Persuation effectiveness of alternative types of Internet advertising for hotels : A cross-cultural study

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the differences in persuasion effectiveness of three Internet advertising types for hotels — direct comparative, indirect comparative, and noncomparative advertisements — in a cross-cultural setting (the United States and Greece) using relative and comparable measures. The results show that there were interaction effects of country and Internet advert (ad) type between these two countries, especially on attitudes toward brand and purchase intentions. In the United States, where direct comparative Internet ads are widely used, indirect comparative ads were found to be the most effective, while in Greece, where direct comparative Internet ads are rarely used, direct comparative ads were the most effective.