Shocking People Into Action: Does It Still Work? An Empirical Analysis of Emotional Appeals in Charity Advertising

How effective is shock advertising for charities? To address this question, the current researchers used an experimental design based on a cross-sectional sample of three groups of adults. Respondents were exposed to an advertisement with a shock, neutral, or positive emotional appeal for a charity and indicated their intention to donate to the charity, volunteer for the charity, agree to the charitable cause, and talk about the advertisement with family and friends. Key findings include that shock advertising does work, but not by shocking. Surprise, interest, and compassion are key emotions when it comes to engaging with a charity.