Market similarity and advertising standardization

Abstract

Advertising for three self‐image projective products (perfumes, cosmetics and women′s apparel) were content‐analysed in UK, German and US editions of Vogue. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between market similarity and advertising standardization of these products over a longitudinal period. Based on the literature reviewed, suggests that, due to their degree of similarity in markets, the UK. and the USA would have a higher degree of advertising standardization than that which existed between the UK and Germany. Moreover, given the finalization of the European unification process by December 1992, the researchers sought to determine if market similarity remained a dominant criterion in advertising standardization practices. Results showed that advertising standardization was higher overall among UK and German advertisements than between UK and US ads. Moreover, findings indicated that only a single brand showed a higher degree of standardization over the six‐month period for all countries investigated, suggesting that market similarity still remains as the dominant factor in advertising standardization practices.