An exploratory study of existential guilt appeals in charitable advertisements

Abstract

This study investigates the persuasive nature of existential guilt appeals in charitable advertisements. A television advertisement was used to test the direct and indirect relationships between existential guilt, attitude towards the charitable organisation, inferences of manipulative intent (IMIs) and charitable donation intentions. The findings show that attitude towards the charitable organisation has a direct and indirect impact on charitable donation intentions. However, IMI did not moderate the relationship between existential guilt and charitable donation intentions. The study suggests that future non-profit researchers should explore the role of emotional intensity and brand credibility on the effectiveness of each specific type of guilt appeal.

Keywords:

• existential guilt
• advertising appeal
• donation
• emotion
• persuasion
• scale development
• World Vision

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael Lwin

Michael Lwin is a lecturer at School of Marketing, Curtin University, Australia. His research interests include guilt appeals in advertising, negative advertising appeals, social marketing and marketing communications. He is a recipient of Curtin Business School Doctoral Colloquium Best Paper Award and the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference Best Track Paper Award for his research in non-profit advertising.

Ian Phau

Ian Phau is the chair for Research and Development at School of Marketing, Curtin University, Australia. His research interests include country of origin effects, branding issues such as conspicuous consumption, brand extensions, brand personality, piracy and counterfeits and advertising appeals. He is the editor-in-chief for the Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. Amongst others, his research has been published in the European Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Consumer Marketing and Psychology and Marketing.