Low attention advertising processing in B2B markets

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to state a case for consideration of low attention processing when advertising in industrial markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a critical description of low attention processing the paper demonstrates how this framework can be applied in industrial markets. A case is made that it is relevant to consider low attention processing in industrial markets. Content analysis is subsequently applied to 48 advertisements for products that are deemed to invoke low attention. In the analysis, focus is on whether the advertisements employ emotional appeals in connection to brands and/or use intuitively understandable messages as would be advisable for attitude change through low attention processing.

Findings

The analysis shows that emotional appeals are used little in advertisements targeted at the selected market and that advertisements in which the brand clearly is displayed in combination with positive emotional appeals are rare. This combination was only seen in three out of 48 advertisements. In addition, most advertisements are not intuitively understandable and thus require that the message receiver is willing and able to allocate resources to cognitively process the advertisement contents.

Originality/value

This paper states a practical case for increased consideration of low attention processing and the necessity for an increased focus on customers' processing of business‐to‐business (B2B) advertising.

Citation

Bach Jensen, M. and Lund Jepsen, A. (2007), "Low attention advertising processing in B2B markets", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 22 No. 5, pp. 342-348. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858620710773477