Less is more: enhancing the persuasiveness of multifunctional product advertising

Purpose Multifunctional products increase competitiveness by offering a wide range of features. However, the effectiveness of advertising so many features remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate whether presenting numerous features in advertisements for multifunctional products enhances persuasiveness, emphasizing the mediating role of feature overload perception and the moderating effect of product type. Design/methodology/approach This research tests its hypotheses through three experiments. Study 1 investigated the effect of feature numbers on advertisement persuasiveness by manipulating the number of features presented. Study 2 examined the underlying mechanisms through mediation analysis. Study 3 explored the boundary condition of this relationship by considering product type as a moderator. Findings Advertisements for multifunctional products with many features are less persuasive than those with few features due to perceived feature overload. This effect occurs for sequential multifunctional products but is attenuated for simultaneous ones. Originality/value This study finds that advertisements presenting numerous features for multifunctional products can sometimes backfire. This study advances understanding of how consumers respond to many-feature advertisements, revealing cognitive factors shaping advertising persuasiveness and offering insights for designing better marketing strategies.