본문 바로가기
KERD
논문KCI 등재

Offensive advertising in the fashion industry: Sexual objectification and ethical judgments of consumers

1

조회

0

다운로드

0

인용

0

참고문헌

키워드

주제분류경영학

초록

Facebook pages of two selected companies were examined: Dolce & Gabbana (D&G) and American Apparel (AA). The current study compares two brands with different target markets, products, and price points, both of which are known for their provocative and controversial advertising campaigns. This study aims to understand consumers’ perceptions of the controversial marketing practices based on the two theories of sexual objectification and ethical judgments, using qualitative content analysis. Our findings confirm that sexual appeal is no longer a compelling factor in advertising for consumers. Consumers noted problems with branding strategies that have been used by AA, claiming such advertising harms their brand image. Considering the brand’s financial struggles and media criticism aimed at it, it would seem wise for AA to cease its inappropriate marketing campaigns and focus on ethical marketing claims. It is time for the company to consider its role in social responsibility from both the ideological and utilitarian visions of ethics to balance social responsibility and profitability.

Abstract

Facebook pages of two selected companies were examined: Dolce & Gabbana (D&G) and American Apparel (AA). The current study compares two brands with different target markets, products, and price points, both of which are known for their provocative and controversial advertising campaigns. This study aims to understand consumers’ perceptions of the controversial marketing practices based on the two theories of sexual objectification and ethical judgments, using qualitative content analysis. Our findings confirm that sexual appeal is no longer a compelling factor in advertising for consumers. Consumers noted problems with branding strategies that have been used by AA, claiming such advertising harms their brand image. Considering the brand’s financial struggles and media criticism aimed at it, it would seem wise for AA to cease its inappropriate marketing campaigns and focus on ethical marketing claims. It is time for the company to consider its role in social responsibility from both the ideological and utilitarian visions of ethics to balance social responsibility and profitability.

참고문헌 (43)

