Promoting national identity through media context & advertising appeals

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Promoting national identity through media context & advertising appeals

A sense of national identity provides a powerful means of defining and locating individual selves in the world by helping individuals gain a sense of distinctiveness in a globalized and complex setting' [1]. There are number of techniques and symbols, which can be used to amplify one's national identity. Symbols are not the only form of cue used for this purpose. The images, ideas and words are also very strong instruments with their unique features and diversified usage for the dissemination of this purpose. `When these symbols and images are constructed by branding and marketing firms, with their adeptness at creating consistency and coherence, their potential is indisputable' [2].

National identity salience prominently impacts upon the attitude of consumers towards advertisements and the advertised products. Consumers respond positively to the media context that shapes their national identity conspicuously, resulting in a more favorable emotional response and relatively better approach toward media context. `Communal values of anation serve to shape citizens' behavior. Thompson adds that «Individuals are perceived as behaving in a certain way because their belief in collective national values ensures that they do so' [3].

«Children [in the US] know Japan as Sony, Nintendo, Hello Kitty and PokemoN' [Anholt 2005b, p. 134]. Anholt [2005a] also suggests that `Brand America' is substantially founded on Coke, Disney, Pepsi, Levi's, Nike and Marlboro'.

The notion of identity salience gains prominence, especially where the people have multiple identities. Without establishing the reasons which cause activation of a particular identity, examination of the impact of identity cues on persuasion, remains a tall order. When an identity is activated, the respondent under influence of that identity salience displays heightened sensitivity towards the stimuli that primed the particular identity. The `switching on' or activation of an identity-based conceptual structure in the self-concept of an individual, is termed as Social Identity Salience.

`Social identity and associations can be regularly reinforced and made salient through `certain stimulus cues, such as the presence of a national or ethnic cue in advertisements, promotions, brand websites and catalogs' [4, 5]. Study of literature related to social identity based consumption reveals that the «social / situational contexts and stimulus cues might act as «triggers» for identity salience and «prime» the subsequent social identity congruent attitudes and behaviors' Jinnie Jin young Yoo and Wei-Na Lee [6]. The inspiration to sustain a self-positive image guides the buyers to be favorably inclined toward home country products, which share the same national identity.

Patriotic Consumption As An Expression of National Identity. Patriotism can be defined as strong feelings of attachment and loyalty to one's own country, but without corresponding hostility towards other nations. `Patriotism is a commitment or readiness to sacrifice for the nation, which entails people's feelings of attachment to one's nation' [7]. Advertisers remain on a perpetual hunt for the new creative strategies that harmonize with the idea of managing brand differentiation and stimulate customer loyalty. The use of advertising appeals characterized with patriotism based emotions, touching the respondents' sensitive cord and exploiting public sentiment in a constructive mode, has gained popularity in recent years. Themes to corroborate patriotic melodies have been consumedby advertisers, particularly during special events.

`One's sense of national identity may present as a mere expression of attachment, love, or loyalty to one's nation, as an expression of superiority to other nations, or as protective behavior toward one's nation' [7]. Growing researches validate that individual's ethnocentric or patriotic sentiments are always impactful on their subsequent attitude and preference toward the domestic products. Consumers' patriotic emotions have significant effects on consumer choice between domestic and foreign products: i.e., patriotic consumers are more likely to buy domestic products rather than foreign products compared to consumers, who are not patriotic. From a marketing perspective, `consumer patriotism has been found to be a strong predictor of whether consumers buy foreign or domestic products' [8].

Use of Media Context / Content. Media context is defined here as the characteristics of the content of the medium in which an ad is inserted (articles in a magazine, spots in a television program), as they are perceived by the individuals who are exposed to it.

Media plays a vibrant role in shaping or forming mass opinion. Its role as an impact generator cannot be overemphasized in a media-driven environment. Media reinforces the national identity through daily broadcasts of issues, which are directly related to the nation (national tragedies, social events, internal conflicts and external threats etcetera) as well as by perpetuating the national symbols, rhetoric, and rituals. According to identity theorists such as Tajfel and Turner,

`When a relevant social identity becomes salient, individuals increasingly identify with the in-group that identity represents.' The national identity holds a remarkable level of emotional consequence for all members of the nation. Any reports concerning positive or negative implications for one's country may affect feelings in a corresponding manner. While reports of Billing [3] proposes that «reports of tragedies that occur in the home country stir sympathies more deeply than do reports of tragedies of even greater magnitude that occur in other places.» In consonance with the theory of identity salience, it can be expected that exposure of individuals to the news reports about their home country generates a more cogent emotional response to the content of such reports contrary to the news reports, which are about some other place.

Use of Advertisements With a Patriotic Theme._Advertising is considered using rhetorical figures, if either the verbal and/or visualcomponents use rhetorical devices. The explicit pairing of the advertisements with national symbols or rhetoric is expected to activate respondents' national identity and result in an in-group favoritism behavior. `A considerable amount of research in advertising demonstrates that consumers tend to respond more positively to advertisements, which include cues that link those advertisements to consumers' ethnic memberships' [9].

With the demise of twin towers on 9/11, an increasing trend can be noticed which is characterized with «Made-In USA» or «Proudly Made In USA» punch lines, stirring patriotic appeals. These tactics imply that buying behavior has an element of patriotism in it, that certain types of consumption are patriotic, or that patriotic emotions unrelated to potential purchases can stimulate consumer behavior.

