Advertising Message Strategy in Television Commercials: Evidence from Ghana as an Emerging Country".

This study quantitatively analyzes advertising message strategies used in Ghanaian television commercials from 2020 to 2021, employing the modified message strategy framework developed by Wang and Praet, which categorizes strategies into cognitive, affective, and conative types. Among 220 commercials analyzed from TV3 Ghana, the affective message strategy—emphasizing emotions and brand image—was dominant (55%), with food products being the most advertised category (20%). The study found significant associations between message strategy and both product category and brand type, noting that global brands more frequently use affective strategies compared to local brands. These findings contribute to understanding how advertising strategies vary by cultural context, product type, and brand origin in Ghana, offering insights for marketers, policymakers, and researchers interested in consumer behavior and media communication in African markets.