Sherubse Journal Of Business, Bhutan, 1 (1), 2006

Effectiveness of Models used in Advertising of Beauty Enhancing Products: A Case Study in Lucknow City
Dr. L Shashikumar Sharma
Senior Lecturer
Sherubtse College, Bhutan

Dr. DS Chaubey
Assistant Professor
Omkarananda Institute of Management
Rishikesh

Abstract
In the cutthroat competition of today, advertising has become one of the powerful tool to create the brand awareness
and to influence the customers to buy the particular products. Today, we are bombarded with thousands of
advertisements in various media. Companies are spending crores of rupees in engaging the models in advertisement
and influencing the customer in their favour. In general models are most effective in building the brand awareness as
almost all the respondents in the sample recognized it. It is seen that most of the respondents in the sample are in
favour that models used in beauty enhancing product is able to create the need for the product in their mind with
varied extent irrespective of their sex categories. It is also seen that model used in the beauty enhancing product has
played an important for making a trial purchase.

Introduction:
In the cutthroat competition of today, advertising has become one of the powerful tool to create the brand awareness
and to influence the customers to buy the particular products. Today, we are bombarded with thousands of
advertisements in various media. Companies are spending crores of rupees in engaging the models in advertisement
and influencing the customer in their favour.

Decades ago, John Dewey (1910) conceptualized decision-process behavior as problem solving - thoughtful,
reasoned action focused on need satisfaction. As Ajzen and Fishbein (1980, p.5) put it, "Human beings are usually
quite rational and make systematic use of the information available to them...People consider the implications of their
actions before they decide to engage or not to engage in a given behavior. Several studies investigating the
effectiveness of models in advertisement indicates high correlations between uses of models with the purchase
pattern of consumers. The present paper tries to explore the effectiveness of models used in advertising for beauty
enhancing products with special reference to the models used in Fair and Lovely ( a fairness cream)and Godrej Hair
Dye (a hair dye) by the consumers of Lucknow city.
Sherubse Journal Of Business, Bhutan, 1 (1), 2006

Review of Literature:
Models may be generally classified into two category; one known as highly attractive model and other as normal
attractive model (Bower & Lardreth),2001, P-2). Highly attractive models are associated with haunting images of
perfection (Richins 1991,p-71). The attributes of highly attractive models includes a beautiful facial appearance,
and slimness and more idealized. On the other hand, the normal attractive model is more associated with average or
moderate weight height and facial beauty. They tend to represent a real woman. The differentiation between the
highly attractive model and normal attractive model are made through the perception of the general public. People
consider highly attractive model as, What is beautiful is good. They also believe that beautiful people have positive
outcomes (more successful in career and better marriage) and not suffer from the problem of average people
(Dion, Bersched and Walster 1972, Kanneth 1994, Walster et. al 1966). On the other hand normal attractive model
are considered to be some what just attractive only. They are perceived to be as normal people to whom more
positive life outcome are not attributed.
Beauty enhancing products are those products which assures the consumers to enhance their beauty and physical
appearances, such products like jewellery, lipstick, face creams, etc. For high recollection of brands or products
models are generally used in the advertisement to convince the consumers like Fair & Lovely cream and Godrej Hair
Dye.
Earlier research shows that there is a match up between products and models used in advertisements. Beauty o the
model may be more important than models attractiveness alone. In one of the study, it was found that when the
product is related to romance like perfume, men tend to have higher purchase intention when female models used in
the advertisements were attractive. However, when product was unrelated to romance, male buyers indicated greater
purchase intention if the models advertising the product were less attractive.
Methodology
Present study is an exploratory research study. In order to study the effectiveness of models used in advertising for
beauty enhancing products, both primary and secondary data were collected. Secondary data was collected from
different magazine, newspaper and government publication. For this purpose of the study, two hundred respondents
were selected at random from Lucknow city. In case of non-response from any member, it was replaced by next
randomly selected respondents. Respondents were given the subject awareness. The study consisted of models
advertising beauty enhancing products. Each respondent is given a questionnaire including the two advertisements of
the products on top of the questionnaire. The respondents were briefed about the survey and they are asked to look
into the two photographs and answer the questionnaire. The bi variate analysis was used to analyse the data received
from the respondents. The results thus received is evaluated and analysis was conducted.
Assumption of Hypothesis
For analyzing the data, the following hypothesis were made.
Sherubse Journal Of Business, Bhutan, 1 (1), 2006

H1: Extent of need creation in the mind of customers by good-looking models is independent with sex category of
the respondents.
H2: Nature of customers based on their purchase pattern is independent with consumers having the perception of
good looking models.
H3: Extent of reliability of the message of the advertisement presented by the models as perceived by the respondents
is not associated with the level of educational qualification of the respondents.

