From elicitation to consumption: assessing the longitudinal effectiveness of negative emotional appeals in social marketing

Abstract

Negative emotional appeals are used frequently in social marketing. Focusing on guilt and fear appeals, existing theories fail to explain emotional appeal effectiveness in changing consumption behaviour over time. To address this limitation, an elicitation–consumption framework is developed for fear and guilt appeal use. An agenda for further research, outlining three research questions and four propositions, is also presented. This framework integrates the study of how emotional appeals are communicated with how they are experienced during decision-making; complementing current theorising by offering a framework for experimental testing of the delayed, longitudinal effects of social marketing campaigns. The elicitation–consumption framework aids practitioners seeking to design effective emotional appeals by encouraging an effects-based communication approach.

Keywords:

• guilt
• fear
• emotions
• advertising
• persuasion
• social marketing

Notes

¹ Some have also examined the role of shame. Shame-based research, however, is less developed because most psychological accounts consider it maladaptive (Boudewyns, Turner, & Paquin, 2013; Kim, Thibodeau, & Jorgensen, 2011; Tangney, 1991).

² Another area of debate concerns the ethicality of messages that use negative emotional appeals (Beauchamp & Bowie, 1988; Hastings et al., 2004; Hyman & Tansey, 1990).

³ It should be noted, however, that critiques of this assumption are available in the literature (Baumeister et al., 2007) challenging the traditional view that emotions cause behaviour directly.

⁴ There are debates on the nature and formation of attitudes in decision-making with some theories challenging the view of attitudes as relatively stable evaluations (see Schwarz, 2007). Although we do not discuss these debates here (they are peripheral to our central arguments), these theories further suggest that any process model based on the relationships identified in Figure 1 is highly questionable.

⁵ It is important to notice that the creation of this negative association (which acts outside awareness) can pose ethical challenges to social marketers and public policy (Antonetti & Baines, 2014; Hastings et al., 2004).

⁶ The simulation of experiences that is implicit in narrative persuasion could be especially powerful in facilitating the impact of guilt appeals. This is because the simulation of alternative outcomes is a key process that underpins the activation of guilt (Antonetti & Baines, 2014). Consequently, learning how to simulate different events might also increase the likelihood that consumers will experience guilt when presented with a certain choice.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Paolo Antonetti

Paolo Antonetti is an assistant professor in the marketing group at Warwick Business School, University of Warwick. His research focuses on the role of emotions in sustainability and consumer ethics. His research has appeared in several international publications including the Journal of Business Ethics, Psychology & Marketing and the International Journal of Management Reviews.

Paul Baines

Paul Baines is a professor of political marketing and director of the MSc in management at Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University. Paul’s research has particularly focused on political marketing, public opinion and propaganda. He has published widely on these topics in leading international journals including the European Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing Management, Business Ethics: A European Review, the Journal of Political Marketing and Marketing Theory.

Lorna Walker

Lorna Walker is a senior lecturer in marketing and programme director at Regent’s College, London. She is also a PhD candidate at Cranfield School of Management, and her research focuses on political marketing in Northern Ireland. Before becoming an academic, Lorna worked in the marketing industry for 10 years in a variety of industries including publishing, software and travel.