Content class effects on consumer online information processing
Abstract
Do consumers process information differently when the information is
presented in the form of a third-party endorsed article versus advertising? Is it indeed
the desirable managerial strategy to have all content types "speak with one voice?”
How do factors such as product involvement, subjective and objective knowledge
interact with the message consistency or message inconsistency conditions to
influence subjects’ processing and their purchase intent? Based on these three main
research questions, the study examined how subjects processed the information by
integrating and examining two streams of content class, advertising and the thirdparty
endorsed article online under the influences of message manipulation,
involvement level, and consumer knowledge.
The laboratory experiments with 221 subjects were used to test several
hypotheses. An opposite result was found as subjects exposed to message
inconsistency had higher purchase intent. It was clear that there was indeed a
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canceling effect across the content types when message claims they carried were
presented in the same fashion to be consistent. Presenting information in different or
varied sources may have stimulated thinking as subjects attempted to reconcile
differences and made the different message claims complementary to each other.
Results also suggested that product involvement, subjective knowledge, and objective
knowledge independently influenced subjects’ information processing toward
consistent messages and inconsistent messages across the content classes. While
product involvement was a better determinant of process measures, objective
knowledge influenced the focus of attention toward the articles and the evaluative
measures toward the articles. While subjects with low subjective knowledge were
more easily persuaded, subjects who were not motivated and had low objective
knowledge appeared to rely on positive attitude toward the article (AArticle) to make
their decision.
The results are encouraging since both advertising and the third-party
endorsed article are important in increasing a consumer’s purchase intent.
Advertising and PR practices together could elicit more effective communication and
have different and additive effects on persuasion. However, the findings of the study
suggested that message inconsistency might be the most desirable condition when the
message claims across the content types were positively distinguished, processed, and
evaluated by subjects. Implications for advertisers and the direction of future
research are also presented.
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