Current Issue Summary
March 2024 (Vol. 64, Issue 1)
How Message Framing and Visual Cues Drive Health-Related Advertising Effectiveness: Consumer Response to Social and Mass Media Promotion for Pregnancy Screening Programs
This thoughtful study investigates the effectiveness of visual cues and message framing in promoting programs that screen for omega-3s, specifically for pregnant women and their families. (Taking omega-3 supplements during pregnancy may reduce the risk of premature birth for pregnant people who are deficient in this nutrient.) Citing differences in responses across pregnant women and the general audience, authors Celine Northcott, Philippa Middleton, and Maria Makrides (all three at South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute [SAHMRI]), and Lucy Simmonds (Flinders University) suggest that demographic segmentation is important for evidence-based segmentation strategies, for both mass media and social media. Processing fluency (the cognitive ease with which a person processes an ad message) is a critical, individual difference variable that plays a prominent role. It affects respondents’ attitudes, awareness, and intentions to screen. Moreover, the authors note, “advertisers should focus on developing such messaging strategies that resonate well with the target audience to increase engagement and encourage positive behavioral change.”
Among the takeaways:
- “Advertisement pretesting is important for ensuring that the messages are well received, inclusive, and effective in promoting uptake of health behaviors among the target audience.
- “Basic demographic segmentation can be a cost-efficient and effective way to develop evidence-based segmentation strategies for social and mass media advertising campaigns, instead of relying on highly tailored advertisements.
- “The use of gain-frame messages and emotional visual cues can be effective in promoting positive attitudes and driving behavioral intentions in health-related advertising campaigns.
- “Advertisers should focus on developing such messaging strategies that resonate with their target audience to increase engagement and encourage positive behavioral change.”