Are elderly consumers a reality or not? Portrayal of consumers aged 65 and over in print adverts in Serbia
Zastupljenost starijih potrošača u štampanim oglasima u Srbiji
Abstract
The paper aims at opening a discussion on representation of elderly consumers in advertising messages in local markets. It builds upon previous studies in the US and Western Europe, tackling the issues of advertising addressed to elderly consumers. Theoretical background is rooted in socio-psychological theories of aging and advertising. In the empirical part, findings obtained from content analysis of 154 print ads portraying 280 models from different demographic cohorts are presented and discussed. The data indicate under-representation of ads featuring models over the age of 65, however drawing attention to new products and services offered to elderly consumers in Serbia. In consequence, we may conclude that the elderly market in Serbia has not been limited only to health care products and supplements, but they have also been offered financial services (bank loans) and telecommunications services (internet) through specially created advertising messages addressing retired population. In addition, where existent in advertising creative elderly models are mostly centrally presented with no difference between female and male models 65+.
Apstrakt
Osnovni cilj rada je iniciranje diskusije o zastupljenosti starijih potrošača u oglasnim porukama u Srbiji. Specifičan cilj je da se ukaže na njihovo relativno malo prisustvo u kreativnim rešenjima lokalnih agencija, što u poređenju s njihovom zastupljenošću kao potrošača na srpskom tržištu ukazuje na svojevrsno marketinško slepilo na strani ponude, ali i otvara pitanje diskriminacije jedne starosne kohorte. Istraživanje čiji su rezultati prikazani u radu zasniva se na saznanjima opisanim u brojnim studijama o potrošačima starijim od 65 godna i njihovoj zastupljenosti u oglasnim porukama sprovedenim u SAD i Zapadnoj Evropi. Teorijski okvir istraživanja čine socio-psihološke teorije starenja, kao i teorija oglašavanja. Empirijski deo bavi se analizom 154 štampane oglsane poruke u kojima se pojavljuje 280 promotera („modela“), pripadnika različitih starosnih kohorti. Podaci prikupljeni u istraživanju ukazuju na izrazito malu zastupljenost oglasa u kojima su prikazani modeli stariji od 65 godina. Ipak, uočava se i to da se u oglasima u kojima se ovi modeli pojavljuju nude sasvim različiti proizvodi, među kojima su i neki malo očekivani s obzirom na iskustvo ostalih zemalja u kojima su sprovedena slična istraživanja.
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