Sexual Imagery Attitudes in Advertising

Revision with unchanged content. Advertising is one of the most powerful tools in which society can incorporate their culture and beliefs. What impact does advertising have on consumer attitudes, beliefs and behaviors? Researchers have found information presented in ads tends to be accepted as true facts without question; that it molds consumers' social reality and how manipulative the use of how 'sex sells' in our society is. There seems to be a gap in today's research in that there are limited studies on minorities' attitudes toward ads, particularly on how Hispanics feel about the sexual imagery in ads and it appears to be a supported area of future research interest. Cultures' attitudes can influence many buyer behavior decisions, as well as advertising and marketing strategies. These attitudes, which are influenced by advertisements, are important to marketing managers as they may predict consumer intentions and buying behavior. Research has shown that favorable attitudes best help consumers decide which product will satisfy their specific need. Information on attitude responses to ads is crucial for advertising companies to secure better access to the $700 billion buying power of the Hispanic market, which is projected to grow to $1 trillion, an increase of 8.2% per year by the year 2010.