The Influence of Tobacco Countermarketing Ads on College Students’ Knowledge,Attitudes, and Beliefs

Abstract

Objective: To determine which antitobacco messages were perceived effective in changing college students’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about tobacco use. Participants: College students (n = 1,020) were surveyed before and after viewing 4 30-second antitobacco advertisements in 1 of 3 theme categories—social norms, health consequences, or tobacco industry manipulation. Methods: An independent samples t test was used to test for differences in the mean responses to the knowledge, attitude, and belief questions at posttest by smoking status and gender. Results: Health consequences ads significantly increased overall knowledge and negative attitudes and beliefs. Conclusion: Findings from this study may help health educators who work in college settings and other young adult settings to include media messages as part of a comprehensive tobacco control program.     

Spoofing: social commentary or effective marketing tool? Testing promotion vs. prevention message frames in college students’ fight against obesity

Spoofs parody regular advertisements in an attempt to discourage consumers from using or buying certain products. Using regulatory focus theory, the overarching question in this paper was whether spoofs (promotion vs. prevention) act as anti-consumption messages to fight obesity among college students. In Study 1, a repeated measures design was employed where participants were shown the regular ad followed by either spoof, while in Study 2, a between-subjects design was used and participants were exposed to either one of the three ads. Findings from both studies confirmed that spoofing potentially impacts brands, specifically, purchase intentions. Effectiveness of either spoof varies with respect to the presentation order of the ads and levels of anti-commercial consumer rebellion. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

Content Class as a Contextual Cue in the Cognitive Processing of Publicity Versus Advertising

Claims about the superiority of news over advertising are a cornerstone of public relations practice. Drawing on the dual processing models in social cognition (Chaiken, 1980, 1987; Petty & Cacioppo, 1986), this study defines the difference between news and advertising in terms of content class, a contextual variable that serves as a cue during cognitive processing of mediated messages. An experimental study using a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design (N = 329) manipulated content class, argument strength, and product involvement using 16 full-page prototype articles and ads for 4 products that might be found in a new college magazine. Content class interacted with product involvement to impact the amount of processing by participants (based on recall and cognitive responses measures) and with argument strength to bias message evaluations (based on valence of cognitive thoughts, believability assessments, and attitudinal—conative measures). The results provide only qualified support for claims about the superiority of news over advertising and suggest caution by public relations practitioners when promoting advantages of publicity.     

Ramadan Advertising in Egypt: A Content Analysis With Elaboration on Select Items

Factors related to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan are discussed in this article. A content analysis of 508 Egyptian television commercials is described. Comparisons of ads run during Ramadan and those run during a non-Ramadan period are made. Findings show fewer ads during Ramadan, more emphasis on charity messages during Ramadan, and more conservatively dressed characters in ads during Ramadan. Results concerning family orientation are mixed. The content analysis is supplemented with details elaborating on individual advertisements and a call for continued and expanded investigation of the topic.     

THE ANIMAL TEXT:

We studied the dominant messages about animals in television commercials and the ways these messages might be subject to alternative readings. Six primary themes captured the portrayal of animals in the advertisements: animals as loved ones (e.g., a member of a family), as symbols (representation of logos or ideas), as tools (using animals for human use or consumption), as allegories, as nuisances, and animals in nature. Many of the commercials had multiple themes, indicating the varied, multilayered messages about animals in advertising and the different value and use categories that humans assign to different nonhuman animal species, upholding the ideology of the U.S. political economy. Finally, most of the animal portrayals were not anthropomorphized; those that were given human characteristics were typically part of a multithemed message that portrayed animals as allegories. Many of the animal images reinforced human gender and racial boundaries. This research establishes the importance of incorporating the study of nonhuman animals in sociological theory and research, particularly the animal image in popular culture and its connection to the portrayal of other outgroups, such as women and racial minorities.     

