On the Formation and Relationship of Ad and Brand Attitudes: An Experimental and Causal Analysis

Abstract

The unique influence of attitude toward the ad on brand attitude often has been viewed as simply reflecting the impact of peripheral persuasion. The authors’ research challenges such a conception. Ad attitude is shown to have a significant influence on brand attitude even in the absence of peripheral persuasion. The feasibility and usefulness of decomposing ad attitude into evaluations of particular ad elements also are explored.