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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
III. Analyzing the
Communication Process
6. Source, Message, and
Channel Factors
Drawing a conclusion in a message may make sure the target
audience gets the point the marketer intended. But many advertisers
believe that letting customers draw their own conclusions reinforces
the points being made in the message. For example, a health services
agency in Kentucky found that open-ended ads were more memorable
and more effective in getting consumers to use health services
than were ads stating a conclusion. Ads that posed questions about
alcohol and drug abuse and left them unanswered resulted in more
calls by teenagers to a help line for information than did a message
offering a resolution to the problem. 41 The ad for Silk Soymilk in
Exhibit 6-9 is a very good example of an open-ended message. The
question in the headline encourages consumers to be open to the idea
of drinking soymilk.
Message Sidedness Another message structure decision facing
the marketer involves message sidedness. A one-sided message
mentions only positive attributes or benefits. A two-sided message
presents both good and bad points. One-sided messages are most
effective when the target audience already holds a favorable opinion
about the topic. They also work better with a less educated audience. 42
Two-sided messages are more effective when the target audience
holds an opposing opinion or is highly educated. Two-sided messages may enhance
the credibility of the source. 43 A better-educated audience usually knows there are
opposing arguments, so a communicator who presents both sides of an issue is likely
to be seen as less biased and more objective.
Most advertisers use one-sided messages. They are concerned about the negative
effects of acknowledging a weakness in their brand or don’t want to say anything positive
about their competitors. There are exceptions, however. Sometimes advertisers
compare brands on several attributes and do not show their product as being the best
on every one.
In some situations marketers may focus on a negative attribute as a way of enhancing
overall perceptions of the product. For example, W. K. Buckley Limited has
become one of the leading brands of cough syrup in Canada by using a blunt twosided
slogan, “Buckley’s Mixture. It tastes awful. And it works.” Ads for the brand
poke fun at the cough syrup’s terrible taste but also suggest that the taste is a reason
why the product is effective (Exhibit 6-10). Buckley’s is using the humorous twosided
message strategy in its entry into the U.S. market. 44
Refutation In a special type of two-sided message known as a refutational
appeal, the communicator presents both sides of an issue and then refutes the opposing
viewpoint. Since refutational appeals tend to “inoculate” the target audience
against a competitor’s counterclaims, they are more effective than one-sided messages
in making consumers resistant to an opposing message. 45
Refutational messages may be useful when marketers wish to build attitudes that
resist change and must defend against attacks or criticism of their products or the company.
For example, Exhibit 6-11 shows an ad used by the Almond Board of California
to refute nutritional concerns about almonds regarding their fat content. Market leaders,
who are often the target of comparative messages, may find that acknowledging
competitors’ claims and then refuting them can help build resistant attitudes and customer
loyalty.
Verbal versus Visual Messages Thus far our discussion has focused on the
information, or verbal, portion of the message. However, the nonverbal, visual elements
of an ad are also very important. Many ads provide minimal amounts of information
and rely on visual elements to communicate. Pictures are commonly used in
advertising to convey information or reinforce copy or message claims.
Both the verbal and visual portions of an ad influence the way the advertising message
is processed. 46 Consumers may develop images or impressions based on visual
elements such as an illustration in an ad or the scenes in a TV commercial. In some
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
Exhibit 6-9 This ad makes
effective use of an openended
approach
181
Chapter Six Source, Message, and Channel Factors