Gender portrayals revisited: searching for explicit and implicit stereotypes in Cypriot magazine advertisements

The study pursues a line of inquiry into contemporary gender stereotypes drawn from print advertisements in Cyprus. The investigation of implicit modes of stereotyping suggested by Goffman across explicit gender roles yield novel and interesting insights that broaden existing knowledge on male and female advertising depictions. Through a content analysis of 3.729 characters, the study reveals the existence of gender clichés in Cypriot magazine advertisements. Neither male nor female evolving roles are adequately reflected in advertisements, as men tend to be portrayed in traditional masculine stereotypes while women lean towards decorative portrayals. Implicit stereotyping is more likely to suggest the subordination and lower status of women compared to men. The study indicates that advertising in Cyprus reinforces the diffusion of hostile sexism by the underrepresentation of professional women and their commonplace portrayal in body revealing attires. At the same time, the high proportion of women's implicit subordination signifies benevolent sexism. The distorted representation of both genders raises key public policy concerns, as diminishing portrayals hold sway upon men's and women's psychological well-being and professional development.     

Howard,John A. and J. Hulbent. Advertising and the Public Interest. Chicago: Crain,Inc., 1973

Abstract

This study presents a content analysis of sexual portrayals in magazine advertisements during 1964 and 1984. The results show that the percentage of ads with sexual content did not increase over the twenty-year period, but that the types of sexual portrayals did; sexual illustrations became more overt; and there was a greater reliance on visual than verbal sex in 1984 than 1964. The study also found that female models are more likely to be portrayed as sexually clad, partially clad or nude than were male models.     

Analysis of Information Content in U.S. and Japanese Magazine Advertising

Abstract

The content of Japanese versus U.S. magazine advertisements is assessed to determine relative levels of information content based on the type of magazine, the kind of information, the product represented in the advertisement and the size of the advertisement. It was found that Japanese magazine advertisements were generally more informative than U.S. ads, although the emphasis on specific content varies cross-culturally.     

Cultural Values in Indian Television Advertising

The study investigates cultural values portrayed in commercials aired on television in India. The study included a comparison of the cultural values depicted in Indian and Western product brands as well as a comparison across four groups of products for both within and across Indian and Western brands. The study concludes that Indian and Western marketers are stressing the following cultural values: modern, symbolic, tradition, and utilitarian, and are blending Eastern and Western values. Results of the study indicate the importance of considering cultural values associated with different product types in the development of successful advertising campaigns.     

Social Cause versus Profit Oriented Advertisements

Abstract

A common theme in social marketing research has been that for a social cause message to be effective and encourage behavioral change it must be perceived as different from other advertising messages. This article evaluated over 500 magazine print advertisements via content analysis to reveal social cause versus profit oriented advertisements. Upon identification of these two advertisement types, further analysis explored information content and emotional appeal strategies. The results significantly indicate that social cause advertisements elicited more emotional appeals than profit oriented advertisements, while profit oriented advertisements conveyed more information content. Specifically, profit oriented advertisements contained more information regarding price, quality, performance, content, availability, offers, packaging, guarantees, company research, new ideas and taste than social cause advertisements. In comparison, only safety, research, and nutritional information were revealed more frequently with social cause than profit oriented advertisements. Social cause advertisements evoked more fear, anger, sadness, disgust, interest, and surprise. Profit oriented advertisements were deemed more pleasant and happier.     

Celebrity Endorsements in U.S. and Thai Magazines: A Content Analysis Comparative Assessment

SUMMARY

Celebrity endorsements have become a prevalent form of advertising. Hence, the purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between the use of celebrities and the types of products endorsed. Advertisements from one popular magazine in the U.S. and 2 popular magazines in Thailand were used. Results indicated that U.S. advertisements of beauty, dietary and health services, hospitals, and weight loss clinics categories utilized celebrity endorsements more often than other categories. In Thai advertisements, supplementary foods and medicines used celebrity endorsers more often than other categories. Results further support that a significant relationship exits between celebrity endorsers and product types.     

Cultural values in Hong Kong's print advertising, 1946–96

This paper examines a content analysis of 580 of Hong Kong's print advertisements for the period from 1946 to 1996, which was conducted using Cheng and Schweitzer's (1996) framework of cultural values. Product categories were more determinant than the time variable in accounting for changes in cultural values. The cultural values present in advertising over time were fairly consistent and the study did not support a rapid shift from utilitarian values to symbolic values over the 50 years in question.     

