They spent money on this?
Sep. 7th, 2006 10:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
desertvixenhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14718560/
Does sex really sell? Perhaps not to women
Researchers gauged responses to photos of attractive women
Flashy magazine ads portraying sexy women may not catch the eyes of female readers, according to recent research.
The advertising industry bases its success on consumers being drawn to their products. But when it comes to selling in magazines like Allure and Glamour — publications with a female readership of nearly 100 percent — what do consumers want?
To find out, a team of researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville gauged the emotional responses of more than 100 college-aged women to photos of attractive women. After looking at each photo, the participants would point to a manikin that represented their emotional reaction. For instance, one set of manikins represented arousal reactions, ranging from disinterested to excited.
The more seductive the model, the more it left the women bored and uninterested, according to lead author Robyn Goodman.
The findings seem to contradict the sensual images that saturate the ads in glossy female magazines. "It seems they missed the mark here," said Jon Morris, one of the co-authors. He added that the results also illuminate a gap between the male executives who are marketing the magazines and the consumers.
Here's an idea. If you want to "sell sex" the average straight woman, why don't you try handsome men? Shirtless or not. Men in uniform. Cops. Firefighters. Unless what you're trying to sell us is something to make us look sexy.
What is beauty?
In an initial survey, participants were asked to rate photos of models according to six beauty categories, including sex kitten and classic feminine.
"These beauty types were determined by fashion editors at [New York] magazines," Goodman said. But rather than distinguishing between six beauty types, the participants only saw two types. "After analyzing the data, we found that female consumers only saw two types of beauty: wholesome and sexy-sensual," Goodman said.
For instance, Katie Holmes is an example of wholesome while the Victoria's Secret models are sexy-sensual, Goodman said.
The study was presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication convention last month in San Francisco.
Message to advertisers
"Based on this research, it is evident that many advertisers may have been misled in using more sexual models to attract women to their products," Goodman explained.
What do women want? "Presumably women desire to be more like the wholesome beauty models, and in turn, will purchase the products they endorse more readily than they would a product endorsed by a more overtly sexual model," Goodman said.
Or maybe we could give a damn about seeing more "overtly sexy" women. Why assume that we want to be 'wholesome'? Why assume that we just have one look we're shooting for? Is it just me, or do I hear the Madonna-whore complex knocking?
The researchers did discuss whether or not clothing or posture had any effect on the results. "We think it's mostly a look and not necessarily those other characteristics [such as attire and pose]," Morris said. They hope to test this theory by showing images of the same women in different attire and poses.
"Indeed, this study seems to show the fallacy in the age-old adage that "sex sells," Goodman said.
****
DV
Does sex really sell? Perhaps not to women
Researchers gauged responses to photos of attractive women
Flashy magazine ads portraying sexy women may not catch the eyes of female readers, according to recent research.
The advertising industry bases its success on consumers being drawn to their products. But when it comes to selling in magazines like Allure and Glamour — publications with a female readership of nearly 100 percent — what do consumers want?
To find out, a team of researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville gauged the emotional responses of more than 100 college-aged women to photos of attractive women. After looking at each photo, the participants would point to a manikin that represented their emotional reaction. For instance, one set of manikins represented arousal reactions, ranging from disinterested to excited.
The more seductive the model, the more it left the women bored and uninterested, according to lead author Robyn Goodman.
The findings seem to contradict the sensual images that saturate the ads in glossy female magazines. "It seems they missed the mark here," said Jon Morris, one of the co-authors. He added that the results also illuminate a gap between the male executives who are marketing the magazines and the consumers.
Here's an idea. If you want to "sell sex" the average straight woman, why don't you try handsome men? Shirtless or not. Men in uniform. Cops. Firefighters. Unless what you're trying to sell us is something to make us look sexy.
What is beauty?
In an initial survey, participants were asked to rate photos of models according to six beauty categories, including sex kitten and classic feminine.
"These beauty types were determined by fashion editors at [New York] magazines," Goodman said. But rather than distinguishing between six beauty types, the participants only saw two types. "After analyzing the data, we found that female consumers only saw two types of beauty: wholesome and sexy-sensual," Goodman said.
For instance, Katie Holmes is an example of wholesome while the Victoria's Secret models are sexy-sensual, Goodman said.
The study was presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication convention last month in San Francisco.
Message to advertisers
"Based on this research, it is evident that many advertisers may have been misled in using more sexual models to attract women to their products," Goodman explained.
What do women want? "Presumably women desire to be more like the wholesome beauty models, and in turn, will purchase the products they endorse more readily than they would a product endorsed by a more overtly sexual model," Goodman said.
Or maybe we could give a damn about seeing more "overtly sexy" women. Why assume that we want to be 'wholesome'? Why assume that we just have one look we're shooting for? Is it just me, or do I hear the Madonna-whore complex knocking?
The researchers did discuss whether or not clothing or posture had any effect on the results. "We think it's mostly a look and not necessarily those other characteristics [such as attire and pose]," Morris said. They hope to test this theory by showing images of the same women in different attire and poses.
"Indeed, this study seems to show the fallacy in the age-old adage that "sex sells," Goodman said.
****
DV
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-09-08 04:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-08 01:37 pm (UTC)I don't want to speak for what "sells" for me because I don't have any personal experience.
DV
no subject
Date: 2006-09-08 05:34 am (UTC)Or maybe they were trying to expand their readership to include both genders?
Now pictures of an interesting garden or beautiful beads...that will get my pulse racing every time (g)!
Cosmo Girls
Date: 2006-09-08 06:52 pm (UTC)But it seems to be more a "Muscle and Fitness" or "Men's Health" analogy. Buy this magazine and you can look like this.
They're selling the magazine itself to dreamers.
On the other hand the analogy to "Playboy" ot "Field and Stream" is when the magazine touts the prize (pretty girl or prize trout) in order to sell cologne, cars, fine suits, stereo systems -- bait, rods, reels, acreage in the mountains and log cabin kits... They do not put the hunter on the cover of such magazines, but the prey.
Makes me wonder if Cosmo girls see themselves as prey.
I'm trying to image the situation where one wants to sell "hunter's equipment" to female predators. Perfume, lingerie, high heels ... yeah sure. But then would the magazine advertising such things put an ugly old divorced lonely balding rich-looking male on the cover? Because that prey in that hunt and game is not really about "sexy" is it?