Both message appeals and individual characteristics can influence the effectiveness of sustainable product promotions. Applying the agency-communion orientation to the advertising message research context, this study examined the interplay between mes...
Both message appeals and individual characteristics can influence the effectiveness of sustainable product promotions. Applying the agency-communion orientation to the advertising message research context, this study examined the interplay between message appeals and agency-communication orientations in impacting purchase intentions. The findings from a 2 (message appeal: self-interest vs. public-interest message) × 2 (motivational orientation: agency vs. communion) experiment revealed a communion-over-agency effect on consumer purchasing decisions for public-interest message appeals. In the self-interest message condition, we found no statistically significant difference in impact between agency and communion on purchase intentions. In short, we contribute to advertising effectiveness research by showing that agency-communion orientations moderate the effect of message appeals. We also explain the practical implications of these findings for effective sustainable communication in advertisements based on individuals' motivational orientations.