The Portrayal of Senior Citizens by Banks in Newspaper Advertisements: A Content Analysis

This inquiry employed a content analysis of bank newspaper advertisements to measure the degree to which senior citizens were employed as models in the advertisements and the degree to which they were portrayed in a positive or negative light, relative to younger persons. The researchers examined a sample of newspapers, as a means of testing hypotheses related to the portrayal of seniors by banks. The results of the inquiry were analyzed and conclusions drawn which can be of potential value to banks in serving older customers.