Short answer
Prioritize clarity and interpretability in advertising creative, as this can enable less familiar brands to achieve greater impact than familiar brands in less engaging formats.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- Journal of Euromarketing (2013)
- Method
- Experimental Study
- Sample
- Not explicitly stated, but implied to be sufficient for cross-cultural comparison.
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
When advertisements are designed to be easily understood, using unfamiliar brands in an 'open' advertising style can lead to more positive consumer attitudes than familiar brands in 'closed' advertising. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2013 study published in Journal of Euromarketing. Using Experimental study with Not explicitly stated, but implied to be sufficient for cross-cultural comparison., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Prioritize clarity and interpretability in advertising creative, as this can enable less familiar brands to achieve greater impact than familiar brands in less engaging formats.
Open Advertising with Unfamiliar Brands Can Outperform Familiar Brands When Comprehension is High
When advertisements are designed to be easily understood, using unfamiliar brands in an 'open' advertising style can lead to more positive consumer attitudes than familiar brands in 'closed' advertising.
Journal of Euromarketing · 2013
Key Findings
- 01Attitude towards closed ads with familiar brands is more positive than towards open advertisements with unfamiliar brands.
- 02The negative effect of openness and the positive effect of brand familiarity can be explained by ease of comprehension.
- 03When ease of comprehension is controlled for, open ads outperform closed ads.
Application
Design takeaway
Prioritize clarity and interpretability in advertising creative, as this can enable less familiar brands to achieve greater impact than familiar brands in less engaging formats.
How to apply
When developing advertising for a new product or entering a new market, test different levels of 'openness' in creative execution and ensure the messaging is universally easy to understand, rather than solely relying on brand recognition.
Project actions
- 01When designing marketing materials, consider how easily your target audience can interpret the message.
- 02Experiment with different levels of ambiguity in your visual and textual elements to see how it affects user perception.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Cross-cultural comparison provides broader applicability.
- +Controlled experimental design allows for isolation of variables.
Limitations
The study was conducted in specific cultural contexts and may not generalize to all global markets. Measuring 'ease of comprehension' objectively can be challenging.
Reliability & validity
The study's use of a randomized design and multiple nationalities enhances its reliability and external validity. However, the subjective nature of 'attitude' and 'comprehension' could introduce some measurement error.
Think critically
To what extent does the 'openness' of an advertisement inherently require more cognitive effort, and how can designers mitigate this effort to achieve positive outcomes for unfamiliar brands?
Design Principles
"Advertising effectiveness is moderated by the interplay of brand familiarity, advertising style (open vs. closed), and ease of comprehension."
This challenges the conventional wisdom that brand familiarity is always paramount. It suggests that strategic design of advertising content, focusing on clarity and interpretability, can be a powerful tool for market entry and brand building, even with less established brands.
What This Means for Your Design
If you make an ad that's easy to figure out, people might like it even if they don't know the brand, and it can even be better than an ad for a famous brand that's harder to understand.
How to use in your project
- 1.This research can inform the rationale for choosing a specific advertising style or brand positioning strategy in a design project, particularly when targeting new markets or introducing novel products.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This study by Chimhundu and Chadee (2013) suggests that 'open' advertising, which requires more interpretation, can be more effective than 'closed' advertising when paired with unfamiliar brands, provided the advertisements are easily comprehensible. This highlights the importance of creative execution and clarity in overcoming the challenge of low brand familiarity in market entry strategies.
Source
Journal of Euromarketing
Private Label Brand Trends in the Grocery Retail Industry
journal · 2013
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about open advertising with unfamiliar brands can outperform familiar brands when comprehension is high?
- Prioritize clarity and interpretability in advertising creative, as this can enable less familiar brands to achieve greater impact than familiar brands in less engaging formats. Evidence: Journal of Euromarketing (2013).
- Why does "Open Advertising with Unfamiliar Brands Can Outperform Familiar Brands When Comprehension is High" matter for design?
- This challenges the conventional wisdom that brand familiarity is always paramount. It suggests that strategic design of advertising content, focusing on clarity and interpretability, can be a powerful tool for market entry and brand building, even with less established brands.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Prioritize clarity and interpretability in advertising creative, as this can enable less familiar brands to achieve greater impact than familiar brands in less engaging formats.
- What were the main findings?
- Attitude towards closed ads with familiar brands is more positive than towards open advertisements with unfamiliar brands.. The negative effect of openness and the positive effect of brand familiarity can be explained by ease of comprehension.. When ease of comprehension is controlled for, open ads outperform closed ads.
- What research method was used?
- Experimental Study with Not explicitly stated, but implied to be sufficient for cross-cultural comparison..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2013 journal from Journal of Euromarketing.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When developing advertising for a new product or entering a new market, test different levels of 'openness' in creative execution and ensure the messaging is universally easy to understand, rather than solely relying on brand recognition.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on attitude towards the ad, not necessarily purchase intent or long-term brand loyalty. Cultural nuances beyond the tested nationalities might influence results.