The Impact of Soft-Sell Appeal in TikTok on the Attitude towards the Ads

FLAVEGI MONESA, EVI RINAWATI SIMANJUNTAK

Management Department,

Binus Business School Master Program, Bina Nusantara University,

Jl. Hang Lekir I No.6, Senayan, Jakarta Pusat, DKI Jakarta - 10270,

INDONESIA

Abstract: - This research analyses the impact of soft-sell advertising dimensions (image, feeling, and implicitness)

on TikTok's viewers’ purchase intentions through a positive attitude toward the ads. While many studies about soft-

sell appeals, this research adds external validity to those studies by using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR)

framework in the context of soft-selling in TikTok short videos. Since TikTok is now used for selling, the short

video advertisements may drive purchase intention. We used a quantitative survey method with social media users

in Indonesia. Data were collected using non-probability sampling with a purposive sampling method. We collected

209 usable responses and tested the hypothesis using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM)

using SmartPLS 4.0. Findings show that the data support all four hypotheses; the three soft-sell dimensions drive a

positive attitude toward the ad and positively impact purchase intention. While all three soft-selling dimensions

drive the positive attitude toward the ad, image plays the most crucial role. The study contributes to understanding

advertising theory, especially theories about message appeal affecting viewers’ behaviour, offering practical

implications for advertising content creators.

Key-Words: - soft-sell, attitude toward the ad, advertising appeal, implicitness, image, feeling, purchase intention.

Received: February 22, 2024. Revised: July 21, 2024. Accepted: August 16, 2024. Published: September 26, 2024.

1 Introduction

Due to the proliferation of digital marketing, customer

interactions between firms and their clients have

significantly changed. The interaction, availability of

various content, and digital format enable smooth and

personalized customer communication. Typically,

consumers who use internet resources for shopping

rely on social media, [1].

Millennials now frequently interact with

influencer posts on social media, showing them the

combination of commercial content and entertainment

aspects in influencer video marketing, [2]. TikTok, a

video-sharing social media app, has increased in

popularity since its launch in 2016. While its

popularity is unquestionable at first sight, it provides

capabilities previously available on well-established

platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook,

[3]. Unlike Facebook, a text-based social media

platform, and Instagram, a picture-based platform,

TikTok is a platform for short videos, [4]. Studying

the marketing communication style used in quick

video content on this platform is essential. Based on

the messages in short marketing videos uploaded to

TikTok, we can differentiate them into hard-selling

(advertising the product and service in an obvious

way) and soft-selling (non-obvious advertising).

The impact of soft-sell advertising has been

extensively studied in the past. However, few studies

have examined the relationship between soft-sell

advertising and purchase intention in high-context

cultures. The majority of Asian languages, like the

Indonesian language, are high context. In high-context

culture, an indirect communication style is preferred;

the words should not be too ‘forward,’ too ‘brash,’ or

bold; it should be more visual and with much more

non-verbal signs than in cultures with low-context

communication, [5].

However, globalization may shift this trend to

more explicit communication, and people prefer direct

verbal interaction. Due to this shift in the

communication trend, the authors are drawn to

investigate whether soft-selling approaches still form

positive attitudes toward the message in high-context

cultures. In the context of TikTok ads, it is essential to

understand whether the impact of soft selling is still

positive and, therefore, preferable. This study will

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Flavegi Monesa, Evi Rinawati Simanjuntak

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help marketers choose the right message strategy

when advertising on TikTok in a high-context culture.

2 Problem Formulation (Literature

Review and Hypotheses

Formulation)

2.1 Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR)

Theory

The stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory

indicates that external stimuli affect an individual's

affective (feeling) and cognitive (perception)

reactions, which in turn shape individual behaviour.

This study examined frameworks for online consumer

behaviour using the SOR model, [5]. Customers are

triggered by the stimulus, including situational or

marketing stimuli, [6]. This study's stimulus comes

from the three soft-sell message appeal dimensions

(image, feeling, and explicitness). A person's affective

and cognitive states represent their internal state,

known as the organism [7]; it is also seen as a

transition condition between the stimulus and the

response, [8]. In this study, attitude towards the ad

acts as the organism, as it results from the stimuli.

