Journal of Management and Marketing Research
10475 – Journal of Management and Marketing Research
Target marketing and the product: categorizing products to understand the resulting marketing communication outcome measures
Yuvay Jeanine Meyers Howard University ABSTRACT There is an increased expectation for American consumers to be presented with relatable images (Williams, Qualls, and Grier 1995). The use of Black models is now a commonplace occurrence in African American targeted marketing efforts; however there are a lack of studies that address other elements in the advertisement, beyond the skin color of the featured model. The author’s experiment shed light on the role that both the realm of consumption of the featured product and its cultural relevance plays on the reception of targeted marketing communication efforts. The way that a consumer views an ad is affected by elements within the ad and how these elements are seen and used within their own cultural context. In other words, a cultural lens is used to view the different elements of an ad in order to find significance. This study sets out to identify whether the product featured in a targeted advertisement affects the anticipated marketing communication outcomes.
Target marketing, Page 1
10475 – Journal of Management and Marketing Research INTRODUCTION The use of target marketing is based on the premise that those who are targeted have a pronounced affinity for the product or brand (Aaker 1999). By highlighting this affinity, marketers will successfully meet their desired outcome such as purchase intent, attitude towards the ad, brand, and product. One explanation of why this targeting works is due to the shared cultural knowledge displayed in the marketing communication (Aaker, Brumbaugh, Grier 2000; Brumbaugh 1997). In other words, the success of targeted marketing is driven by a consumer’s inference of similarity between some aspect of a company’s communication effort and themselves (Whittler 1989). As minority buying power grows in
Target marketing and the product: categorizing products to understand the resulting marketing communication outcome measures
Yuvay Jeanine Meyers Howard University ABSTRACT There is an increased expectation for American consumers to be presented with relatable images (Williams, Qualls, and Grier 1995). The use of Black models is now a commonplace occurrence in African American targeted marketing efforts; however there are a lack of studies that address other elements in the advertisement, beyond the skin color of the featured model. The author’s experiment shed light on the role that both the realm of consumption of the featured product and its cultural relevance plays on the reception of targeted marketing communication efforts. The way that a consumer views an ad is affected by elements within the ad and how these elements are seen and used within their own cultural context. In other words, a cultural lens is used to view the different elements of an ad in order to find significance. This study sets out to identify whether the product featured in a targeted advertisement affects the anticipated marketing communication outcomes.
Target marketing, Page 1
10475 – Journal of Management and Marketing Research INTRODUCTION The use of target marketing is based on the premise that those who are targeted have a pronounced affinity for the product or brand (Aaker 1999). By highlighting this affinity, marketers will successfully meet their desired outcome such as purchase intent, attitude towards the ad, brand, and product. One explanation of why this targeting works is due to the shared cultural knowledge displayed in the marketing communication (Aaker, Brumbaugh, Grier 2000; Brumbaugh 1997). In other words, the success of targeted marketing is driven by a consumer’s inference of similarity between some aspect of a company’s communication effort and themselves (Whittler 1989). As minority buying power grows in