Barbara Czarnecka

Regulation of nutrition and health claims in advertising

ABSTRACT This article reviews the intentions and assumptions underlying calls for greater regulation of nutrition and health claims in food advertising and examines the likely impact of new European regulations on health-related claims. After providing a review of the literature concerning regulatory effectiveness and on nutritional and health-related claims in advertising, we present a qualitative analysis of television advertisements aired on British television using a coding framework based on recently approved European Union regulations. There is little reason to expect health-related claims in food advertising to become clearer to consumers as a result of the regulations.

Wisdom Appeals in UK Financial Services Advertising

This paper reports on a study of mathematical images in UK press advertising, and in particular, on the use of wisdom appeals as expressed via such images in advertisements for financial services. Over 1,500 editions of nine newspapers were monitored for advertisements containing mathematical images. Content analysis was applied to produce an account of the use of mathematical images in advertising specifically for financial services. The findings indicate noteworthy differences in the use of mathematical images among different types of newspapers. This analysis provides insights into how advertisers use mathematical representations to create more “scientific” and trustworthy images of their brands.

Is food advertising culture-bound?: contradictory results from three European countries

The objective of this study was to examine the proposition frequently noted in the extant literature that food advertising is culture-bound. Print advertisements for food, from Poland, Ireland and England, were content-analysed using Pollays (1983) value appeals, linked to The objective of this study was to examine the proposition frequently noted in the extant literature that food advertising is culture-bound. Print advertisements for food, from Poland, Ireland and England, were content-analysed using Pollays (1983) value appeals, linked to GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) dimensions. Data analysis revealed that there were both differences and similarities in value appeals usage; however, these variations could not be related to, or explained with, cultural dimensions. These results contradict the proposition that food advertising is one of the most culture-bound forms of advertising. They suggest that advertisers seldom use culturally congruent appeals in food advertisements. Further research is needed to determine how these differences and similarities may be explained.

Cultural Meaning, Advertising, and National Culture: A Four-Country Study

ABSTRACT Cultural meaning transfer theory and GLOBE dimensions were employed in this comparative study to examine the extent to which cultural meaning presented in advertisements reflected national cultures of the target countries. Content analysis was applied to advertisements from four countries to investigate whether the use of advertising appeals presented in these advertisements mirrored variations in cultures as described by GLOBE Society Values. Results revealed that, in line with the hypotheses, there were similarities and differences in the use of appeals, and only some of them mirrored the cultural variations. GLOBE Society Values were more likely to predict the use of appeals than GLOBE Society Practices, but not for all appeals. Advertisers can draw on national cultures for cultural meanings to be used in advertisements only to a limited extent. It may be that advertisements mold rather than mirror societal values, or that only certain cultural traits are important for advertisers.

Emotional appeals in UK business-to-business financial services advertisements

© 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: to analyse the use of emotional appeals in business-to-business (B2B) bank advertisements and to understand business owners’ perceptions of such appeals. Design/methodology/approach: In Study 1,834 print advertisements collected from British newspapers were content analysed. In Study 2, semi-structured interviews with 17 business owners operating a business current account with a British bank were carried out. Findings: Emotional appeals are embedded in B2B financial services advertisements, and business owners acknowledge the presence of emotional appeals; however, the perceived congruency between emotional appeal and financial services could not be established as participants reported a largely utilitarian, need- and benefit-driven decision-making process. Research limitations/implications: Accurately measuring emotions aroused through advertisements is considered a limitation. In addition, the sample of participants considered for this research project was small and medium-sized business owners. Practical implications: Emotional appeals should be used in conjunction with detailed rational information about financial products, as emotional appeals only arouse interest. Relationship is considered crucial in capitalising on the emotionally appealing advertisements. Customers must feel appreciated and loyalty should be rewarded. Originality/value: The paper responds to numerous calls for more research into the role of emotional influences on the relationships in a B2B context and on the behaviour of business customers.