Slogan recall effects on marketplace behaviors: The roles of external search and brand assessment

This current study investigates the influence of advertising slogan recall on individuals' brand assessment, and relates these brand assessments to actual marketplace behaviors. The authors propose that the effectiveness of slogan recall will depend on whether individuals conduct an external information search or not. We test the hypotheses using a field study based on an actual advertising campaign implemented by a nonprofit organization, and a follow-up controlled experimental study. Findings support the notion that the influence of advertising slogan recall on brand assessment (i.e., the company-intended association and quality) is greater when individuals do not conduct external information search. Further, the research finds that brand perceptions mediate the influence of slogan recall on marketplace behaviors. The results imply that managers will receive greater returns on investments in advertising slogans when selling low involvement products rather than high involvement products.