Shigeru Hagiwara

The reception of global TV in Asia: An assessment of its impact on local cultures

This study examines the impact of global television on local cultures by comparing TV content and audience responses from India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Japan. It examines what negative values are portrayed and what local audiences perceive as the impact on their societies. Many of the negative values of global TV identified by these audiences could also be found in local programming. Indeed the display of different values could arguably depend more on a broadcasters programming strategy than a specific programmes country of origin. In general the respondents did not believe that the negative values identified had any significant effect on local cultures or their own way of life. On the contrary, they perceived many benefits in the exchange of knowledge and culture. The findings indicate that the fear of cultural invasion from global television may not be warranted.

Ältere Menschen in der japanischen Fernsehwerbung: Eine umfragebasierte und inhaltsanalytische Untersuchung

AbstractThis article presents results from a survey on the image of older people in Japan and a content analysis of how they are represented in Japanese TV commercials. The representative survey resulted in 720 responses from people between 15 and 65 years of age in the greater Tokyo area. Among the findings: The term kōreisha (elderly people) is generally used to refer to people over 70, although the official definition in Japan is over 65; kōreisha and dankai no sedai (baby boomers) are identified as very distinct groups with different characteristics; and there is a generally positive attitude towards ageing, while negative stereotypes are rejected. The survey participants were also asked for their impressions of how older people are depicted in TV advertising. These impressions were then compared to objective measures of Japanese TV ads through the use of content analysis. The systematic sample consisted of 2,972 television commercials aired in the years 1997 and 2007. The results echo the findings of...

The Representation of Older People in East Asian Television Advertisements

In this study, 432 television advertisements from Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea were analyzed to determine their representations of older people. Findings demonstrate that in East Asian advertisements, older people are highly underrepresented, appear in major roles, mostly alongside younger people, and older men clearly outnumber older women. The other variables investigated (i.e., setting and product categories) led to no conclusive findings for the three societies. In short, our study, employing ethnolinguistic vitality theory to analyze television advertisements, demonstrates how East Asian societies greatly marginalize older people. Potential effects of such representations are discussed using social cognitive theory and cultivation theory.

Japan's demographic revolution? A study of advertising practitioners' views on stereotypes

This article presents results from a survey of advertising practitioners in Japan focusing on their opinions about the communication objectives and stereotypes, specifically the effectiveness of older spokespersons, their general views on older models in advertising and the effectiveness of older models by product category. We find that these opinions are rather positive. The intention to use a larger number of older models is affected by the perceived effectiveness of older spokespersons and the expected increase in older models and client interest. When targeting an older audience, older spokespersons are seen as particularly effective for the product category of health/medical, but for a general audience it is financial services/insurance. Regardless of product category, they are perceived more effective when targeting an older versus a general audience and when targeting aged 50–64 versus 65 plus.