The Novel Reaction: The Impact of Socially Diverse Imagery on Unintended Audience Members

Abstract: In this thesis report, the impact of socially diverse imagery in advertising is investigated. To account for the leaking nature of the modern market context, the study centers on effects manifested in unintended target groups. For this purpose, men were singled out as the unintended audience who were then exposed to an advertisement intended only for women. Relevant theories on social stereotypes, leaking markets, and unintended effects and audiences, are presented during the course of this report. A quantitative laboratory experiment was conducted, where 117 men from an urban environment were exposed to an unbranded advertisement containing either one of three socially diverse images or one of the three stereotypical control images. The respondents' attitude towards the advertisement and brand was measured, as well as the moderating role of progressiveness. The results showed that the group exposed to a socially diverse advertisement experienced a higher ad attitude and brand liking relative to the group that was exposed to the stereotypical advertisement. Progressiveness was confirmed a moderator, as the effect was greater for individuals with a higher level of progressiveness. These findings indicate that there are commercial benefits to be reaped through the utilization of socially diverse elements in advertising. In an increasingly diverse market context, where marketing leakage between audiences is common, marketers are on the lookout for ways to communicate with their audience while also generating positive ripple effects. This study implies that socially diverse elements might be one way of doing so. Managerial implications will be presented and discussed.