Abstract

Consumers are constantly exposed to marketing stimuli which influence them in different ways. For example, exposure to brands has a priming effect on consumers, such that consumers behave consistent with the brand’s image. Exposure to slogans, however, generates a reverse priming effect, where consumers behave opposite to the brand’s image (Laran, Dalton and Andrade, 2011). It is argued that these differences in behaviour occur because slogans, but not brands, are perceived as persuasion tactics by consumers. Yet, it seems plausible that when consumers are depleted (i.e., when they already engaged in a task that required self-control), and then shown a slogan, they may struggle to recognize the marketers’ intent to persuade. It is also plausible that depleted consumers may struggle to resist persuasive tactics. In my thesis, I investigate these possibilities by testing whether depletion can attenuate the reverse priming effect of slogans. I also examine whether perceived persuasion intent predicts consumers behaviour. Across two studies, I show that when people are depleted, exposure to slogans led them to behave consistent with the brand’s image; that is, depletion attenuated the reverse priming effect. This effect occurred when a traditional depletion manipulation was used, and when depletion was manipulated vicariously. I also show that exposure to slogans increased perceived persuasion intent ratings (relative to exposure to a brand) under nondepletion. Perceived persuasion intent ratings did not predict behaviour under nondepletion, nor did it predict behaviour under depletion.