What we know about rational advertising

Source: WARC Best Practice, August 2017

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This article explores current thinking and writing on the subject of rational advertising, a technique
known for driving short-term behaviour and sales, and an effective tool in a marketing mix.

Rational advertising is designed to transmit a message, using information, functional propositions

and/or reasons why, to persuade consumers about the tangible benefits of using a brand's
product or service.
Information/persuasion campaigns in the IPA Databank outperformed other approaches in
creating very large direct effects.
The car category is one in which active shoppers will seek information about and compare/try
products side-by-side - emotions ring through creative, but across channels, the rational element
is always present.
An idea that differentiates the functional benefit can be very effective: such as Dove in China, with
a campaign that went beyond offering moisturising properties, but nourishing properties, gaining
4x market share.

Despite new understanding of the importance of emotion in consumer decision-making, rational

advertising largely remains the default industry approach. Its proven strengths are in driving
consumer behaviour and sales short-term. However, long-term it is more effective in combination
with emotional appeals, particularly in long purchase cycle categories.

Definition
Rational advertising is designed to transmit a message, using information, functional propositions and/or
reasons why, to persuade consumers about the tangible benefits of using a brand's product or service. It can
include comparison to a competitor.

Key Insights
1. Rational advertising is the core of "salesmanship"

Advertising as salesmanship is one of the earliest and most enduring theories of how advertising works. It
demands consumer attention to the advertising as well as recall, comprehension and credibility of the message.
Although the theory has been challenged by other theories of advertising described in this article (advertising as
seduction, salience, social connection, spin or showmanship), it largely remains the default within the industry.

Read more in: Six models of advertising

2. Rational campaigns are best at directly influencing consumer behaviour short-term

Information/persuasion campaigns in the IPA Databank outperformed other approaches in creating very large
direct effects e.g. calling number/visiting website or trying a new product use. However, more complex
campaigns, which normally mix rational and emotional approaches, are more likely to deliver stronger business
results than purely rational ones. In general investment in rational versus emotional work should be 40:60 to
maximize effectiveness and efficiency.

Rational and more complex campaigns are more effective than emotional campaigns for value and mid-market,
service and leadership brands. More complex campaigns are also more effective in tough market conditions and
new/growth categories. In long purchase interval categories, where consumers alternate between being passive
and active, it can be effective to target passive consumers with emotive brand messages while using
information-rich channels to target active shoppers with detailed information.

Read more in: Marketing in the Era of Accountability: Communications Strategy and How to balance
long-term and short-term strategies

3. Most consumer decisions are not rational

In his book ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’, Daniel Kahneman puts forward a central concept that people make
decisions according to two mental processes: "System 1" is fast and largely intuitive, and "System 2" is slower
and more effortful. Most of the decisions guided by System 1 are efficient and stop our daily lives becoming
paralysed by cognitive overload. However, they are often susceptible to unconscious biases.

Rational appeals try to create an association between ad, brand and message which can then influence a
customer at the point of decision. As such, rational advertising taps into System 2 – it demands our attention
because consideration of its claims is a slower, more effortful process.

Findings in this work suggest that advertising is most effective when it bypasses the rational middleman and
goes directly for emotional (System 1) response, which guides the overwhelming majority of the decisions
people make.

Read more in: Fun, fast and easy: Research’s war on rationality

4. Digital is an opportunity for rational advertising to deliver short-term sales

Thanks to the 'buy' button, digital is a highly efficient means to activate immediate sales by facilitating instant,
easy product purchase by active category shoppers. Rational advertising is the proven means of prompting
direct response and click through. Search, online display, email and potentially mobile are the key digital
channels for such activation.

Read more in: Brand success in the digital age

5. Successful car campaigns need a rational advertising component

Study of IPA Effectiveness case studies shows among other factors the importance of a) a strong product and b)
the right balance of emotion and rational information. The car category is one in which active shoppers will seek
information about and compare/try products side-by-side. So even though emotional advertising is used very
effectively in the category, most campaigns also have a rational element played out through effective use of
multiple channels.

Read more in: How automotive advertising works

6. 'Extreme' product demonstration can be very effective

In 2007 Toyota successfully launched its Tundra truck in the US with a series of dramatic, real-world demos. It
revisited the strategy in 2012 to re-establish its credentials as a highly capable work truck with a unique live
demonstration - towing the Endeavour space shuttle to the California Science Center. PR, print, Twitter, web
content and after the fact TV, including a Superbowl spot, were used to get attention and add depth. This
created massive media and social buzz, closed the brand's perception gap versus competitors and increased
sales +32%.

Similarly, Volvo Trucks conducted a series of live, extreme demonstrations of key product features to engage a
wide audience while being relevant to core target truck purchasers. Films were aired on the brand's YouTube
channel and supported via its social media channels and extensive PR. The campaign generated a very high
level of views and shares, and drove awareness, recall and action among truck customers leading to a +24%
increase in sales.

Read more in: Toyota: Tundra Endeavour and Volvo Trucks: Live test series

7. Exceptional creativity can deliver rational advertising which also evokes emotion

A neuroscientific study of Volvo Trucks' Epic Split film shows that – as intended - the brand and its message
about dynamic steering are integral to the story and therefore strongly encoded in the viewers' memory.
However, the study also shows that the ad drives strong levels of emotional response which contributed to its
huge success.

Read more in: The neuroscience behind 'Epic Split' by Volvo Trucks

8. An idea that differentiates the functional benefit can be very effective

In China Dove shower gel quadrupled market share in 16 months behind the launch of a new product which
moisturised skin better than before and versus competition. This was despite the moisturising benefit being well
established and offered by many brands. Inspired by the fact select spas in China offer milk baths, it came up
with the idea of nourishing skin better than bathing in milk. This drove the brand to ownership of the nourishing
skin attribute and doubled penetration.

In Australia Radiant detergent increased penetration and market share with an idea based on the proposition of
keeping clothes as good as new, building on the brand's history of colour protection. Having discovered most
people have tried to return a garment after wearing, the idea of the "Radiant Return' was born – filming real,
successful attempts to return a garment after extreme torture testing and washing with Radiant.

Read more in: Dove: Winning in China and The 'Radiant return" campaign: Emerging triumphant from the
detergent dark ages

9. Focusing on a unique reason why can be very effective

In Canada Sponge Towels increased penetration and market share in the face of considerable competitive
activity by focusing on the unique sponge pocket embossing on the paper towel to drive its absorbency
perception. It did this by bringing the reason why to life – literally – via an army of sponge pocket characters
who suck up spills and messes.

Read more in: Sponge Towels

10. Older audiences in the UK show preference for rational over emotional appeals

Older adults are an increasingly important target market. Socioemotional selectivity theory suggests that,
contrary to conventional wisdom, emotional execution is better for advertising to older adults. However, a study
has challenged this notion, finding that older adults demonstrate clear preferences for rational over emotional
appeals. These preferences are different for younger consumers, so what works when advertising to younger
people will not necessarily work for older consumers.

Read more in: Why Older Adults Show Preference for Rational Over Emotional Advertising Appeals: A
U.K. Brand Study Challenges the Applicability of Socioemotional Selectivity Theory to Advertising

More on this topic

WARC Topic Page: Creative approaches: Educational, rational

WARC Data: Adpsend data

WARC Case studies: Case study finder

Further reading
Are we getting too emotional?

Letter from Berlin: Be rational to reach the emotional German

Toyota – Tundra launch

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