The pathway from advertising appeals to behavioral intention: rainbow LGBTQ + ads and self-expressive

Abstract

The explosion of information technology has created new marketing trends and advertising appeals from brands. These brands have also become diverse often defending the equality of the LGBTQ + group as a societal issue which garners attention in the modern era. Many firms frequently depict members of the LGBTQ + community in their advertising to demonstrate their position on this issue. We create a model in the context of the fashion industry, drawing on the Stimulus Organism Response Theory (SOR), to investigate how the rainbow element affected the correlation between advertising appeals, (inner and social) self-expression, and behavioral intention when comparing Vietnamese and U.S. Data from the experimental survey were collected from 472 respondents, including Vietnamese and U.S. The finding indicates that rainbow LGBTQ + ads only moderate the relationship between advertising appeals and self-expressive in the U.S. case, while the Vietnamese case does not. Self-expressive partially mediates the link between advertising appeals and behavioral intention. By comprehending the behavioral traits of both domestic and U.S. consumers, this study seeks to broaden existing research models and provide suitable recommendations to improve the commercial operations of firms.

Keywords:

• Advertising appeal
• rainbow LGBTQ + ads
• behavioral intention
• inner self-expressive
• social self-expressive

Reviewing editor:

• Len Tiu Wright
• De Montfort University Faculty of Business and Law
• United Kingdom

Subjects:

• Advertising
• Consumer Behaviour
• International Marketing

1. Introduction

Marketing strategies for businesses have always included an important element called advertising appeal. Recently, there has been a rise in the scientific research of advertising appeal, including attempts to synthesize data through meta-analyses. Although single-appeal effects have been the focus of earlier academic studies, moderating factors like the LGBTQ + factor have frequently been disregarded (Yousef et al., 2021). Globalization, social media, and information technology have contributed to recent societal shifts. Gender equality and acceptance of sexual orientation variations are on the rise. The number of individuals identifying as LGBTQ + has increased significantly since the 1980s and is currently at its highest (Ciszek & Pounders, 2020). In 27 different nations, 19,069 people identify as anything but heterosexual, and 11% of them, according to Ipsos (2021), identify as neither male nor female. Around the world, 80% of individuals identify as heterosexual, 3% as gay, lesbian,…and 11% do not know or will not acknowledge their sexual orientation. After that, concerns over issues affecting the LGBTQ + community grew.

The acronym LGBTQ+, which includes transsexuals (T) with the plus (+) displaying a variety of alternative sexual orientations and gender identities, has replaced the earlier word LGB in the community during the past ten years. LGBTQ + issues are one of the most significant social issues for the general population, according to Cone Communications (2017). Marketers’ interest in this sector has been sparked by the greater LGBTQ + community and this group’s considerable spending power. Since marketing and advertising have made corporate social responsibility (CSR) a core tenet that directs an organization’s values and identity (Scheinbaum et al., 2017), an increasing number of businesses are getting active in CSR and LGBTQ + societal issues.

Gender equality and, in particular, the rights of the LGBTQ + community, are major concerns for many people. To increase brand recognition and overall sales for the company, businesses use advertising to raise awareness of the ways they contribute to society and social issues (Castaldo et al., 2009). According to Champlin and Li (2020), many businesses make a big effort to market their rainbow-patterned Pride-themed items throughout June in order to show their support for the LGBTQ + community. Most recently, three businesses formally supported the LGBTQ + Equality Act in 2015, which attempted to criminalize discrimination in the US based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. More than 260 corporations have now backed it (Human Rights Campaign, 2022).

From the remarks above, it is obvious that businesses are benefiting more and more from using ‘rainbow’ in marketing and advertising. Additionally, more studies on consumer behavior and LGBTQ-supportive policies are recommended (Parshakov et al., 2022). The LGBTQ + community is the main subject of this study’s analysis of company marketing initiatives. How will the LGBTQ + aspect (‘rainbow’) affect the relationship between advertising and self-expressive (inner-social), beginning with the advertising appeal, notably in the fashion industry? Find out how their propensities for conduct change after that.

Shepherd et al. (2021) claim that whether LGBTQ representation is regarded as ‘wholesome’ or ‘family-friendly,’ as well as how consumers react to such representation, is influenced by political ideology. Consumer’s political ideology underpins their emotional reactions to such advertisements and that the resulting product-related attitudes. (Northey et al., 2020). Vietnam scored a 30 on Hofstede’s scale, making it a communist country with a higher degree of collectivism than individualism. Individual self-expression is often discouraged in countries where collectivism is the prevalent value (Lawrence, 2010) and they would be less likely to express their desires or support to the LGBTQ + community openly. The United States, on the other hand, has a score of 60 according to Hofstede, making it a democratic country where individualism is valued highly. Individual self-expression in The United States is encouraged or accepted (Lawrence, 2010), and Americans would most likely be more inclined to publicly declare or carry out their wish to support the LGBTQ + community.

