Financial Constraints Influence How Consumers Evaluate Approach-Framed versus Avoidance-Framed Messages

Abstract

Many people experience financial constraints in their lives that affect their well-being and behaviors. This raises the question of whether individuals’ financial constraints will affect their responses to positive approach-framed (versus negative avoidance-framed) messages in ads. We examined the effects of consumers’ financial constraints on their responses to ads that had positive approach-framed (versus negative avoidance-framed) messages. We hypothesized that consumers with financial constraints would have more positive responses to an ad that had a positive approach-framed (versus a negative avoidance-framed) message and that the depth of information processing would mediate their responses to an ad that had a positive approach-framed message. Across six studies, including field and online experiments, these findings supported the predictions. The findings advance the literature on both message framing in ads and financial constraints, and they generate actionable guidelines for marketing practice and public policy.