Cultural Characteristics and Product Appeals Reflected on Fashion Ads

This research was to see if the fashion product ads are standardized or differentiated, and to find what were the determinants if any differentiation existed. The purpose of this study was to identify cultural characteristics significant on marketing fashion produce. In addition, the relative importance of product appeals between rational and emotional in the fashion ads was examined. Hofstede's(l991) three cultural characteristics dimensions such as individualism-collectivism, power distance, masculinity-femininity were used. Content analysis was applied in the study. Magazine ads of apparel, cosmetics and accessories were collected from France, Japan, Korea and the US in 1999-2000. Cultural characteristics of the fashion ads were evaluated and compared in terms of country, product type and product involvement. Also ten consumption appeals were examined for county and product type. ANOVA, Duncan test and $X^2$ test were applied to analyze data. The results were shown as follows: First, all the cultural characteristics such as individualism-collectivism, power distance, and femininity-masculinity were different among countries. Second, two product appeals were significantly different among countries. Hedonic appeals were dominant fur France and the US while those were not for Korea and Japan. Third, product involvement level had significant impact on power distance characteristic and product appeals. Ads of high involvement fashion goods showed larger power distance and more emotional appeals. In conclusion, global fashion ads should be differentiated in terms of some cultural characteristics and product appeals.

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