COMPARATIVE VERSUS NONCOMPARATIVE ADVERTISING - A METAANALYSIS

Previous research and reviews on comparative advertising report mixed results. The authors report the results from a meta-analysis that exam ines the efficacy of comparative advertising, The analysis shows that comparative ads are more effective than noncomparative ads in generati ng attention, message and brand awareness, levels of message processin g, favorable sponsored brand attitudes, and increased purchase intenti ons and purchase behaviors, However, comparative ads evoke lower sourc e believability and a less favorable attitude toward the ad. Additiona l analyses of moderator variables find that market position (sponsor, comparison, and relative), enhanced credibility, message content, and type of dependent measure (relative versus nonrelative) affect some of the relationships between advertising format and cognition, brand att itudes, and purchase intentions, New brands comparing themselves to es tablished brands appear to benefit most from comparative advertising.