Intention to purchase is a positive response resulting

from the attitude towards the ad.

2.2 Soft Sell Advertising

Soft-sell advertising works on three components that

evoke: (1) the degree of emotion, (2) the degree of

implication, and (3) the degree to which the

advertisement expresses the image, [9]. We propose

and endorse the following changes to terminology to

establish the specification of soft sell appeal

dimensions: an emotional (feeling) that is a response

from the audience. These appeals are often reserved

and indirect; images or moods may be conveyed using

beautiful scenes, emotionally charged narrative

progression, or other indirect methods. Below are

details of the three components used to implement

soft-sell appeals.

2.2.1 Feeling

Soft-selling causes emotional reactions to the stimuli

used in advertising. Soft-sell uses implicit and image-

focused communications to arouse feelings, [10]. This

emotional connection can lead to stronger brand

attachment and a willingness to pay higher prices for

branded products or services, [11]. Several theories

support the idea that both emotion and cognition

influence persuasive communication. Many previous

studies have investigated the extent to which ads are

designed to evoke emotion rather than logical

thinking. For example, the cognitive response

hypothesis posits that thoughts and feelings, or

“cognitive responses, " shape and change attitudes”,

[12].

2.2.2 Implicitness

Implicitness refers to using subdued or indirect

language, including storytelling or emotional appeals,

to make a point without making it clear, [13]. Soft-sell

appeals transform and can result in the semantic

expansion or multiplication of meaning when utilized

in delicate, indirect, and subtle communications, [10].

Soft-sell does not specifically underline a product's

competitive advantage and could be more sales-

oriented, [10]. Subtle methods are used in implicit

advertising to communicate a company's message,

letting customers judge.

2.2.3 Image

Soft-selling attempts to evoke emotions by using

implicit and image-focused messaging, [10]. A prior

study found that non-textual information about

products and brands, such as size, color, and brand

logos, can significantly influence how well

advertisement’s function and how consumers view the

products, [14]. In advertising, "image" refers to the

general opinion or impression that a customer gets of

a product or brand from its advertising. It

encompasses the emotional and visual connections

made by advertising messages, including the

messaging, imagery, and color choices, [15]. Products

are endowed with unique properties through a

symbolic relationship, [16]. When a product is

“installed” in a symbolic environment, it acquires

meaning beyond its functions and components.

2.3 Attitude towards the Advertisement

Attitude toward the ad is the audience’s affective

reaction to the ad [17]. It is a good determinant of how

effective the message is [18], [19], [20]. The

consumer's attitude influences their behaviour,

positively impacting their desire to purchase.

Consumer attitudes in the online environment are

influenced by various factors, including perceived

benefits, perceived advertising value, customers’

delight, electronic word-of-mouth, and perceived

social presence, [21]. Attitudes toward social media

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advertising significantly impact millennial purchasing

desire, and peer communication significantly affects

purchase intention, [22].

2.4 Purchase Intention

Purchase intention is customers' willingness and

ability to acquire recommended things after using

social media, [23]. One research study discovered that

social media is a visible consumption channel that

increases purchase intention and has a beneficial

impact, [24]. In TikTok advertisements, purchase

intention can be described as TikTok users' propensity

or willingness to acquire a product or service

promoted on the platform, [25]. Soft-sell advertising

affects purchase intention more when using celebrity

endorsements than social media influencers, [26].

2.5 Hypothesis Development

Both positive and negative emotions are evoked by

advertising, which impacts users' attitudes in general.

A person's attitude is influenced by how they feel

about the advertisement, which might affect whether

they plan to purchase, [27]. The relationship between

affect (emotional feelings) and attitude towards the ad

has been extensively studied, and the evidence

strongly supports a positive relationship between the

constructs. This means that emotional feelings

positively and significantly impact attitude towards

the ad [28]. Therefore, it can be concluded that

attitude toward the advertisement is positively

influenced by feeling, as stated in the following

hypotheses:

H1: Feeling has a positive impact on attitude towards

the ad.

Implicit messages in advertising, such as those

conveyed through visuals or music, can positively and

significantly impact attitudes toward the ad and brand,

[28]. In contrast to advertisements with literal

messages, ads with metaphors increase cognitive

elaboration and attitudes toward the ad, [29].

Incidental stimuli, such as the unpurposive display of

an advertisement banner, can develop an implicit

positive attitude toward the advertised brand, [30].

Therefore, we derive the following hypotheses:

H2: Implicitness has a positive impact on attitude

towards the ad.

Image significantly impacts attitudes towards

advertising, [31]. When consumers can quickly and

vividly imagine themselves in the advertisement's

content, it enhances their engagement and connection

with the ad, [32], [33]. find that the image used in the

advertisement can impact attitudes toward the ad,

[34]. From the above elaboration, we can hypothesize

that:

H3: Image has a positive impact on attitude

towards the ad.

A positive attitude toward full-length and

skippable advertisements influences consumers'

intentions to purchase, [27], [35]. It may be concluded

that attitude toward the ad has a favourable and

considerable impact on purchase intention, [36]. A

study finds that attitude toward the ad positively and

significantly impacts the intention to purchase, [37],

[38]. Much research on attitudes agrees that attitudes

are strong, direct, and positive predictors of intentions,

[39]. Another study found that while consumers'

attitudes toward advertising positively and

significantly impacted brand attitudes and purchase

intent, the soft-selling appeal led to stronger purchase

intent, [40]. Thus, we propose the following

hypothesis:

H4: Attitude toward the ad positively impacts the

customer's purchase intention.

Referring to the derived hypothesis, a conceptual

research framework is established by utilizing

previously discussed theoretical concepts, as shown in

Figure 1.

Feeling

Implicitness

Image

Attitude toward

the ads

Purchase

Intention

Fig. 1: Conceptual Model, [9], [41]

3 Method

3.1 Data Collection

This research uses a quantitative survey method with

non-probability sampling (i.e., purposive sampling).

Data was collected using an online survey via Google

Forms, and distributed via social media (WhatsApp,

Instagram, LinkedIn, Line). Respondents were filtered

before filling out the questionnaire to ensure the

responses came from a suitable target respondent. The

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target population for this study was millennials and

Gen Z in Jakarta. The unit of analysis in this study is

TikTok users who have purchased products after

watching short video advertisements on TikTok.

The questionnaire was divided into several parts.

The first part collects respondents’ demographic and

psychographic profiles, while the second part collects

responses for measurement items. The data collection

period was two months, from August to October 2023.

After filtering out those who did not align with this

study's unit of analysis, we collected 209 usable

respondents.

Table 1. Respondent’s profile

Gender

Frequency

Percent

Male

40.2%

Female

125

59.8%

Age

Frequency

Percent

18-27

34.0%

28-37

24.9%

38-47

29.2%

48-57

12.0%

Education

Frequency

Percent

Bachelor’s degree

127

60.8%

Master’s degree

13.9%

Postgraduate

11.0%

Senior High School

14.4%

Occupation

Frequency

Percent

State employee

18.2%

Private employee

29.2%

Student

15.3%

Entrepreneur

37.3%

Source: Researcher’s collected data

Table 1 shows that the majority of the respondents

are Female (59.8%), and for the Age, most of them

are in within 18-27 (34.0&), with educational

background are in bachelor’s degree with the

percentage of 60.8%. Lastly, the occupation is private

employee (29.2%).

The majority (34%) of our respondents are from

Generation Z, which is the average age of TikTok

viewers, followed by the older generation (Gen Y and

Gen X). Females make up ~60% of respondents.

Respondents are well educated (bachelor's degrees

and above contribute to ~85% of the respondents),

with most of the respondents being productive in their

jobs (~85%) and the rest being students (~15%).

Quantitative data is measured on a numerical scale

(numbers). This research uses quantitative data from

questionnaire responses on a Likert Scale of 1-5 (score

5 = Very important, 4 = Important, 3 = Sufficient, 2 =

Not important, and score 1 = Very Not Important). The

Likert scale measures the attitudes, opinions, and

perceptions of a person or group of people about social

phenomena, [42].

This research uses data analysis in the Partial

Least Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) method,

using Smart PLS 4 Version 4.0.9.5. The PLS-SEM

method is widely used in social science research, as it

enables the estimate of complex models with many

constructs, indicator variables, and structural paths

without a strict requirement on the normal distribution

of the data, [43]. There are two broad approaches to

executing SEM: covariance-based SEM and variance-

based SEM. Among variance-based SEM, PLS-SEM

is considered to be fully developed and uses a general

approach. PLS-SEM is also well-known as a causal-

predictive approach that emphasizes model prediction,

which is aligned with the objective of this study, i.e. to

predict the purchase intention of the viewers.

PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data in two

stages. The first stage tests the validity and reliability

of the measurement items (called the measurement

model), and the second stage tests the hypothesis

(called the structural model), [44].

The 27 measurement items of soft-sell dimensions

are taken from [41]; 5 items for attitude toward the ad

are taken from [45] and [37], and 5 items measuring

purchase intention are taken from [44] and [40]. Using

a back-to-back translation method, questionnaire

items are translated into the local (Indonesian)

language. A pilot test was conducted to ensure the

questions would be well understood by the

respondents.

Figure 2 shows the structure of an SEM model in

this study, comprised of a Measurement Model and a

Structural Model.

Fig. 2: SEM Model, [41], [42]

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3.2 Measurement (Outer) Model Assessment

Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess

the reliability and validity of the measures. Cronbach's

Alpha (CA) and composite reliability (CR) values

were calculated to determine whether the

measurement items fulfil the reliability requirement.

Since Cronbach’s Alpha is considered to give a less

precise measure of reliability, the composite reliability

and rho A value must also be considered when using

PLS-SEM, [43]. Reliability values above 0.70 are

considered good, with higher values in CA, rho A, and

CR indicating higher levels of reliability.

We tested the convergent validity by looking at

AVE values that show 0.50 or higher, suggesting the

construct accounts for 50 percent or greater of the

variability in the items that constitute the construct.

The construct validity of the measurement items is

measured by factor loading, with a value > 0.708

confirming validity.

The PLS algorithm in the Smart PLS4 provides the

statistical output of measurement model assessment.

The results can be seen in Table 2.

