Abstract:
The study was conducted to investigate the effects of advertising strategies, specifically emotional advertising, on the consumer-brand relationship. The consumer-brand relationship is defined as the initiation, development, influence, and nurturing of connections between existing and potential consumers, encompassing aspects such as brand love, brand intimacy, brand passion, brand commitment, and brand loyalty. Advertising is a critical component of marketing, and its impact should be assessed across various domains. Therefore, this study employed a systematic methodology to measure the effects of different emotional appeals in advertising, including humor, romance, fear, and guilt, to determine their impact on the consumer-brand relationship. A key finding of the study was that romance appeals add significant depth and meaning to the product and brand context when employed with high intensity. Fear appeals were found to be powerful, but their effectiveness in converting to purchase intention relies on two conditions: the fear depicted in the advertisement must relate to the target group's personal phobias, and the solution offered by the brand or product must be convenient and accessible. Additionally, guilt appeals produced an unusual finding, enhancing viewers' sense of accountability and responsibility regarding a specific issue. Guilt appeals also conveyed a compelling, underlying narrative within the advertisement. In the Sri Lankan context, the impact of emotional appeal advertising on the consumer-brand relationship among vicenarians (aged 20-29), with particular reference to the FMCG sector, remains an area requiring further exploration and understanding.
