Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

6-1982

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Communication

Major Professor

Donald G. Hileman

Committee Members

Herbert H. Howard, Michael W. Singletary, Dean J. Champion

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that comparative television commercials for a local retailer would have on local consumers. Specifically, this research was designed to determine if local comparative television commercials were more or less effective than local noncomparative commercials in the areas of: (1) sponsor identification; (2) recall of copy claims; (3) consumer approval; (4) believability; (5) interestingness; and (6) store patronage.

A controlled laboratory experiment was executed and data gathered from 88 subjects who were members of three Knoxville-area men's civic clubs. Two treatment commercials were produced for a local retailer which contained the same copy themes and used identical production techniques. The only difference between the two treatment commercials was that one had a comparative message while the other had a noncomparative message. Three television programs were then produced which were identical except for the commercials. These programs were then edited so the first program contained the local retailer's comparative commercial and the second program contained the local retailer's noncomparative commercial. The third program did not contain a commercial for the local retailer.

These three programs were randomly assigned to the three groups of subjects. One civic club viewed the program containing the comparative commercial. The second club was shown the program containing the noncomparative commercial. The third club, acting as a control group, viewed the program that did not have a commercial for the local retailer.

Results reported show no statistically significant differences between the responses obtained from subjects in the three experimental groups. These findings suggest that comparative television advertising for a local retailer is no more or no less effective than noncomparative television advertising.

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