Program involvement and ad/program consistency as moderators of program context effects

Program involvement and ad/program consistency are two variables that are invoked to explain the effects of advertising context. This study examines the main effects and the interactive effects of these factors. Using a mean structures, multiple‐group, multivariate analysis of covariance, we find that increased program involvement has a positive main effect on ad attitudes, brand attitudes, and purchase intent. Consistency between the program and the ad has similar effects on these measures. An interaction effect suggests that program involvement has an effect only when the ad is inconsistent with the program context. Among other findings, an inconsistent ad is more easily remembered.