R. Vezina et O. Paul, PROVOCATION IN ADVERTISING - A CONCEPTUALIZATION AND AN EMPIRICAL-ASSESSMENT, International journal of research in marketing, 14(2), 1997, pp. 177-192
This paper offers a definition of provocative appeals as they are curr
ently used in advertising, especially in the clothing and fashion indu
stry. It also positions this execution strategy with respect to other
execution strategies used and currently researched in advertising, and
identifies relevant constructs useful to understand the effects of pr
ovocative appeals. These effects are measured through a preliminary em
pirical investigation which shows that provocation may be a valid stra
tegy to attract attention, but may affect negatively the attitude towa
rd the brand. However, it is not certain that it does affect negativel
y the behavior of consumers in any significant manner. More research i
s therefore needed on the roles of variables such as the level of prod
uct involvement, age, and gender which appear to moderate the effectiv
eness of provocation. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.