Ad Effectiveness & ROI

Who is More Persuasive to an Audience, Micro-, Macro- or Mega- Influencers?

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

This study investigates the impact of influencer follower size on brand responses. It examines whether micro-, macro- or mega-influencers are more effective in increasing brand awareness, positive brand attitudes and purchase intentions. The study finds that micro-influencers, with fewer than 100,000 followers, are more persuasive than larger influencers due to their higher perceived credibility and similarity to the audience. The research highlights the importance of choosing the right influencer size for marketing campaigns to achieve better brand outcomes.

The study also explores the underlying mechanisms that explain the effects of influencer size on brand responses. It identifies three key factors: wishful identification, perceived credibility and perceived similarity. The findings suggest that micro-influencers are more effective in enhancing brand awareness and positive brand attitudes because they are perceived as more credible and similar to the audience.

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Generative AI Can Make Ad Creative Better Than Humans Alone

Have we reached the John Henry moment in ad creative where the machine can outperform a human in creating visuals for ads? Not quite. Generative AI does have a place in creative, however. This Marketing Science Institute (MSI) working paper found that GenAI when trained on ads which were rated the most effective by consumers can create ad visuals and text that outperform the originals in KPIs related to the purchase funnel and brand associations. Yet, the human element has not been cut out just yet. In fact, it might be pivotal to the process. The human AI combo saved time and effort and created pleasing visuals while maintaining a brand’s distinctive positioning.

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Retail Media Networks, Generative AI Top JAR’s Industry-Informed Research Priorities

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Retail media networks, generative AI across creative, market research and trust, ad effectiveness and attention: These are among the topics highlighted on the Journal of Advertising Research’s list of 2024 research priorities. The list is a result of one-on-one interviews with advertising professionals by Editor-in-Chief Colin Campbell, who asked: "What are your biggest needs and challenges?"

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Context Effects: The Impact of TV Ads On Subsequent Ads

  • Michael Sankey, Ph.D.; Mark Truss
  • Forethought; JWT

To tackle the rarely studied topic of how a TV commercial affects ones that follow, this study analyzed the halo effects of two types of ads with important findings. Among them, it showed that an ad evoking negative feelings, such as anger or fear, can affect the ad that follows in terms of ad evaluations, brand perceptions, and purchase intent. The authors also raised a question regarding context in programmatic buys.

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How Can a Celebrity’s Smile Make a Difference?

  • Jasmina Ilicic (Monash Univ.), Alicia Kulczynski & Stacey Baxter (The Univ. of Newcastle)
  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

This may bring a smile to your face. A celebrity’s smile can go a long way toward improving perceptions about an ad and purchase intent, especially when it’s perceived as genuine. The quality of a smile can even help to offset negative attitudes toward the celebrity, which can help brands minimize the need to replace celebrity talent, if a celebrity “falls from grace.”

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How Context Affects ROI

  • Chris Bacon, Horst Stipp,
  • ARF ORIGINAL RESEARCH

This addition to the ARF’s Context Effect Project provides compelling evidence for the impact of context effects on advertising effectiveness, based on an exhaustive literature search and original ARF research. While the review notes that there is no simple one-size-fits-all rule, it provides insights that can help marketing, agency and research executives who seek to improve advertising outcomes.

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