Multimedia effect and its impact on consumer responses toward online promotion : an empirical study of medical tourism promotion

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This study explores the multimedia effect, as well as seeks to detect its impact on consumers' responses. This thesis particularly investigates the online advertising in the medical tourism industry in order to understand multimedia elements of "medical tourism" web-based promotional messages influences. Using the Reactance Theory, Limited Capacity Model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing and past multimedia effect researches, this study examined the multimedia effect in the following four aspects: consumers' attention, recognition, perceived veridicality and purchase intentions. This study employed a between-subjects experimental design to test the effects of three different levels of modality conditions of online promotional messages: 1) motion media (high modality condition), 2) copy plus photos (moderate modality condition), and 3) copy-only (low modality condition). The results suggested that the motion media has a powerful persuasive effect on consumers' perceived veridicality and purchase intentions. Additionally, perceived veridicality and purchase intentions were found positively correlated, even though the attention, recognition were not influenced by multimedia elements in a significant way.