AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF FEMALE MODELS IN ADVERTISING MESSAGE

Abstract

This research work is aimed at analyzing Audience perception of female models in advertising message a study of always ultra commercials. The research method used was survey method and questionnaires being the instrument. The findings from the questionnaire shows that the audience, especially those in Enugu metropolis, now have positive perception of female models with the aid of the Always ultra commercials they watch on their TV sets, after the findings, the researcher recommended that advertising regulatory bodies should scrutinize adverts properly before they are shown on TV.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

For any organization, advertising is one of the most important marketing activities, in modern economics; advertising occupies an important market position. The industry advertising has grown to become an important economic entity supporting lives of millions of people in the world. Advertising is not only an economic activity, but it articulates, different ideas, attitudes and values, which shape out social life and consumption patterns. Therefore, it can be said that advertising has become and form by virtue of signifying practices. Advertisements, articulates meaning to words and images although this depends on how we interpret them.

Advertising is such a strong influence in our society that it determines our needs, what we care about, how we raise our children, what our interests are and so on. Advertising plays a role involving a number of relationships, power and satisfaction; in this light, advertising has over the years used women as a tool/ implement to persuade consumers into buying a product and portray the woman beautiful and desirable. As noted by Puranik2011 advertising is nothing, but a paid form of nonpersonal presentation or promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsors with a view to disseminate information concerning an idea, product or disseminated is called advertisement.

Wilson, cited in Asemah 2010 said that advertising is controversial in nature and that in the early twentieth century, people clamored for the regulation of advertising. Believing much of it was exaggerated and untruthful. The United Nations conference on women recognized the importance of the mass media on the image of women/ female models. As noted by Ingham n.d, television is widely known to represent and reinforce the main stream ideology of contemporary western culture: particularly. While television representations of women have changed greatly in the last twenty years alone, in other to accommodate the changing role of women on the society, one is led to ask how much the ideology has changed behind the more modern representations of women. If this is the case, then it is important for us to question how real the representations of women are on television and how this affects the attitudes of those who watch. Some of the most watched and perhaps influential genres of television viewing are advertisements and soap operas, in a world where women are numbered greater than men, can television be said to reflect the world as it is or dictate it

Understanding the concept of advertising

It is any paid form of nonpersonal communication link, initiated by an identified marketer, to establish or continue exchange relationships with customers and at times, with other stakeholders. Companies advertise to: build awareness, position a product/brand, build preference, and differentiate their products/ brands. Dominick 2007 sees advertising as any form of nonpersonal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services, usually paid for by an identified sponsor.

1.3 Statement of the problem

It is important to know that advertisings increasing sophistication and sophistry are clearly evident

In todays world, sophistication is manifested in attention grabbing advertisements copies, which virtually compel recipients to pay undivided attention. The primary stereotypes, is the portrayal of female models as sex objects. Women are often presented in limited roles because of the perception that they are not dependent and do not fit into the business votes or authority settings, they are portrayed to be more feminine. Men or male models are usually placed above the female models, because they male models/men are seen as calm and perfect for such roles. Therefore the study is after the perception that is how the audience views female models or their thoughts of them in passing advertising messages.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are:

a To examine the role of female models in advertising messages.

b To find out audience perception of female models in advertising messages.

c To determine the effect always ultra commercials has on the advertising perception of the audience.

d To find out how always ultra commercials have portrayed female models to the audience.