Program content and advertising effectiveness: A test of the congruity hypothesis for cognitive and affective sources of involvement

Abstract

It has been suggested by McClung, Park, and Sauer (1985) that television ads will be more effective if the source of involvement in the ad (cognitive or affective) matches the source of involvement in the program in which the ad is embedded. This research employed a two‐factor experimental design in which cognitively involving ads and affectively involving ads were viewed in cognitively and affectively involving programs. Congruency between the sources of program and ad involvement did not produce greater ad effectiveness than did incongruence. The programs did, however, influence ad effectiveness. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 1993 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company