Another motivation is based on a common pattern in the US: it is among the most accepting of all time periods (UCLA 2020) and its trajectory continues to go up. Meanwhile, Asian countries (typically Vietnam) are making relatively slow progress in accepting the rights of the LGBTQ + community. This difference is one of the motivations to conduct this research focusing on consumers from these regions. This comparison provides insights into varying levels of LGBTQ + acceptance and cultural sensitivities, which are crucial for tailoring marketing strategies. It helps in understanding the diverse consumer markets, adapting marketing strategies to different cultural contexts, and balancing global branding with local nuances as well as optimizing cost structure in business operation, especially for marketing aspect. The findings aim to guide fashion brands in creating effective, culturally sensitive and socially responsible advertising campaigns across different global markets.

Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the influence of LGBTQ + factors on advertising appeal and to investigate whether this relationship affects customers’ behavioral intentions. The study also explores the differences between Vietnamese and U.S. consumers’ behavior intentions in these relationships.

Furthermore, the research investigates the moderating effect of rainbow LGBTQ + ads on the relationship between advertising appeal and consumer self-expressive. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the advancement of knowledge on advertising and consumer behavior and provide valuable insights for firm managers on how to interact with a diverse clientele effectively.

2. Theoretical framework and hypothesis development

2.1. Theoretical framework: the stimulus organism response theory (S-O-R Theory)

The S-O-R Theory, as expanded by Mehrabian and Russell (1974), is used as the theoretical framework in this study. According to the S-O-R theory, various environmental elements operate as stimuli to alter people’s or creatures’ mental (psychological) health and produce behavioral reactions (Sohaib et al., 2022). Moreover, the S-O-R theory has been frequently applied in consumer behavior research (H.-J. Chang et al., 2011).

The stimulus is related to an environmental element that activates an organism’s internal states (Song et al., 2021). Percy and Rossiter (1992) investigated the impact of advertising stimulation. Earlier research has demonstrated that advertising appeals can operate as an external environmental influence that changes consumers’ views (Zhang et al., 2014). Specifically, advertising appeal is involved with the management and presentation of advertising to prospective customers (Schmidt & Eisend, 2015). In our study’s context, advertising appeal under the moderating role of rainbow LGBTQ + ads is considered as a stimulus. Brands show their support for LGBTQ + rights by incorporating rainbow colors into their marketing campaigns, such as producing a line of T-shirts with rainbow designs or redesigning their logo to include rainbow colors during Pride Month. These campaigns will act as an effective booster influencing consumers’ perception and assessment of this brand.

The organism serves as a platform for consumers’ affective and cognitive states to be reflected and particular behavioral responses to be generated (Manganari et al., 2009). Self-expressive is defined as the degree to which consumers perceive a brand represents their inner self (‘the sort of person I genuinely am on the inside’) or boosts their social self (‘how society perceives me’) (Carroll & Ahuvia, 2006). Besides, Loureiro et al. (2012) also indicated that self-expression refers to how well a brand reflects a consumer’s self-concept as well as how effectively it helps them to express their ‘public self’ to others. As a result, we infer that self-expressive can play a function as an organism. In particular, the message of the advertising is that dressing in this brand’s apparel is a way to show one’s individuality and ideals in addition to style. LGBTQ + ads is defined as the representation of the LGBTQ + community in advertising. Leite (2022) indicated that LGBTQ + representation in advertising exists in a variety of forms of iconography such as LGBTQ + flag, rainbow, illustration of same-sex couples, etc. Wearing clothing from these LGBTQ + support collections might be interpreted by a customer who identifies as LGBTQ + or supports LGBTQ + rights. It is a means of expressing both consumers’ social and inner selves, showing their support for LGBTQ + inclusion and identification with the LGBTQ + community.

The response is related to the outputs revealed by consumer actions and behaviors (Roschk et al., 2017). A previous study suggested that customers’ responses might be conveyed in the form of behavioral intention (Zhu et al., 2019). The degree to which a person is prompted to carry out specific behaviors is known as behavioral intention (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Davis, 1989). This study analyzed behavioral intention as consumers’ reactions in the context of companies adopting rainbow LGBTQ + advertising appeals. After interpreting rainbow LGBTQ + advertising appeals, behavioral intentions will start to appear in consumers. By resonating with their values and identity, consumers are prompted to have specific behavioral intentions, for example, purchase this brand’s clothing, either to express solidarity with the LGBTQ + community or to showcase their own identity as part of this community.

In general, advertising appeal under the moderating role of rainbow LGBTQ + ads is a strong stimulus affecting consumers’ perception and evaluation of a specific brand. Then, consumers absorb the stimulus from the information in the brand attributes. Self-expressive acts as a mediator when consumers analyze the stimulus of advertising appeals to formulate their intention. Finally, our study considered behavioral intentions as consumer responses in the context of brands using advertising appeals under the moderating role of rainbow LGBTQ + ads. Therefore, the S-O-R theory provides an appropriate framework for exploring how advertising appeals under the moderating role of rainbow LGBTQ + ads (external stimuli) affect inner & social self-expressive (as organisms) to predict consumers’ behavioral intention (response).