  1. "Britain bans “offensive and irresponsible” American Apparel ads. Business Insider" (2014)[URL]
  2. "American Apparel is an industrial revolution" (2013)[URL]
  3. Bartky, S. L., "Femininity and domination: Studies in the phenomenology of oppression" (1990), Routledge
  4. Chan, K., "Consumers’ response to offensive advertising: A cross cultural study", International Marketing Review, 24, pp.606~628 (2007)[DOI]
  5. Collins, R. L., "Content analysis of gender roles in media: Where are we now and where should we go?", Sex Roles, 64, pp.290~298 (2011)
  6. "Who is Dolce & Gabbana" (2013)[URL]
  7. De Klerk, H. M., "The role of aesthetics in consumers’ evaluation of apparel quality: A conceptual framework", Journal of Family Ecology and Consumer Sciences, 2004, pp.32(1), 1~7
  8. Chedia Dhaoui, "An empirical study of luxury brand marketing effectiveness and itsimpact on consumer engagement on Facebook", Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 5(3), pp.209~222 (2014), 한국마케팅과학회[DOI]
  9. Dichter, E., "What’s in an image", Journal of Consumer Marketing, 2, pp.75~81 (1985)[DOI]
  10. Durif, F., "Ethics in marketing: Ideology or strategic philanthropy? The case of AA", vative Marketing, 4, pp.63~69 (2008)
  11. "A long way from spin the bottle" (2003)[URL]
  12. Fan, Y., "Ethical branding and corporate reputation", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 10, pp.341~350 (2005)[DOI]
  13. Ferguson, J. H., "In the pages of Ms.: Sex role portrayals of women in advertising", Journal of Advertising, 19, pp.40~51 (1990)[DOI]
  14. Fraedrich, J., "Cognitive consistency of marketing managers in ethical situations", Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 20, pp.245~252 (1992)[DOI]
  15. Fredrickson, B. L., "Objectification theory", Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, pp.173~206 (1997)[DOI]
  16. Frith, K., "The construction of beauty: A cross-cultural analysis of women’s magazine advertising", Journal of Communication, 55, pp.56~70 (2005)[DOI]
  17. Goffman, E., "Gender advertisements" (1979), Harvard University Press
  18. Golafshani, N., "Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research", The Qualitative Report, 8, pp.597~607 (2003)
  19. Kim H.Y. Hahn, "Salient antecedents of mobile shopping intentions: Media dependency, fashion", brand interest and peer influence, 2013, pp.4(4), 225~246[DOI]
  20. Tae-Im Han, "Images of beauty: Sex, race, age, and occupational analysis of fashion magazine covers", Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 6(1), pp.47~59 (2015), 한국마케팅과학회[DOI]
  21. Jung, J., "Cross-cultural examination of women’s fashion and beauty magazine advertisements in the United States and South Korea", Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 27, pp.274~286 (2009)[DOI]
  22. "She’s got to be a macho girl" (2002)[URL]
  23. Laczniak, R. N., "Consumers’ responses to negative word-of-mouth communication: An attribution theory perspective", Journal of Consumer Psychology, 11, pp.57~73 (2001)[DOI]
  24. LaTour, M. S., "Ethical judgments of sexual appeals in print advertising", Journal of Advertising, 23, pp.81~90 (1994)[DOI]
  25. Lipke, D., "Success, sex and SNL: The complicated world of AA", WWD: Women’s Wear Daily, 197(6), pp.1~ (2009)
  26. Lynch, A., "Expanding the definition of provocative dress: An examination of female flashing behavior on a college campus", Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 25, pp.184~201 (2007)[DOI]
  27. Malhotra, N. K., "An integrated model for ethical decisions in marketing research", Journal of Business Ethics, 17, pp.263~280 (1998)[DOI]
  28. Manlow, V., "Creating an American mythology: A comparison of branding strategies in three fashion firms", Fashion Practice: The Journal of Design, Creative Process & the Fashion Industry, 3, pp.85~110 (2011)[DOI]
  29. Martins, Y., "Those speedos become them: The role of selfobjectification in gay and heterosexual men’s body image", Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, pp.634~647 (2007)[DOI]
  30. "AA" (2014)[URL]
  31. Jennifer M. Mower, "Concept analysis of “cross-cultural marketing”: an exploration", Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 4(1), pp.4~19 (2013), 한국마케팅과학회[DOI]
  32. Neuman, W. L., "Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches" (2003), Allyn and Bacon
  33. "The 2010 U.S. digital year in review" (2011)[URL]
  34. Reichert, T., "The effects of sexual social marketing appeals on cognitive processing and persuasion", Journal of Advertising, 30, pp.13~27 (2001)[DOI]
  35. Reichert, T., "Cheesecake and beefcake: No matter how you slice it, sexual explicitness in advertising continues to increase", Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 76, pp.7~20 (1999)[DOI]
  36. Riordan, E., "Commodified agents and empowered girls: Consuming and producing feminism", Journal of Communication Inquiry, 25, pp.279~297 (2001)[DOI]
  37. Rohlinger, D. A., "Eroticizing men: Cultural influences on advertising and male objectification", Sex Roles, 46, pp.61~74 (2002)[DOI]
  38. Rudd, N. A., "Gender in popular culture: Images of men and women in literature, visual media, and material culture", pp.109~133 (1995), Ridgemont Press
  39. Tiggemann, M., "The role of social comparison in the effect of magazine advertisements on women’s mood and body dissatisfaction", Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23, pp.23~44 (2004)[DOI]
  40. Trusov, M., "Effects of word-of-mouth versus traditional marketing: Findings from an internet social networking site", Journal of Marketing, 73, pp.90~102 (2009)[DOI]
  41. Tucker, L. R., "The framing of Calvin Klein: A frame analysis of media discourse about the August 1995 Calvin Klein Jeans advertising campaign", Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 15, pp.141~157 (1998)[DOI]
  42. Klaus-Peter Wiedmann, "Spreading the Word of Fashion: Identifying Social Influencers in Fashion Marketing", Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 1(3), pp.142~153 (2010), 한국마케팅과학회[DOI]
  43. Yan, R. N., "The impact of message appeal and message source on Gen Y consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward American Apparel", Journal of Marketing Communications, 16, pp.203~224 (2010)[DOI]

관련 논문AI추천

이 간행물의 다른 논문 (5건)