Publications
Publications
- Marketing Science
Why, When, and How Much to Entertain Consumers in Advertisements?: A Web-based Facial Tracking Field Study
By: Thales Teixeira, Rosalind Picard and Rana el Kaliouby
Abstract
The presence of positive entertainment (e.g., visual imagery, upbeat music, humor) in TV advertisements can make them more attractive and persuasive. However, little is known about the downsides of using too much entertainment. This research focuses on why, when, and how much to entertain consumers in TV advertisements. We collected data in a large-scale field study using 82 ads with various levels of entertainment shown to 178 consumers in their homes and workplaces. Using a novel web-based face tracking system, we continuously measure consumers' smile responses as well as their viewing interest and purchase intent. A simultaneous Bayesian hierarchical model is estimated to assess how different levels of entertainment affect purchases by endogenizing viewing interest. We find that entertainment has an inverted U-shape relationship with purchase intent. Importantly, we separate entertainment into that which comes before the brand versus that which comes after and find that the former is positively associated with purchase intent while the latter is not.
Keywords
Face-tracking; Entertainment; Television; Purchase Intent; Commercials; Facial Expressions; Marketing Communication; Advertising; Television Entertainment; Marketing; Advertising Industry
Citation
Teixeira, Thales, Rosalind Picard, and Rana el Kaliouby. "Why, When, and How Much to Entertain Consumers in Advertisements? A Web-based Facial Tracking Field Study." Marketing Science 33, no. 6 (November–December 2014): 809–827.