Matching Advertising Appeals to Culture: The Influence of Products' Use Conditions

Abstract

In an empirical study, the authors investigated the effects of different advertising appeals used in the United States and China. The study focused on the match between values expressed in advertising and values in each of the two cultures, and included the influence of product use condition (socially visible use vs. use in a private setting). Results indicate that although culturally congruent appeals were more effective in general, product use condition moderated the effectiveness of culturally incongruent advertising appeals. Specifically, the subjects' reactions to the appeal were more positive when the appeal matched the product use condition than when the appeal did not match either the culture or the product use condition. Managerial implications are discussed.