Portrayal of Women in Indian TV Advertisements: A Study of Audience Perception

Abstract

Women nowadays have become an integral part of advertisements, both as the consumer and the influencer. Advertisers are usually criticized by the audience for portraying women as stereotypical and decorative objects. The perception of the audience regarding their portrayal in advertisements keeps on changing in its degree and intensity. The objective of the present study is to explore the perception of the audience regarding the portrayal of women in Indian TV advertisements and the differences among them on the basis of their gender, age and level of education. 104 respondents (equal number from both sexes) are randomly selected for the study. The primary data is collected through the survey method with the help of a structured questionnaire. The t-test and one-way ANOVA test, specifically the Tukey’s HSD test, are used to explore the perception difference among and within the groups. The findings of the study suggest that there is a statistically significant difference among the respondents’ perception on the basis of their gender, age and level of education. The study finds that men and women differ in their perceptions significantly; especially the younger generation (18-19 years and higher secondary qualified group) is found to have a statistically significant different perception in comparison to the other age and level of education groups taken as the subjects of the study, on the issue.