Based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model this thesis aims at consolidating diverse research approaches to give an extensive outline of the various ways how visual elements – especially images - can influence a person’s attitude towards the issue of a marketing communication. They can be persuasive arguments communicating relevant information, serve as peripheral cues that cause affective responses, or influence the amount or direction of the cognitive processing of other elements in the marketing communication they are used in.
As a major part of marketing communications, visual elements have received extensive attention in marketing research. Many studies were conducted concerning their attitudinal impact on viewers, yet the majority only focuses on a limited range of their possible functions. Some concentrate on their ability to communicate product information, while others examine their ability to attract the viewer’s attention to other message components that yield relevant information.
Depending on its respective role in a persuasion process, a visual element can influence attitudes in various manners, and the resulting attitudes also differ in their persistence and behavioral impact. Therefore, it is crucial for marketing managers to understand the situational (e.g. distraction) and personal factors (e.g. need for cognition) as well as the properties of a visual element (e.g. issue-relevance) that cause it to assume one of these three roles on one occasion while assuming another in response to the next exposure.
Table of Contents
1 Abstract
2 Introduction
3 The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion
3.1 The ELM in General
3.2 The ELM applied to Visual Marketing Communications
4 Empirical Research on Visual Marketing Communications
4.1 Beauty and the Beholder: Toward an Integrative Model of Communication Source Effects
4.1.1 Purpose of Study
4.1.2 Methodology
4.1.3 Main Results and Conclusion
4.2 Picture-based Persuasion Processes and the Moderating Role of Involvement
4.2.1 Purpose of Study
4.2.2 Methodology
4.2.3 Main Results and Conclusion
4.3 Writing with Pictures: Toward an Unifying Theory of Consumer Response to Images
4.3.1 Purpose of Study
4.3.2 Methodology
4.3.3 Main Results and Conclusion
4.4 The Information Processing of Pictures in Print Advertisements
4.4.1 Purpose of Study
4.4.2 Methodology
4.4.3 Main Results and Conclusion
5 Implications for the Use of Visual Elements in Marketing Communications
5.1 Visual Elements as Persuasive Arguments
5.2 Visual Elements as Peripheral Cues
5.3 Visual Elements as Influencers of Cognitive Processing
5.4 Overview of Research Implications
6 Conclusion and Discussion
6.1 Implications for Marketing Communications
6.2 Unsolved Problems and Remaining Questions
6.3 Future Research
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The thesis aims to consolidate diverse marketing research approaches using the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to outline how visual elements, particularly images, influence consumer attitudes. It seeks to define the conditions under which these elements act as persuasive arguments, peripheral cues, or influencers of cognitive processing to provide actionable recommendations for marketing communications.
- Theoretical application of the Elaboration Likelihood Model to visual communications.
- Evaluation of empirical studies regarding source effects and image processing.
- Distinction between visual elements as persuasive arguments versus peripheral cues.
- Analysis of how image relevance and consumer involvement impact attitude change.
- Strategic implications for the use of visual elements in different advertising contexts.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The ELM in General
The ELM distinguishes between two routes that lead to persuasion and attitude change: the central and the peripheral route.
The central route occurs when a person carefully processes the presented information that is intended to be persuasive cognitively to determine the true value of this information, relates it to existing knowledge and experiences, and forms his or her attitude towards the concerned object accordingly. In this case the elaboration likelihood, referring to the likelihood that a person engages in issue-relevant thinking to determine the value of the presented information for his or her attitude, is considered high.
If the person does not engage in cognitive processing to assess the presented information and a change of attitude is instead caused by simple cues included in the persuasive message (e.g. the number of persuasive arguments presented or an attractive communicator), he or she is persuaded via the peripheral route, meaning elaboration likelihood is low. In addition, peripheral persuasion can also result when a person uses simple existing schemata to evaluate the given information and gain a “reasonable” attitude without having to engage in issue-relevant cognitive processing (cf. Petty / Cacioppo (1986), p. 125-128).
Summary of Chapters
1 Abstract: Provides a high-level overview of the thesis, stating its aim to synthesize research on visual elements and their attitudinal impact through the ELM framework.
2 Introduction: Highlights the dominance of pictures in marketing and the necessity of the ELM as a framework to understand their varied effects on consumer behavior.
3 The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion: Outlines the theoretical foundations of the ELM and establishes how it can be applied to categorize the roles of visual elements.
4 Empirical Research on Visual Marketing Communications: Reviews four key empirical studies that provide evidence for the different ways visual elements influence attitudes.
5 Implications for the Use of Visual Elements in Marketing Communications: Synthesizes empirical findings into practical strategies for using images based on their role in the persuasion process.
6 Conclusion and Discussion: Discusses managerial takeaways, identifies research gaps, and offers suggestions for future studies in the field of visual marketing.
Keywords
Elaboration Likelihood Model, ELM, Marketing Communications, Visual Elements, Persuasion, Consumer Attitude, Peripheral Cues, Cognitive Processing, Involvement, Source Effects, Visual Rhetoric, Information Processing, Advertisement, Consumer Behavior, Attitude Change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on explaining how visual elements in marketing, such as images, influence consumer attitudes by applying the theoretical framework of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM).
What are the central themes of the research?
The central themes include the cognitive versus peripheral processing of images, the impact of consumer involvement, the role of message sources, and the strategic design of visual content.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to consolidate existing research on visual marketing to highlight the multiple ways images affect attitudes and to derive effective recommendations for their use in professional communication.
Which scientific method is utilized in this paper?
The paper employs a comprehensive literature review and synthesis method, evaluating and aligning four distinct empirical studies within the theoretical structure of the ELM.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section (Chapter 4) provides a critical analysis of empirical research regarding communication source effects, picture-based persuasion, visual rhetoric, and the processing of images in print advertisements.
Which keywords define this work?
The work is defined by terms like Elaboration Likelihood Model, visual communication, peripheral cues, persuasive arguments, and consumer attitude formation.
How does consumer involvement affect image processing?
High involvement typically triggers central processing of relevant information, whereas low involvement makes consumers more susceptible to peripheral cues and affective responses to images.
What is the importance of "framed" versus "unframed" pictures according to Edell and Staelin?
Framed pictures (related to product content) help consumers process brand information effectively, while unframed, irrelevant pictures can distract from the brand, leading to lower recall of critical product attributes.
Why might grotesque or unexpected images be effective?
They can differentiate a brand from information overload and evoke narrative imagery, potentially leading to more pronounced and persistent brand attitudes compared to generic attractive images.
What is the "tradeoff" mentioned regarding picture comprehensibility?
While easier comprehensibility helps in communicating product information, it may also provide more resources for critical thinking, counterarguing, or bias correction, which could diminish the positive effect of an advertisement.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Natalie Janetzko (Autor:in), 2013, Elaboration Likelihood Model and Visual Marketing Communications, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1130999
