Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) Model Application in Examining the Effectiveness of Public Service Advertisements

Abstract

Purpose – This study intends to apply Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to explain the influence of Public Service Advertisements (PSAs) among users towards their action taking behavior. Moreover, the study investigates the relationships among health characteristics, emotions, attitude towards PSAs, and action taking behavior. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 417 participants were collected using a pretested questionnaire from patients visiting a pediatrics clinic in a southern Indian city. Covariance based Structural equation modeling was employed to test that the health characteristics of a person influence their involvement in healthcare. Findings – Results indicated that the health characteristics of people directly influence their attitudes towards health related PSAs. Additionally, it was also confirmed that the emotion directly impacts person’s involvement with his/her healthcare. Research limitations / implications – Marketers must thoroughly understand the psychology of the consumer and his/her beliefs about a particular drug category before formulating an ad campaign because target audience plays a crucial role in campaign effectiveness of public service advertisements. The challenges increase when the product is health related. Originality/value – Present study used the S-O-R theory to determine the relationships among health characteristics, emotions, attitude towards PSAs and action taking behavior.