| Line | A key decision required of advertising managers is |
| whether a “hard-sell” or “soft-sell” strategy is |
| appropriate for a specific target market. The hard-sell |
| approach involves the use of direct, forceful |
| (5) | claims regarding the benefits of the advertised |
| brand over competitors’ offerings. In contrast, the |
| soft-sell approach involves the use of advertising |
| claims that imply superiority more subtly. |
| One positive aspect of the hard-sell approach is |
| (10) | its use of very simple and straightforward product |
| claims presented as explicit conclusions, with little |
| room for confusion regarding the advertiser’s |
| message. However, some consumers may resent |
| being told what to believe and some may distrust |
| (15) | the message. Resentment and distrust often lead to |
| counterargumentation and to boomerang effects |
| where consumers come to believe conclusions |
| diametrically opposed to conclusions endorsed in |
| advertising claims. By contrast, the risk of |
| (20) | boomerang effects is greatly reduced with soft-sell |
| approaches. One way to implement the soft-sell |
| approach is to provide information that implies the |
| main conclusions the advertiser wants the |
| consumer to draw, but leave the conclusions |
| (25) | themselves unstated. Because consumers are |
| invited to make up their own minds, implicit |
| conclusions reduce the risk of resentment, distrust, |
| and counterargumentation. |
| Recent research on consumer memory and |
| (30) | judgment suggests another advantage of implicit |
| conclusions. Beliefs or conclusions that are self- |
| generated are more accessible from memory than |
| beliefs from conclusions provided explicitly by other |
| individuals, and thus have a greater impact on |
| (35) | judgment and decision making. Moreover, self- |
| generated beliefs are often perceived as more |
| accurate and valid than the beliefs of others, |
| because other individuals may be perceived as less |
| knowledgeable, or may be perceived as |
| (40) | manipulative or deliberately misleading. |
| Despite these advantages, implicit conclusions |
| may not always be more effective than explicit |
| conclusions. One risk is that some consumers may |
| fail to draw their own conclusions and thus miss the |
| (45) | point of the message. Inferential activity is likely |
| only when consumers are motivated and able to |
| engage in effortful cognitive processes. Another |
| risk is that some consumers may draw conclusions |
| other than the one intended. Even if inferential |
| (50) | activity is likely there is no guarantee that |
| consumers will follow the path provided by the |
| advertiser. Finally, a third risk is that consumers |
| may infer the intended conclusion but question the |
| validity of their inference. |
