Humor in Advertising and Customer Purchasing Decision - Paper 03
Humor in Advertising and Customer Purchasing Decision - Paper 03
Humor in Advertising and Customer Purchasing Decision - Paper 03
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(ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 5, Number 2 December, 2020.
Abstract
The study is on humour appeals and advertising recall. It is a self-affirmative study
conducted to determine whether the use of humour contributes to product and service
recall among the target audience of advertising campaigns. The researchers relied on
library research method to gather data for the study. Thus, the study is a complete review
of extant literature. The researchers advanced that humour in advertising enables
consumers to recall advertising. It was also argued that humorous advertising has a way
of drawing attention of the consumers to advertised products and services and it may also
aid product recall and brand loyalty. Based on the arguments advanced, the researchers
concluded that humour appeal is very important in advertising as it helps consumers to
retain and remember advertised products. Based on the conclusion, the researchers
recommended, among others that advertisers should always use humour appeals to
enhance the patronage of advertised products as it is one of the ways of winning
customers’ loyalty and that advertisers should combine humour appeals with other types
of appeals so that the combination will further enhance product patronage.
Keywords: Humour Appeal, Advertising, Consumers, Product Recall, Brand Loyalty
Introduction
Advertising appeals are used to catch attention of the target audience, to arouse interest,
create desire and compel desired action (Asemah, 2011). In other words, advertising
appeals are used to attract and draw the attention of consumers and also, to influence their
feelings towards products and services. Advertising according to Arens (2008) is a
structured and composed non-personal communication of information usually persuasive
in nature about products, services and ideas by identified sponsors, through the various
mass media. Advertising appeal is a stimulant that compels or propels the consumers to
choose and patronise a particular product. Advertising appeals if well utilised pierce the
inner thought of an individual as well as reinforce his motive.
Advertising appeal is emphatically aimed to influence the way consumers view
themselves and how buying a certain product can prove to be beneficial to them. The
message conveyed through all appeals influence the purchasing decision of the consumer.
Advertisers use different communication styles to drive home their points. This
communication is usually through various forms of paid media like television/radio
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commercials, print media advertisement, bill board and more recently, product
placement. This marketing communication is used to encourage, persuade, motivate and
mobilise consumers to purchase products and use services of companies and
organisations.
Asemah (2019) notes that humour is one of the most common and frequently used
emotional appeals in advertising; humour is an unavoidable tool for the positioning and
promotion of brands and increasing the sales of products. Humorous advertisements work
best with established and commonly purchased products such as cell phones, fast food
and alcoholic beverages. Advertisers use this strategy to attract customers to their
products. People will pay more attention to a humorous commercial than a factual or
serious one, opening themselves up to be influenced. The key to funny advertising is
assuring that the humour is appropriate to both products and customers. The balance
between funny and obnoxious can often be delicate and a marketer must be certain that
the positive effects outweigh the negative effects before an advertisement can be
introduced.
On the most basic level, something that connects all humans is laughter. Laughter
is an important part of human psychology as it gives us a way to process all kinds of
information, from funny stimuli to a situation where laughing is the only possible
reaction because circumstances are tough. Humour grabs our attention and that is why it
is often used in advertising (Point Park University, 2020). Based on the foregoing, the
researchers set to examine the influence of humour on product recall and patronage.
Theoretical Framework
The study is anchored on Hawkins Stern impulse buying theory. Hawkins Stern totally
believes in the idea of impulse behaviour. Stern argued that sudden buying impulses fit
alongside rational purchasing decisions to paint a complete picture of the average
consumer. Impulse purchases are driven largely by external stimuli and have almost no
relationship to traditional decision-making. Stern established four categories of impulse
buying. First are the pure impulse purchases, like a candy bar at the checkout line of a
grocery store. Second, consumers make reminded impulse buys, like placing a display of
hot dog buns next to a meat cooler. Third, are suggested impulse purchases, such as a
warranty for an electronic device. Finally, consumers make planned impulse decisions,
where they know they want to buy a product, but are unsure about the specifics
(https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/four-consumer-behavior-theories-every-marketer-
should-know, as cited in Asemah et al 2020).
Impulse buying theories present an ocean of opportunities for marketers. Every
aspect of a product, from the way the packaging catches the eye, to the way the product is
displayed in the store, has an impact on a consumer’s impulse control. Marketers who can
capture the impulsive thought and close the sale will have the most success
(https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/four-consumer-behavior-theories-every-marketer-
should-know/, as cited in Asemah et al 2020). The relevance of this theory to this study is
based on the fact that a well-packaged advertising message, when communicated
effectively can change the feelings of the audience towards acquisition and acceptance of
an advertised product or service positively.
