Marketing Research : Gender Effectiveness on Cosmetic Advertisement

Abstract:

This experimental study utilizes convenience sampling to investigate whether the gender of a spokesperson in an advertisement influences customer purchasing behavior. Data was gathered through a well-structured and reliable survey, incorporating three distinct stimulus conditions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions during the survey. A total of 75 subjects responded to the survey featuring a male spokesperson, 86 subjects to the female spokesperson condition, and 90 subjects to the condition where a woman is shown wearing the cosmetic product.

Research Questions:

• Are consumers more likely to purchase a cosmetic product when the advertisement features a male spokesperson, a female spokesperson, or a woman wearing the product?

• Does the choice of a different-gender spokesperson significantly impact consumers' purchase intentions in cosmetic advertisements?

• Does the spokesperson's gender influence how consumers perceive the effectiveness of the advertisement?

Methodology:

The original image used for this study is from KATE TOKYO, which featured a male celebrity from Taiwan as the endorser. For the experiment, the image was digitally altered to create two additional versions: one featuring a female model, and another showing a woman using the product. To eliminate potential bias from the original product description, all text was removed from the images. Participants were randomly assigned one of the three stimulus photos when they accessed the survey. After carefully viewing their assigned image, subjects were asked to complete an online survey created on Qualtrics. A total of 248 participants completed the survey.

Original picture from: KATE TOKYO

Man condition

Woman condition

Makeup condition

Top 3 findings:

Participants found that both female conditions in the advertisement were perceived as more suitable to endorse the product compared to the male condition. However, when comparing the female and makeup conditions, consumers did not show a significant preference. For the male condition (b = -1.474, p = 0.000), and for the makeup condition (b = -0.425, p = 0.059).

Although participants felt that both female spokespersons were more suitable to endorse the product than the male, their willingness to purchase the product was higher when the advertisement featured a woman. Compared to the male or makeup conditions, participants were significantly more likely to buy the product when the ad showcased a female spokesperson. For the male condition (b = -0.594, p = 0.014) and the makeup condition (b = -0.624, p = 0.007).

Participants' purchase intentions varied based on the gender of the spokesperson. However, when asked to rank the factors influencing their willingness to buy the product, the product itself emerged as the most important factor. The spokesperson's gender was ranked as the least significant. The total weighted scores were as follows: product (728), spokesperson (552), description (482), and gender (318).

Research Limitations:

1. Due to constraints in budget, manpower, resources, and time, this research employs convenience sampling.

2. Since the survey participants will primarily consist of friends and classmates, they may not be fully representative of the broader population.

3. Additionally, participants' cultural backgrounds and personal perceptions of the stimuli may introduce biases, which could affect the overall validity of the findings.