Gender based print advertising

Advertising is of great importance since it is the part of marketing that people are exposed to the most. Since men and women act differently as consumers it is further important to consider gender when designing advertisements. The purpose of this thesis is therefore to provide a better understanding of gender based print advertising. In order to reach this purose, research questions focus on the elements and colours used in print advertisements. Based on the research questions, a literature review was conducted that resulted in a conceptual framework presenting a foundation for the data to be collected for this study. A qualitative, case study methodology was used, using observation and qualitative content analysis of advertisements in two major lifestyles magazines within Sweden, each of the magazines representing males and females. The general result of the study is that advertisements are designed differently depending on the gender of the target audience. Advertisements targeting women are commonly designed in a picture window layout, using a personalized format with foremost female models. In contrast, advertisements aimed for men are constructed in an all art layout, using a lifestyle or product-centred format, with primary male models. Furthermore, colours are important when designing an advertisement. Different colours create diverse colour associations and men and women prefer different colours over others. Colours are therefore used in order to create a certain association with the brand or the product.Validerat; 20101217 (root