby-schema effects in visual product designs? International Journal of Design, 5(3), 17-30.
Nan, X., Anghelcev, G., Myers, J. R., Sar, S., & Faber, R. (2006). What if a web site can talk? Exploring the persuasive effects of web-based anthropomorphic agents. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 83(3), 615-631. doi: 10.1177/107769900608300309
Nielsen, J. H., & Escalas, J. E. (2010). Easier isn’t always better: The moderatingrole of processingtype on preferencefluency. Journal of ConsumerPsychology, 20(3), 295-305. doi: 10.1016/j.jcps.2010.06.016
Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric Theory. 2nded. New York: McGraw Hill.
Park, C. W., & Young, S. M. (1986). Consumer response to television commercials: The impact of involvement and background music on brand attitude formation. Journal of Marketing Research, 23(1), 11-24. doi: 10.2307/3151772
Park, C. W., & Moon, B. J. (2003). The relationship between product involvement and product knowledge: Moderating roles of product type and product knowledge type. Psychology and Marketing, 20(11), 977-997. doi: 10.1002/mar.10105
Payne, C. R., Hyman, M. R., Niculescu, M., & Huhmann, B. A. (2013). Anthropomorphic responses to new-to-market logos. Journal of Marketing Management, 29(1-2), 122-140. doi: 10.1080/0267257X.2013.770413
Petty, R. E., Cacioppo, J. T., & Schumann, D. (1983). Central and peripheral routes to advertising effectiveness: The moderating role of involvement. Journal of Consumer Research, 10(2), 135-46. doi: 10.1086/208954
Puzakova, M., Kwak, H., & Rocereto, J. F. (2009). Pushing the envelope of brand and personality: Antecedents and moderators of anthropomorphized brands. Advances in Consumer Research, 36, 413-420.
Quester, P., & Lim, A. L. (2003). Product involvement/brand loyalty: Is there a link? Journal of Product and Brand Management, 12(1), 22-38. doi: 10.1108/10610420310463117
Rossiter, J. R., & Percy, L. (1985). Advertising communication models. In E. Hirschman & M. B. Holbrook (Eds.). Advances in Consumer Research, 12 (pp.510-524). Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research.
Rossiter, J. R., & Percy, L. (1987). Advertising and Promotion Management. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Schmitz, M., Baus, J., & Schmidt, S. (2006). Towards anthropomorphized objects: a novel interaction metaphor for instrumented spaces.3rd International Workshop on the Tangible Space Initiative. http://ai-gate.cs.uni-sb.de/publication/file/184/AnthropomorphizedOb jects_CRV.pdf (Accessed 10 May 2015).
Sivaramakrishnan, S., Wan, F., & Tang, Z. (2007). Giving an “e-human touch” to e-tailing: The moderating roles of static information quantity and consumption motive in the effectiveness of an anthropomorphic information agent. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 21(1), 60–75. doi: 10.1002/dir.20075
Smith, R. E., & Swinyard, W. R. (1983). Attitude-behavior consistency: The impact of product trial versus advertising, Journal of Marketing Research, 20(3), 257-267. doi: 10.2307/3151829
Thompson, D. V., & Hamilton, R. W. (2006). The impact of information processing mode on consumers’ responses to comparative advertising. Journal of Consumer Research, 32(4), 530-541.
Vaughn, R. (1980). How advertising works: A planning model. Journal of Advertising Research, 20(5), 27-33.
Vaughn, R. (1986). How advertising works: A planning model revisited. Journal of Advertising Research, 26(February–March), 57-66.
Verlegh, P. W. J., Steenkamp, J. B. E. M., &Meulenberg, M. T. G. (2005). Country-of-origin effects in consumer processing of advertising claims. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 22(2), 127-139. doi: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2004.05.003
Waytz, A., Cacioppo, J., &Epley, N. (2010). Who sees human? The stability and importance of individual differences in anthropomorphism, Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(3), 219-232. doi: 10.1177/1745691610369336
Zaichkowsky, J. L. (1985). Measuring the involvement construct, Journal of Consumer Research, 12(3), 341-52.
Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: A means-end model and synthesis of evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2-22. doi: 10.2307/1251446
