Your ethnic model speaks to the culturally connected: Differential effects of model ethnicity in advertisements and the role of cultural self‐construal. Issue 2 (7th December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hesapci, Ozlem; Merdin, Ezgi; Gorgulu, Vehbi
• Is Part Of: Journal of consumer behaviour. Volume 15:Issue 2(2016)
• Page Start: 175
• Page End: 185
• Publication Date: 2015-12-07
• Subjects: Consumer behavior -- Periodicals; Motivation research (Marketing) -- Periodicals; 658.834205
• DOI: 10.1002/cb.1562
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1472-0817

Abstract

Abstract: This paper examines self‐construal and consumer self‐referencing as a mechanism for explaining ethnicity effects in advertising. Data were collected from a 2 (participant ethnicity: Turkish versus Kurdish) × 2 (model ethnicity: Turkish versus Kurdish) × 2 (self‐construal: independent versus interdependent) experiment. Results show that (i) individuals with interdependent self‐construal display more positive evaluations towards an in‐group ethnic ad model than do individuals with independent self‐construal; (ii) ethnic minority individuals (Kurdish people) self‐referenced more advertising portrayals of models of a similar ethnicity than models of a different ethnicity, as did ethnic majority individuals (Turkish people); (iii) ethnic minority individuals who experienced high levels of self‐referencing exhibited more favourable attitude towards the advertisement, attitude towards the brand and a higher purchase intention than ethnic minority individuals who experienced low levels of self‐referencing; and (iv) self‐referencing is found to partially mediate the relationship between culturally constructed self‐concept (self‐construal) and ethnicity on consumer evaluations for interdependent subjects. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.