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Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Vol. 6, No. 2, 200-223 (1992)
DOI: 10.1177/1050651992006002004

Reactions to Lexical, Syntactical, and Text Layout Variations of a Print Advertisement

WILLIAM H. MOTES

University of Alabama

CHADWICK B. HILTON

University of Alabama

JOHN S. FIELDEN

University of Alabama

Despite intense research efforts by both advertising and communication researchers, there is no definitive answer to the question of what makes a print advertisement successful. Yet, common wisdom contends that lexicon, syntax, and text layout have much to do with how readers perceive advertisements. This study, an extension and refinement of two of our previous studies, tests this assertion by assessing reader reactions to a broad range of lexical, syntactical, and text layout conditions, both in isolation and interactively. Our results suggest that in affecting readers' perceptions, the role of each of these elements independently is not quite as critical as perhaps assumed. Nonetheless, this research does suggest that certain perceptions are significantly affected by specific lexical, syntactical, and layout combinations, which indicates that creating effective advertisement text requires tailoring the copy to the target audience and thinking of the text as a synergy of both language and text layout elements.


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