Title: Communicating high-tech products - a comparison between print advertisements of automotive premium and standard brands

Authors: Christian Vincenzo Baccarella; Christian Willi Scheiner; Timm Florian Trefzger; Kai-Ingo Voigt

Addresses: School of Business and Economics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nürnberg, Germany ' Universität zu Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany ' School of Business and Economics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nürnberg, Germany ' School of Business and Economics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nürnberg, Germany

Abstract: Is there a difference in advertising high-tech products between premium and standard brands? A systematic content analysis of 492 print advertisements from the automotive industry has been conducted, focusing on brand name, logo, and slogan as well as on the amount and types of presented information cues. The findings of this study show that premium brands tend to focus more on corporate branding than standard brands, whereas standard brands place a greater emphasis on product-related branding compared to premium brands. Moreover, premium brands communicate significantly more information per ad than standard brands, and they also differ regarding the types of presented information. This study complements current theoretical and conceptual knowledge with empirical evidence. The findings are particularly valuable for practitioners as they enable marketing decision makers to better review their own advertising strategies.

Keywords: premium brands; high-tech products; high technology; content analysis; print advertisements; advertising; automobile industry; marketing communication; information cues; automotive brands; standard brands; brand name; logo; slogan; marketing; corporate branding; product branding.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2016.073369

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2016 Vol.11 No.1, pp.24 - 38

Received: 15 Dec 2014
Accepted: 27 Jun 2015
Published online: 30 Nov 2015 *

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