Identifying likeable attributes: a qualitative study of television advertisements in Asia

Purpose -Numerous studies investigate what contributes to advertising likeability; however, these are often based on quantitative research undertaken in western countries. This paper aims to report the findings of a cross-cultural qualitative study undertaken across five Asian cities (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Jakarta, Bangkok and Mumbai) to discuss Asian consumers' attitudes towards television commercials in their respective country/city. Design/methodology/approach - The data was gathered from two focus group interviews (1 male and 1 female) conducted in each city. Each group comprised of eight people and the interview lasted between 40 and 60 minutes. In each focus group several of the most liked locally produced television commercials were presented to the participants and the discussion that followed centered around visual images that they most liked. Findings - The results found differences in the likeable attributes between the five cities. These variations can be attributed to the differences in local culture, and to a lesser degree, other market-related factors like attitudes towards advertising in general, cultural outlook and perspective, consumer confidence and hours of watching television per week. Originality/value - This study uses informant driven data, rather than researcher driven, to identify cross-cultural differences in the concept of advertising likeability. Further, it suggests that qualitative research can provide valuable results for international marketers and those who would like a better understanding of new markets, as long as they analyse the results keeping in mind the cultural context of the country, such as traditions, customs, values and religions.