Effects of perceived product similarity and ad claims on brand responses in comparative advertising

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of perceived product similarity and comparative ad claims on brand responses.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a two (similarity between the target product and the comparison product: relatively similar vs dissimilar) by three (product attributes of the target product: common to the comparison product, distinct from the comparison product, and a combination of common and distinct attributes) between-subjects factorial design with 300 Thai undergraduate students.

Findings

It finds that when perceived similarity between the products is high, a combination of superiority (distinct) and parity (common) ad claims lead to the best brand responses. When perceived similarity is low, superiority claims bring about the best brand responses.

Research limitations/implications

It extends comparative advertising and category-substitution research by addressing the research gaps in perceived similarity and claim type.

Practical implications

Companies should emphasize a product’s superior attributes in general but a combination of common and superior attributes when the product is relatively similar to other products in comparative advertising.

Originality/value

This study provides new evidence that perceived product similarity moderates the effect of comparative ad claims on brand responses.

Citation

Pornpitakpan, C. and Yuan, Y. (2015), "Effects of perceived product similarity and ad claims on brand responses in comparative advertising", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 27 No. 4, pp. 535-558. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-05-2014-0086