Department of Advertising

Comparative Claims

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

As this web site develops, in the space below we will provide a bibliography of articles and books relevant to this topic. To the extent practical, bibliographic references will be annotated.

Anyone interested in submitting additional bibliographic material for this reference page, or for any of the others at this site, is welcome to send such material via e-mail to jef@mail.utexas.edu. Please type the references in the same format as is used here, and keep the annotations to a few sentences.

  1. Linly Chou, George R. Franke, and Gary B. Wilcox (1987). The Information Content of Comparative Magazine Ads: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journalism Quarterly, 64 (1): 119-24, 250.

    This paper examines trends in the information content of comparative and noncomparative magazine advertisements over the three periods, 1970, 1975, and 1985. 949 full-page ads taken from 12 different magazines published in the periods studied are content analyzed employing the 14 criteria classification developed by Resnik and Stern plus the "energy conservation" category. The results of the study indicate no significant change over the three periods in the overall information content. However, noncomparative ads are found to contain significantly less information cues than comparative ads among which strictly comparative ads contain even more information cues than implied comparative ads.

  2. Cornelia Droge and Rene Y. Darmon (1987). Associative Positioning Strategies Through Comparative Advertising: Attribute Versus Overall Similarity Approaches. Journal of Marketing Research, 24 (November): 377- 88.

    This research examines the relative effectiveness of comparative/noncomparative and product-based/nonproduct-based advertising as a product positioning tool. Both overall positioning at the brand level and positioning at the attribute level are considered with the former measured via a probabilistic multidimensional scaling technique incorporating positioning accuracy and clarity and the latter within an attitude model using attribute beliefs and confidence in the beliefs. The laboratory experiment involves 240 students and uses mock-up color print ads for a fictitious new toothpaste brand as test stimuli. The results of the study indicate that direct comparative ads are superior in achieving overall brand positioning goals, whereas only product-based direct comparative ads are superior for brand positioning at the attribute level, and only in terms of positioning clarity.

  3. Joseph, M. Kamen (1987). Cross-Impacts of Competitive Advertising: How to Find Out Whether It Helps or Hurts You. Journal of Advertising Research, 27 (April/May): 33-37.

    This paper examines how the ad for a brand affects consumers' evaluations of a competitor brand shown along. A field experiment is conducted via a mail questionnaire with 2250 subjects selected randomly from a list of national mail-panel members. Frames taken from the actual commercials for two airlines are used as stimuli. The analysis of data on a set of image- related response items indicate that both brands benefit from their competitive advertising. Theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed.

  4. Darrel D. Muehling (1987). Comparative Advertising: The Influence of Attitude-Toward-The-Ad on Brand Evaluation. Journal of Advertising, 16 (4): 43-49.

    An experimental investigation of the impact of Aad on brand attitudes and attitudes toward purchasing the brand is undertaken in the context of comparative advertising. Variations of a print ad for an existing deodorant brand are used. The results of the study with student subjects indicate that affect transfer from ads to brands occurs almost exclusively for the sponsoring brand, not for the competitor.

  5. Roobina Ohanian and Isabella C.M. Cunningham (1987). Application of Primacy-Recency in Comparative Advertising. Current Issues and Research in Advertising, 10 (1): 99-121.

    This article presents findings of research designed to examine the effects of two message formats (primacy vs. recency) in both comparative and noncomparative advertising contexts. This investigation involving 136 undergraduate students uses 30-second radio commercials for furniture rental and typing services as experimental stimuli. The study finds more positive evaluation of the service, a greater perceived credibility and likelihood of use for the sponsor than for the competitor in the recency format. The opposite is found in the primacy format. Findings also indicate less favorable evaluation of sponsor's services, and a higher sponsor credibility and likelihood of use in the comparative advertising context than in the noncomparative counterpart.

  6. Sanford Grossbart, Darrel D. Muehling and Norman Kangun (1986). Verbal and Visual References to Competition in Comparative Advertising. Journal of Advertising, 15 (1): 10-23.

    The impact of comparative vs. noncomparative formats with verbal and/or visual references is assessed on recall, perceived clarity, acceptance of claims, attitude toward the sponsor, and intention to buy. A wide range of covariates are also identified for each of these variables. Print ads are used as stimuli in an experiment with college students. Findings suggest that some trade-offs are necessary between advantages and disadvantages of different formats depending on an advertiser's objectives.

  7. Michael D. Johnson and David A. Horne (1986). Subject/Referent Positioning in Comparative Advertising: A Pilot Study. Advances in Consumer Research, 14: 164-66.

    It is hypothesized that using a market leader product as a subject or a referent in comparative ads may systematically affect the perceptions of product similarity. The results of a pilot study using print ads of story board type for a hypothetical cola brand show the potential of comparative advertising in achieving product positioning goals.

