Advertising Appeals and Consumer Attitude Towards Insurance Products in Kaduna State

This study explores the relationship between advertising appeals and consumer attitude towards insurance products in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. Insurance penetration in Nigeria remains critically low relative to population size, and marketing communication strategies have been widely cited as a key driver of consumer awareness and attitude formation. In Kaduna, a state with significant religious, cultural, and demographic diversity, understanding which advertising appeals resonate most effectively with consumers is of both academic and practical importance. The study adopts a descriptive survey design and targets adult residents of Kaduna metropolis through purposive sampling, yielding a sample of 280 respondents. The questionnaire assesses exposure to insurance advertisements and measures consumer attitudes along cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions. Multiple regression analysis determines the relative effectiveness of rational, emotional, and fear-based advertising appeals. The study also investigates whether religious orientation moderates the relationship between advertising appeal type and attitude formation. Preliminary findings suggest that emotional appeals centred on family security are the most persuasive, while fear-based appeals tend to generate resistance among certain demographic groups. Recommendations address insurance companies, their advertising agencies, and the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) on how to design culturally sensitive campaigns that improve product uptake in northern Nigerian states. This research contributes to the scarce body of insurance marketing literature within the Nigerian academic context. Keywords: advertising appeals, consumer attitude, insurance, Kaduna, marketing communication