2.2. Hypothesis development

2.2.1. Moderating effects of rainbow LGBTQ + ads

According to Leite (2022), LGBTQ + representation in advertising takes the shape of imagery such as the LGBTQ + flag, rainbow, illustrations of same-sex couples, and so on. As a result, to measure the direct impact of LGBTQ + ads on behavioral intention, a combination of many of those elements is needed. In this study, the rainbow factor is the main focus since it is the world’s most recognized LGBTQ + symbol. According to Wareham (2020), the rainbow’s distinct and brilliant colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet combine to provide a strong emblem for the LGBT + community. Li (2022) demonstrates that during Pride Month in June, companies are more welcoming to LGBTQ + individuals. During this period, businesses promote items and marketing with rainbows and equality-themed language (Champlin & Li, 2020). Several global companies have incorporated rainbow colors in their advertising and donated a portion of the revenues from such campaigns to groups that protect the rights of the LGBTQ + community.

Rainbow LGBTQ + ads are supposed to be a form of self-expressive for LGBTQ + consumers. According to Oakenfull and Greenlee (2005), advertisers efficiently target gay and lesbian consumers by allowing them to identify themselves via the product being promoted, which implies the brand is offering LGBTQ + consumers a chance to inner self-express. Bond and Farrell (2020) study also found that exposure to advertisements with sexual imagery in line with the audience’s sexuality leads to favorable consumer behavioral outcomes. So, we propose that rainbow LGBTQ + ads serve as a moderator in the link between advertising appeal and inner self-expressive:

H₁: Rainbow LGBTQ + ads moderate the effect of advertising appeal to inner self-expressive.

The outcomes obtained by businesses adopting LGBTQ + advertising appeal are still under discussion. Previous research has found that commercials featuring same-gender couples elicit more negative reactions and emotions than traditional imagery (Angelini & Bradley, 2010). However, public acceptance of homosexuality has expanded dramatically in recent decades (Ghaziani et al., 2016), which is expected to influence consumers’ perceptions of LGBTQ + ads. Many attempts have been made to achieve equality for the LGBTQ + population, resulting in companies staying connected with consumers by displaying their viewpoints on the subject (Snyder, 2015). Firms applying LGBT-supportive policies grabbed lots of attention and received value in their business operations (Chintrakarn et al., 2020; Hossain et al., 2020). Consumers may demonstrate their support for the LGBTQ + community through rainbow LGBTQ + ads, improving what others think of them or how society sees them. As a result, it is reasonable to speculate that rainbow LGBTQ + ads serve as a moderator in the link between advertising appeals and social self-expressive:

H₂: Rainbow LGBTQ + ads moderate the effect of advertising appeal to social self-expressive.

2.2.2. Advertising appeal & behavioral intention

Advertising appeal includes both emotional and rational appeal, which is assessed on five dimensions: entertainment, informativeness, deceptiveness, irritation, and advertising value (De Battista et al., 2021). It is concluded that advertising appeal can lead to a favorable appraisal of specific items or services (Nguyen, 2014). Previous research has identified advertising appeal as an external source of information that can influence the establishment of consumer beliefs and attitudes, ultimately leading to product purchase intention. The degree to which a person is compelled to perform certain actions is defined as behavioral intention (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980). According to Raza et al. (2017), advertising appeal is deliberately connected to intention. Wardhani and Alif (2019) discovered that advertising appeal, particularly emotional appeals, generated a favorable attitude among consumers toward the commercial and the brand, and so have a higher effect on driving customer purchase intentions. Advertising appeal can lead to the adoption of an attitude or behavior (Lee & Hong, 2016). In accordance with previous observations, we propose the following hypothesis:

H₃: Advertising appeal has a positive effect on behavioral intention.

2.2.3. Advertising appeal and self-expressive (inner & social)

The degree to which customers feel a brand symbolizes their inner self (‘the type of person I actually am on the inside’) or promotes their social self (‘how society views me’) is characterized as self-expressive (Carroll & Ahuvia, 2006). Besides, Jan et al. (2015) noted that fashion may be used to express self-expressive, which can help individuals improve their social standing and become more accepted in a class of society (Rahman et al., 2018). As a result, this study chose the fashion industry due to its relationship to self-expressive.

More study into two types of self-expressive brands is required, according to the emerging literature on the importance of brand self-concept. Recent research on self-expressive brands of Gaustad et al. (2019) also showed that the impacts of brands on the ability to express the inner or social self should be explored individually. Consequently, we perform the research with a separation of inner and social self-expressive.

Self-expressive brands reflect the inner self, mirror consumers’ true selves, serve as an extension of their personality, and represent the type of person they are on the inside (Carroll & Ahuvia, 2006). Consumers nowadays regularly use brands as a way of self-expressive, therefore it stands to reason that they would choose items that match their self-concept (Cătălin & Andreea, 2014). Previous research has also shown that congruent advertising appeals to viewers’ self-concepts are better than incongruent appeals when it comes to optimizing advertising effectiveness (C. Chang, 2014). Therefore, the following hypothesis is logically proposed by this study:

H₄: Advertising appeal has a positive effect on inner self-expressive.

Self-expressive brands having the ability to represent the social self are ones that the consumer believes will enhance their image, reflect their social role, and have a substantial impact on how they are seen by others or society (Carroll & Ahuvia, 2006). Advertising as a socialisation tool was explored by Choi and Burnham (2020), notably in respect to gender representation. Advertisers use social messaging on LGBTQ + equality, ecological consumption, ethics, and racism to differentiate themselves (Chauhan & Shukla, 2016). The purpose of these social advertising appeals is to make people aware of their societal responsibilities, as a result, to develop a positive image as responsible and genuine enterprises for a long-term connection with consumers. In conclusion, advertising appeal is seen to have a favorable influence on social self-expressive as it helps consumers picture themselves in a social position and improves how others judge their attention to social concerns. As a result, we come to the following hypothesis:

H₅: Advertising appeal has a positive effect on social self-expressive.

