Anthropomorphism and Animism in Advertising

Persuasive Tactics and the Influence on Consumer Behavior
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-041-10884-9
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 170 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Reihe: Routledge Studies in Marketing

Traditionally, advertisers have assumed that anthropomorphism (seeing a product as human) and animism (seeing a product as alive) are identical processes, triggering the same consumer responses. This book shows that this assumption is incorrect, often leading to misinterpretations in scholarly studies. Through a series of experiments, it reveals that animism and anthropomorphism are two distinct processes with different causes, consequences and implications.

While anthropomorphism is well-studied, animism has been largely overlooked. This book is the first to systematically differentiate the two, providing clear definitions and empirical evidence. It identifies specific advertising tactics that trigger animism versus anthropomorphism and examines their persuasive impact. It explores when and why consumers are more likely to animate or anthropomorphize products. These insights help readers determine which process is more effective for different contexts, services and product categories. Additionally, the book includes a comprehensive review of existing empirical studies on anthropomorphism, offering a summary of key findings, manipulation techniques and moderating factors. This resource allows readers to recognize broader patterns in past research and apply them to their work.

This novel book offers valuable new insights for scholars across advertising, marketing and consumer psychology in particular.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Karpinska-Krakowiak, Malgorzata

Fachgebiete

• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Bereichsspezifisches Management Werbung
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Volkswirtschaftslehre Volkswirtschaftslehre Allgemein Verhaltensökonomik
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Marktforschung
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Bereichsspezifisches Management Marketing

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part I: Understanding Anthropomorphism and Animism  1. What Are Anthropomorphism and Animism?  2. Traits of Life vs. Traits of Humanness  3. Why Do We Anthropomorphize? Why Do We Animate?  Part II: Advertising Tactics for Anthropomorphism and Animism  4. Animism in Advertising: The Power of Movement  5. Anthropomorphism in Advertising: The Power of Language  6. Anthropomorphism in Advertising: The Power of Embodiment  Part III: How Advertising Tactics Activate Anthropomorphism vs. Animism and Influence Persuasion  7. The Effects of Movement, Language, and Embodiment on Animism, Anthropomorphism and Persuasion  8. How Different Types of Movement Trigger Animism vs. Anthropomorphism and Affect Persuasion  9. Combining Tactics for Anthropomorphism and Animism: Does More Mean Better? Conclusions Appendix: Review of Past Experimental Research on Anthropomorphism

Über Autor(innen)

Malgorzata Karpinska-Krakowiak is an associate professor in the Department of International Marketing and Retailing, University of Lodz, Poland.