Moderating effects of collectivism on customized communication: a test with tailored and targeted messages |
| |
| Authors: | Cong Li Sriram Kalyanaraman Ying Roselyn Du |
| |
| Institution: | 1. School of Communication , University of Miami , Coral Gables, USA congli@miami.edu;3. School of Journalism and Mass Communication , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, USA;4. School of Communication , Hong Kong Baptist University , Hong Kong |
| |
| Abstract: | A growing body of research has shown that customized messages have certain advantages over non-customized ones such as being more memorable and more persuasive. However, most prior studies tested customization effects with American participants only. It remains a mystery in the literature how people from other cultures may process customized messages. The current article examined the effects of two types of customized information, tailored and targeted, through two studies. Thirty Chinese working professionals and students in the US participated in study 1 and 56 Asian students in Hong Kong participated in study 2. In both studies, participants' tendencies toward collectivistic and individualistic cultures were measured. It was found that more collectivism-oriented participants generated higher recall and more favorable attitudes toward targeted messages, whereas less collectivism-oriented participants generated higher recall and more favorable attitudes toward tailored messages. |
| |
| Keywords: | customization tailored communication targeted communication collectivism individualism |
|
|