2.2.4. Self-expressive (inner & social) and behavioral intention

Customers use brands to represent themselves, according to consumer behavior research (Belk, 1988), which piqued marketers’ interest in examining the impact of self-expressive on behavioral intention. Significant research demonstrates that consumers form strong self-brand links in which brands become key aspects of their self-expressive (Sprott et al., 2009), and that such perceptions can have a significant influence on actions (Ruane & Wallace, 2015). Consumers who perceive a brand to be self-expressive are more likely to advocate that brand favorably (Ruane & Wallace, 2015). In accordance with the findings, inner self-expressive can have a favorable effect on behavioral intention. Moreover, inner self-expressive can act as a mediator between advertising appeal and behavioral intention.

H₆: Inner self-expressive has a positive effect on behavioral intention.

Social self-expressive is considered to be significant in determining consumer behavioral intentions. Individuals, according to Hardy and Van Vugt (2006), have a larger motivation to consume in a way that helps society. This is also a reason for firms pursuing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in their operations. Preceding studies indicated that CSR has a positive impact on customers’ behavioral intention including purchase intention, recommend intention, loyalty product evaluation, word of mouth and so on (Deng & Xu, 2017; Palihawadana et al., 2016; Walsh & Bartikowski, 2013). Furthermore, consumers who contact with socially self-expressive brands are more likely to tolerate a brand’s wrongdoing (Wallace et al., 2014). Similar to inner self-expressive, we believe the hypothesis of social self-expressive has a favorable influence on behavioral intention. Additionally, social self-expressive can mediate the link between advertising appeals and behavioral intention.

H₇: Social self-expressive has a positive effect on behavioral intention.

In general, our proposed research model was developed from the S-O-R theory. Advertising appeal is predicted to have a positive influence on consumers’ inner and social self-expressive, which leads to consumers’ behavioral intention with the moderating effect of rainbow LGBTQ + ads (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Proposed research model.

3. Methodology

According to Miller (2005), the experimental approach has been extensively used in consumer behavior research as a powerful way to examine cause-and-effect relationships with a purposely narrow focus and more conclusive findings than other research methods such as observations or surveys. In addition to developing new theories or testing the validity of current ones, experimental consumer research studies can also be used to investigate the fundamental causes of phenomena and establish their boundary conditions (Morales et al., 2017). The best way to examine causal hypotheses is through experimental research since it can confidently establish the first three causality criteria, including association, time order, and non-spuriousness (Chambliss & Schutt, 2018).

3.1. Data collection and sample

To construct an online experiment approach with Vietnamese consumers and U.S. consumers, this study employs data obtained through a self-administered online questionnaire in the form of a Microsoft Form. We conducted an online survey and divided the respondents into two groups at random: those who notice rainbow LGBTQ + ads and those who do not. In this way, we assess the variations in how advertising appeal affects customers’ behavioral intentions. To prevent the respondents from having preconceived notions about real fashion brands, we first created a fictional fashion brand named Mig Clothing. The design of the products and logos (non-LGBTQ+ & LGBTQ+) is then depicted using graphics (Figures 2–4).

Figure 2. Rainbow color palette.

Figure 3. Rainbow color logo designs.

Figure 4. Normal logo designs.

We used the same survey settings for an 8-week global survey. The questionnaire was distributed through Facebook online survey filling groups for Vietnamese participants. Additionally, the survey was distributed using the Messenger app, with contacts urged to complete the questionnaire and share it with other parties. For U.S. participants, the study team traveled to An Thuong streets, My An beach, and Hoi An ancient town, where the majority of foreigners visit and live, to disseminate the survey through a QR code. Furthermore, the team distributed the survey by links and QR codes to foreign exchange survey and foreign expat groups on Facebook. For the sole purpose of this study, all participant data will be maintained in confidence and will not be identified. We employed a check attention question which asked, ‘Please select the response ‘Paper’’ for this question: How do you feel?’ to assess the participants’ attention. Also, the concentration test questions ‘Please choose ‘Agree’ option’ and ‘Please choose ‘Disagree’ option’ (1 = totally disagree to 5 = totally agree) are utilized in the questionnaire. Those who made a choice other than the mandatory response were not included in the sample. After eliminating outliers and incomplete surveys, 472 of the 526 administered questionnaires were determined to be suitable for data analysis. Respondents who were not from the United States were excluded from the sample. In addition, some demographic questions such as gender, age, education level, nationality, and occupation were included at the beginning of the questionnaire.

Based on the research overview, a questionnaire was created and then customized for the Vietnamese and global research contexts. The questions were initially written in English before being translated into Vietnamese. The Vietnamese version of the survey is then back-translated by 5 lecturers from the Faculty of English, University of Foreign Language Studies, University of Danang, Vietnam to ensure translation accuracy. To improve the content validity of the measurement, a pre-test was carried out with a sample of 15 Vietnamese and 15 U.S. users. They were requested to complete the survey and review the questionnaire for readability, relevance, and meaning.

