The role of narrative transportation in LGBT-themed advertising on brand affect

• Main Authors: Murad, Noel Sajud I., Carillo, Eunice
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Sexual minorities in advertising; Advertising and Promotion Management; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/10904
• Institution: De La Salle University

There is a dearth of literature conducted in Asian countries to validate earlier studies conducted in USA that suggest heterosexual consumers have lower favorable responses for brands and advertisements that feature LGBT themes, resulting in lower purchase intentions and brand evaluations (Bhat et al., 1998; Oakenfull & Greenlee, 2005; Tuten, 2005; Um, 2016). Moreover, the Narrative Transportation Theory has not been explored much as a framework to study consumer responses to LGBT-themed advertisements. The present researchers therefore tested the Total Affective Response of Filipino consumers resulting from the Narrative Transportation experienced when exposed to LGBT-themed imagery. For the stimulus, the researchers used the ‗Welcome Change‘ advertisement by Smart Communications, Inc., a major telecommunication company in the Philippines. Following the exposure, respondents were asked to answer a self-administered questionnaire to evaluate brand rating, commercial liking, purchase intention, opinion enhancement, and persuasion effect which all comprise Total Affective Response.The results of this study show that Narrative Transportation significantly predicted Total Affective Response. Gender significantly affects narrative transportation. Statistically, there is a significant difference between males and females in their experience of narrative transportation, however there is no statistically significant difference between males and females for total affective response. Sexual orientation also has a significant effect on narrative transportation. There are significant differences among the different categories under sexual orientation in their experience of narrative transportation, but there are no significant differences among the same groups for total affective response. The results of this study show that heterosexual respondents were not offended by the presence of gay imagery in the ‗Welcome Change‘ advertisement, and rather responded high in brand rating, commercial liking, and opinion enhancement towards Smart Communications, the Welcome Change advertisement, and the LGBT community. Purchase intention and persuasion effect of the advertisement were mostly neutral for both heterosexual and homosexual respondents, which may reflect a limitation of the advertisement itself, which was more of a branding strategy than a call to action to purchase or use Smart in the next opportunity. Though narrative transportation is significantly higher for gay males than lesbians, this again, did not translate to a higher total affective response for gay men over lesbians. No significant statistical differences are shown for gay men and lesbians in both narrative transportation and total affective response. The results of this study have proven that the use of emotional storytelling in LGBT-themed advertisements effectively appeals to both homosexual and heterosexual audiences. The results also indicate that marketers and advertisers can place little importance on civil status, level of education, and religion when creating LGBT-themed advertisements, as these demographic antecedents do not have a significant effect on the Narrative Transportation experience.