Advertising Appeal - Definition, Importance, Types & Example

Published in Marketing and Strategy Terms by MBA Skool Team

What is Advertising Appeal?

Advertising Appeal is the strategy used to attract attention from the customers to trigger a response in connection with the product or service being advertised which can lead to an action such as purchase or inquiry. Advertising is a form of non-personal communication about a product, service, organization, or idea by an identified sponsor. At the core lies advertising appeal which is used to attract the attention of the consumers, effectively influence their feelings and change their attitude in favor of the advertised product/service.

It is the connect that consumers feel with the ad. Creating such an appeal encompasses understanding what the consumers want or need and what excites them. As a basis for advertising messages, several different appeals can be used.


Importance of Advertising Appeal

Advertising Appeal is an important aspect of a campaign. Without appeal a customer may not connect with the brand or the product. The decision of buying a product or a service is a complex one and it becomes even more relevant when there are a lot of competitors. A customer needs to understand the message very clearly though the promotional campaigns. Advertising appeal helps in delivering that messaging in a way through which customer not only understands the message but also responds to it. The action can be a purchase of the product or may be research about the product.

Through a proper appeal, even if the product gets added into the consideration set of the the potential customers, it is a win.

Types of advertising appeal

Some of the most common advertising appeals include:

1. Favorable Price Appeal

The offer price dominates the message. This is used extensively during sales promotions e.g. end of season sales, special offers, everyday low process. McDonald’s Happy Price Menu campaign is designed around this appeal.

2. Feature Appeal

The major traits or attributes of the product/service dominates the message. Such ads tend to be highly informative and try to build a favorable attitude for the attributes to trigger a rational purchase.

L’oreal’s Total Repair ad campaign featuring Aishwarya Rai talks about the product’s effectiveness against 5 hair problems.

3. Competitive advantage appeal

Ads featuring this appeal directly or indirectly include competitor’s product/service and compare specific attributes.

4. News appeal

Announcement or news about the product/service dominates the ad’s message. Many educational institutes use this to position themselves as leaders in the market.

News appeal is also used to show a proof which can appeal to customers directly.

5. Product/service popularity appeal

This emphasizes the popularity of a product/service by pointing out the buyer base. Times of India is often found reiterating its “India’s Number 1 English daily” status.

The advertising channel or the integrated marketing communications used also leaves an impact of the appeal on the customers.

advertising appeal types

6. Emotional appeals

Although this category includes many different feelings and needs on a personal level (safety, security, love, affection, joy, nostalgia, pride, achievement, pleasure, sorrow, self-esteem, actualization etc.) and social level (recognition, status, respect, rejection, approval etc.), the two common ones include:

a. Fear Appeal

This is where an element of fear is part of the appeal and influences the customers to understand the benefits

b. Humor Appeal

Humorous ads are often the best remembered as they can hold consumers’ attention and put them in a positive disposition towards the product.

7. Brand/Status Appeal

This is the appeal where the customers associate a particular status value with the product. BMW or Mercedes as cars have become status symbols across the globe because of their brand appeal.


Example of Advertising Appeal

Apple as a brand has become a status symbol in the society. An apple smartphone is sought after in various countries. Whenever a new model of iPhone is launched, people aspire to buy it. Many who buy it feel a sense of achievement. Same is true for other major smartphone flagship brands. This is an example of brand appeal.

Many causes have emotional appeal. There are many examples where the campaign an inspirational story of someone who has overcome hardships to achieve certain milestones. This appeals a lot of people at emotional level and motivates them.

Hence, this concludes the definition of Advertising Appeal along with its overview.

This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

Browse the definition and meaning of more similar terms. The Management Dictionary covers over 1800 business concepts from 5 categories.

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