3.3 Research Results
3.3.4 Implications on the selection of products/advertising campaigns for the advertising and
Literature shows that women in advertising and the media are often depicted in a stereotyped way. In particular, they are increasingly portrayed in roles such as mothers, grandmothers, housewives and family idylls. Besides this, they are often represented as sexual objects or decorative accessories or in a sporty- or leisure time position with focus on slimness, beauty and youthfulness. However, they are also portrayed more and more as experts or career women. In other words, although women are represented in modern-day advertising campaigns as more independent, more self-confident and more emphatica, one can say that women in advertising are still restricted to subordinated, operating, passive, decorating, aesthetic, provocative, young and beautiful roles.437 Unfortunately, this kind of representation in no way corresponds to the actual range of roles, activities, tasks, interests and abilities exerted by women.
A salient point is that the target group of woman is becoming more and more central with regard to buying decisions due to their increasing occupational situations, among other things, and in line with this, their growing purchasing power.438 439 In other words, the target group of woman has become increasingly important in recent years in the area of media and advertising as women are the primary purchasers of consumer goods.440 In reality, although the target group of woman wields enormous power in the marketplace, the representation of women in advertising campaigns cannot be equated with women as a powerful group. In spite their purchasing power, women are often portrayed in stereotypical roles.441 442 Following this argument, advertising – and marketing experts should be in a position to carefully plan their advertising campaigns with close attention to the characteristics of the target group of woman.443
437 cf. Holtz-Bacha (2011), p. 104f.
438 cf. Hill (2002), w.p.
439 cf. Barletta (2006), p. 19
440 cf. Hill (2002), w.p.
441 cf. Hill (2002), w.p.
442 cf. Kroeber-Riel/Weinberg (2003), p. 476
443 cf. Barletta (2006), p. 19
In particular, the advertising sector should focus on following points:
As roles of women as customers are changing with their entrance and escape of various phases of life, advertising campaigns should mirror their current phase in life. In other words, representation of women in advertising should focus on the totally female nature where women are represented in their daily routine.444 445 Advertising messages showing female protagonists, female voice-overs or employed housewives are perceived by women in a positive manner. Furthermore, the role of working women in advertising is also evaluated positively by housewives.446 The prevalent role change, where more and more (female) customers live in single-households, should be represented in advertising campaigns as well.
Furthermore, the target group of woman wants to see normal, natural women of each age in advertising campaigns as most of them cannot identify with perfect supermodels that are forever young.447 Women want to be respected as they are448 and hence, advertising campaigns should turn away from gender-based approaches and avoid sexual issues.449 As a consequence thereof, adequate depictions of reality of women in advertising are important for a positive reaction towards advertising campaigns.450 Unreal situations in advertisements are not desired as it is important that young girls do not try to emulate any idols which are not reachable. In contrast, other participants of the focus groups defined that if women in advertising campaigns would look like normal women (like the participants are), they would not buy the product. As a consequence thereof, they need representations of women in advertising where they can or must chase. As a brief summary, it is difficult to generally define if women in advertising campaigns should be represented in realistic - or idealistic situations, it highly depends on the product itself and on one´s condition on a particular day.
Besides this, literature defines that despite their multiple responsibilities, women in advertising should not be depicted in a stressed manner.451
444 cf. Barletta (2006), p. 97
445 cf. Kreienkamp (2007), p. 36
446 Assig (1993), p. 15
447 cf. Barletta (2006), p. 96, 213
448 cf. Assig (1993), p. 9ff.
449 cf. Schmerl (1992), p. 281ff.
450 cf. Assig (1993), p. 9ff.
451 cf. Barletta (2006), p. 97
It is also necessary to focus on the depiction of emotions in advertising campaigns, because the target group of woman obviously prefers such kind of representation over simple and sterile product presentations. Emotions without advertising and advertising without emotions is an absolutely no-go because nobody will feel addressed by advertising campaigns without emotions and therefore will never buy the product. In particular, women prefer advertising campaigns that show the depiction of female friendships as the attribute of being together is a fundamental premise for the target group of woman.452
A salient point is that literature shows that women react toward personalised advertising and direct marketing campaigns increasingly positively. The main reason behind is that customers only buy a product, if they can identify with the product. Personal advertisements can help that customers feel personally approached and that they think it is all about them.
What advertising experts should be careful of beyond this is that products are not compared to or even put on a par with women.453 Women typically wish to be treated with respect in advertising such that, on the one hand, they do not want to see themselves represented in a humiliating, degrading or even violent way and, on the other hand, they frequently do not desire to be depicted in an erotically provocative way.454
Another main point is that women want to see clear benefits when buying a product.
Hence, advertising messages should focus on the various advantages that a certain product has. Advertising campaigns should not only be entertaining, but also should give sufficient information about the product in order for the customer to be in a position of having a clearer picture. It is necessary to mention that advertisements should not give too much detailed information because this information overload will lead to lack of interest and nobody will listen to the commercial and as a consequence thereof, customer´s will not buy the product.
However, an essential point is that the perception of female customers does not depend solely on roles women represent in advertisements, but often on how closely the various roles fit to the product.455 Women in advertising campaigns
452 cf. Barletta (2006), p. 100, 214
453 cf. Barletta (2006), p. 99
454 cf. Tschernookoff (1993) in Assig (1993), p. 96f.
455 cf. Barletta (2006), p. 98
representing a certain product have to be authentic and they should be in a position to present their advertised product in a reliable and honest way independent in which role or stereotype they are portrayed.
As a brief summary, although it is important to ask the target group of woman, to listen to them and to respect their opinions, to use further female experts in the marketing – and advertising sector should, and as a consequence thereof, to invest in the women's market where communication concepts should be developed456, opinions with regard to the representation of women in advertising will vary from person to person, from product to product and from segment to segment.457