Selling the ‘Elixir of Life’: Images of the elderly in an Olivio advertising campaign

This paper explores images of older people in advertising in a UK context. It is a case-study of a specific advertising campaign (Olivio/Bertolli margarine) which depicted older people as central characters over a seven year period. We examine what images of older people are employed, whether they are positive or negative and how they fit with current societal stereotypes of elders. Further, through a broadly semiotic and visual semantic perspective, we look at what messages about old age the visual and the textual elements of the advertisements transmit and how the messages evolve through the campaign. We identify four distinct phases of the campaign and show how older people appear in decreasingly traditional roles, being shown as increasingly adventurous individuals. The campaign seems to be breaking new ground for images of elders and is an example of how stereotypes identified in the ageing and communication literature are used for commercial effects.     

Truth® ads,receptivity, and motivation to use or quit tobacco among college students

Abstract

Objective: Examine receptivity and motivation to use/quit tobacco among college students after viewing Truth ads. Participants: Random sample of 10,000 college students invited to complete online survey February 2016 (8.5% response rate). Methods: Quasi-experimental. Participants (N?=?854) watched four ads and answered survey items for each ad. Results: Students rated ad receptivity and decreased motivation to use tobacco higher for the Catmageddon ad than the others. Regardless of ad, men and current cigarette smokers reported lower receptivity. Younger age was associated with lower motivation to use tobacco for all ads. Tobacco users reported greater motivation to quit with the Catmageddon ad. Conclusions: College students were receptive to the Truth ads, and many indicated lower motivation to use tobacco. Men, older college students, and current cigarette smokers were less receptive to the ads, reinforcing the need to develop tailored campaigns to reach these subgroups.     

Advertising images as social indicators: depictions of blacks in LIFE magazine, 1936–2000

One of the most important prerequisites for building a more visual social science is demonstrating that visual data provide answers to research questions, which are not addressed satisfactorily by the use of more conventional, non‐visual, methods. In this article the author argues that a systematic analysis of the images in print advertisements not only accounts for patterns in contemporary American race relations as reliably as findings derived from national surveys like the General Social Survey (GSS) and the US Census, but also illuminates questions that are often raised by, but seldom resolved with, quantitative data. These questions include, for example, consideration of what factors might encourage respondents to espouse some attitudes – or to make certain choices – but not others. More specifically, a close examination of trends in advertisements published in Life magazine between 1936 and 2000 reveals that, while the white commitment to racial integration appears to have taken longer to develop than survey data suggests, this commitment seems to be much firmer than findings based on census data imply. Nevertheless, the trend in advertising images also shows that, even with a steadily growing white commitment to racial integration, there are still areas of social life where whites are wary of blacks and find it hard to imagine scenarios that exemplify relations of moral equality.     

Determining optimal placement for pop-up messages: evaluation of a live trial of dynamic warning messages for electronic gaming machines

Dynamic warning messages are a harm minimization strategy aimed at preventing or reducing gambling-related problems by assisting individuals to make informed choices about their gambling. Laboratory studies have demonstrated the efficacy of dynamic warnings in facilitating responsible gambling. This article presents the results of a trial of the related effectiveness of dynamic warnings appearing either in the middle or on the periphery of electronic gaming machines (EGMs) screens in commercial gambling venues. Regular gamblers (n = 667) were surveyed to assess their recall of warning messages and the perceived impact of message placement on thoughts and behaviours. Messages appearing in the middle of screens were recalled to a greater extent, and respondents reported that these were more impactful and useful than messages on the periphery of screens. As one of the first trials of dynamic warning messages in operating EGM venues, the results provide important verification and validation of previous laboratory research. Results demonstrate that dynamic warning messages appearing in the middle of an EGM screen during play are likely to be a more effective harm minimization intervention than messages on the periphery of EGM screens.     

