The effect of advertising content on purchase intention: The role of attitude and environmental concern

The main purpose of this research is to determine the effect level of ad content on consumer attitudes (purchase attitude, ad attitude, brand attitude) and intentions and to identify how these effects formed in different environmental concern levels. In this research, manipulated ads were used and the consumers' attitude toward the product, the ad and the brand as well as consumers' purchase intention were evaluated with respect to environmental concern. Two ads with standard or green content were designed. The research was conducted with two different product categories (auto and water) including three applications. First, the effect of ad content on consumers' attitude and intention were examined. Consumer attitude was identified as a mediator between the ad content and the purchase intention. Next, the degree of variation of mediator effect was analyzed based on the level of consumers' environmental concern. The participants were divided into two groups based on their high/low environmental concern and the results were evaluated within the scope of two experiments. This thesis demonstrated that the consumers' attitude is a mediator between ad effects and their purchase intention. Furthermore, this effect varies based on the consumers' degree of environmental concern in auto experiment. Thus, the environmental concern was identified to have a moderator role with respect to preceding relationships. In this regard, the participants who have high environmental concern display a positive attitude that results in boost to their purchase intention. In water experiment, it isn't found sufficient evidence of the existence of a moderation. In the ad effectiveness research conducted with the participants that display high environmental concern it is found that the ad content effects the attitude toward the ad and the attitude toward the ad effects the attitude toward the brand that is consequently support the purchase intention. This research is significant in terms of using concept of environmental concern which is an essential factor determining the green consumer profile utilizing extensively used Theory of Planned Behavior in consumer behavior studies as well as using the experimental design method and analyzing the aforementioned effects with regard to ads. Keywords: Ad Content, Attitude Toward The Product, Attitude Toward The Ad, Attitude Toward The Brand, Purchase Intention, Green Consumption Behavior/Proenvironmental Behavior, Environmental Concern, Theory of Planned Behavior.