ABSTRACT
Big and immediate effects of advertising do occur when the advertiser has something new to say. The buying of cars, appliances, vacations and other high-priced items are examples of high-involvement decision-making. This high level of involvement contrasts with the low level brought to bear on the purchase of products like shampoo or soft drink or margarine. In many low-involvement product categories, the alternative brands are extremely similar and in some cases almost identical. Repetition increases consumer's familiarity with a claim. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, a feeling of greater likelihood that the claim is true begins to accompany the growing familiarity. This effect of repetition is known as 'the truth effect'. Much of advertising creates only marginal differences, but small differences can build into larger differences. Even small differences can tip the balance in favor of the advertised brand. This is especially true of 'image advertising'. High-involvement buying contrasts with low-involvement, low cost purchases.
