Decoding Consumer Sentiments: A Regression analysis on Beliefs and Attitudes towards Advertising in General

Abstract

Studies investigating overall consumer beliefs and attitudes towards advertising have been conducted from time to time in different parts of the world. Researchers have also investigated if and which beliefs of respondents towards advertising significantly predict consumer attitude towards advertising in general but any such exclusive study is still scant in Indian perspective. This study attempts to bridge the gap by examining the consumers’ overall beliefs and attitudes towards advertising in North India. The respondents were given 32 belief statements from which eight belief factors were extracted using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), which were further validated by performing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Using regression analysis, it has been found that seven of the eight extracted factors significantly predicted consumers’ attitudes towards advertising in general. The obtained results reflected that consumers in Northern India have developed negative overall beliefs towards advertising compared to the beliefs explored in earlier studies conducted in other parts of the world. The findings of this study on consumer beliefs and attitudes towards advertising in North India open avenues for future research by highlighting the unique nuances in this region. Further investigations could delve into the specific cultural, socioeconomic, and demographic factors shaping these negative beliefs.