The Effects of Salient Risk-Reducing Advertisements on Consumer Attitudes and Purchase Intentions

Abstract

The concept of perceived risk in consumer decision making constitutes an important area in advertising research. The experiment described here was designed specifically to identify and reduce salient components of risk for two purchase conditions and to measure the impact of the risk-reducing advertisements on, (a) advertising believability, (b) attitudes toward brand, and (c) consumer purchase intentions. The study found that systematically identifying salient components of risk associated with a product/service and addressing them in the advertising message is a significant means of increasing advertising effectiveness.

Notes

Note. Means with no letters in common are significantly different at the p< .05 level. For purchase intention 1 = high and 7 = low. For advertisement believability and attitude toward brand, 1 = low and 7 = high.

Note. Means with no letters in common are significantly different at the p < .05 level. For purchase intention, 1 = high and 7 = low. For advertisement believability and attitude toward brand 1 = low and 7 = high.

This article was accepted by Claude Martin and James Leigh, previous editors of the Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising.