Transit advertising in corporate branding : a multilevel study

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to examine the effectiveness of tourist shuttle bus advertising for the corporate brand image of gaming and hospitality operators. Design/methodology/approach: Grounded in the theoretical framework of Message Response Involvement (MRI) theory, a multilevel design with hierarchical modeling was adopted to examine the hypothesized paths between consumers’ message processing components and corporate brand equity. The moderating effects of shuttle bus design were also investigated. The data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire from 595 tourists visiting Macao. Findings: The results indicated that advertising effectiveness (i.e., corporate brand equity) was largely dependent on consumers’ motivation and ability to process information. When design was included as a moderator, it enhanced the influence of consumers’ motivation to process information on advertising effectiveness. Research limitations/implications: The findings highlight the importance of tourist shuttle buses as an advertising platform in the hospitality and gaming industry and depict important aspects of consumers and executional cues that corporations should focus on improving shuttle bus advertising effectiveness. Originality/value: This study examines an underexplored, yet frequently used, advertising channel – the shuttle bus. Specifically, it offers a better understanding of transit advertising effectiveness from the corporate level (design) and individual level (consumers’ motivation, ability and opportunity) in the tourism and hospitality industry.