Can vague brand slogans promote desirable consumer responses?
| Date | 18 August 2014 |
| Pages | 282-294 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-02-2014-0507 |
| Published date | 18 August 2014 |
| Author | David Strutton,Widyarso Roswinanto |
| Subject Matter | Marketing,Product management,Brand management/equity |
Can vague brand slogans promote desirable
consumer responses?
David Strutton
Department of Marketing & Logistics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA, and
Widyarso Roswinanto
PPM School of Management, Jakarta, Indonesia
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to investigate the effects associated with the strategic use of vague, as opposed to precise, advertised brand slogans
on various consumer responses.
Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis study was conducted to explore the pattern of vagueness in advertising slogans from 1,441
consumer-oriented brands. Based on the resultant delineation/definition of vagueness, two experimental studies followed. Vignette advertising
slogans were manipulated to achieve different level of vagueness. The initial 2 ⫻2 factorial between subjects design engaged vagueness level of
brand slogans and consumers’ need for cognition as factors. Brand recall functioned as the dependent variable. The second experiment featured
another 2 ⫻2 factorial design that used vagueness level and length of brand slogan as factors. Brand attitude, persuasiveness and purchase
intention functioned as dependent variables.
Findings – Vagueness level of advertising/branding slogans did not significantly affect brand recall. Interactions between vagueness level and
length of advertisement slogans exercised significant effects on evoked thought, brand attitude and persuasiveness but not on purchase intention.
At net, this study generated original theoretical and managerial insights about how and why desirable branding outcomes can be generated by
managing the vagueness and word count of brand slogans, and a platform from which future research on this topic could be based.
Research limitations/implications – First, the sample was limited to the southwestern USA. Second, in the slogan vignettes that were used, other
cues were deliberately eliminated. A brand slogan essentially devoid of other cues may have been perceived as less realistic by respondents, thus
reducing the relevance of their responses. However, a similar tradeoff always exists between more realistic states and controlled conditions.
Practical implications – This study produces original theoretical and managerial insights about how and why several desirable branding outcomes
are likely to result when vague, rather than precise, advertising slogans are deployed under certain manageable conditions. Each insight just
referenced ensues from a study that itself was grounded in an extensive content analysis of contemporary print advertising slogans. This content
analysis generated a substantial amount of practical and actionable insight about the treatment and use and management of slogans. This study
demonstrates that the vagueness, precision and/or word count of slogans can be manipulated in ways that yield three communication outcomes
that redound directly to the marketing interests of brand and advertising managers.
Originality/value – The findings provide unique insight into how vagueness level of advertising slogans can be managed and how such a level can
affect consumers’ perceptions.
Keywords Advertising, Brands, Persuasiveness, Meta-model, Precise, Slogans, Vague
Paper type Research paper
An executive summary for managers and executive
readers can be found at the end of this issue.
1. Introduction
Slogans – phrases singled out for emphasis in advertisements
– have been used extensively since modern brand messaging
began. At their best, brand slogans command attention.
Ideally, slogans inspire lasting impressions and favorable
memories about specific attributes or values delivered by the
associated brand (Brierley, 2002). There was a time when
announced changes in brand slogans could actually materially
impact stock valuations for sponsoring firms (Mathur and
Mathur, 1995). Carefully framed brand slogans often close
print advertisements (Lamons, 1997). Typically, slogans are
part of creative messaging aimed at building branding power
or recall. These creative messages are developed either
in-house or through external agencies.
Successful slogans stimulate word-of-mouth. Readers of a
certain age easily recall “Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your
Hand”, a slogan that compellingly distinguished the M&Ms
brand from its rivals for decades. Successful brand slogans
often evolve into cultural touchstones brandished wielded in
social contexts that are completely divorced from their original
purchase or usage occasions (Mitchell et al., 2007). Even
today, when or wherever people feel compelled to “Just Do It”
or ask “Where’s the Beef”? Nike or Wendy’s brand surely
enters the top of their mind.
A slogan’s ability to establish share of mind was traditionally
presumed to depend on at least four characteristics:
memorability, substance, novelty and/or appropriateness/
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
23/4/5 (2014) 282–294
© Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-02-2014-0507]
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