Shocking people into action – does it still work? An empirical analysis of emotional appeals in charity advertising

How effective is shock advertising for charities? To address this question, an experimental research design based on a cross-sectional sample of three groups of adults was used. Respondents were exposed to either an advert using a shock, neutral or positive emotional appeal. All advertisements were for the same charity. The questionnaire explored the emotional effect of the advertisements on four behavioral intentions variables; the intention to donate to the charity, to volunteer for the charity, to agree to the charitable cause and to talk about the advert with family/friends. Key findings include that shock advertising does still work, but not by shocking. Surprise, interest and compassion are key emotions when it comes to engaging with a charit