The Impact of Emotional and Rational Advertising Appeals on Brand Loyalty: A Mediated Moderation Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of emotional and rational advertising appeals on brand loyalty in Pakistan’s communication sector, focusing on the mediating roles of perceived value and brand trust and the moderating effect of brand authenticity. Guided by the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), the research adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional design with data collected from 303 consumers who had at least six months of experience with their service providers. Using SmartPLS for structural equation modeling, the study measured constructs including emotional advertising appeal, rational advertising appeal, perceived value (economic, emotional, and social), brand trust, brand authenticity, and brand loyalty. The findings reveal that both emotional and rational appeals significantly enhance perceived value and brand trust, with rational appeals demonstrating stronger effects. Mediation analysis confirms that perceived value partially mediates the relationship between both types of appeals and brand loyalty, while moderation analysis shows that brand authenticity strengthens the trust–loyalty relationship. These results highlight the importance of transparent, authentic communication in reinforcing the impact of trust on consumer loyalty. Theoretically, the study extends advertising effectiveness literature by integrating perceived value, brand trust, and authenticity into a unified framework. Practically, it offers insights for marketers to strategically combine rational and emotional appeals while ensuring authentic messaging to foster loyalty in highly competitive markets.