Individual differences in responses to hedonic versus utilitarian advertisements

The current study sought to extend an understanding of how individual differences related to hedonic (pleasure-oriented) purchase goals affect persuasion and ad liking. Specifically, we investigated the effect of differences in consumers’ hedonic versus utilitarian goals and the desire to engage in purchase-related conversations (conversational tendencies) on responses to advertisements with either a hedonic or utilitarian focus. We also examined feelings of missing out as a factor that leads to a preference for hedonic messaging. Our experiment (N = 286) measured consumer goals and conversational tendencies and then randomly assigned participants to see either a hedonic or utilitarian ad. Hedonic goal seekers and those with a greater fear of missing out showed a higher preference for hedonic advertisements, but conversational tendencies (the tendency to talk about the purchase category) did not create a difference in ad preference.