Miracles of love: The use of metaphor in egg donor ads1

In recent years, the appearance of egg donor advertisements in American college newspapers, sometimes offering five‐ and six‐figure fees to ‘genetically gifted’ donors, has given rise to critical comment on both sides of the Atlantic, and has caused some to fear that the use of these procedures will eventually result in the creation of ‘designer babies’ with preselected genetic qualities. Whether such fears will be realized depends, to a great extent, upon how both the participants themselves and society as a whole come to view and understand these procedures. This article explores emerging images of assisted reproduction through an analysis of the use of metaphor in egg donor ads that appeared in the student newspaper of the University of California, Los Angeles. I argue that the attitudes displayed in these ads result from a mapping of existing cultural stereotypes associated with biological parenthood, including the role of childbearing in marriage and ‘coupledom’, onto the assisted‐reproduction process, and that these metaphors are used precisely because they construct this cultural model and adapt it to the new reality of the assisted‐conception experience.     

RACE,GENDER, AND STATUS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS IN FOUR POPULAR MAGAZINES

In this article, we consider the continuation of race gender stereotypes in advertising images by way of the product's suggestive messages, specifically, connotations of higher or lower social status and promises of intangible social rewards (e.g., friendship, appearance, romance). We examined 1, 709 advertisements in magazines whose primary reading audiences differ by race and/or gender: Life, Cosmopolitan, Ebony, and Essence (1988-1990). For the analysis, we created and then compared three dimensions of status (affluent, trendy, and everyday) and five product promises (celebrity identification, sex romance, appearance, marriage family, and good times) as they are modeled by and presented to male, female, Black, and White readers in the magazines examined. We hypothesized that these status-image portrayals differ by race and gender. We found that most ads make use of positive (i.e., high-status) images of Blacks and Whites and women and men and that differences between magazines are more pronounced than differences between models. Some patterns in the use of status and product promises may be suggestive of continued, though subtle, stereotyping.     

“We build a better beagle”: Fantastic creatures in lab animal ads

The lab animal's significance and meaning are at the heart of the experimental method in modern biomedical research. Sociologists, however, have been remiss in studying how these animals are socially constructed within the scientific community as well as by industries, such as animal breeders, that support such research. Inspection of the advertisements used by breeding companies reveals three images of lab animals—the classy chemical, the consumer good, and the team player. The possible appeal of such images to readers of these ads is explored.     

When comparative ads are more effective: Fit with audience’s regulatory mode

According to regulatory fit theory (Higgins, 2000, Higgins, 2005), people experience regulatory fit when the manner in which they pursue a goal sustains (vs. disrupts) their regulatory orientation, and this fit strengthens their engagement in what they are doing. We tested whether the relative effectiveness of comparative and noncomparative ads varied as a function of their fit with the audience’s regulatory mode concerns, either assessment concerns with making critical evaluations or locomotion concerns with maintaining movement, with these concerns being situationally induced (Studies 1a and 1b) or chronic predispositions (Study 2). As predicted, three studies found that for participants with assessment concerns comparative ads were more effective than noncomparative ads, whereas for participants with locomotion concerns noncomparative ads were more effective than comparative ads. Supporting the mechanism predicted by regulatory fit theory, the studies also found that these fit effects on purchase intentions were mediated by strength of engagement with the message.     

Intention to comply with crisis messages communicated via social media

The rapid growth of social media challenges crisis communicators to disseminate safety messages to affected audiences quickly and in a manner that promotes maximum compliance. A nationally representative consumer panel responded to food recall messages that varied in source (organizational or user-generated) and reliability (confirmed versus unconfirmed). Results indicated that intent to comply with a food recall message was stronger in response to organizational messages than to user-generated messages, but did not vary according to message reliability. Strong age cohort effects were seen in the responses to message source, with younger participants making less distinction than older cohorts between organizational and user-generated sources. Implications of the results for public relations and crisis communications theory and practice, limitations of the study, and recommendations for future research were discussed.     

