Insights From a "Failed" Experiment: Directions for Pluralistic, Multiethnic Advertising Research

Results of a "failed" experiment in which we compare and contrast responses of Asian, black, Hispanic, Indian (Asian Indian), white, and multiethnic American participants show systematic differences in ad processing among different groups toward the same advertisement. Rather than describe this research via implausible a priori hypotheses, we explain the results of the study post hoc by generating research questions that draw from extant literature on distinctiveness, race, ethnic identity, and culture. We discuss these research questions in the context of pluralistic, multigroup (greater than two) experimental designs, detailing methodological and theoretical considerations, in hopes of influencing the sophistication and utility of future advertising research.