Orientations to TV advertising among adolescents & children in the US & Japan

Abstract

Adolescents and children in the US and Japan offer an increasingly desirable market segment for advertisers. Considerable advertising effort targets the youth market because children and adolescents have more disposable income than in the past and are believed to be more fashion and brand-conscious. This study looks at how Japanese and US youth compare on their attitudes towards advertising, allowing for parental mediation and stage of cognitive development. Early adolescents (12 years old) and middle adolescents (16 years old) in Japan and the US responded to a survey measuring media use, parental mediation, consumer socialisation and attitudes towards advertising. The results suggest both similarities and differences in advertising orientations between cultures. Means comparisons between countries and age groups identify differences in television use, parental mediation in television viewing, and parental mediation of consumer behaviour. Attitudes towards advertising were consistent between countries. Regression analysis points out further cultural differences.