Reference
Robert J. Fisher and Laurette Dubé / Journal of Consumer Research / vol 31, issue 4 / March 2005
Highlights
Gender Differences in Advertising
• Men are social chameleons when it comes to emotional response.
They’ll vibe with a tender ad alone but won’t dare gush publicly, especially with other guys around.
• Mixed-gender settings help balance the game.
Pairing a couple in your target audience might reduce the invisible weight of ‘masculine expectations.’
• Women are the constant baseline of emotional engagement.
Females won’t flip their emotional script whether alone or in a group—they are steady with low or high-agency vibes.
Summary
This study dives into how men and women respond to emotional advertising, particularly focusing on public vs. private contexts. While advertisers bank on emotional content to connect deeply, gender norms play a significant role in consumer reception. Interesting, right? Men, for example, are more sensitive to the social environment in which an ad is consumed. When ads portray low-agency emotions, like tenderness or warmth, men report reduced satisfaction if viewed in the presence of another man—presumably to adhere to masculine stereotypes of strength and stoicism. But in private settings? Their reactions mirror women’s, debunking the overly simplistic ‘women are more emotional’ stereotype. Women, on the other hand, seem unfazed by the social setting, maintaining consistent responses irrespective of who’s around or the ad’s emotional tone. These findings could be a game-changer for marketers designing campaigns aimed at mixed or same-gender audiences in public contexts. The study sheds light on deep-seated gender norms and their implications for consumer behavior in emotional advertising.
Implications
Impact of Public vs Private Contexts on Advertising
Advertisers should recognize that a man’s public persona may differ from his private viewing experience. For ads featuring low-agency emotions or tender themes—think greeting cards, special occasions, or charity appeals—it may be wiser to target private consumption media like online platforms or print. Men are likely to respond better to such content when there’s no pressure of social judgment.
Mixed Audiences Encourage Broader Acceptance
Since men react less negatively to low-agency ads in mixed-gender settings, brands could benefit from targeting co-gender media. This might create shared experiences where direct male-to-male social pressures diminish, increasing ad effectiveness.
Designing Ads for Gender-Inclusive Appeal
Understanding that women’s emotional responses are consistent regardless of public presence, ads can afford to lean into both high-agency and low-agency thematic elements without fragmenting reach. Meanwhile, male-oriented campaigns might need nuanced design to navigate these public vs private disparities.
Corporate Implications for Creative Teams
Research and focus group settings might need tweaking—a male researcher’s presence, for example, could significantly skew male participants’ emotional responses. Ad agencies could purposely evaluate emotional ads in private, controlled environments to get a more accurate read on male sentiment.