Chapter 6 Controversies in Contemporary Advertising Advertising Choices Influences of Stereotypes and Taste Much of the actual work of advertising and advertising agencies involves choices o Who to target o Which media to purchase o Size of ad Two choices made during the development of ad campaigns o Role of stereotypes in advertising messages o Pushing the envelope Stereotypes in Advertising The word stereotype originated from a metal printing plate that was cast from a mold of a raised printing surface Stereotype today s definition One group s generalized and widely accepted beliefs about the personal attributes of members of another group Stereotypical connotations derive from the quantitative and qualitative components of each specific stereotype o Quantitative Not all people fit under a certain stereotype even if they are part of the demographic o Qualitative What is the context under which the statement is made Think about stereotypes from three different perspectives o The range of stereotypes presented in advertising messages o The valence of stereotypes presented for a specific group o The frequency of the portrayals of each stereotype Some stereotypes present positive images of a specific group of individuals whereas others present negative ones Range of Stereotypes Valence of Portrayals Valence Emotional significance of any given portrayal We often connect positive or negative values to stereotypes Advertisements suggest behaviors for people who see themselves as emulating the stereotype Frequency of Portrayals stereotype stereotype A single advertisement or any onetime portrayal of a group will not create a The continued reinforcement of information about a group develops the The individual most powerfully affected by a stereotype is the person The real power of stereotypes is their ability to change the behavior of the targeted by the stereotype person holding the stereotype How Stereotypes Work Three specific theories help to describe the process by which stereotypes create imagery among groups of people o Cultivation Theory Mass media form the common mainstream of contemporary culture Mainstreaming How people from different social groups will come together to share a common perception as a result of their exposure to television Resonance o Social Identity Theory Suggests that everyone strives to belong to a group and once an individual belongs to a group he or she sees that group as the in group and others as the out groups Social Identification Individuals adopt the identity of the group with which they identify Social Comparison We compare our own group with other groups o Expectance Theory Suggests that advertising portrayals build or reinforce expectations and influence social reality How Stereotypes Affect Advertising Messages If people in the target audience relate positively to a stereotypical portrayal the portrayal may help sell the product If people in the target audience create opinions about groups of people other than the stereotype group they are in in a negative light a stereotyped portrayal could be problematic Recursive Advertising Turns stereotypes on their ears pokes fun at stereotypical ads Sensitivity Taste and Advertising Advertisers have an obligation to be aware that many consumers may find the use of certain stereotypes questionable and possibly even offensive Need to often evaluate imagery and language and its effects Images that are shocking disrespectful or disgusting must be evaluated within the context of where they will appear Advertisers should determine what the advertisement is designed to do Intent Relevance How can the advertising content be related to the product and the target Questions of context consider not only what is said in the message but also where the message will appear Questions of pride evaluate an individual s own personal feelings about the message that he or she has created Would I be proud to sign my name to the ad Choices in Advertising The reason that messages succeed is not because they are so highly creative but rather because most other advertising messages play by the rules in terms of taste and decency Context Pride