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Persuasive social approval cues in print advertising: Exploring visual and textual strategies and consumer self-monitoring

This study focuses on exploring the persuasion effects of social approval cues in both visual and textual formats in print advertising. It also examines the moderation role of a consumer dispositional factor – self-monitoring orientation – on the effectiveness of visual and textual cues. Through a controlled experiment involving four versions of a fictitious ad, this study demonstrates that social approval cues in either visual or textual format can significantly increase consumers' brand evaluation and purchase intention. Furthermore, it shows that the effectiveness of social approval cues can vary across different combinations of visual and textual presentations, either enhancing or diminishing the overall persuasion outcomes. These observed effects of social approval cues occur only for high self-monitors, but not for low self-monitors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in relation to advertising strategies and research.