3.2. Variables measurement

The constructs’ measurement items were adopted from previous studies and modified to correspond with the present research setting to ensure content validity. The questionnaire for this study has 26 measurement items modified from earlier research (See Appendix B). Advertising appeal was specifically assessed using 15 items derived from a previous study by Lou and Yuan (2019). Wallace et al. (2014) research was used to assess Inner self-expressive (04 items) and Social self-expressive (04 items). Finally, 03 items derived from Bian and Forsythe (2012) comprised behavioral intention. The measures of each concept were rated using a 5-point Likert scale. ‘Totally Disagree’ was placed at ‘1’ on the scale, and ‘Totally Agree’ was moored at ‘5’. The questionnaire was divided into three sections: an introduction, demographic data of the respondents, and a 26-item evaluation of those respondents (See Appendix C).

4. Results and discussion

4.1. Descriptive statistic

Referring to the research sample description, female constitutes over half of the respondents (equivalent to 53.2%), while males and other genders comprise 36.4% and 10.4%, respectively. Regarding the age criterion, there are 41.1% of respondents in the age range of 18 to 25, while the figure for participants above 45 years old is the lowest (about 12.7%). The proportion of respondents having bachelor’s degrees is the highest, at 40.3%, followed by the data of participants whose highest education level is high school (21.0%). The lowest figure is 2.1% for respondents having a Ph.D. degree. Lastly, students account for the highest portion (32.6%), whereas clerks and officers rank second with 18.0% (See Appendix A). Considering the research sample description by proposed variables, respondents tend to answer at a high level (mean value almost above 3) for most items (Table 1).

Table 1. Sample description.

Construct	Item	Mean	Std. Deviation
Advertising appeal	AP1	3.61	0.971
	AP2	3.52	1.022
	AP3	3.39	1.055
	AP4	3.66	0.988
	AP5	3.41	1.043
	AP6	3.46	0.988
	AP7	3.63	1.063
	AP8	3.63	1.079
	AP9	3.25	1.067
	AP10	3.07	1.025
	AP11	3.30	0.969
	AP12	3.52	0.966
	AP13	3.59	1.084
	AP14	3.71	1.139
	AP15	3.22	1.097
Inner self-expressive	SI1	2.95	1.196
	SI2	3.06	1.146
	SI3	2.99	1.137
	SI4	3.04	1.196
Social self-expressive	SS1	3.22	1.151
	SS2	3.17	1.142
	SS3	3.17	1.127
	SS4	3.20	1.134
Behavioral intention	BI1	3.38	1.012
	BI2	3.28	1.073
	BI3	3.25	1.038

4.2. Measurement validity and construct reliability

In both cases, Cronbach’s alpha of all the latent variable’s advertising appeal, inner self-expressive, social self-expressive, and behavioral intention met the minimal standard of 0.6. The composite reliability of these four constructs also lies between 0.8 and 0.95. Also, VIFs are under the 3.0 cutoff, which means multicollinearity is not a problem (Tables 2 and 3) (Hair et al., 2019).

Table 2. Measurement validity and construct reliability of Vietnamese sample.

Latent constructs	Cronbach’s α	Composite reliability	AVE	1	2	3	4
AP	.798	.858	.548	.740
BI	.812	.889	.727	.544	.853
SI	.869	.910	.717	.358	.574	.847
SS	.855	.902	.697	.441	.658	.754	.835

Table 3. Measurement validity and construct reliability of U.S. sample.

Latent constructs	Cronbach’s α	Composite reliability	AVE	1	2	3	4
AP	.857	.889	.502	.708
BI	.863	.916	.785	.601	.886
SI	.886	.922	.746	.509	.618	.864
SS	.834	.890	.669	.576	.662	.704	.818

4.3. Exploratory factor analysis

In both cases, all scales met the standards of having a KMO between 0.05 and 1, a Sig. value below 0.05, and a cumulative percent of extraction above 50%. Also, all item factor loadings surpass 0.5. They reveal that the sample qualifies for EFA analysis, variable correlations exist and each latent variable only generates one component.

4.4. Structural equation model testing

Measuring the connections between observed and latent variables using structural equation modeling (SEM) could include two primary methods: Covariance based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) and Partial Least Squares based Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Among them, PLS-SEM approach enables researchers to estimate complex models involving various constructs, indicator variables, and structural pathways without imposing distributional hypotheses on the data (Sarstedt et al., 2017; Wold, 1982). Additionally, PLS-SEM can be utilized for both prediction and explanation, while CB-SEM is solely applicable to explanation (Hair et al., 2017). According to Dash and Paul (2021), PLS-SEM has the major advantage of being able to specify both formative and reflective measurement models, whereas CB-SEM is limited to utilization with reflective measurement models. Since our study’s model combines formative and reflective constructs, PLS-SEM would be the most appropriate technique for our analysis. In other words, structural model testing with SmartPLS 4.0 is employed to assess the hypotheses of our study (Table 4).

Table 4. Structural equation modeling results.

