Differences in the Emotional and Rational Appeal of Premium and Standard Brands in the Promotion of Automobiles

This study examines differences in the emotional and rational appeal of premium and standard brands in the promotion of automobiles. A content analysis of 216 print advertisements of premium brands and 276 of standard brands serve as basis for the analysis. Emotional and rational cues as well as emotion and argument types are used to compare premium with standard brands. The findings show that print advertisements are dominated by emotional appeals and that premium brands differ significantly from standard brands regarding the use of cues and types. Also, a clear hierarchy among emotional and argument types is found.