The use of traditional masculinity to enhance advertising effectiveness: a qualitative study of consumer engagement in digital environment

Abstract

Purpose of the article is to introduce the readers with the ongoing research of analyzing effectiveness of traditional masculinity in advertising. The research focusses on how companies are effectively selling traditional masculinity to the consumers. Many researchers of advertising have argued that masculinity is now branded and men are increasingly marketed to and offered visions of masculinity for consumption. In addition, researchers are also arguing for the use of more modern depictions of masculinity in advertising suggesting lack of effectiveness for traditional masculinity.

Methodology/methods of this research include mostly qualitative research methods, such as video content analysis, sentiment analysis, qualitative content analysis and discourse analysis of consumer comments of advertisements in question. The data is gathered digitally through online data collection method and analysed with programs, such as Nvivo 11 data anlysis software.

Scientific aim is to understand whether researchers (such as Zayer, Scheibling, Lafrance and others) on gender depictions in advertising could be wrong when it comes to traditional masculinity in advertising, by analyzing consumer opinions on advertising that is focused around traditional depictions of men in digital environment.

Findings: Consumer engagement and the rate of positivity and appreciation of the advertisement in digital environment is greater when traditional masculinity is presented in a humorous way. Likeability of the advertisement is linked with consumer engagement which generates greater awareness for the advertisement. Appreciating the main character is of the utmost importance for the advertisement to get positive consumer feedback.

Conclusions Traditional masculinity in advertising generates a lot of awareness and consumer engagement in digital environment. The expressed in comments, therefore showing the effectiveness of the advertisement. The research was limited to examining and analyzing traditional masculinity in advertising, but the ongoing research will focus on modern masculinity, subsequently comparing the two types of masculinity and their advertising effectiveness.