| Research Abstract |
This study seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge about how advertising and culture are interrelated, by conducting a cross-cultural empirical study regarding the use of celebrities in advertising and Hofstede's (1984, 1991, 2001) dimensions of culture. The study compared television advertising from the following 10 countries: Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Sweden, and Switzerland. Commercials were recorded from national television stations between February 2001 and March 2002, and between 18.00 and 24.00 in each of the countries. The total number of sample commercials ranged between 123 to 347 commercials per country. A multiple stepwise regression analysis was conducted with the sample countries' scores on the Hofstede dimensions (Individualism [IDV], Masculinity [MAS] , Power Distance [PDI], Uncertainty Avoidance [UAH], Long Term Orientation [LTO]), and the countries' GNP per capita data for 1999 as independent variables, and the coun
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tries' percentage scores of celebrity advertising as the dependent variable.
Results show that IDV (-) and UAI (+) made independent significant contributions, with IDV being a somewhat stronger predictor than UAI. Explaining power of the model was 78.7 %.
In conclusion, countries scoring high on Individualism use relatively few celebrities in advertising as compared to countries with low scores on this dimension. Similarly, countries with relatively high scores on Uncertainty Avoidance use more celebrities than countries with a low score on the dimension. By combining country scores on the IDV and UAI dimensions, it becomes possible to explain and predict the appropriateness of the use of celebrities in advertising. This study's findings suggest the validity of using Hofstede's cultural model to the use of celebrities in advertising across national markets. In order to make the model more robust, additional country samples need to be added to the current sample. The researcher plans to do this in a follow-up study. Less
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