CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ADVERTISING APPEALS IN PRINT ADVERTISING - Case Sweden
Peltoniemi, Tarja (2015)
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Marieke de Mooij (2010) finds in her research of advertising appeals based on Hofstede´s 5 D Model of national culture that in a feminine country soft-sell appeals would be more common in advertising than hard-sell appeals. De Mooij finds the use of fear appeal not to be effective in low uncertainty avoidance cultures, where people are more responsive to benefits than to threats. Instead benefit would be more effective.Sweden is a low uncertainty avoidance culture and the most feminine country in the world. In this research with a content analysis of 400 advertisements in four high circulation magazines in Sweden, was the use of soft-sell versus hard-sell and fear versus benefit appeals examined and analysed. The similarities and differences between statements of de Mooij based on Hofstede´s 5 D Model and empirical findings were analysed. The use of these appeals between magazines, product classes, product categories and between local, foreign and local multinational companies were examined.
The findings of this study do not support statements of de Mooij concerning the use of soft-sell and hard-sell appeals in Sweden. The results of this research show that 64 per cent of total 400 advertisements were using hard-sell appeal instead of soft-sell appeal.Only 30 per cent of all advertisements used soft-sell appeal and 6 per cent a mix of soft-sell and hard-sell appeals. Between magazines the use of hard-sell appeal was higher in all magazines than the use of soft-sell appeal, except Dagens Industri Weekend.Between product classes only in service product class soft-sell appeal was more common than hard-sell appeal. Hard-sell appeal was most common appeal also in all product categories, except Banking and Travel. The highest per cent of the use of hard-sell appeal was among local companies, but among foreign and local multinational companies hard-sell appeal was also more common than soft-sell appeal. Concerning fear and benefit appeals fear appeal was found only in three advertisements and benefit appeal in 102 advertisements of total 400 advertisements. The use of fear appeals is not common in print advertising in Sweden, which is supporting the statements of de Mooij.
The findings of this study do not support statements of de Mooij concerning the use of soft-sell and hard-sell appeals in Sweden. The results of this research show that 64 per cent of total 400 advertisements were using hard-sell appeal instead of soft-sell appeal.Only 30 per cent of all advertisements used soft-sell appeal and 6 per cent a mix of soft-sell and hard-sell appeals. Between magazines the use of hard-sell appeal was higher in all magazines than the use of soft-sell appeal, except Dagens Industri Weekend.Between product classes only in service product class soft-sell appeal was more common than hard-sell appeal. Hard-sell appeal was most common appeal also in all product categories, except Banking and Travel. The highest per cent of the use of hard-sell appeal was among local companies, but among foreign and local multinational companies hard-sell appeal was also more common than soft-sell appeal. Concerning fear and benefit appeals fear appeal was found only in three advertisements and benefit appeal in 102 advertisements of total 400 advertisements. The use of fear appeals is not common in print advertising in Sweden, which is supporting the statements of de Mooij.