Media Effects by Involvement Under Voluntary Exposure: A Comparison of Television, Print and Static Internet

Abstract

SUMMARY In this study, the effects on consumer responses are explored of single-medium and multiple-media campaigns under two levels of consumer's product involvement. The results of this study confirm that research on media effects need to take into account consumer product involvement. Consumer involvement seems to be crucial for the differential effects of retrieval (print and Internet) and delivery (television) media. Retrieval media will be effective under conditions of high rather than low product involvement, because retrieval media have a limited capacity to influence low-involved and passive consumers. Delivery media are better suited for influencing low-involved consumers. Delivery media are able to attract the attention of low-involved consumers and, as a consequence, may induce superficial processing and low involvement learning.