優勢與平位比較性廣告之策略運用及溝通效果

The Strategic and Communitive Effects of Comparative Advertising in Both Superiority and Parity Comparatives

別蓮蒂(Lien-Ti Bei)

《管理學報》 21卷1期 (2004/02) Pp. 47-62

https://doi.org/10.6504/JOM.2004.21.01.03

摘要

本研究的目的是自廣告溝通和行銷策略兩個方向，探討不同市場地位的品牌，應如何運用優勢比較與平位比較性廣告，達成溝通及定位策略的目標，以及消費者對被比較的領導品牌原本所持態度之調節作用。實驗是以模擬的彩色平面廣告施測於331位大學生，進行3(優勢比較性廣告、平位比較性廣告、非比較性廣告) X 2 (已有基礎品牌、新品牌) X 2 (原喜歡領導品牌、不喜歡領導品牌) 的研究。研究結果顯示，整體而言，優勢比較性廣告的溝通效果較佳，較適合已具市場基礎的品牌採用；平位比較性廣告的定位策略效果較佳，適合新進市場品牌採用，已進行產品定位，拉近自己與領導品牌的距離。

關鍵字

優勢比較性廣告 ； 平位比較性廣告 ； 溝通效果 ； 定位策略 ； 市場地位

並列摘要

Comparative ads in Taiwan are more common and acceptable than before; however, the research in this field cannot compete with the growing speed of practical needs. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of comparative advertising on both the communication and marketing strategy. The moderating effects of consumers' preference toward the leading brand, and the market position of the advertiser as an existing challenger versus a newcomer are also investigated. Previous studies mainly focus in the communication effects of superiority comparatives, but relattively rare on parity comparatives or the similarities brought by comparative ads. This study explores the different communication effects of credibility, memorability, preferenece, and purchase intention between superiority, parity, and non-comparative advertising, as well as the similarity effects of these three types of ads.
This study employs a 3 (superiority, parity, and non-comparative advertising) x 2 (market positions: established brand versus new brand ) x 2 (attitudes towed the leading brand: like versus dislike) between-subject design on 331 college students. Two pretests are first utilized to select a proper product category (i.e., electronic dictionary) and identify a leading comparison brand (i.e., Besta) and an existing challenger brand (i.e., Hot Tech)in this product category. A fictitous new brand (i.e., PalmDictionary ) is made to serve the purpose of this study. Independent variables are manipulated in sex color print ads. Respondents' attitudes toward the leading brand are measured, and then split by the mean into two groups.
The results show the credibility of superiority comparatives is better than non-comparatives, and then better than parity comparatives. It is possible that the claims of “as good as the leading brand” in parity comparatives make consumers confused in their information processing; whereas the appeals of “better attributes” in superiority comparatives provide clear focuses in their perceptions. Furthermore, this study finds that the memorability of superiority comparatives and non-comparatives is similar; also the preference and purchase intention of parity
Comparatives and non-comparatives are similar. Consumers prefer products in superiority comparatives to those in parity comparatives and non-comparatives, which coincide with the findings of Gorn & Weinberg (1984) and Muehling (1987). The purchase intention of superiority comparatives is also stronger than the other two types of ads, which was also found in Lavidge & Steiner (1961).
It is interesting to illustrate that when an existing brand uses parity comparative ads, consumers who do not like the leading brand in the ads tend to transfer the aversion to the advertised brand. On the other hand, consumers, who prefer the leading brand, also tend to forward their attitudes and then like the parity ads and the challenging brand.
Regarding the effects of creating a similar position nearby the leading brand , parity comparatives have better performance than superiority comparatives and non-comparatives do. Moreover, this similarity effect is smaller for an existing brand than for a new brand. When the advertised brand is an existing brand than for a new brand. When the advertised brand is an existing is an existing brand and consumers have prior knowledge about it, perceptions are hardly changed by the claim in parity comparative ads. A new brand without a prior brand image can be easily placed close to the leading brand in consumers’ perceptions.
Overall, the superiority comparative advertising has better communication effects than the other two types of ads, whereas the parity comparative advertising has better positioning effects than the other two. Also, a new brand using parity comparative advertising demonstrates stronger similarity effects to the leading brand than an established brand does. Therefore, this study suggests that for an established brand, marketers may consider to use superior comparative ads with strong arguments in superiority comparatives may further lead to the brand preference and the purchase intention. To a new brand, the implications of the findings are that marketers may take advantage of parity comparatives on similarity effects. Parity comparative ads can place the image of the new brand nearby the leading brand which is an effective marketing position strategy.

並列關鍵字

Comparative Advertising ； Superiority Comparatives ； Parity Comparatives ； Communication Effcet ； Position

參考文獻

Barry, Thomas E.(1993).Journal of Advertising Research.

Barry, Tomas E.(1993).Twenty Years of Comparative Advertising in the United States.International Journal of Advertising.12,325-350.

Bei, Lien-Ti,Richard Widdows(1999).Product Knowledge and Product Involvement as Moderators of the Effects of Information on Purchase Decisions: A Case Study Using the Perfect Information Frontier Approach.Journal of Consumer Affairs.33(1),165-186.

Belch, George E.(1981).An Examination of Comparative and Noncomparative Television Commercials: The Effects of Claims Variation and Repetition on Cognitive Response and Message Acceptance.Journal of Marketing Research.18(3),333-349.

Buchanan, Bruce,Ronald H. Smithies(1989).Journal of Advertising Research.