Ad Repetition and Variation in a Competitive Ad Context

Abstract

This study explores ad repetition and variation effects for a new brand in a competitive ad context in which ads for the leading brand in the same category are present. In the presence of competitive interference, ad repetition significantly increases ad recognition. Ad repetition also encourages subjects to take product beliefs into account in making product judgments. In addition, brand attitudes, brand interest ratings and purchase intent are improved with two ad exposures over one ad exposure. The number of product attributes has also been shown to moderate ad repetition effects. Moreover, two ad variation strategies are distinguished, i.e., substantive/cosmetic variation and cosmetic variation. The relative effectiveness of the two variation strategies on ad recognition and ad campaign perception is examined