Table 2. Measurement items assessment

Variables and Statement Items FL CA rho A CR AVE

1. Without realizing it, I understood the message of this TikTok Ad. 0.714

2. I feel this TikTok ad is creative 0.898

3. I find this TikTok ad instinctively interesting 0.737

4. I feel like this TikTok ad makes the audience feel something. 0.708

5. I feel this TikTok ad triggers the audience's imagination. 0.703

6. I feel like this TikTok ad is open to interpretation. 0.794

7. I feel like this TikTok ad is not being honest enough. 0.726

8. I feel like this TikTok ad doesn't show a clear picture. 0.803

9. I feel this ad is Irrelevant to me 0.709

1. This TikTok ad doesn't really stand out. 0.706

2. This TikTok ad gives subtle advice 0.737

3. This TikTok ad doesn't directly say what they are selling. 0.848

4. This TikTok ad contains an implied message in it. 0.875

5. This TikTok ad doesn't exactly say anything. 0.768

6. This TikTok ad touches on something in a subtle way. 0.755

7. This TikTok ad attracts attention. 0.758

8. This TikTok ad builds closeness. 0.797

9. This TikTok ad is expressive. 0.828

1. This TikTok ad focuses on images and visuals. 0.74

2. This TikTok ad is entertaining. 0.776

3. This TikTok ad is full of interpretation. 0.721

4. This TikTok ad uses symbols to convey meaning. 0.712

5. This TikTok ad tends to touch the soul 0.753

6. This TikTok ad does not show the appearance of the product. 0.774

7. This TikTok ad focuses on Appearance. 0.723

8. This TikTok ad is cheerful. 0.712

9. This TikTok ad focuses on creating an impression. 0.793

1. Overall, I consider this TikTok ad to be a good thing 0.812

2. This TikTok ad makes me want to buy the advertised product. 0.862

3. Overall, I like this TikTok ad. 0.717

4. I consider this TikTok ad very important. 0.778

5. Overall my impression of this TikTok ad is very good. 0.725

1. I am interested in buying the product in this TikTok ad. 0.725

2. I want to shop more often on TikTok ads. 0.919

3. I would like to buy back on TikTok ads in the future. 0.733

4. I am very interested in buying the product advertised on TikTok. 0.718

5. most likely, I will buy the product advertised on this tiktok. 0.756

0.832

0.867

0.881

0.599

Purchase Intention (PI)

0.900

0.904

0.918

0.556

Image (IMG)

0.839

0.851

0.886

0.610

Attitude Towards The Ad (ATT)

0.907

0.919

0.923

0.573

Feeling (FL)

0.923

0.928

0.936

0.620

Implicitness (IMP)

Source: Researcher’s analysis – SmartPLS4 output

As shown in Table 2, all variables offer good

construct reliability, confirmed by Cronbach's Alpha

and Composite Reliability values above 0.7. The

factor loadings of all the items were > 0.70,

confirming the construct validity, and the average

variance extracted (AVE) of the latent variables was

above 0.50 for all the study constructs, indicating

good convergent validity.

We tested discriminant validity by looking at

Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) values, which must be

lower than 0.85 for conceptually different constructs

and lower than 0.90 for conceptually similar constructs

[43].

Table 3. Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT)

Construc

Attitude

toward the

Feeling Image Implicitness

Purchase

Intention

Attitude toward the ad

Feeling 0.773

Image 0.840 0.739

Implicitness 0.830 0.784 0.795

Purchase Intention 0.803 0.737 0.724 0.703

Source: Researchers’ analysis – SmartPLS4 output

The results in Table 3 show that all values are less

than 0.85, confirming the construct’s discriminant

validity. Therefore, this research can use all

measurement items to measure all the constructs in

this study.

3.3 Structural (Inner) Model Assessment /

Hypothesis Testing

After the measurements in this study met the

standards, a hypothesis analysis was carried out using

the PLS-SEM Software - Smart PLS4 Version 4. In

this stage, the analysis focuses on testing the

relationship between variables in the model, hence

testing the hypothesis. In addition to checking the

statistical significance (p < 0.05), we look at the R2

and the path coefficient. Based on the views of [43],

the significance value must be <0.05, with a weight

close to 0 indicating a weak relationship, while a

weight close to +1 (or -1) indicates a strong positive

(or negative) relationship. Meanwhile, R2 ranges from

0 to 1, with higher values indicating greater

explanatory power and, therefore, favourable. R2

values of 0.75, 0.50, and 0.25 can be classified as

having strong, moderate, and low explanatory power,

respectively.

In this research, we deploy bootstrapping using

5,000 sub-samples to test the hypothesis following the

path model in Figure 3 and a two-tailed statistical test

to confirm the hypothesis.

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Fig. 3: PLS full model (path coefficient)

Source: Researchers’ data – SmartPLS4 output

The results of hypothesis testing showed that the

feeling (ß = 0.232, p < 0.05), implicitness (ß = 0.309,

p < 0.05), and image (ß = 0.359, p < 0.05) positively

and significantly impact the attitude toward the ad.

Likewise, the results revealed that attitude toward the

ad positively impacts purchase intention (ß = 0.702, p

< 0.05), as shown in Table 4.

