EFFECTS OF EMOTIONAL APPEALS ON CONSUMERS ATTITUDES

ABSTRACT

This research investigates the effects of emotional appeals on consumers' attitudes and behaviours towards airtel's 'esther' advertisement. The primary objective was to identify the emotional appeals employed in the ad and assess their impact on consumer attitudes and behaviours, particularly their purchasing decisions. The study employed survey method. Data collection was done through a questionnaire, with a sample of 90 respondents representing the full-time students of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Benin. The findings from this study show the impact of emotional appeal on consumers attitude is very effective especially when used appropriately as in the case of "Esther" advert which recorded a high level of engagement. The findings also show love as the emotional appeal found to be more prevalent among others and that majority of the respondents are willing to purchase Airtel's product and services based on the effectiveness of the emotional appeals used in the advert. It was recommended that advertisers should greatly utilize emotional appeals to shape and strengthen the positive perception of their brand's image and that advertisers should maintain consistency in emotional messaging and ensure that it aligns with the authentic values and identity of the brand.