Advertising's Impact on Category Substitution

Abstract

The usage frequency of a mature brand can be increased by encouraging consumers to substitute it in situations for which it is not normally used. They are most likely to do so if they perceive the target brand as neither too similar to nor dissimilar from the product it is replacing. In study 1, the author shows that ads are most likely to change usage attitudes by either (1) advertising common attributes when the comparison product is dissimilar or (2) advertising distinct attributes when the comparison product is similar. In study 2, replicating the design of study 1, the author demonstrates that ads that have a positive impact on usage attitudes toward the target brand can have a corresponding negative impact on usage attitudes toward the comparison product. Hence, the effectiveness of an expansion advertising campaign depends on its positive impact on the target brand and its negative impact on the comparison product.