Table 4. Hypothesis Testing Results

Hypothesis Path Coefficients T Statistics (|O/STDEV|) P Values

Feeling -> Attitude toward the ad 0.232 2.322 0.021

Implicitness -> Attitude toward the ad 0.309 2.952 0.003

Image -> Attitude toward the ad 0.359 3.333 0.001

Attitude toward the ad -> Purchase Intention 0.702 10.073 0.000

Source: Researchers’ data – SmartPLS4 output

Based on the above hypothesis testing result, the

equation model in this study is as follows:

Attitude = 0.232 Feeling + 0.309 Implicitness +

0.359 Image

(1)

Purchase Intention = 0.702 Attitude toward the ad

(2)

Based on Table 4, all four hypotheses proposed

were accepted, with image playing the most crucial

role in shaping a positive attitude toward the ad.

Table 5 shows the R-square (R2) values, indicating a

good fit for the model.

Table 5. R-square values

Variable

R Square

Attitude toward the ad

0.656

Purchase Intention

0.493

Source: Researchers’ data – SmartPLS4 output

Data shows a 65.6% change in the respondent's

attitude toward the ad, driven by the video content's

soft-sell components (feeling, implicitness, and

image). Meanwhile, the attitude toward the

advertisement can predict 49.3% of the purchase

intention.

3.4 Discussion

In the current study, three components of soft-sell

advertising (feeling, implicitness, and image) were

investigated to determine their role as predictors of

attitude toward advertisement and further driving

purchase intention for the promoted goods in the

TikTok video.

Advertising evokes positive and negative

emotions, which impacts users' attitudes in general.

This study confirmed that attitude toward advertising

is positively influenced by feelings, which aligns with

previous research findings, [34].

Several previous journals state that image

significantly impacts attitudes toward advertising; one

of them is from, [32]. When consumers can quickly

and vividly imagine themselves in the advertisement's

content, it enhances their engagement and connection

with the ad, [33]. A TikTok short video that is

entertaining, focuses on appearance, and is cheerful

will impress the viewers. This will create a

willingness to watch longer, creating a positive

attitude toward the ad. In this study, the image shows

the highest impact on attitudes toward the ad.

Implicit messages in advertising, such as those

conveyed through visuals or music, can positively and

significantly impact attitudes toward the ad and brand

[29]. When TikTok videos do not directly say what

they are selling and do not show the product they

promote, it builds closeness and makes viewers better

engaged and, therefore, willing to hear more. This

creates a positive attitude toward the ads. A study

found that the experiment's findings demonstrated that

incidental exposure to an ad banner allows for

forming an implicit positive attitude towards the

advertised brand, [31]. This study's soft-sell

dimension has the second highest impact on attitudes

toward the ad.

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The intensity of emotions associated with

emotional stimuli can positively influence consumers'

attitudes toward advertising, [45]. When an ad can

make the viewer feel something, it will drive them to

have a positive attitude toward the ad and may affect

their plan to purchase, [27], [40]. A touching ad can

also trigger viewers’ imagination and create an effect

on the ad. The relationship between affect (emotional

feelings) and attitude towards the advertisement has

been extensively studied, and our findings strongly

support a positive relationship as previously studied

[28], [44].

Individuals' attitudes toward advertising

significantly influence their intention to purchase

online [35], which aligns with our findings in this

study. In addition to that, a person's disposition

toward an advertisement significantly impacts their

desire to buy, as stated clearly in plenty of previous

research, [36]. One's attitude toward the ad

significantly and favourably influences their intention

to buy [37], [38], [44]. According to those studies,

intention is firmly, directly, and favorably predicted

by attitude, which has been validated in several

contexts, [39]. Another study found that while

consumers' attitudes toward advertising positively and

significantly impacted brand attitudes and purchase

intentions, the soft-selling appeal led to stronger

purchase intentions, [46]. The present study found that

attitudes toward advertisements significantly affected

both attitudes toward brand and purchase intention,

[37], [45]. They discovered in their research that

attitude toward the ad significantly affects purchase

intention for well-known and unknown brands, which

also happens in TikTok.

