ABSTRACT
It is generally agreed that marketing theory and practice developed for goods cannot always be applied to services. This article draws from normative guidelines and associated empirical research to construct a framework of the main dimensions considered important in service advertisements. These dimensions are then compared with an analysis of consumers’ perceptions of what makes an effective TV service advertisement.
We find that remarkably little formal research has focused on services advertising. Previous research has tended to examine specific areas peripheral to the central dimensions that we identify from the literature. Results of the empirical phase show that ‘consumers’ of advertisements identify a range of issues that parallel those suggested in the literature. A notable exception is the use of ‘concrete language’ which receives little support from consumers.
