“Persuading with reason, moving with emotion” – the impact of matching numeric format with advertising appeal on consumer purchase intention

Purpose This study explores the impact of presenting identical numerical information in different formats on consumer cognition, focusing on how the congruence between numeric format (Arabic vs verbal numerals) and advertising appeal (functional vs emotional) influences purchase intentions. It provides practical guidance for designing ads aligned with various appeal strategies. Design/methodology/approach Based on construal level theory and dual coding theory, this study develops an integrated framework. Four experiments (N = 844) were conducted to examine the effects of numeric format and advertising appeal on perceived persuasiveness and purchase intention. Findings Functional appeals with Arabic numerals and emotional appeals with verbal numerals both significantly increase purchase intention. Perceived persuasiveness mediates the interaction between numeric format and advertising appeal, while perceived fluency does not. Originality/value This study contributes to advertising literature by uncovering the interaction between numeric format and advertising appeal. It extends numeric cognition research by showing how numeric format shapes consumer responses, bridging dual-processing perspectives and offering actionable insights for aligning numeric formats with advertising strategies.