  8. John H. Holmes and Brian E. Holley (1986). The Relative Effectiveness of Comparative Advertising and Product Benefit Advertising for Top Ranked Brands. Proceedings of the 1986 Convention of the American Academy of Advertising, Ernest F. Larkin (ed.): R85-R90.

    The effectiveness of comparative vs. product benefit print ads created for the study are empirically examined among 707 student product users preferring the leading brand, the second-ranked brand or other brands in terms of informativeness, claim believability, credibility and purchase intention. Results indicate that comparative advertising vis-a-vis product benefit advertising is not particularly effective for either the category leader or the second-ranked brand. Subjects are found to rate their preferred brand higher in terms of ad claim believability and purchase intention regardless of whether they have been exposed to the product benefit appeal or the comparative appeal.

  9. Beth A. Walker, John L. Swasy, and Arno J. Rethans (1985). The Impact of Advertising on Perception Formation in New Product Introductions. Advances in Consumer Research, 13: 121-25.

    The research examines the impact of comparative advertising on perceived similarity and dissimilarity between the new entry brand and prototype brands in a laboratory experiment. The study involves 40 students subjects and uses as stimuli professionally produced 30-second introductory television commercials for a new premium beer. Findings provide evidence for the associative and differentiating properties of comparative advertising. Directions for future research are offered.

  10. Gerald J. Gorn and Charles B. Weinberg (1984). The Impact of Comparative Advertising on Perception and Attitude: Some Positive Findings. Journal of Consumer Research, 11 (September): 719-27.

    The effects of type of ad (comparative versus noncomparative ads), the context (leader ad present vs. leader ad absent), and product category are empirically investigated on perception, attitude, and cognitive response to the ads. Using photocopies of authentic magazine ads for three product categories (cigarettes, golf balls, and toothpaste), an experiment is conducted with 172 (part-time or full-time evening) college students coming from a variety of occupations. Results indicate that comparative advertising by a challenger (a brand not the category leader) leads to increased brand similarity between the challenger and the leader, regardless of presence or absence of an ad for the leader. The study also indicates that attitude toward the challenger becomes more favorable in the absence of a leader ad.

  11. Roobina O. Tashchian and Mark E. Slama (1984). Involvement and the Effectiveness of Comparative Advertising. Current Issues and Research in Advertising, 7 (1): 79-92.

    This empirical study examines how purchasing and product involvement are related to the effectiveness of advertising employing comparative vs. noncomparative formats. A sample of college students are exposed to 30- second radio commercials for two hypothetical firms providing services- typing and furniture rental. This research indicates no relationship between purchasing or product involvement and the effectiveness of comparative or noncomparative advertising. However, noncomparative advertising is found to produce better recall than comparative advertising and purchasing involvement is found to be positively related to recall and behavioral intention measures.

  12. Z. S. Demirdjian (1983). Sales Effectiveness of Comparative Advertising: An Experimental Field Investigation. Journal of Consumer Research, 10 (December): 362-364.

    This study investigates the impact of comparative advertising on purchase behavior measured by the rate of coupon redemption. Actual ads for two brands of ballpoint pens and filler ads are shown in a class room setting to a sample of 273 undergraduate students who are then given a coupon for either brand redeemable at the university bookstore. Results show that comparative advertising is more effective than its noncomparative counterpart in terms of sales.

  13. Ronald D. Johnson (1983). Psychological Type and Comparative Advertising. Proceedings of the 1983 Convention of the American Academy of Advertising, Donald W. Jugenheimer (ed.): 165-169.

    The impact of psychological type is explored on recall, attitude, perceived believability and informativeness with regard to comparative advertising. The relative effectiveness of comparative vs. noncomparative advertising formats is also examined. TV commercials for a university are developed and shown to a sample of high school students. This study provides little evidence for a relationship between psychological type dimensions and reactions to comparative advertising. In comparison to the noncomparative counterpart, the comparative commercial is found to elicit greater recall and perceived informativeness. No significant differences, however, are found between the two formats in terms of attitude toward the ad or the product and perceived believability of ad claims.

  14. Robert R. Harmon, Nabil Y. Razzouk, and Bruce L. Stern (1983). The Information Content of Comparative Magazine Advertisements. Journal of Advertising, 12 (4): 10-19.

    The content of comparative advertisements relative to their noncomparative counterparts in four national magazines (Ladies Home Journal, Newsweek, Esquire and Reader's Digest)are analyzed using Resnik and Stern's classification criteria. This study indicates that comparative ads contain more information cues than noncomparative ads.

© 1995, 1996, 1997 Jef I. Richards
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