Communication Goal

Communication objectives of humor-laden commercials usually centers on knowledge and persuasiveness (Sternthal
and Craig 1973) and could be affirmed in terms of any phase of McGuire's (1969) information processing model as
follows

 the message must be presented (raising the problem of agenda control)

 the message must be attended to (raising the problem of inattention and selective exposure)
 the message must be comprehended (raising the problem of selective perception)
 the message must be accepted
 the message must be retained
 the message much lead to behavior change

In print results by Brooker 1981; Kennedy 1972; Kilpela 1961; Lull 1940; Pokorney and Gruner 1969 on humor's
effect on persuasiveness have normally revealed humorous communications to be less efficient than serious versions
of the identical messages. Contrary, Delozier (1976, p. 105) records a universal effect of humor in attaining attention
to a commercial message and in attracting conception and subsequent recall. However, humor is perceived positively
to an extent where its existence may be projected to benefit the learning of advertising content. Studies by Cantor and
Venus 1980; Gruner 1965; Markiewicz 1972; Murphy et al. 1979; Taylor 1964, have failed to authenticate Delozier's
position and thus serious queries can be raised about the generalizability of these results. Cantor and Venus (1980)
made a point that the kind of humor employed in many of these studies is inappropriate for mass market advertising.
Additionally, these researches have not measured for the degree to which specific subjects perceived communications
to be humorous.

Thus, the point is still unsolved whether humor can improve audience understanding and subsequent remembrance
of a commercial message. Missing also is an experiential test of alternative hypothetical backgrounds accessible to
elucidate humor's hypothesized influence.

Perception of Humor

Perception of humor is peculiar: what is comical to one individual can be unexciting or even infuriating to another.
Marketing studies done in earlier days never measured humor as a supposed variable, except studies carried by Gelb
and Pickett (1983). Alchemists like Cantor and Venus 1980; Murphy et al. 1979; Shama and Coughlin 1979 have
endeavored to regulate degree of humor, using boards of Adjudicators including investigators or advertising
professionals to choose the humorous advertisements engaged in their investigations. However management checks
are made to confirm that funny conducts are rated as funnier than serious forms of the same commercials,
alchemists have implicitly presumed that all topics exposed to a given humorous advertisement will recognize it as
equally humorous.

Does Guys Like humor more?

Researches suggest that on average men enjoy humor or a particular type of humor more than women do. Research
by Weinberger and Gulas has found that men have a preference on aggressive and sexual humor whereas, women like
illogical humor more. A recent study has confirmed these facts and differences that seem to apply to the advertising
of services. Researchers have studied college students and found that these students even don’t believe in humor
being appropriate in advertising of all the services, specifically professional services. However, men responded more
towards humor when it was supposed to be used in services which are normally viewed to be unsuitable for the
practice of humor, especially professional services. Study by Buijzen and Valkenburg offers an excellent overview on
different types of audience, including men and women, are likely to respond to different types of humor.

Make it FUNNY…. or Else

Sternthal and Craig after reviewing the literature have concluded that advertising humor should be perceived as
funny. Funny radio ads have a stronger consequence on approach toward the ad and attitude toward the brand than a
non humorous ad, as per recent research. They also found that incongruity-resolution humor was more probable to be
supposed more humorous than strangeness alone. But there are the most significant findings. These belongings were
entirely overwhelmed by the effects of apparent humor. In other words, the study suggests there will be no optimistic
effect toward the ad or assertiveness toward the brand for any type of humor except it’s perceived as funny. The study
also emphasized the threat allied with not being funny. People who didn’t think the test ad was funny viewed it as
irritating and boring, and they felt the brand was neither good nor novel.