The impact of emotional appeals on consumer behavior depending on collectivism levels

Abstract

Nowadays, consumers are daily exposed to numerous advertisements. As a result, organizations are becoming more interested in understanding a society’s cultural values and adapt their advertising campaigns accordingly, to enhance the persuasive appeal of their message. To better understand whether different cultural orientations influence consumer behavior in response to emotional appeals, an experimental study was conducted. First, the study investigated whether people with stronger collectivist ideals would react more favorably to emotional appeals focused on society rather than the self, compared to individuals with stronger individualistic ideals. The results contradict established assumptions regarding the relationship between culture orientation and advertising preferences. In addition, despite Portugal’s transition towards lower collectivism levels, Portuguese consumers still prefer advertisements that focus on social values. Secondly, the study examined the impact of age on consumer behavior towards persuasive messages, suggesting that younger consumers would be less impacted by emotional appeals, due to the increase of individualism, than older consumers who have stronger collectivist values. The results validated this hypothesis, suggesting that age ranges significantly influence responses to emotional appeals. The thesis’ results highlight the significance of customized advertising strategies in multicultural situations, especially within the Portuguese market, and deepen the understanding of the diversity in consumer responses to emotional appeals. Additionally, they highlight alternative mechanisms that may influence consumer’s reactions to advertisements beyond cultural orientations.

Date of Award	2 May 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Cristina Mendonça (Supervisor)