Motivational Orientation and Brand Familiarity: Positive Emotions and Skepticism toward Online Advertising Using the English Language

Abstract

Online video advertising using the English language is a trend in international marketing. While previous studies have pointed out that individuals' motivational orientation in the context of advertising plays a key role in ad preference and effectiveness, few studies have been carried out to investigate the effect of online English advertising on international consumers with different motivational orientations in non-English speaking populations.Accordingly, this article examines the effects of motivational orientation and brand familiarity on positive emotions and skepticism in international consumers' responses to online video English advertising. The results imply that participants' positive emotions can be influenced more by their motivational orientation than by their familiarity with the brand, while their skepticism can be affected more by brand familiarity than by motivational orientation toward the ad. Moreover, participants high in English promotion orientation displayed higher positive emotions toward unfamiliar brand online advertising than did the English prevention-orientated participants toward a familiar brand ad. Prevention orientation exhibits a higher level of skepticism towards an unfamiliar brand online video advertisement. The effects are more explicit in motivational orientation in English than general motivational orientation. This research suggests that generating positive emotions and reducing the skepticism of non-English-speaking individuals is essential to build brand image in online marketing.Keywords: motivation orientation, emotions, skepticism, brand familiarity, on-line advertising IntroductionOnline video advertising using the English language is a trend in international marketing. The results of two studies show that positive emotion is influenced more by motivational orientation than by brand familiarity, while skepticism is affected more by brand familiarity than by motivational orientation in non-English-speaking consumers' responses to online video English advertising. Moreover, promotion orientation displayed higher positive emotions than did prevention orientation. Prevention orientation exhibits a higher level of skepticism than did promotion orientation. This research suggests that generating positive * Acknowledgement: This project was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, under grant number NSC 102-2628-S-011-001-MY4. The authors thank Dr. Chin-Chung Tsai, Dr. Carol Finnegan, Mr. Art Wang, and Dr. Li-chu Sung for their insightful comments during this research process.Mei-Rong Alice Chen, lecturer, Language Center,National emotions and reducing skepticism of non-English-speaking consumers are essential to build brand image in online marketing. In the Internet environment, online video advertising is an incredibly influential and trendy tool for business promotion. Since English is widely accepted and used around the world, most people watch online video English advertising regardless of whether it is for familiar or unfamiliar brands. For a fam...