Predictors of Social Media Advertisement Appeals and Consumers’ Buying Behavior of a Fast-Food Chain Company

Abstract

The fast-food industry has faced stiff competition due to the mushrooming of various brands. Thus, marketers have to think of various promotional activities to attract consumers, and one of the strategies will be through the use of social media advertisement appeals. However, past studies mainly focused on rational and emotional appeals, and other advertisement appeals have received little attention. Thus, this study aimed to investigate a fast-food company's social media advertisement by focusing on the two main appeals, namely rational and emotional, and extended two additional appeals which are endorsement and aesthetic appeals. The study utilized the stimulus-response model as a theoretical framework and explained the relationships. The study applied quantitative methods and gained 168 valid responses via the purposive sampling technique. The results indicated that all four advertisement appeals (emotional, rational, endorsement, and aesthetic) are predictors of buying behavior, with emotional appeal as the most prominent appeal. The study urged that fast-food companies should pay attention to the provision of factual information, celebrity endorsements, and innovative aesthetic design to persuade consumers cognitively. Conclusion, implications, and future research avenues were discussed.