Role Occupation in advertising campaigns

General opinion of the target group of woman

Initially, it is necessary to mention that all participants are not quite sure if roles such as of mothers and of housewifes in advertising campaigns should also be segmented into occupational roles or not. Next, it is important that one can define different opinions between the younger focus group members (age group of 18-30 years) and the older ones (age group of 35-65 years). The younger group members stated that if women are represented in occupational roles, they are often portrayed in subordinated positions, but are represented as high powered career women which are solely business ladies and are not working women keep besides the household. Examples are kindergarteners or assistants. In contrast, one participant also noted that women which are graduated from university and now start with their first job are hardly represented in advertising. The older group members specified if

women are connected to occupational roles in advertising campaigns, they are represented as career women in management positions. Besides this argument, women in who are in a position to handle everything in daily life easily.

Occupational roles in advertising campaigns – women vs. men

All of the younger respondents stated that men are more often represented in advertising campaigns in occupational situations than women. In their opinion, most advertisements focussing occupational roles represent, on the one hand, business men while their women stay at home, keep the household and watch the children, or on the other hand, portray business men where women are represented in assistant positions or act as their decorative part. One reason behind the argument of women stay at home is the traditional thinking evolved out of history where women are housewives and mothers and men work. Although in today´s society there are not that many women that are solely housewives or stay-at-home mothers, in past, it was normal that men are the working part in family and women are at home, keep the household and watch the children. Thus, this traditional distribution of occupational roles is grounded in a lot of people´s mind up to now. Another opinion is that the so-called traditional role distribution where men work and women stay at home demonstrates representation of the perfect world where everybody is happy and everything is fine. The older respondents stated that, on the one hand, the decision if women or men represent a certain product in occupational oriented advertising campaigns, highly depends on the product itself. On the other hand, one can define a balance between women and men portrayed in advertising campaigns in occupational situations.

Expert roles in advertising campaigns – women vs. men

In general, younger participants defined that women are hardly represented as experts in advertising campaigns. Nevertheless, it highly depends on the product itself if women or men are portrayed as experts in advertising campaigns. Products where women are experts are detergents, cleaning agents, personal-care products or nutrition for their children. In contrast, men are often represented with cars. The older group members defined that men are more often represented in expert roles than women, because society´s opinion is that experts are automatically associated with men and this kind of thinking is also communicated in advertising campaigns. One reason behind this argument is that men are often radiate a sense of calm, and as a

consequence thereof, are more credible. Another main point is for men it is hard to accept expertise from women as it offends their pride. As a brief summary, all participants of both focus groups stated that women in advertising campaigns are increasingly represented in private settings rather than in occupational ones.

Occupational roles in advertising campaigns / evaluation

Some participants of both groups stated that opinions on female occupational roles in advertising are similar to statements on female authority roles in advertising. One participant of the older group noted if women in advertising campaigns are represented in occupational roles, in most cases, they are career women rather than secretaries and this is kind of representation conveys authority. Three interviewees of the older group mentioned that they do not really care about the portrayal of women in occupational roles and thus a change is not desired. Two participants want that women in advertising are more often represented in occupational roles. They are interested in advertising campaigns where women are represented in occupational roles as they feel personally addressed by those advertisements. Besides this argument, this kind of portrayal in advertisements helps to better represent the change of roles in life where women are in higher occupational roles. In other words, nowadays discussions about increase of the occupational proportion of females are highly prevalent, thus, this topic should also be increasingly brought in the advertising sector. Only one member of the older group stated that women should not be represented in occupational roles too much as women are often represented in three different occupational roles: mother, housewife and career women. This triple representation of women in advertising campaigns often mediates that women have to be “superwomen” and as a consequence thereof the target group of woman is often overwhelmed. One participant of the younger group stated that she does not really care about the portrayal of women in occupational roles and thus a change is not desired. The others mentioned that women in advertising campaigns should be increased represented in occupational roles as the depiction of solely housewives in advertisements is no longer timely. Besides this argument, advertising campaigns can serve as role model functions and if women are increased represented in occupational roles where they are shown as ambitious and successful in career, it can perhaps be conducive to the new generation.