• Effects of Brand and Spokesperson Familiarity in Teaser Ads

Abstract

Before launching a new product, companies often release teaser ads first to pique audience curiosity and expectation regarding the product. Although teaser ads are widely used, related academic research is scant. This study investigated how brand and spokesperson familiarity in short messaging service (SMS) teaser ads affect the amount of information consumers know, the size of their information gap, and their curiosity response. Furthermore, this study examined whether launching two waves of teaser ads is necessary, and assessed the effects of the revelation time points of the brand and spokesperson. Through three experiments, this study found the following results. (1) High familiarity brands and spokespeople induced consumers to perceive a greater amount of known information and smaller information gap. (2) The relationship between the size of the information gap and curiosity response was represented by an inverted-U curve. (3) A second-wave teaser ad delivered through SMS did not arouse notable curiosity. (4) The revelation time points of brand and spokesperson substantially influenced the effects of brand and spokesperson familiarity and affected consumer memory networks.

Keywords: Teaser Ad, Curiosity, Information Gap, Brand Familiarity, Spokesperson Familiarity