PhD in Administrative Sciences, Irery Melchor-Durán, research professor at our Panamericana Aguascalientes campus, an expert in entrepreneurship in universities, the intersection of social problems with entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as a consultant in market research, business valuation, business models, business processes, franchises, and branding, shares with us her article Marketing with Science from a marketing perspective as well as in light of scientific evidence.
Studies of interest
Marketing may seem easy, but there is a whole science behind every advertisement. Understanding the principles of social psychology is particularly important for creating successful advertising campaigns. Part of a university’s mission is to generate and disseminate knowledge, which is why studying fields such as advertising, marketing, or media is an excellent way to become an expert at winning over customers’ hearts and wallets.
The following are the results of three scientific studies conducted at various universities on the effects of advertisements containing sexual content. It might seem that adding this element to advertisements would automatically boost sales, but it’s not that simple.
In a study conducted by researchers from the marketing department at California State University, it was found that on Facebook, ads with explicit sexual content generate greater user engagement than neutral ads; however , this does not translate to actual product sales, as there is no statistically significant difference in sales between the two types of ads.
Some results
So, if advertisements with sexual appeal do not lead to higher sales of a product, what other effects might they have on consumers? Studies published in the *Journal of Marketing Management* and *Sex Roles* have identified the effects that advertising with sexual content has on:
- Attitudes toward the brand.
- Attitudes toward the advertisement.
- Purchase intention
- Product appeal
- Positive emotions
- Negative emotions
One thing is certain: we can see that the effects of this type of sexualized advertising differ between men and women. In the case of women, high levels of sexual content in advertisements lead to a statistically significant increase in:
- Negative attitude toward the brand
- Negative emotions
According to research conducted by the University of Newcastle and the University of Padova in Italy, among men, ads with high sexual content result in a statistically significant increase compared to ads with low sexual content in the following areas:
- Positive attitude toward the brand
- Positive attitude toward the advertisement
- Purchase intention
Finally, although ads with high sexual content yield better results in the aforementioned areas for men, these types of ads also generate an increase in negative emotions among men compared to neutral ads.
“Thanks to this type of scientific research in the field of marketing, it is possible to identify the factors to consider when incorporating a sexual element into advertisements, as well as the importance of having the necessary knowledge to create campaigns that elicit the desired attitudes and emotions in consumers,” says the marketing expert
“Science is a great ally in marketing, and because many business schools generate and share this knowledge, marketing experts can create better advertising campaigns, ”she adds.
Researcher data
Dr. Irery Melchor-Durán
PhD in Administrative Sciences
research professor at the Universidad Panamericana, Aguascalientes campus
