Consumer Perceptions of Advertising as Misleading

A mail survey was conducted of 314 residents of two California cities to measure consumer perception of the prevalence of misleading advertising. Information was obtained concerning the extent of misleading advertising in the various media, for 30 products and services and for three age groups. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of consumer affairs 1981-12, Vol.15 (2), p.340-357
Main Authors: SCHUTZ, HOWARD G., CASEY, MARIANNE
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Advertisements
Advertising
Advertising research
Age groups
Children
Cities
Classified advertising
Comparative advertising
Complaints
Consumer advertising
Consumers
Customer complaints
Deception
Demographics
False advertising
Investigations
Males
Manyproducts
Older people
Opinions
Perceptions
Polls & surveys
Questionnaires
RESEARCH NOTES
Sabbatical leave
Surveys
Telephones
Television advertising
Television commercials
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Summary:A mail survey was conducted of 314 residents of two California cities to measure consumer perception of the prevalence of misleading advertising. Information was obtained concerning the extent of misleading advertising in the various media, for 30 products and services and for three age groups. The findings indicate that over half of the sample viewed “most” or “all” mail and telephone advertising as misleading, and that 38 percent of the respondents regarded “most” or “all” television advertising as misleading. Newspaper advertising was considered the most credible. Findings indicate that “most” or “all” advertising for products and services was viewed as misleading by 30 percent of the respondents. Findings for actions taken concerning misleading advertising indicate that nearly half of the sample had registered a complaint to the store or person advertising and that 29 percent of the respondents had complained to a manufacturer. Also, findings for the age groups indicate that two out of three respondents regarded “most” or “all” advertising directed at children as seriously misleading. Advertising directed at senior citizens was viewed as seriously misleading by 45 percent of the sample, and advertising directed at young and middle‐aged adults was viewed as only slightly less misleading.
ISSN:0022-0078
1745-6606
DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.1981.tb00718.x