Decoding the effects of a product’s cast shadow in brand advertising
Date | 12 March 2018 |
Published date | 12 March 2018 |
Pages | 103-114 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-05-2016-1190 |
Author | Nazuk Sharma |
Decoding the effects of a product’s cast shadow
in brand advertising
Nazuk Sharma
Dolan School of Business, Fairfield University, Connecticut, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This research aims to investigate the impact of incorporating product shadows in brand advertising on consumer brand evaluations.
Design/methodology/approach –Three studies were designed using experimental approach to demonstrate how the presence of a product’s cas t
shadow in a brand’s promotional frame implicitly influences brand evaluations differently for experiential vs functional brands.
Findings –The presence of a product’s cast shadow in a visual frame implicitly complements abstract proces sing of an experiential brand but hurts
a functional brand’s concrete gestalt by acting as visual noise, thereby improving an experientia l brand’s overall evaluation in comparison to a
functional brand.
Research limitations/implications –Current findings highlight the importance of using appropriate visual elements (especially subtle elements
such as product shadows) to ensure communication consistency between the firm-formulated brand concept and t he consumer-perceived brand
image.
Practical implications –Experiential (vs functional) brand images are harder to build and maintain. Current findings show that a mere presence of
the product’s shadow in an experiential (vs functional) brand’s ad frame reinforces the experiential brand image by acting as a consistent element in
the experiential brand’s ad frame that enhances the overall ease of product evaluation. Hence, product shadows should be used as strategic tools by
brand managers, rather than a random ad-execution choice.
Originality/value –This research makes an initial attempt to explore the relationship between product shadows and consumer brand perceptions.
It provides a deeper understanding of the underlying process (based on associative networks memory model, construal level theory and processing
fluency model) that influence specific brand perceptions (experiential vs functional) when a product is showcased with its shadow in a promotional
frame.
Keywords Brand image, Brand evaluation, Product’s cast shadow, Brand concept, Processing fluency, Construal
Paper type Research paper
Firms tend to strategically use specific brand concepts such as
experiential (pleasure-stimulating), symbolic (self to
aspirational group-associating) or functional (problem-solving)
to foster particular brand images in the minds of consumers
(Keller, 1993;Keller et al., 2011;Park et al., 1986). A brand
concept is “afirm selected brand meaning derived from basic
consumer needs (functional, symbolic or experiential)”(Park
et al.,1986, p. 136). In contrast to being firm-formulated, a
brand image is consumer-perceived and is defined as
“consumer perceptions about a brand, as reflected by brand
associations held in consumer memory”(Keller, 1993, p. 3).
Brand promotions form an important communication medium
for a specific, firm-formulatedbrand concept into a consistent,
consumer-perceived brand image (Clayton and Heo, 2011).
Needless to say, the visual elements incorporated in brand
promotions impact this communication efficacy of a brand
concept to a brand image.
This research examines the role of a specific but commonly
used ad element: product shadow.It investigates the impact of
a product showcased with or withoutits shadow in the visual ad
frame on experiential vs functional brand concepts.
Experiential vs functional concepts form an important
distinction with respect to a brand’s market positioning (Park
et al., 1986). Where experiential brands (such as Apple) are
designed to fulfill sensory desires of consumers, functional
brands (such as LG) are aimed at meeting expected
performance goals (Parket al., 1991). This research specifically
focuses on these two brand concepts in exploring the role of
product shadows as ad elements because experiential brand
images (being more abstract and complex) are harder to build
in comparison to functional brand images (which are more
concrete) (Monga and John, 2010). Please note that symbolic
brand concepts have not been included in the current research
model to maintain conceptualsimplicity.
From a strategic standpoint, brands need to carefully model
and shape consumer brand associations through advertising and
promotions (Dobni and Zinkhan, 1990;Keller et al.,2011,
Meenaghan, 1995). This is because according to the Associative
Networks Memory (ANM) model, an overall brand image gets
linked to brand-specific attributes, benefits and attitudes in the
consumer memories (Keller, 1993). Fortification of a consistent
brand image through promotions contributes to consumer brand
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on
Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
27/2 (2018) 103–114
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-05-2016-1190]
Received 30 May 2016
Revised 3 February 2017
17 May 2017
Accepted 29 June 2017
103
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