An IMB model testing via endorser types and advertising appeals on young people's attitude towards cervical cancer prevention advertisement in Hong Kong

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test eight hypotheses to understand the relationship between information (Cervical Cancer Prevention (CCP) advertisements via endorser types and advertising appeals), motivation (attitude and effectiveness towards advertisements, audiences’ reported self-health consciousness, motivation to learn more information) and behaviour intentions (accept and intent to receive CCP vaccination) using the information-motivation-behavioural skills (IMB) model.

Design/methodology/approach: An experimental study was conducted using a sample of 668 young people aged 18-25 in Hong Kong. Participants were asked to respond to questions relating to self-health consciousness, motivation to learn more information, attitudes and effectiveness towards the assigned print advertisements randomly drawn from a set of eight (4 × 2 full-factorial) experimental designs and behavioural intentions.

Findings: Results revealed that celebrity endorsers had the most effective CCP ad appeal among young consumers regardless of advertising appeal in Hong Kong. The findings suggested that highly self-health conscious young people are motivated to learn more information about CCP and have a more positive attitude and effectiveness towards the CCP advertisement. Furthermore, effective advertisement predicts higher motivation and behavioural intention, whereas higher “self-health consciousness” and “motivation to learn more information” predicts more positive advertisement attitude.

Originality/value: By investigating young consumers’ attitude and effectiveness towards CCP advertisements, this paper aimed to expand the knowledge of previous studies and contribute to advertising theory by focusing on CCP aspects in Hong Kong context.