Looking inwards,designing outwards: national identity and print advertisements of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation

National identity is a person’s identity or sense of belonging to one state. It is the sense of a nation as a cohesive whole, represented by distinctive traditions and culture. The present work examines how these traditions, culture and other elements of national identity are presented in advertisements, promoting Cyprus as a tourist destination. Print advertisements of the Cypriot Tourism Organisation were collected in an effort to investigate the way the visual identity of the island is presented through nation branding. Ninety-three print tourist ads promoting Cyprus as a tourist destination since the establishment of the CTO were analysed using content analysis and semiotic analysis. The results indicated that national identity is mostly presented through the social characteristics of the people and their daily practices.     

Impression Management,Super PACs and the 2012 Republican Primary

Super Political Action Committees (PACs) are new organizations within American politics allowing for unlimited donations to candidate campaigns. Super PACs helped make the 2012 Republican primary the most well‐funded primary in American history. Both candidates and Super PACs spend much of their money on televised campaign ads. My study of the 2012 Republican primary expands existing literature concerning political impression management by examining advertising imagery in the era of Super PACs. I developed a typology of performance types from a qualitative content analysis of television advertisements for both candidates and Super PACs. The significance of Super PACs as they interact and overlap with the images of candidate ads calls for analysis of the changing front stage in the political realm.     

The Effects of Pop-up Harm Minimisation Messages on Electronic Gaming Machine Gambling Behaviour in New Zealand

In New Zealand a simple pop-up message feature that provides gambling session information and forces a break in play is mandatory on all electronic gaming machines in all venues (EGMs). Previous research has demonstrated small effects of more sophisticated pop-up messages tested predominantly in laboratory environments. The present research examined gambler engagement with and views on the New Zealand pop-up messages and on the relationship between pop-up messages and EGM expenditure. A sample of gamblers was recruited at casino and non-casino (pub) EGM venues. Most participants were aware of pop-up messages (57 %) and many saw them often (38 %). Among gamblers who reported seeing pop-up messages, half read the message content, and a quarter believed that pop-up messages helped them control the amount of money they spend on gambling. Participants who reported being likely to stop gambling in response to pop-up messages spent significantly less money on gambling when variables that were independently associated with EGM expenditure were controlled for. A modest harm minimisation effect of the pop-up message feature that has been operating in New Zealand for 5 years was evident. Suggestions for improvement of the harm minimisation potential of the current pop-up message feature are discussed.     

The effects of cultural appeal,product involvement,and ethnic identity on attitudes and recall in online advertising

The three studies presented here use four distinct samples that were gathered in mainland China, the United States, and Malaysia. We examined the persuasive effects of culturally congruent online advertising. We also explored the effects of interactions between ethnic identity and product category. Our findings showed that advertisements with collectivistic appeal, although they enhanced attitudes toward ads and brands across all samples, tended to diminish advertising recall. Furthermore, our results revealed that the level of ethnic identity and product category interacted with the main effects of culture on attitudes. Specifically, participants with high levels of ethnic identity had particularly strong reactions to culturally congruent advertisements. In addition, the attitudinal and cognitive effects of cultural appeal tended to diminish in high-involvement product advertisements, which may explain the decreased levels of recall observed in our initial inquiries. Our findings are presented in the contexts of global branding and future cross-cultural advertising research.     

HPV vaccination campaign fear visuals: An eye-tracking study exploring effects of visual attention and type on message informative value,recall, and behavioral intentions

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease, and there are alarming global disparities in cervical cancer and HPV vaccination uptake (CDC, 2016a). To inform HPV vaccination public health campaigns, an experiment with a psychophysiological measure (eye-tracking) explores the effects of visual attention to vaccination messages on message recall, informative value, and behavioral intentions. Results indicate 1) visual type affects recall and informative value of vaccination messages as well as intentions to vaccinate; 2) visual attention is negatively related to message recall only when a non-fear visual is used; and 3) visual attention predicts intent to vaccinate only when a fear visual is utilized. These results suggest the use of fear appeals in health, crisis, and risk public relations campaigns may promote performance of recommended safeguarding behaviors.