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Conceptual Review
Advertising is one of the most powerful communicational tools that almost every
company uses in order to promote its products or services (ASA, 2008, cited in Asemah,
2017). Advertising is a form of communication for marketing and used to encourage,
persuade or manipulate an audience (viewers, readers or listeners; sometimes, a specific
group) to continue to take some new actions. Most commonly, the desired result is to
drive consumer behaviour with respect to a commercial offering; although, political and
ideological advertising are also common (Maitra, n. d, cited in Asemah, 2017). Thus,
advertising can be said to be a paid non-personal communication about an organisation
and its products that is transmitted to a target audience, through a mass medium; it is a
kind of promotional activity. Advertising is a small word, but it is a whole world in itself.
In this materialistic world, we are surrounded with a number of products/brands; each
company is battling for consumer mind space and this has increased the scope of
advertising. Advertising is all-pervasive and is becoming a powerful force, shaping
attitudes and behaviours in today’s world (Maitra, n. d, cited in Asemah, 2017).
Advertising, as described by Arens (2008), cited in Asemah (2011) is any
communication that is paid for, identified by a sponsor, directed at a targeted audience,
through the various mass media like television, radio, bill boards, newspaper and
magazine, with the aim of creating awareness about goods and services. Arens (2008, p.
7) says that advertising is a structured and composed non-personal communication of
information, usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature, about product, services
and ideas, by identified sponsors through various mass media. Advertising is seen as the
process of persuading potential customers to buy products or promote its services. This
simply implies that advertising is a way of calling attention to a product, service or good.
Thus, when an advertising campaign is carried out, it means that the company is directly
or indirectly communicating with the users of a product or service.
Humour, as noted by Asemah et al (2020) is a strong tool of persuasion that
makes use of amusement to draw and sustain the attention to a product or service.
Advertisers and advertising agencies can design advertisements to arouse laughter, but
also, provide little information about the product or service. In creating laughter,
advertisers show their products or services in an attempt to connect those good feelings to
their products or services. This is very effective because consumers remember
advertisements easily and associate positive feelings with the product (Asemah et al
2010). Many advertisers use humour because it grabs the attention of the audience and it
is a powerful persuasion technique. Advertisers make us laugh and then show us their
products or logos because they are trying to connect those good feelings to their products.
They hope that when we see their products in a store, we will subtly re-experience that
good feeling and select their products (Asemah et al 2010). There are basically five types
of humour; these include comic wit- incongruity resolution humour (level of respondent
surprise); sentimental humour- arousal safety (the degree of effected relief); satire-
incongruity resolution and dispositional humour (identification with or detachment from
the humour’s victim); sentimental comedy-incongruity resolution and arousal safety
humour and full comedy- incongruity resolution, dispositional and arousal safety humour
(Djambaska, 2016).
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major tools companies use to direct persuasive communications to target buyers and
public noting that it consists of non-personal forms of communication conducted through
paid media under clear sponsorship. According to Kotler (2002), the purpose of
advertising is to enhance prospects’ responses to the organisation and its offering.
Humour and attention studies have revealed that 94% of advertising practitioners
see humour as a useful way to increase attention. Moreover, 55% of advertising research
executives found humour to be better to non-humour in gaining attention. Whereas the
special views of advertising executives should not be equated with accurate hypothesis
testing, these views do mirror a knowledge-base built on years of day to day
understanding with proper research outcome (Madden & Weinberger, 1982; Madden &
Weinberger, 1984; Powell & Andresen, 1985; Stewart & Furse, 1986, Weinberger &
Campbell 1991, cited in UkEssays, 2020).
Methodology
The researchers adopted the library research method where secondary sources of data
collection formed the method of data collection. The researchers consulted books,
journals, online materials and edited books to obtain relevant information. Thus, the
materials were reviewed and opinions formed on the subject matter.
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ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 5, Number 2 December, 2020.
Conclusion
The use of humour appeals in advertising has become important. Advertising
practitioners believe that humorous advertisements attract more than non-humour in
gaining observer awareness. The humour may get more responses by making advertising
more likeable. Thus, this study was carried out to determine the influence of humour
appeals on advertising recall. The researchers conclude that humour appeal is very
important in advertising as it helps consumers to retain and remember advertised
products. Based on the conclusion, the researchers recommend that advertisers should
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SAU Journal of Management and Social Sciences sau.edu.ng/sjmss/index.php
(ISSN: 2550-7302), Vol. 5, Number 2 December, 2020.
always use humour appeals to enhance the patronage of advertised products, as it is one
of the ways of winning customer loyalty, advertisers should combine humour appeals
with other types of appeals so that the combination will further enhance product
patronage and that companies should endeavour to always advertise their goods and
services as it is one of the ways of increasing patronage.
References
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