Business Commons^™

Authenticity And Credibility: Effects On Counter-Stereotypical Ads, Grace Mcmanus

Honors Thesis

To increase involvement of underrepresented groups in stereotyped domains (e.g., urban youth in college), marketers frequently utilize campaigns that include counter-stereotypical stimuli (e.g., a college recruitment advertisement featuring an urban youth). Existing literature on counter-stereotypical advertising suggests that contingency cues (i.e., third-party stereotypes that positively link the group to the domain) may strengthen the advertising campaign. Additionally, existing research has shown that authenticity and credibility influence the effectiveness of such campaigns. However, it may be more difficult to convince members of a subculture (e.g., urban youth with street smarts) that an advertisement containing subcultural symbolism is authentic and credible, unless …