In the mood for [the right kind of] social marketing communication

Abstract

Purpose – The effectiveness of social marketing communication should depend both on message features and on the psychological characteristics of message recipients. This premise was tested in an experiment focused on why consumers may respond differently to different types of pro-recycling advertisements. The message feature was the way in which the advertisements were framed. The psychological characteristic of the message recipient was the respondent's mood. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses were tested in the context of an experiment focused on paper recycling. Findings – It was hypothesized that congruity between mood and the frame of the message would result in more favorable message evaluations and higher intentions to recycle than incongruity. Supporting the study's hypotheses, the data showed that participants in a negative mood had higher intentions to recycle paper and evaluated pro-recycling advertisements more favorably when the ads emphasized avoiding negative consequences as opposed to attaining desired benefits. Among participants in a positive mood, desired benefit advertisements induced higher intentions to recycle paper and were evaluated more favorably than advertisements framed in terms of avoiding negative consequences. Practical implications – A clear message placement strategy is suggested to increase the effectiveness of social marketing communication campaigns. Originality/value – This mood congruity effect has not been reported before in the context of pro-environmental communication. Furthermore, the study provides empirical evidence of the underlying psychological mechanisms that cause the observed interaction. The evidence suggests the data could be predictive of similar response patterns in other social marketing communication domains (e.g. in response to health messages, volunteering, charity, etc.).

A Social Marketing Approach to 1% Milk Use: Resonance Is the Key

“…In contrast, in a different study reviewed, negative-framed messages were more effective at promoting mammography use among low-income women (Randolph & Viswanath, 2004; Schneider et al, 2001). Using humor to evoke a positive mood likely augmented the impact of the gain-based message strategy (Anghelcev & Sar, 2014).…”

Message framing strategies for effective marine conservation communication

“…Communicating solutions and efficacy information within a gain frame rather than within a loss frame raised hopeassociated with more supportive attitudes (Nabi et al, 2018). Still, findings from other environmental communication studies ranged from no difference between the two frames when combined with emotion-priming (Perrin, 2011) or used in combination with guilt/shame emotional frames (Baek & Yoon, 2017) to their effects being variable and dependent on other factors such as people's moods (Anghelcev & Sar, 2014) or mind-sets (White, MacDonnell, & Dahl, 2011).…”

Marketing Processed Organic Foods: The Impact of Promotional Message Framing (Vice Vs. Virtue Advertising) on Perceptions of Healthfulness

“…For example, a processed product like pizza can be advertised in a virtue frame by highlighting the nutritional value of its ingredients (e.g., calcium content, whole grains) or their natural origin (e.g., natural cheese); the very same processed product could be advertised in a vice frame by emphasizing words like indulge, savory, taste and by highlighting the enjoyment of the sensory experience brought about by its flavors. Research has shown that such variations in framing promotional messages can lead to significant differences in perception, even when the advertisements look very similar and only slight changes are implemented (e.g., Anghelcev & Sar, 2014).…”

“…In this exploratory article, we examine how slight variations in advertising messages influence consumers' perceptions of the healthfulness of processed organic food products, in the context of an online experiment using a national sample of US organic shoppers (N = 375). Drawing from marketing and communication research on message framing (Anghelcev & Sar, 2014;Entman, 1993), consumer psychology studies on schema congruity (Cheong & Kim, 2011;Meyers-Levy & Tybout, 1989;Stayman, Alden, & Smith, 1992) and food studies research on vice and virtue products (van Doorn & Verhoef, 2011;Wertenbroch, 1998), we propose an interaction effect between the way the promotional message is framed (vice vs. virtue) and the type of advertised processed product (organic vs. conventional) on perceptions of healthfulness. Two other hypotheses are also advanced.…”