Promoting Nationalism through Advertisements. `Consumers tend to respond more positively to advertisements which include cues that link those advertisements to consumers' ethnic memberships' [9]. For example, the use of celebrities of similar ethnic values, or the use of one's language heightens the association drawn and this increases evaluation of advertisements. `Research on the country-of-origin effect demonstrates that the consumers are often biased in favor of home country products and give higher evaluations to those products over foreign alternative.

National Identity in Advertisements. National identity means that individuals routinely identify themselves as belonging to a nation and are prepared to honor their obligations arising from national identity' [10]. `National identity is maintained through the creation and implantation of symbols and images that allow us to form standards of taste, in order to critique, distinguish, and differentiate one culture from another' [11]. The sense of one's National Identity can be expressed in different forms. It can be a mere sense of attachment, or loyalty to one's nation or a feeling of superiority over some other nation or a possessive behavior towards their own nation. When national identity is strong, people are highly committed to supporting their country's economy and welfare. In wake of 9/11 terror attacks in USA, subsequent war on terror, global economic meltdown and financial crisis of 2008, advertisers across the world particularly the USA, embarked upon a journey to blend patriotism in their advertising appeals. The purpose was to evoke beneficial behavioral responses and positive attitudinal reactions from the consumers worldwide. Companies hope that patriotic advertising appeals will stimulate consumers sense ofresponsibility to help their country through their purchases. Due to achieved gains in subsequent years, the belief got strengthened that consumers with strong national identity display positive mood and favorable sentiment towards patriotism based advertisements and associated brands. Individuals may share a common ingroup membership on one dimension but belong to a different category on another dimension.

Conclusions. National identity salience prominently impacts upon the attitude of consumers towards advertisements and the advertised products. Consumers respond positively to the media context, which shapes their national identity noticeably, resulting in a more favorable emotional response and constructive approach towards the media context. The national identity holds a remarkable level of emotional consequence for all members of the nation. Any reports concerning positive or negative implications for one's country is likely to affect the feelings in a corresponding manner.

Buying behavior has an element of patriotism in it, that certain types of consumption are patriotic, or that patriotic emotions unrelated to potential purchases can stimulate consumer behavior. The consumers are often biased in favor of home country products and accord higher evaluations to those products over the foreign alternatives.

Media reinforces the national identity through daily broadcasts of issues, which are directly related to the nation (national tragedies, social events, internal conflicts and external threats etcetera) as well as by perpetuating the national symbols, rhetoric, and rituals. While reports of positive events linked to the country will be seen as identity praise and will consequently elicit positive feelings from the country's citizens, reports of negative events will be seen as identity threats and will elicit negative feelings.

The use of advertising appeals characterized with patriotism based emotions, touching the respondents' sensitive cord and exploiting public sentiment in a constructive mode, has gained prominence in recent years. Consumers' patriotic emotions have significant effects on consumer choice between domestic and foreign products: i.e., patriotic consumers are more likely to buy domestic products rather than foreign products compared to consumers, who are not patriotic.

Thus, we can conclude that when an identity is activated, the respondent under influence of that identity salience shows heightenedsensitivity towards the stimuli, which primed that particular identity. Without establishing the reasons which cause activation of a particular identity, examination of the impact of identity cues on persuasion, remains a tall order.

References

1. Sergio W. Carvalho and David Luna, 2013 Effects of National Identity Salience on Responses to Advertisements. Journal of Business Research.

2. Jin Young Yoo, 2013, The Influence of National Identity Activation on Consumer Responses to Patriotic Ads: Caucasian vs. Asian Americans

3. Thompson, A. (2001). Nations, National Identity and Human Agency: Putting People Back into Nations. The Sociological Review, 49 (1), 18-32.

4. Mark R. Forehand, Rohit Deshpande and Americus Reed II, Identity Salience and the Influence of Differential Activation of the Social Self-Schema on Advertising Response, Journal of Applied Psychology 2002, Vol. 87, No. 6, 1086-1099

5. Forehand, M.R., Deshpande, R., & Reed, A., II (2002). Identity Salience and the Influence of Differential Activation of the Social Self-Schema on Advertising Response. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87 (6), 1086-1099.

6. Jinnie Jinyoung Yoo, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea Wei - Na Fee, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, `The Differential Effects of National Identity Activation on Consumer Response to Patriotism Themed Advertisements'. Sanders, Fisa. - All American Ads Advertising Age

7. Abrams, D. (1994). Social Self-Regulation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20, 473-483.

8. Cheryan, S., & Bodenhausen, G.V. (2000). When Positive Stereotypes Threaten Intellectual Performance: The Psychological Hazards of Model Minority Status. Psychological Science, 11, 399-402.

9. Druckman, D. (1994). Nationalism, Patriotism, and Group Foyalty: A Social-Psychological Perspective. Mershon Int. Stud. Rev. 38 (1), 43-46

Carvalho, S. (2005). Understanding Consumption asExpression of Consumers' National Identity, Doctoral Dissertation, The City University of New York, NY.

10. Han С. M. (1988). The Role of Consumer Patriotism in the Choice of Domestic Versus Foreign Products. Journal of Advertising Research, 2,25-32.

11. Dimofte, С. V., Forehand, M.R., & Deshpande, R. (2003). Ad Schema Incongruity as Elicitor of Ethnic Self-Awareness and Differential Advertising Response. Journal of Advertising, 32 (4), 7-17.

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