Value-Expressive versus Utilitarian Advertising Appeals: When and Why to Use Which Appeal

TLDR

Value‑expressive advertising appeals are most effective for value‑expressive products, leveraging self‑congruity, while utilitarian appeals work best for utilitarian products, leveraging functional congruity, with effectiveness also shaped by product factors such as differentiation, life cycle, scarcity, conspicuousness, and consumer factors like involvement, prior knowledge, and self‑monitoring. The study outlines future research directions and managerial implications.

Abstract

Abstract Value-expressive advertising appeals are effective when the product is value-expressive, while utilitarian appeals are effective when the product is utilitarian. When the product is value-expressive, audience persuasion is influenced through self-congruity. Conversely, when the product is utilitarian, audience persuasion is influenced through functional congruity. The effectiveness of the value-expressive as opposed to utilitarian appeals is argued also to be a function of such product-related factors as differentiation, life cycle, scarcity, and conspicuousness, and consumer-related factors such as involvement, prior knowledge, and self-monitoring. Future research and managerial implications are discussed.