Simon,Raymon. Public Relations Management: Cases and Simulations. Columbus,Ohio: Grid,Inc., 1973

Abstract

A content analysis of 814 advertisements from three major television networks was conducted to assess the representation and role portrayal of senior citizens in television advertising. While 12 percent of the current U.S. population is over 65 years of age, only seven percent of the advertisements containing people utilized elderly characters. In the majority of commercials, the elderly are not typically cast in major roles, but instead appear most often in home settings with members of other age groups present. In those advertisements where older persons are portrayed as major role advisors about a product or service, the advisor is likely to be male.     

Employment of Ecology Themes in Magazine Advertisements Directed to Children

Abstract

The study described here was undertaken to assess the degree to which magazine advertisements depicted environmentally sound behavior on the part of children. Analyses were conducted on which environmental issues were emphasized and the extent to which large and small firms and companies in different industries utilized such advertisements. A content analysis permitted comparisons of the advertisements in 1987, 1997 and 2002. Various conclusions were reached regarding the extent and nature of the advertisements employed during both years.     

Children's Preferences of Selected Print Appeals

Abstract

The study here investigated the relationship between selected print appeals (as defined by the social situation portrayed in the advertisement) and their relative preferences among children at the ages of five, eight, and eleven. These relationships were tested through a field experiment involving a total of 120 children.

Results indicated that when the factors of age, sex, and type of ad are simultaneously considered, the results become complex and dependent upon specific levels within each factor. That is, the preference for social situations portrayed in ads was not the same for all age groupings and was dependent on the sex of the subject within given age groupings.     

Customer Testimonials and News Clips as Contextual Cues in the Consumer Cognitive Processing of Online Shopping

SUMMARY

This study examines to what extent degrees of nudity presented in advertising differ across five countries (Brazil, China, South Korea, Thailand, and the U.S.). Content is examined by media type (TV vs. magazine) and product category (congruent vs. others). Results show that Thai and U.S. ads employ the highest degrees of nudity, whereas Chinese ads present the lowest degrees. Across all the countries, magazine ads and congruent-product ads employ higher degrees of nudity than TV ads and non-congruent product ads. The effect of product type on degrees of nudity is stronger in TV ads than in magazine ads and the interaction effect between media type and product type also varies across the countries. Our study provides richer and more specific implications for global advertising strategy with respect to representation of models and use of sex appeals.     

Off-the-Shelf Cultural Symbols

Abstract

One hundred and ninety-one British, 71 Greek and 91 people of differing nationalities were exposed to three print advertisements for a cold and influenza remedy and three advertisements for the services of an accommodation agency. The first advertisement for each product was taken directly from a newspaper; the second and third respectively added to this advertisement pictures of (a) a relevant, and (b) an irrelevant mythological character. Respondents' cognitive, affective and conative reactions to the six advertisements were then assessed.     

The creation of complicity a semiotic analysis of an advertising campaign for Black & White whisky

A qualitative pre-test study, employing the structured semiotic methodology of Greimas and the Paris school, was conducted on four print advertisements conceived for a Black & White whisky campaign, and this article presents the major findings. Both the content and expression of the advertisements are examined, in terms of elementary oppositions, of narrative organization, of cultural values, and of linguistic and plastic manifestations. Finally, the ironic quality of the enunciation, playing on cultural stereotypes, is shown to demonstrate an equivalence between the ‘author’ of the campaign and the target public envisaged.     

The Perceived Impact of Information Technology on Salespeople's Relational Competencies

Abstract

Cross-cultural service research is an important topic with a rich array of empirical evidence for differences in customer perceptions, attitudes and behaviours. However, the extant literature is almost exclusively focused on differences between cultures at each end of the diversity spectrum (most commonly East vs. West). Contemporary researchers have observed that existing studies fail to acknowledge the substantially greater levels of intra-cluster variation that exist. A cultural cluster is a group of countries that reflect values, attitudes and beliefs stemming from a common cultural ancestry. This seems surprising given the anecdotal evidence and stereotypes that are portrayed in popular culture, media and art. One area where intra-cluster variation may be evident is consumer complaint behaviour and in particular within the Anglo-cultural cluster in countries. A cultural cluster is a group of countries that reflect values, attitudes and beliefs stemming from a common cultural ancestry. The aim of this study is therefore to explore and elucidate the nature of differences in consumer complaint behaviour between cultures traditionally conceived and operationalised as identical. This study presents a qualitative study of 60 in-depth interviews with consumers in the United Kingdom and Australia and identifies differences in complaining styles, parental influence and the conceptualisation of complaining.     

