Ml. Roehm et B. Sternthal, The moderating effect of knowledge and resources on the persuasive impact of analogies, J CONSUM R, 28(2), 2001, pp. 257-272
Four experiments were conducted to examine the persuasive impact of new pro
duct appeals containing an analogy. An analogy highlights the similarity in
the benefits offered by a familiar base product and an unfamiliar target p
roduct. This device is found to be persuasive when (a) message recipients h
ave the ability to map attribute relations from some base category to under
stand the benefits of a target product, and (b) they allocate the substanti
al resources needed to complete this mapping. In the absence of either of t
hese conditions, the persuasive impact of an analogy is more limited. A var
iety of devices, including expertise with the base product, training in how
to process base information, and a positive mood, are shown to improve the
comprehension of an analogy and to enhance its persuasiveness.