A balance theory perspective of brand familiarity effects

This paper explores whether and how brand familiarity influences visual attention, external search behaviour, and attitude towards ad. Drawing on balance theory, this study addresses the triadic relationship between the brand familiarity, the brand information they obtained through external search, and consumers’ attitude towards ads. Two eye-tracking experiments were conducted by varying the familiarity of brands featured in ads. Findings from these experiments revealed that: (1) brand familiarity can influence attention toward external search cues, and (2) consumers align their attitudes towards the advertisement with the searched brand information and this process is driven by the degree of brand familiarity.