Does source affect response to direct advocacy print advertisements?

Abstract

This posttest-only experiment examined how source attribution and the personality characteristic of fatalism affect evaluate and behavioral intention responses to direct advocacy print advertisements. Two commercial sources, a noncommercial source, and no source were manipulated in an identical print advocacy ad. Regression analysis revealed that subjects exposed to the two commercial source treatments evaluated the ad more negatively than subjects exposed to the noncommercial and no source treatments. The commercial and trade association source treatments also produced a negative intent to respond to the advocated request. Fatalism was found to be significantly related to behavioral intention, but not the message evaluation. Overall, the results indicate that commercial sponsors should employ direct advocacy print advertisements with the knowledge that their commercial identification elicits critical and negative responses from uncommitted audience members.