A longitudinal content analysis of gender role portrayal in Belgian television advertising

This study explores gender role portrayal in advertisements broadcasted on Belgian commercial television. We gathered a sample of 493 commercials (featuring 907 characters) randomly selected out of two periods (January 2002–April 2003, n = 250 and January 2009–April 2010, n = 243) from a database containing all advertisements broadcasted on Belgian commercial television. A content analysis was carried out using a coding scheme based on existing literature. Content categories included gender of the characters, gender roles (i.e. parental, housekeeping and professional expert) and sexual objectification. Hypotheses predicted that men and women would be represented differently in television advertising, and that these differences would reflect traditional gender stereotypes. Moreover, due to regulatory changes, we hypothesize that these differences should decrease over time. Results are largely in accordance with the existing literature. Women tend to be depicted as younger and are portrayed more often within dependent roles as caregiving parent, housewife or as sexual objects than men. A longitudinal analysis of role portrayal changes across two periods within and between genders indicates little change in gender role portrayals in Belgian television advertising between 2002–2003 and 2009–2010. Despite social and regulatory changes, gender stereotypes in advertising seem to persist over time.     

The Information Content of Magazine Advertising in Market and Transition Economies

This study examines differences in the information content of magazine advertisements across market and transition economies in Europe. Content analyses are performed on 396 advertisements that appeared in women's magazines in the Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Results of statistical analyses reveal marked differences between economies with respect to the information content of advertisements. Compared to market economies, advertisements in transition economies contain significantly more product-related information, and focus less on consumers' life style. In addition, they contain more prize winning contests and their glossy magazines contain more availability information. The study also explores reasons for these differences and discusses their implications.     

Information Sources in Advertising History. Edited and compiled by Richard W. Pollay,ed. Westport,Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1979, 330 pp

Abstract

This research examined how consumers responded to different print advertisements for a green laundry detergent. Hypotheses based on the salience literature were developed and tested in a laboratory experiment. One group considered a “green” appeal which emphasized the environmental attributes of the product. Another group considered a “non-green” appeal which emphasized the cost-saving attributes of the product. We measured each subject's involvement with the environment. Our results showed that for those highly involved with the environment, there were no significant differences in purchase intent, attitude toward the ad, and support arguments between appeals. However, for those less involved with the environment, the green appeal was significantly more persuasive than the non-green appeal in terms of the same variables.     

The Personal Involvement Inventory: Reduction,Revision, and Application to Advertising

Abstract

The conceptualization of the Personal Involvement Inventory was a context-free measure applicable to involvement with products, with advertisements, and with purchase situations. The empirical work to develop this measure was mainly validated with respect to product categories. This paper extends the construct validation of the PII to involvement with advertisements and also demonstrates that the PII may be reliably reduced from twenty items to ten items. There is some indication the revised PII may then be broken into two subscales representing a cognitive and affective grouping.     

A Content Analysis of Animation and Animated Spokes-Characters in Television Commercials

Abstract

This study employed content analysis to examine animation and animated spokes-characters in television advertising. The majority of spokes-characters observed in this study were humans, animal personifications, or product personifications. Characters were more likely to speak for the product than provide visual demonstration although they did both in more than half the cases. There were far more non-celebrity than celebrity spokes-characters, and a large majority of them were male. Significant differences were found in the use of animation across dayparts, program types, product classes and product categories. Although no increase was evident in the use of animation since the last study was completed, there was evidence to suggest that the role of animation has been changing in the past decade. Findings indicate that animated spokes-characters are being used more often to present high involvement products to adult audiences.     

An Economic Perspective on the Information Content of Magazine Advertisements

Numerous researchers have examined the information content of advertising. Most studies indicate that product category profoundly affects information content. This paper builds on previous research by applying Nelson's search-experience classification of product categories to examine the impact of product type on the information content of magazine advertisements. The results support Nelson's framework, but primarily for price, quality and availability information cues. The most surprising result is the high information content for experience durable goods.