Lifestyle for Sale : Discussion of the effects of brand-based advertising from a consumer’s perspective using denim brands as examples

Abstract

This study aims to identify the impacts of brand-based advertising and discuss why individuals perceive brands the way they do. It explores how a strong brand becomes iconic in consumers’ minds and how this can be achieved. The study also explores how brand-based advertising differs when targeted to children, rather than media-savvy adults. The theoretical literature provides the background on which traditional advertising is compared to brand-based advertising. The theoretical information will be compared with lifestyle advertising and then discussed and studied. Primary research in the form of a group session was conducted to better understand consumers’ thoughts on brands. This data was used to support or argue the existing theories on brand-based advertising. The research conducted for this thesis shows that one of the impacts of brand-based advertising is materialism among consumers, regardless of age. Furthermore, the impacts of advertising in general cannot be described as “good” or “bad”, because the impact is a response to the consumer’s perceptions and therefore always individual. However, a significant correlation can be discovered between materialism and advertising, but for methodological reasons an undisputable result on this topic is beyond the scope of this study.