Representation Of Minority Groups In Advertising Essay

How do we determine what types of people should be represented in advertising? Based on actual population, or perhaps based on who companies hope to attract? Often times over and underrepresenting certain populations can have adverse effects on both the viewers and the groups being represented. The two articles I chose to compare look into how advertisers choices on who to represent in their ads leads to certain outcomes. The first, by Spoor, Jetten, & Hornsey, addresses the overrepresentation of minority groups by larger, more powerful groups or organizations. Specifically in this case, the authors look at the overrepresentation of Asian Minorities at a specific university, and both the intended and unintended consequences of the university’s decisions. The second article, by Briley, Shrum, and Wyer Jr., looks at the over and underrepresentation of minority groups, which include minority racial groups, ethnic groups, and status-base groups. The authors research how the frequency with which viewers are shown advertisements and media sources, plus the people who are featured in the ads and sources influence how viewers
This is especially tricky when looking at ethics in business practices. When is it unethical to represent people in a certain manner? What’s the standard? And then on the opposite side, when is it unethical for a business to present information they are not fully versed on? When is it unethical to regulate a business’ choice to advertise in a certain way? All of these questions, and plenty more, come into the picture after reading these articles. However, they present a good balance between scholarly jargon and quotidien formatting. This allows everyday people to understand and scholars/ policy makers to feel comfortable trusting the research presented, striking an ideal balance for a wide variety of