Commentary

Focusing Student Advertising

by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, March 22, 2003

Focusing Student Advertising

According to a recent Harris Interactive Study, though students report that they do not pay a lot of attention to any particular type of advertising, most say they do pay at least some attention to TV, magazines, Outdoor, Radio and Newspaper.

In summary:

Both males and females are most likely to want advertising to mention the cost of the product and to use humor.

Most college students want ads that at least some of the time appeal to both them and their parents.

Females are more likely than males to always want everyday people included in ads.

Males are much more likely than females to always want ads to be sexy.

	TV	Mag	Outdoor	Theater	Radio	Newspaper	School paper	Internet
Do you pay a lot, a little, or no attention to the following types of ads?
A lot/A little	87%	79%	79%	73%	72%	71%	57%	48%
None	12%	21%	21%	28%	28%	29%	43%	52%
Do you pay a lot, a little, or no attention to the following types of ads (Male vs. Females)?
A lot/A little
Male	85%	75	75	69	68	67	56	47
Female	9%	83	82	75	75	78	58	48
None
Internet Male	15%	34	25	31	24	45	33	53
Female	10%	22	17	25	17	42	25	52

How often do you think advertisers should do the following?
	Always	Sometimes	Never
Mention the cost of products in ads	44%	40	5
Use humor in ads	36	62	2
Use everyday people in ads	33	59	3
Make ads you and your parents like	16	65	4
Use your favorite song in ads	15	54	13
Use ads that are sexy in their appeal	11	42	17
Place products in TV and movies	10	49	16
Don't advertise products at all	6	24	39
Use a celebrity to promote a product	5	46	13
Make ads that you understand, but your parents don't	3	36	29

Students most want humor and everyday people to be included frequently in advertising.

Eight in ten college students at least sometimes want advertisers to appeal to both them and their parents. Fewer students want ads that they understand and their parents don't.

Six percent of college students don't want any advertising at all.

African-American and Hispanic students are more likely than white students to always want ads to include everyday people (41% vs.43% vs. 30%).

Males and Females Differ in Their Advertising Preferences
ALWAYS...	Male	Female
Mention the cost of products in ads	48%	40%
Use humor in ads	38	35
Use everyday people in ads	27	38
Make ads you and your parents like	15	16
Use your favorite song in ads	12	17
Use ads that are sexy in their appeal	19	5
Place products in TV and movies	9	11
Don't advertise products at all	9	5
Use a celebrity to promote a product	5	4
Make ads that you understand, but your parents don't	3	3
Don't advertise products at all	32%	45
Make ads that you understand, but your parents don't	25	33
Use your favorite song in ads	17	9
Place products in TV and movies	17	15
Use a celebrity to promote a product	15	11
Use ads that are sexy in their appeal	14	20
Make ads you and your parents like	5	3
Mention the cost of products in ads	4	5
Use everyday people in ads	4	2
Use humor in ads	2	1

Also:

Females are more likely than males to always want everyday people included in ads.

Males are nearly four times as likely as females to always want ads to be sexy.

Females are more likely than males to be against using ads that they understand but their parents don't.

Males are more likely to be against the use of their favorite song.

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About the Author

Jack Loechner is the Editor of The Center for Media Research's daily Research Brief. You can reach him at jack@mediapost.com.