爱华网A key decision required ofadvertising managers is whether a “hard-sell”or “soft-sell”strategy is appropriate for a specific target market.The hard-sellapproach involves the use of direct,forceful claims regarding thebenefits of the advertised brand over competitors’ offerings.Incontrast,the soft-sell approach involves the use of advertisingclaims that imply superiority more subtly.
One positive aspect of thehard-sell approach is its use of very simple and straightforwardproduct claims presented claims presented as explicitconclusions,with little room for confusion regarding theadvertiser’s message.However,some consumers may resent being toldwhat to believe and some may distrust the message.Resentment anddistrust often lead to counterargumentation and to boomerangeffects where consumers come to believe conclusions diametricallyopposed to conclusions endorsed in advertising claims.Bycontrast,the risk of boomerang erects is greatly reduced withsoft-well approches.One way to implement the soft-well approach isto provide information that implies the main conclusions theadvertiser wants the consumer to draw,but leave the conclusionsthemselves unstated.Because consumers are invited to make up theirown minds,implict conclusions reduce the risk ofresentment,distrust,and counterargumentation.Reent research onconsumer memory a nd judgment suggests another advantage of implictconclusions.Beliefs of conclusions that are self-generated are moreaccessible from memory than beliefs from conclusions providedexplicitly by other individuals,and thus have a greater impact onjudgment and decision making.Moreover,self-generated beliefs areoften perceived as more accurate and valid than the beliefs ofothers,because other individuals may be perceived as lessknowledgable,or may be perceived as manipulative or deliberatelymisleading.
Despite these advantages,implicitconclusions may not always be more effective than explicitconclusions.
One risk is that: some consumersmay fail to draw their own conclusions and thus miss the point ofthe message
.Inferential activity is likelyonly when consumers are motivated
and able to engage in effortfulcognitive processes.
Another risk is that :someconsumers may draw conclusions other than the oneintended.
Even if inferential activity islikely,there is no guarantee that consumers will follow the pathprovided by the advertiser.
Finally,a third risk is thatconsumers may infer the intended conclusion but question thevalidity of their inference.
