Nontarget Markets and Viewer Distinctiveness: The Impact of Target Marketing on Advertising Attitudes

Stanford University Graduate School of Business Research Paper No. 1578

Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 127-140, 2002

Posted: 17 Nov 2006

See all articles by Anne M. Brumbaugh

Anne M. Brumbaugh

College of Charleston

Sonya A. Grier

American University - Kogod School of Business

Jennifer Aaker

Stanford University - Graduate School of Business

Abstract

This research examines the effect of target marketing on members of the advertiser's intended audience as well as members not in the target market: the nontarget market. The results of 3 experiments show that unfavorable nontarget market effects are stronger for members of nondistinctive groups (e.g., Caucasian individuals, heterosexual individuals) and favorable target market effects are stronger for memebers of distinctive groups (e.g., African American individuals, homosexual individuals). The results of Experiment 2 demonstrate that the psychological processes by which target and nontarget market effects occur differ by viewer group: Felt similiarity with sources in an advertisement drives target market effects for nondistinctive viewers. Finally, Experiment 3 shows that these consumer feelings of similarity or targetedness are associated with underlying processes of identification and internalization. Theoretical implications regarding the impact of distinctiveness theory in consumer persuasion effects and potential social effects of target marketing are discussed.

Suggested Citation

Brumbaugh, Anne M. and Grier, Sonya A. and Aaker, Jennifer Lynn, Nontarget Markets and Viewer Distinctiveness: The Impact of Target Marketing on Advertising Attitudes. Stanford University Graduate School of Business Research Paper No. 1578, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 127-140, 2002, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=945426

Anne M. Brumbaugh

College of Charleston ( email )

Charleston, SC
United States
843-953-8068 (Phone)
843-953-5697 (Fax)

Sonya A. Grier

American University - Kogod School of Business ( email )

4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20816-8044
United States

Jennifer Lynn Aaker (Contact Author)

Stanford University - Graduate School of Business ( email )

655 Knight Way
Stanford, CA 94305-5015
United States

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