	SI		SS		BI
	VN	U.S.	VN	U.S.	VN	U.S.
Direct effect
AP	.454***	.358**	.201**	.173*	.309***	.290***
Mediators
SI			.690***	.541***	.161*	.242**
SS					.401***	.325***
Moderators
ADS	−.168	−.015	.133	.420***
Interaction Effect
ADS	−.155	.250*	−.016	.188*
R square	.141	.274	.606	.610	.525	.539

4.4.1. The moderating effect of rainbow LGBTQ + ads

Regarding the VN case, ADS had an insignificant moderating impact on the linking between AP and SI (β = -.155, p> .1), also AP and SS (β = -.016, p> .1). Contrarily, in the U.S. case, ADS significantly and positively moderated both relationships between AP and SI (β = .250, p< .05), AP and SS (β = .188, p< .05). Thus, H₁ and H₂ were supported in the US but not in Vietnam. The observed results showed that rainbow LGBTQ + ads only moderate the correlation between advertising appeal and self-expressive in the case using a the U.S. sample, while the remaining case does not. The reason could be that there is a greater level of self-determination and higher acceptance towards the LGBTQ + community in the US compared to Asian countries. The mainstream beliefs and attitudes towards this community are shifting in meaningful ways (Frankel & Ha, 2020). Hence, in the U.S. sample, the moderating role of rainbow LGBTQ + ads fosters the customer’s perception of self-expressive brands, shedding light on why there was a rapidly growing interest in LGBTQ culture and its prominence in fashion marketing (Bhat et al., 1996).

4.4.2. The direct effect of advertising appeal on behavioral intention

AP has a significant and supportive influence on BI in both the VN case (β=.309, p < .001) and U.S. case (β=.290, p < .001), this finding is also in line with the prior study’s findings of Diehl et al. (2011); Raza et al. (2019). Hence, the results support H₃ in both Vietnam and the US context.

4.4.3. The mediating effect of inner self-expressive

Referring to the VN case, there is a favorable connection between AP and SI (β=.454, p < .001), SI and BI (β=.161, p< .05). Therefore, SI partially mediates the correlation between AP and BI. Furthermore, SI had a substantial and possible effect on SS (β=.690, p< .001), and SS had a similar effect on BI (β=.401, p< .001). It means that SI and SS performed as partial serial mediators in the relationship between AP and BI. In U.S. case, similarly, SI partially mediated the favorable link between AP and BI, and that link was also partially serial mediated by SI and SS. Thus, supporting H₄ and H₆ in both countries studied.

4.4.4. The mediating effect of social self-expressive

There is a substantial relationship between AP and SS in both the VN case (β=.201, p< .01) and U.S. case (β=.173, p< .05). Similarly, both cases showed that SS had a significant impact on BI (p< .001). Therefore, in both cases, SS partially mediated the correlation between AP and BI, accepting H₅ and H₇ in these two national settings.

Inner self-expressive and social self-expressive play quite well as mediators associating advertising appeal with users’ behavioral intention. Besides, there was an unexpected outcome that inner self-expressive had a significant influence on social self-expressive. Consumers express their inner identity through brands (Batra et al., 2012), in which tangible items play a role as means of expression within the framework of the fashion industry. Consequently, this also leads to how society perceives them. Since inner and social self-expressive are linked, the relationship between advertising appeal and behavioral intention is serially mediated through these two variables.

5. Conclusion

5.1. Theoretical implications

First, we examine the role rainbow LGBTQ + ads play in regulating self-expressive brands, particularly the social element, based on the S-O-R Theory. Additionally, the involvement of rainbow LGBTQ + ads as moderators has helped in the construction of a model for the impact of advertising appeals on consumers’ behavioral intentions. We focused on improving the study methods and exploiting the impact of advertising containing LGBTQ + components on both Vietnamese and U.S. consumers as it is a new factor compared to prior studies. This exemplified the importance of rainbow LGBTQ + ads in marketing, which may influence consumers’ behavioral intentions directly or indirectly based on their demographic, cultural, and geographical traits. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) iconography has become more prevalent in advertisements in recent years, drawing the attention of marketing professionals and academics (Northey et al., 2020). Understanding how these consumers are represented in the media is increasingly important as the LGBTQ movement matures and the market’s interest rises (Nölke, 2018). Eisend and Hermann (2019) and Ginder and Byun (2015) identified gaps in the existing body of literature pertaining to LGBTQ consumer research. This present study aims to address these gaps by providing a more comprehensive elucidation of the factors influencing the perception of rainbow LGBTQ representation in advertising, specifically regarding its favorability.

Second, we learned from our research that self-expressive brands have a partial mediation function in the link between advertising appeals and behavioral intention. Based on earlier research, this conclusion is entirely consistent. We anticipate that the partial mediating function of self-expressive brands will add to the list of factors influencing the relationship between advertising appeal and behavioral intention from previous studies since the relationship between advertising appeal and behavioral intention is dynamic in nature (Raza et al., 2017).

Finally, our research will further the concept of examining how societal values, particularly gender equality, affect the LGBTQ + community’s right to self-expressive and the reimagining of marketing strategies for the digital age.

5.2. Managerial implications

Businesses, marketers that wish to engage consumers globally should think about creating marketing campaigns with advertising that support societal principles like gender equality, particularly for the LGBTQ + community (when this issue is spreading across countries). These messages ought to satiate consumers’ desires for internal and interpersonal expression. They also need to be more watchful to avoid being accused of ‘rainbow washing’. To raise revenues, some brands tried to concentrate on developing rainbow marketing strategies by capitalizing on new social trends and growing consumer base. This might cause waves of controversy if clients feel exploited or if members of LGBTQ + community feel offended by being used as a tool for business gain.

