Gain or Loss? The Effect of Ad Framing on the Intention to Control Sugar Intake

Health authorities have pointed out that high sugar intake can cause many health problems. The aim of this research is to examine the effectiveness of ad framing (gain vs. loss vs. neither gain nor loss) on persuading people to control their sugar intake. The results of an online experiment showed that both gain and loss frame were more effective than the neutral frame. Gain frame was the most effective one to persuade people to lower sugar intake. Moreover, individual difference of regulatory focus moderated the effect of ad framing (gain vs. loss). In addition, processing fluency mediated the effects of ad framing (gain vs. neutral/loss vs. neutral) on people’s intention to limit sugar intake. Contributions and implications to advertising on sugar control are discussed.