Abstract

PETZER, DJ. The attitudes of urban South African consumers residing in Gauteng toward advertising regulations and practices. JCMAN [online]. 2012, vol.9, n.1, pp.89-112. ISSN 1815-7440.

Consumers are typically exposed to various advertising messages, but only comprehend an iota of what they are exposed to. Marketers therefore often push the boundaries of what is socially acceptable in order to break through the clutter. To combat such practices, advertising is often strictly regulated. However, little is known about consumers' attitudes towards advertising regulations and practices. This study aims to uncover the attitudes of urban South African consumers towards advertising regulations and practices. The population studied included urban South Africans residing in Gauteng. A self-administered questionnaire was used to elicit responses. Fieldworkers employed a two-stage non-probability sampling procedure to collect 270 useable responses. The findings indicate that respondents are in favour of strict government regulation of advertising and that advertising regulations should be enforced by government instead of industry. The study identified differences with regard to attitude towards advertising regulations and practices amongst respondents, based upon demographic characteristics. The findings could guide industry and government regarding their perceived role in regulating advertising and also lead marketers in creating advertising messages that urban South Africans will accept.

Keywords : advertising; advertising regulation; attitude; consumer behaviour marketing; South Africa.

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