RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONSUMER NEEDS AND BRAND BENEFITS AS PREDICTOR OF AD PREFERENCE

This research aims at testing the role of general consumer needs in ad preference. Four ads for two branded products of different product categories were created. An online questionnaire to determine participants driving needs and created ad preferences was disseminated among students. 190 responses were collected. Results show correlation between higher emphasize on certain type of need and higher appreciation of the ad using an appeal related to that need. The contribution of this paper is that it measures the fit between basic human needs and brand benefits expressed by brand appeals. By testing the influence of general consumer needs, in stead of product related needs, the research contributes to discovering more efficient advertising and brand positioning. The study was conducted on only one homogeneous group of respondents and it was not possible to fully control for other ad stimulus and respondent characteristics that apart from identified ad appeals might influence ad preference. Practitioners are advised to invest time and energy in determining their target consumers' driving needs and then choose ad appeal that best fit those needs. Because ad appeals create brand's identity core, decision on appropriate appeal should not be left for marketing agency to be decided upon.