The Impact of Rural and Urban Advertising and Brand Context on Attitude Towards the Brand

Abstract

Previous research has shown that the impact of advertising on brand attitude depends on various factors, such as the visual elements shown in the advertisement. In this study, we investigate how factors influencing the attitude towards the brand change when advertisings and brands are presented in either a rural or urban context. We conducted two experimental studies that manipulated the experimental factors advertising context (urban vs. rural) and brand context (urban vs. rural), and investigated the mediating influences of attitude towards the advertising, mental imagery, and involvement towards the advertising. The findings show that attitude towards the brand is differently influenced by the advertising and brand context and that these effects are mediated by attitude towards the advertisement and mental imagery. Our findings indicate that marketers need to be aware of which advertising and brand content they choose for an advertisement to reach their target group in an appropriate manner.