Competitive Advertising Interference and Ad Repetition Effects: Comparing High-share and Low-share Brands

Michel Laroche, Concordia University, Montreal, QC
Mark Cleveland, The University of Western Ontario
Irene Maravelakis, Concordia University, Montreal, QC

Abstract

This empirical study brings together prior research on competitive advertising effects from two perspectives: ad repetition and brand familiarity. Specifically, we compare free and cued recall, attitude accessibility and valence, and purchase intentions, for high-share and low-share brands in two mature markets, manipulating levels of target ad repetition and competitive advertising. Overall, recall and attitude accessibility were the most affected by different combinations of ad repetition and competition. For low-share brands, recall was generally greater in the absence of competition; for high-share brands, in certain cases, recall was greater in the presence of competition. Distinct quadratic patterns of attitude accessibility were observed, depending on whether competing ads were present (inverted 'U-shape') or absent ('U-shape'). Preferences (attitude valence, purchase intentions) were relatively stable across conditions. Directions for future research are proposed.