The relationship of the visual element of an advertisement to service quality expectations and source credibility

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of the visual element in a print advertisement to service quality expectations and to the source credibility score when a model or spokesperson is used in a service ad.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 230 college students at three different Midwestern universities using an experimental design. Three different ads were designed promoting a fictitious brand of automobile insurance, Top Tier. While the copy remained the same, the visual was changed to reflect three different types of visual strategies.FindingsThe results of the study indicate that both source credibility and service quality evaluations have a definite impact on attitude towards the ad and purchase intentions of a service and the type of visual element used is important in the ad evaluation process.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research needs to examine the relationship between source credibility and attitude towards the ad to determine which is the antecedent. Because of the student sample, use of only one creative message strategy, and one service industry, future research needs to replicate this study for additional creative message strategies and other service industries.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research are important for creatives in designing service ads. If a model or spokesperson is used in the print ad, then source credibility is an important factor. Further, it is important to embed service quality cues in the ad to increase viewers' expectations of the service, thus enhancing purchase intentions.Originality/valueThis paper provides valuable information to creatives and researchers in the role of the visual element in evaluation of service quality expectations and source credibility. The paper provides an initial foundation for future research and future exploration.

Bridging indistinct relationships and online loyalty: evidence from online interest-based communities

“…Previous research has indicated that source credibility is an important contributor to an individual's attitude toward an ad as well as to advertising effectiveness (Clow et al, 2006;Faraj et al, 2011). In these studies source credibility referred to the credibility of the endorser, spokesperson, or individual shown in an Online loyalty advertisement.…”

Photograph and model use within an online auction page for influencing buyer's bidding behavior

“…The bulk of the existing studies have examined the positive relationship between attitude and behavior intention (Ajzen, 1985;Clow et al, 1998Clow et al, , 2006Fishbein, 1963), and also recognized that perceived value positively affects consumers' internal reference price (Arjun and Morris, 2001;Biswas and Bliar, 1991;Grewal et al, 1998). Therefore this research suggests that bidders experience a more positive attitude and greater perceived value toward products when sellers use pictures to present products on online auction pages.…”

“…Using models in photographs to influence online bidding behavior A picture usually comprises numerous visual elements that help viewers to judge source credibility (Babin and Burns, 1997;Clow et al, 2006;Mukherjee, 2002). Clow et al (2006) also indicated that models in advertising images are an important criterion by which consumers evaluate source credibility; thus, the type of model indirectly influences consumer attitudes toward the advertisement and their purchase intentions.…”

“…Kumaraguru et al (2006) and Schroeder and Borgerson (2004) also proposed that using people such as models, celebrities, spokespeople, consumers, managers, and employees in advertising images positively influences consumer attitudes toward products. Thus, people are relatively important visual elements in advertising images, and can enhance source credibility and reduce consumer perceptions of uncertainty (Clow et al, 1998(Clow et al, , 2006Lafferty and Goldsmith, 1999;Patzer, 1983).…”

Be careful what you wish for: The impact of advertisement choice on viewers’ expectations

“…While some studies have explored how different advertising appeals influence consumers' expectations of products (Goering, 1985;Jaeger & MacFie, 2001) and services (Clow, James, Kranenburg, & Berry, 2006), consumer expectations of the advertisement itself was not used as an outcome. This absence is particularly troubling since some studies show that consumer expectations can have a significant impact on a number of marketing outcomes.…”