Gender portrayal in food and beverage advertisements in Hong Kong: a content analytic study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine gender portrayal in food and beverage advertisements in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach A total of 45 commercials produced locally in Hong Kong and 45 commercials produced in a Western country were separately coded for ten content categories: time of day, age, mode of presentation, credibility‐basis, role, location, argument, reward type, background and end‐comment.. Findings Gender‐role effects were non‐significant in a majority of the content categories contrary to findings in other research in this area. This finding is discussed in the context of the changes in Hong Kong culture Research limitations/implications Sampling was limited to broadcast recording on TVB Jade in December 2007. Practical implications The absence of gender based content in food and beverage advertising should inform marketing practice in a SE Asian context. Originality/value This paper modifies a well‐established research procedure and analyses food and beverage advertising in Hong King. This has not been done before.