Tom Reichert

The Effects of Sexual Social Marketing Appeals on Cognitive Processing and Persuasion

Abstract Increasingly, social marketers are using sexual information in public service announcements and collateral material for a wide range of causes. This study builds on previous research to explain how sexual appeals can affect cognitive processing and persuasion for “help-self” social marketing topics. It also goes beyond traditional single-message research designs by testing matched pairs of appeals (sexual/nonsexual) for 13 social marketing topics. The major finding was that sexual appeals were more persuasive overall than matched nonsexual appeals for social marketing topics. Sexual appeals also stimulated more favorable ad execution related thoughts but had a negative effect on cognitive elaboration (e.g., support and counterarguments). Respondents also reported that sexual appeals were more attention getting, likeable, dynamic, and somewhat more apt to increase their interest in the topic than were nonsexual appeals. These findings suggest that persuasion is largely the result of peripheral processing and distraction from somewhat unpleasant messages when receivers are expected to counterargue the message or be resistant to change.

An Update on Sex in Magazine Advertising: 1983 to 2003

Magazine advertisements from 2003 were content analyzed as an extension of a study reported in Journalism Quarterly that assessed sex in advertising in 1983 and 1993. As watchdog groups become more vocal concerning indecency in advertising and media in general, it is important to assess the state of sex in advertising since 1993. The findings indicate overall increases in sexual dress and intimate contact from 1983 to 2003 and that female models were more explicitly dressed in 2003 (49%) than 1993 (40%). In addition, sexual content continued to be more explicit and prevalent in womens and mens magazines compared to newsweeklies. In 2003, for instance, 78% of women in ads in mens magazines were sexually attired.

Cheesecake and beefcake: No matter how you slice it, sexual explicitness in advertising continues to increase

Previous research revealed that sexually oriented appeals in American advertising had become increasingly explicit through the mid-1980s. This study updates earlier research by assessing images of women and men in magazine ads in 1983 and 1993. Results show that both genders were portrayed more explicitly and through more sexually intimate contact in 1993. Women were three times more likely than men to be portrayed explicitly, but for the first time, images of men were shown to be more explicit in the 1990s, albeit in smaller numbers than women. Portrayals of women and men were most explicit in womens and mens magazines.

Family discussions about organ donation: how the media influences opinions about donation decisions

Abstract:  In this study, 78 family pair dyads (spouses, parent–child pairs, or siblings) were brought into an interaction laboratory set up like a living room. After being briefed on the study, family members discussed a series of eight questions about their thoughts and opinions about organ donation. Thematic analysis of the thousands of pages of transcripts revealed that family members believe that they receive important information about organ donation through the media. Unfortunately, the most influential information came from sensationalistic, negative media portrayals. The myths that seem to be the most actively referenced by the media include premature declaration of death, the transference of personality traits from donor to recipient, a US black market for organs, corruption in the medical community, and corruption in the organ allocation system (which allows celebrities to get transplants first). Although these are not the only myths that the generally public holds to be true, the media is a powerful source of support for these particular myths. Therefore, such myths must be countered effectively if greater consent for organ donation is to be attained.

Examining the Decision to Talk with Family About Organ Donation: Applying the Theory of Motivated Information Management

Research on organ donation suggests a strong association between family discussions about the issue and final organ donor status. However, very few studies have examined the factors that influence individuals’ willingness to talk directly to their family about this topic or the impact of these discussions. This investigation provides a partial test of a newly developed theory of information management to better understand the processes of family discussions about organ donation. Results from two studies generally support the utility of the theory in this context, suggest ways in which organ donation campaigns may improve their effectiveness, and recommend future directions for researchers in this area. Moreover, the data show differences across ethnic groups that support and extend past work in this area.

Media Convergence/Management Change: The Evolving Workflow for Visual Journalists

This article, based on a national survey of photo editors and Web directors from news organizations publishing, both online and in hard copy, examines the differences in workflow of visual journalists. An evolution in how news photographs are used and in the aesthetic and technical handling is occurring as newspapers embrace new media publishing. As a result, newspapers and news organizations are creating different operating systems within the field of photo editing and Web production. This article was done in conjunction with Kenny Irby, Visual Journalism Group Leader, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies.

All the News That's Fit to See? The Sexualization of Television News Journalists as a Promotional Strategy

SUMMARY This formative investigation employed framing theory to content analyze the nature and extent of sexually appealing newscasters primarily on cable news programs. Overall, 62% of segments contained journalists with “high” sex appeal, and these were predominately female. Specifically, these journalists were physically attractive, suggestively dressed (e.g., open blouses, tight-fitting skirts), and filmed in ways that accentuated these features. Female newscasters on Univisions Primer Impacto, who double as models on its website, always exhibited “high” sex appeal compared to 93% of newscasters on MSNBC, 49% on Fox News, and 39% on CNN.

Women's Responses to Sex in Advertising

Abstract Advertising researchers have neglected to analyze womens reactions to sexual appeals, and researchers are just beginning to recognize the utility of personality variables as predictors of responses to sex in advertising. This study addresses both areas by testing womens reactions to a sexual commercial, and examining the relationship between womens sexual schemas with their responses. Sexual schemas are peoples cognitive views of themselves that predict approach/avoidance to sexual behavior and sexual information. Overall, women who have more positive sexual self-schemas (sex positive) were found to have more positive attitudes-toward-the-ad and brand interest for the sexual ad. Purchase intention, however, was not affected. The findings and their implications are discussed.

How Sex in Advertising Varies by Product Category: An Analysis of Three Decades of Visual Sexual Imagery in Magazine Advertising

This study documents the presence and prevalence of visual sexual imagery in advertising for different product categories through an analysis of 3,232 ads in six mainstream magazines from the years 1983, 1993, and 2003. Ads were coded for sexual imagery on two visual dimensions, model dress and physical contact, and for product category using the Rossiter–Percy Planning Grid (RPPG) as a theoretical framework. Findings revealed that visual sexual imagery increased from 1983 (15%) to 2003 (27%), with much of that growth driven by increases in alcohol, entertainment, and beauty advertising. Of 18 product categories, those containing the highest percentage of visual sexual content included health/hygiene (38%), beauty (36%), drugs/medicine (29%), and clothing (27%). Overall, visual sexual imagery was most prevalent in ads for low-involvement products. As predicted, ads for informational/high-involvement products (e.g., financial, appliances, computers) contained the lowest proportion of visual sexual stimuli.

The Ageless Allure: Sex, Media, and Marketing

SUMMARY In this introductory article, Reichert argues that greater research attention should be paid to the area of strategic–or direct–effects of sexual information in the media. He begins by describing the nature of sexual information and the response it evokes in viewers. More important, Reichert outlines several ways that media organizations and advertisers use sex to promote their content and branded goods with the ultimate goal of enhancing revenue. Last, the author describes how the articles in this contributed volume advance the study of sex and promotion into new and important contexts (e.g., television news, sports coverage, magazine covers, shock-jock programming).