This finding gives a new perspective on studying

advertising message appeal and audiences’ culture,

[9]. Okazaki, et al., suggest that soft-sell appeals are

less effective in Japan, although Japanese culture is

considered high-context, contrary to this study's

findings, [9]. We also add the external validity of

Mohammadi’s claim that soft-sell ads are preferred in

hedonic and recreational products by looking into

short video watching as entertainment, [47]. This

study also adds an understanding of advertising

theories that, in addition to message content, message

appeals (i.e., soft-sell appeals) are important in

shaping positive attitudes toward the ad, [48].

4 Conclusion and Recommendation

This study examined the relationship between online

purchase intention and social media soft-sell

advertising in Indonesia, using feeling, implicitness,

and image as soft-sell dimensions and attitude toward

the advertisement as a mediating factor. All three soft-

selling components (implicitness, image, feeling)

positively impact the attitude toward the ad; the

largest impact comes from the image. Meanwhile,

customers with a positive attitude toward the ad will

increase their purchase intention.

This research contributes to the SOR theory by

giving a well-structured perspective on understanding

the effects of advertising message appeals as stimuli

on the mental states of TikTok ad viewers and,

subsequently, how they react toward purchase

intention.

4.1 Managerial Implications

Marketers should use soft-sell advertising techniques

to improve consumers' attitudes toward the

advertisement and buying propensity. To make their

advertising efforts more effective, marketers can

create soft-sell messages that are implicit and subtle

advertisements that elicit happy emotions, for

example, using story-telling instead of other

cognitive-based messages. The video ads should also

contain positive images and not directly show the

product they promote.

Nevertheless, although this study confirms the

positive impact of soft-selling appeals, generalization

needs to be carefully applied. Indonesia is a large

country that comprises many subcultures with

different traits. Some subcultures lean toward high-

context communication, while others are toward low-

context. Therefore, customizing message appeals is

essential when communicating value propositions to

varying subcultures in Indonesia.

The study examines the usage of soft-sell

advertising on social media platforms, particularly

TikTok short videos. The attention span of the

audience of a short video on a smartphone is shorter

than that of a TV. It confirms the importance of

emotions in persuasive communication using short

videos (less than one minute long). The more positive

emotions can be induced by a soft-sell message, the

longer the audience stays with the ad and the more

impactful the message will be. Since short videos are

considered to fit into viewers' busy lives, making one

that engages the audience to the end will be the main

challenge for TikTok marketers.

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4.2 Limitations and Suggestions for Future

Research

This study's use of a comparatively small sample size

(209) is one of its limitations. This suggests that it

might not be possible to extrapolate the findings to the

greater Indonesian consumer base. Furthermore, the

study used self-reported data, which might contain

bias.

This study did not differentiate whether the

response was toward a specific product type (e.g., low

involvement vs. high involvement, goods vs. services,

search goods vs. experience goods). Future research

can consider this to understand whether the impact of

soft-sell appeals is the same across different types of

products.

Future research can investigate the potential

impact of other variables on the relationship between

attitude toward the ad and purchase intention on

TikTok. Some videos go viral; however, the

conversion rate is low. What moderates the

relationship between attitude toward the ad and

purchase intention?

Another suggestion for future research is to use a

bigger sample size and cover different subcultures to

improve the generalizability of the findings. Deeper

analysis using a mixed method to uncover the subtle

differences between respondent groups can enhance

the understanding of the impact of soft-sell appeals.

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Contribution of Individual Authors to the Creation

of a Scientific Article (Ghostwriting Policy)

- Flavegi Monesa carried out the writing, original

draft, visualization, reviewing, investigation,

conducting formal analysis, and draft editing.

- Evi Rinawati Simanjuntak is responsible for

conceptualizing and supervising the research

process, including critical review, methodology,

and final revision, including pre- or post-

publication stages.

Sources of Funding for Research Presented in a

Scientific Article or Scientific Article Itself

No funding was received to conduct this study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

(Attribution 4.0 International, CC BY 4.0)

This article is published under the terms of the

Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_

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