The study found that consumer reactions to advertisements featuring or excluding LGBTQ + aspects differ by countries. Based on the result, rainbow LGBTQ + ads only moderate the correlation between advertising appeal and self-expressive in U.S. case, meanwhile, the opposite situation was witnessed in Vietnamese case. Following that, in regions with more acceptance and positive growth in attitudes towards the LGBTQ + community, like the U.S., such advertising appeals are more likely to resonate with consumers on a personal level. In contrast, in areas where acceptance is lower, as often found in some Asian countries like Vietnam, the impact of these ads might be less pronounced in terms of influencing self-expressive perceptions.

These findings underscore the importance for marketers to exercise caution when creating advertising campaigns with LGBTQ + components in various countries, especially in developing countries with Asian cultures where mistakes may cost businesses money and potential customers. It also highlights the importance for companies to consider how consumers perceive and evaluate brand advertising to develop effective and ethical marketing strategies. Global informed consumers have higher expectations for products, services, information, presenting both challenges and opportunities for firms to achieve sustainable growth goals while addressing social issues.

Furthermore, consumers are putting increasing pressure on advertisers to be inclusive (Wiklund, 2022). Decisions about whether to include LGBTQ + representation may be made in a hurry without giving careful thought to the brand’s personality, its audience, and the complex interactions between these factors. This is similar to other pressures that force marketers to make quick adjustments to the marketing environment (e.g. branding changes, websites pivoting to video content, etc.). Additionally, our study points to the possibility that ideology may influence creative decisions more generally. It is also important to consider consumer reactions to advertising to avoid accusations of rainbow-washing in marketing, especially amid the globally growing acceptance of the LGBTQ + community.

The acceptance of LGBTQ + individuals in developed countries like the US is an emerging trend that may lead to changes in consumer habits globally. This presents an opportunity for companies to adjust their production and marketing strategies to promote gender equality principles. Adapting to the evolving social and human rights landscape will be beneficial for businesses, and this trend is being driven by strong countries and is expected to spread globally.

Finally, businesses should prioritize meeting the needs of LGBTQ + consumers as society becomes more accepting of gender equality. It is important for businesses to establish goods and marketing plans that respect and do not exploit this group of people to avoid negative perceptions. Showing kindness and respect towards the LGBTQ + community can help businesses flourish sustainably.

6. Limitations and further research

First, the number of samples will be limited, making it difficult to give the most objective results. Second, we employed only three products from two brands in our experiment. The number of goods simply represented the bare minimum for product generalizability. In future research, it would be good to add more products from various brands. Third, we test the effects of advertising images on behavioral intention, however, there are other factors to consider. In other words, LGBTQ + ads and self-expressive brands are merely two of the decision-making criteria and may not ultimately affect a customer’s purchasing choice. Further research is thus required to develop a more comprehensive campaign that people may directly experience. The sample size might be increased and more variables regarding the perceptions of the consumers might be added. The study can be conducted in the context of some other industry (while we have just studied the fashion area). Future studies look at more dimensions of the influence of the LGBTQ + factor in several different industries, in addition to the factors affecting customers’ self-expression.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)

Additional information

Funding

This research is partly funded by the University of Danang, University of Economics, Vietnam.

Notes on contributors

Loan Pham Thi Be

Loan Pham Thi Be a Full-time Lecturer and Researcher of the Faculty of International Business at University of Economics-The University of Danang since 2012. Her research interests include Social Marketing, Brand Management, Cross-Cultural Management, and Socially Responsible Consumer Behavior. She recently holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from Grenoble Alpes University.

Dinh Tran Dinh

Dinh Tran Dinh a fourth-year student in International Business major at University of Economics, The University of Danang. She takes an interest in researching Social Responsibility, recently specifically in the setting of social entrepreneurship. Through her favorite research field, she aims to investigate the effects of how social organizations operate.

Ha Le Thi Khanh

Ha Le Thi Khanh an International Business student at University of Economics, The University of Danang. She is interested in social sciences and marketing fields. Her interest focuses on the underlying causes of customer behavior and motivation in diverse marketing contexts such as e-commerce.

Thao Dinh Thi Phuong

Thao Dinh Thi Phuong a fourth-year International Business student at University of Economics, The University of Danang. She is interested in understanding how psychological factors affect users’ behavior and their decision-making. Understanding these factors will assist any marketer in understanding the behavior of their consumers to successfully appeal to them.

Thao Le Nguyen Phuong

Thao Le Nguyen Phuong a last-year International Business student at University of Economics, The University of Danang. She is interested in the human desire to experience the product through other senses, how to integrate Virtual Reality Technology into the buying experience, and how materials to activate senses influence consumer decisions.

Appendices

Appendix A.

Descriptive statistics.

