Date of Award
2016
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Dr. Kristen Lundberg
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine if evoking heartfelt responses to advertisements would yield greater brand affinity. It was hypothesized that a heartwarming response would yield greater brand affinity because it was a mixed emotional experience that produced both positive and negative emotions simultaneously. Across two studies, participants were shown both control and heartwarming advertisements for five brands. After each video, all participants were prompted to respond to every measure, regardless of condition. Heartwarming perceptions of the advertisements, overlap of self, feelings of love, and a mixed emotional experience were all significant mediators of video condition and brand affinity. Once they were accounted for, video condition was no longer marginally predictive of brand affinity. These results have clear practical implications for marketers and advertisers looking to create the most effective form of advertisements. By inducing a heartwarming experience, you are developing a stronger relationship with your consumer and ultimately increasing brand affinity.
Recommended Citation
Butman, Hannah, "A change of heart : the effect of heartwarming advertisements on brand affinity" (2016). Honors Theses. 955.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/955