Gender Differences in Responses to Informational and Transformational Advertising Appeals

Abstract

Despite extensive research on advertising appeals, the role of gender in shaping consumer perceptions of the informational and transformational cues used in ads, and how such perceptions influence brand equity variables, remains underexplored. This study applies gender schema theory to examine how these appeals impact brand equity dimensions across male and female audiences. Using a survey-based analysis of UK consumers, this study captures consumer perceptions of the informational and transformational advertising appeals that have been used in actual brand communications of leading TV brands and explores their effects on brand personality, perceived brand quality, company associations, and attitudes toward advertisements. The findings from structural equation modeling reveal that informational appeals are more effective for male audiences in enhancing brand personality, perceived brand quality, and company associations. Conversely, for female audiences, transformational appeals are more effective in improving attitudes toward advertising and brand personality, while performing equally well as informational appeals in fostering positive quality perceptions and strengthening company associations. These findings highlight the importance of aligning advertising strategies with gender-specific cognitive processing patterns, offering valuable insights for optimizing message effectiveness based on audience composition and strategic objectives.