Open versus closed advertising texts and interpretive communities

Abstract

This paper examines the interpretation of print advertising by different interpretive communities, and explores how audiences interpret open-text vs closed-text advertisements. A reader-response/reception theory approach was adopted and conducted through depth interviews. Our findings reveal that there are meaningful differences in interpretation based on the social class and gender of the participants. The study demonstrates how interpretive communities use different interpretive strategies, and explores the implications for designing marketing communications.