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Appearance versus functionality : The influence of femvertising and the way the body is conceptualized in advertising messages on female consumer responses

Esmeijer, M.R. (2020) Appearance versus functionality : The influence of femvertising and the way the body is conceptualized in advertising messages on female consumer responses.

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Abstract:The aim of this study was to examine to what extent body visualization and the way the body is conceptualized in advertising messages influences female consumer responses regarding attitude towards the ad, purchase intention, brand attitude and social endorsement. The main study used an experimental 2 [Body visualization: femvertising (mixed models) versus traditional (thin models)] x 2 [Body conceptualization: body appearance versus body functionality] between subjects design in order to measure consumer responses towards the advertisement. The experiment was employed among 204 females and tested whether participants will evaluate femvertising advertisements including mixed body shapes more positively than traditional advertisements and whether advertising message where the body is conceptualized based on its functionalities strengthen this compared to advertising messages where the body is conceptualized based on its aesthetics. Furthermore this study tested the mediating role of ad reactance and the moderating role of similarity between the model.The results showed that femvertising advertisements with mixed models are more positive evaluated regarding attitude towards the ad, brand attitude, purchase intention and social endorsement compared to traditional advertisement with only thin models. This effect is mediated by ad reactance. However, no significant main effect was found for body conceptualization in the caption. Furthermore, similarity between the model and the consumer was not found to be the moderator for body visualization. This study provided a better understanding of femvertising and broadens the knowledge about the effects of body visualization and the use of body competence strategies in advertisements on consumer responses. This study revealed that female consumers respond positively to femvertising advertisements with mixed models and it helps to lessen ad reactance. However, this study also showed that the use of a body functionality caption or a body appearance message makes no difference in consumer responses. Future studies might investigate this more in depth and test other body competence strategies in advertisements.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies MSc (60713)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/83032
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