Strategies and Tools to Enhance the Use of Dynamic Audiovisual Stimuli in Academic Advertising Research

Advertisers and marketers increasingly adopt and invest in audiovisual formats for their communications. In contrast, academic researchers often rely on static visual stimuli to test advertising- and marketing-related research questions. In this research note, we discuss whether and how academic research could benefit from the ability to develop and use dynamic audiovisual stimuli and we consider the validity-related trade-offs inherent in their use. We first outline the components researchers should consider in constructing dynamic audiovisual stimuli. Then, in an attempt to reduce barriers to creation of dynamic audiovisual stimuli in advertising research, we review tools researchers can use to design realistic dynamic stimuli. We conclude with ways in which the use of dynamic stimuli can open new research approaches, thus expanding advertising-related theory.