The effectiveness of appeals used in Cambodian and Vietnamese magazine ads

Abstract

In this two-part study, a content analysis of advertisements published in Cambodian and Vietnamese magazines was first conducted to determine the kinds of advertising appeals (functional, individualistic, and collectivistic) that were most frequently employed. The findings indicated that across product types, the Cambodian ads contained more individualistic appeals. The Vietnamese ads, on the other hand, depicted more collectivistic and functional appeals. Next, an experiment was conducted to determine audience response to the use of three appeals in ads that promote four product types (informative, affective, habit-forming, and self-satisfaction). Vietnamese participants responded more positively to functional appeals across product types. They also preferred collectivistic rather than individualistic appeals for ads that promote habit-forming and self-satisfaction products. Cambodian consumers, on the other hand, registered more positive attitudes toward ads with individualistic and functional appeals.

Keywords:

• advertising appeals in Cambodia
• advertising appeals in Vietnam
• effects of advertising appeals

Notes on contributors

Sela Sar, PhD is an associate professor of Advertising in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and Institute of Communications Research at University of Illinois. His research focuses on the impact of mood and emotion on memory, information processing, social advertising effectiveness and cross cultural advertising.

Lulu Rodriguez, PhD is a professor and director of Agricultural Communication, a program jointly administered by the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the College of Media at the University of Illinois. Her research focuses on the communication of risks related to scientific and technological breakthroughs, investigating people's basic mental models of hazard and their opinions about innovations that cause controversies or may be perceived as risky.