A Review of the Effectiveness of Emotional Appeals in Social Marketing

Abstract

It has been pointed out that appealing to consumers' emotions, rather than simply providing information, is an effective approach to changing their attitudes and behaviors toward social issues. This study systematically reviewed existing research to examine the effectiveness of emotional appeals in social marketing. The results showed that many studies indicated the effectiveness of negative emotional appeals. However, in comparative studies, more research suggested that both positive and negative emotional appeals can be effective, depending on the attributes of the target audience. Furthermore, it was confirmed that a “mixed emotional appeal” combining both types can also be effective. Additionally, the effectiveness of emotional appeals was found to vary significantly depending on the theme, cultural context, and characteristics of the audience. Based on these findings, three research agendas are proposed to guide future studies on emotional appeals in social marketing. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of their effectiveness and offers valuable insights for the design of social marketing strategies.