When consumers activate persuasion knowledge: Review of antecedents and consequences

Abstract

The article aims to complexly examine the role of persuasion knowledge activation in consumer response. To handle the purpose, the author reviews the related studies published since 1994 when the term "persuasion knowledge" was introduced to scientific discourse. The literature review shows that persuasion knowledge activation is mainly associated with negative consequences for firms resulting in a more critical assessment of marketing stimuli by consumers, less favorable judgements and behavior in relation to firms and brands. Besides, there is empirical evidence that consumers can activate persuasion knowledge even in the absence of firms' persuasion intent. Ultimately, the effect of persuasion knowledge activation on consumer response to marketing stimuli is dependent upon a variety of moderating factors and intrinsic characteristics of the phenomenon addressed in a particular study. The study contributes to persuasion knowledge literature by combining conceptual theorizations articulated in the seminal article by Friestad and Wright with empirical evidence appeared afterwards, so the theory is enriched and clarified.