Informational vs. Persuasive Advertising: An Appraisal

Abstract

Is it reasonable to believe (as many critics do) that informational advertising is okay, but that persuasive advertising is not okay? This article investigates the so-called “information-persuasion” dichotomy and concludes that it is manifestly illogical, a phony dichotomy. A revised version is then proposed: the “high information-content vs. low information-content” dichotomy in advertising. Analysis reveals some substantial problems in operationalizing the new dichotomy. The author wishes to gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Professors Ivan B. Preston, Michael L. Rothschild and Ronald W. Sampfl, all of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the preparation of this article.