New Research Suggests Sex Doesn’t Sell
Advertising that uses sex to sell products has fallen out of favour with consumers, according to the latest survey from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
According to the research, it seems that the days you could use a scantily clad women to sell almost anything, are coming to an end, with 46% of respondents recognising that women are regularly and inaccurately stereotyped in advertising.
Mike Johnston, international chairman of CIM, comments: “Our figures demonstrate that using sex to sell a product is not always effective marketing. Consumers soon grow tired of outdated marketing practices, and marketers need to constantly strengthen product offerings, and connect brands and consumers in ever-more creative ways.”
A further 31% of respondents said that they don’t enjoy advertising which uses sexual imagery to sell products or services. However, 34% of respondents claim to enjoy such adverts, but also claim that their purchases are not influenced by them. Just 6% say they enjoy such adverts and are influenced by them.
According to the CIM, 47% of female respondents say that women’s portrayal in advertising has become more positive over the last 15 years. However, only 12% of respondents feel women are not stereotyped in advertising at all.
When it comes to the characteristics more likely to be associated with women in advertising, 35% of respondents cite ‘caring’ as a female attribute, while ‘intelligent’ and ‘assertive’ were picked out by 26% of respondents. Of the women questioned, 34% chose ‘gullible’ as a characteristic more likely to be associated with men in advertising.
Mike Johnston, believes women in advertising are being portrayed more positively: “This latest survey shows that although women still feel stereotyped by advertising, a sizeable majority think that their portrayal is becoming more positive.”
A recent report by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, found that there has been no improvement in the portrayal of women in European advertising and named advertising as the worst offender in perpetuating the image of women as sex symbols and an inferior class of human being across the world.
According to the IPA’s recent census, 86% of art directors and 62% of designers are male, while woman account for only 10% of senior executive positions (see IPA Census Brings Good News For Smaller Agencies).
Chartered Institute Of Marketing: 01628 427 500 www.cim.co.uk
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