Gender differences evaluation in charity campaigns perception by measuring neurophysiological signals and behavioural data

Nowadays it has clearly understood that emotions play an important role in the success of commercial advertising. Particularly, it has been observed as advertising campaigns of non-profit organizations need to create an emotional appeal in people, in order to generate a positive behavioral response. The charity sector has grown tremendously in the last decades and with it the need to create improved specific marketing strategies. The aim of the present paper is to show how the variation of the EEG frontal cortical asymmetry is related to the general appreciation perceived during the observation of a charity campaign, focusing on gender differences. With the use of neurophysiological and traditional measures, the responses of participants are evaluated through an electroencephalographic (EEG) index of approach or withdrawal motivation based on the frontal alpha asymmetry, called ApproachWithdrawal Index (AW), and an autonomic index deriving from the combination of the heart rate (HR) and the galvanic skin response (GSR) activity, called Emotional Index (EI), considered an indicator of the emotional involvement. An interview at the end of each experience reveals the behavioral data. Results show higher values for women than men of both neurophysiological indexes: for the EI with p=0,037 and for the AW index with p=0,035. The declared answers of participants at the end of the campaign demonstrate that the declared liking of women is statistically significantly higher than the declared liking of men (p=0,008). Finally, there is a correlation between the AW and the declared liking with p=0,007. Results suggest the presence of gender differences in the cognitive and emotional responses to emotion appealing charity advertisements.