Women and Advertising

The most vocal critics of advertising are the better-educated, more sophisticated consumers who are, in fact, the best customers for many products and services. They particularly resent condescension and sex-object imagery. There is much suggestive evidence that advertising which consumers find irritating erodes the quality and credibility of brand images. There is also evidence that advertising which they like has a positive effect on brand images. The problem seems to stem from a narrow definition of ‘advertising effectiveness’ and institutionalized advertising research procedures. This paper suggests that the solution lies in expanding our definition of effectiveness to include emotional response. It also suggests that we may be rescued by the explosion of change in media technology. As the media context changes, the dimension of liking could be a crucial criterion of advertising effectiveness.