Advertising effectiveness as a function of numerical support: From majority compliance to minority conversion

In an experiment, we manipulated numerical support (majority versus minority versus absence of support) for advertising commercials and examined its effects at both manifest and latent levels. Results indicated that commercials induce greater manifest influence when receiving majority support and greater latent influence under minority support. In a second study, minority support for commercials was held constant while the modality of comparison between source and target was manipulated (independence versus negative interdependence). Results revealed that latent influence occurs only when the social comparison is independent. These results and their implications for the conception of advertising campaigns are discussed with regard to the conversion theory and the dissociation process.