Table

Respondent	Vietnamese	U.S	Total
Sample size	236	236	472
	50.0%	50.0%	100.0%
Gender	50.0%	50.0%	100.0%
Male	16.3%	20.1%	36.4%
Female	30.9%	22.2%	53.2%
Others	2.8%	7.6%	10.4%
Age	50.0%	50.0%	100.0%
From 18 to 26	23.5%	17.6%	41.1%
From 27 to 35	8.7%	14.0%	22.7%
From 36 to 45	12.7%	10.8%	23.5%
Above 45	5.1%	7.6%	12.7%
Education	50.0%	50.0%	100.0%
Lower than high school	5.3%	1.5%	6.8%
High school	13.1%	7.8%	21.0%
College	6.6%	9.5%	16.1%
Bachelor	19.1%	21.2%	40.3%
Master	5.3%	8.5%	13.8%
PhD	0.6%	1.5%	2.1%
Job	50.0%	50.0%	100.0%
Student	18.2%	14.4%	32.6%
Teacher, Lecturer	6.6%	4.2%	10.8%
Clerk, Officer	9.1%	8.9%	18.0%
Civil Servant	2.3%	0.0%	2.3%
Start-up	3.4%	4.4%	7.8%
Business Household, Business Owner	2.8%	5.9%	8.7%
Housewife, Retirement	0.8%	1.9%	2.8%
General Labor	4.2%	4.9%	9.1%
Others	2.5%	5.3%	7.8%

Appendix B.

Measurement scales

Table

Constructs	Research items	Sources
Advertising appeal	Advertising value [AP1] Advertising is valuable. [AP2] Advertising is useful. [AP3] Advertising is important. Informativeness [AP4] Advertisements supply relevant information on products. [AP5] Advertising provides timely information on products. [AP6] Advertisements tell people about products when they need the information. Deceptiveness [AP7] Advertisements are deceptive. [AP8] Advertisements lie. [AP9] Important facts about products are left out of advertisements. Entertainment [AP10] Advertisements are entertaining. [AP11] Advertising is enjoyable. [AP12] Advertisements are pleasing. Irritation [AP13] Advertising is irritating. [AP14] Advertisements insult people’s intelligence. [AP15] There is too much advertising.	(Lou & Yuan, 2019)
Self-expressive	Inner self-expressive [SI1] This brand symbolizes the kind of person I really am inside. [SI2] This brand reflects my personality. [SI3] This brand is an extension of my inner self. [SI4] This brand mirrors the real me. Social self-expressive [SS1] This brand contributes to my image. [SS2] This brand adds to the social ‘role’ I play. [SS3] This brand has a positive impact on what others think of me. [SS4] This brand improves the way society views me.	(Wallace et al., 2014)
Behavioral intention	[BI1] I intend to purchase from this brand next time. [BI2] I will recommend this brand to my family or friends. [BI3] The probability I would consider buying this brand is high.	(Bian & Forsythe, 2012; Kuo & Wu, 2012; MacDonald & Smith, 2004)

Appendix C

Questionnaire

PART 1: surveyor’s information

1. Your gender:

   • Male

   • Female

   • Others

2. Your education:

   • Lower than high school

   • High school

   • College

   • Bachelor

   • Master

   • PhD

3. Which age group are you in?

   • From 18 to 26

   • From 27 to 35

   • From 36 to 45

   • Above 45

4. What is your nationality?

   • American

   • Vietnamese

   • Others

5. What is your current career?

   • Student

   • Lecturer

   • Civil Servants

   • Clerk, Officer

   • Start-up

   • Business Household, Business Owner

   • Homemaker/retirees

   • Employee

   • Others

PART 2: evaluate

To confirm that you have read the instructions carefully and focused on our survey, please skip the next question about how you feel, and you only choose the ‘Paper’ option to answer this question. Thank you for your concentration!

Please choose 1 word that describes your current feeling or state.

• Angry

• Anxious

• Excited

• Happy

• Paper

• Proud

• Ashamed

—————————

Random assign:

Case 1:

Next, you will be asked to look carefully at some promotional images of a brand during Pride Month, then answer a few questions related to this image.

*Note: Pride Month is a month-long observance in celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people-and the history, culture, and contributions of these people and their communities.

Case 2:

Next, you will be asked to look closely at some promotional images of an international brand and answer a few questions related to this image.

Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements after viewing the ad above.

Table

1	2	3	4	5
Totally disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Totally agree

10. Advertising appeal

Table

	1	2	3	4	5
Advertising is valuable
Advertising is useful
Advertising is important
Advertisements supply relevant information on products
Advertising provides timely information on products
Advertisements tell people about products when they need the information
Advertisements are deceptive
Advertisements lie
Please choose ‘4’ option
Important facts about products are left out of advertisements
Advertisements are entertaining
Advertising is enjoyable/ Quảng cáo thật thú vị
Advertisements are pleasing
Advertising is irritating
Advertisements insult people’s intelligence
There is too much advertising

11. Self-expressive

Table

Social perspective	1	2	3	4	5
This brand symbolizes the kind of person I really am inside
This brand reflects my personality
This brand is an extension of my inner self
This brand mirrors the real me
Inner perspective
This brand contributes to my image
This brand adds to the social ‘role’ I play
This brand has a positive impact on what others think of me
This brand improves the way society views me

12. Behavioral intention

Table

	1	2	3	4	5
I intend to purchase from this brand next time
I will recommend this brand to my family or friends
Please choose ‘1’ option
The probability I would consider buying this brand is high

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESTIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS!