Effects of strategic consistency of a message on the consumer

Abstract

Much has been said about the comprehensive management of tools which form the communications mix (integrated marketing communications); however, most of the studies developed in this area have concentrated on an analysis of the economic and financial effects which this form of action may have in businesses, and little has been established regarding the efficacy of an integrated communications campaign from the consumer's point of view. Therefore, starting from the strategic consistency of two communications tools (advertising and sponsorship), as a means of integration, this work proposes a set of hypotheses on the effects of an integrated campaign on the processing of information and in the evaluations which the consumer makes of that campaign. Through the design of an experiment for a fictitious brand of energising drinks, in which 140 individuals took part, we were able to establish that the campaign produces more favourable effects on the cognitive and affective reactions of the consumer.