Findings:
a). It is an established fact that need for the product or services, its adaptability and acceptance often varies with the
customers age. Analysis highlights that 74% respondents belongs to age group of 21 to 25 years while 8% of
respondents falls in the age group of below 20 years and 18 percent respondents fall in the age group of above 25
years.
b). Sex composition of the respondents indicated that 69 % respondents belong to male category and 31%
respondents belongs to female category.
c). Data pertaining to education qualification of the respondents indicated that 63% are graduates 32 % are having
post graduate degree and very few i.e., 4% and 1% respondents are Matric and Intermediate respectively.
d). Family income of the respondents indicates that sample is dominated by those respondents who are having
monthly family income of Rs. 10,000 and above, as it was indicated by 55% respondents in the sample. 19 percent
respondents show that they have monthly income up to Rs. 5000-10000 pm and 26 percent denoted monthly income
up to Rs. 5000 per month.
e). Analysis shows that sample is dominated by those respondents who have seen the models advertising the beauty
enhancing products in TV only as it was indicated by 37% of the respondents in the sample. Another 5% respondents
has seen the models advertising the product in Newspaper, 2% respondents has seen the models in products at shops,
4% respondent has seen the models in hoardings and 1% respondent has seen the models of beauty enhancing
products in posters. 11% respondents have indicated at least two types of advertising media and 3% indicated at least
in three media and 8% of the respondents observed the advertisement in at least four media. It is significant to note
that 29% respondents have seen their advertisement in all the listed media.
f). The information regarding the ability of good looking models to create the need for the product in the mind of
customers indicates that 24% respondents considered that good looking models has created the need in their mind to
a great extent, another 33% respondent indicated that it has created the need for the product to a considerable extent,
30% respondent felt that it has created the need for the product to some extent and only 13% suggested that it has not
created the need at all in their mind.
Sherubse Journal Of Business, Bhutan, 1 (1), 2006

g). An attempt was also made to assess degree of association with the extent of need creation to the sex categories
with the hypothesis that extent of need creation in the mind of customers by good-looking model is independent with
sex category of the respondents. The calculated value of the Chi Square test statistics ( 2 )= 4.725323is lesser than
the tabulated value (7.82) at 5% level of significance. Hence the hypothesis is accepted.
h). Today it is experienced that most of the business organization spend huge amount of money on media in order to
increase the brand awareness and in turn improving the rate of adoption of the product by the consumers. The rate of
adoption of any product is concerned with how long it takes for a new product to be adopted by members of social
system i.e. how quickly a new product is accepted by those people who will ultimately adopt it. Knowing customer
type is an integral part of designing the right promotion. A market consists of people in different stage of readiness to
buy a product. The relative number make a big difference in designing the marketing programme. Depending upon
the purchase pattern, consumer can be categorized in to different categories such as early adopter, early follower, late
follower and a laggard. Analysis indicates that as many as 26 percent respondents falls in the categories of early
adopter, 20 percents falls in the categories of early follower, 31 percent falls in late followers and 23 percent
respondents falls in the categories of laggard customers.
i). On showing the photographs of the advertisement of the beauty enhancing products, 85% respondent ranked the
model as Good Looking Model where else 15% respondents ranked as Not So Good Looking Model. An attempt was
also made to assess degree of association with the nature of purchase pattern with perception of good looking models
with the hypothesis that the nature of customers based on their purchase pattern is independent with consumers
having 2= 1.473095, lesser than the tabulated value (7.82) at 5% level of significance. Hence the hypothesis is
accepted.
j). An attempt was made to examine the role of models in influencing the customer to change of their present brand
of beauty enhancing products. This attempt was directed to explain the ability of models used in advertisement in
influencing the respondents to select a particular brand of beauty enhancing product. The analysis reveals that 22%
respondents are influenced to a great extent to change their brand by seeing the models. Another 30 percent
respondents are influenced to a considerable extent in changing their beauty-enhancing products. As many as 22%
respondents indicated that they are influenced to some extent to change their present brand by the models used in the
advertisement and only 26% percent respondents indicated that they are not influenced at all by models to change
their present brand preference.
k). The reliability is the degree to which a measurement instrument is consistent in what it measures. It is the measure
of the probability that a product will not mal function or fail within a specified period of time. Model reliability is
based on its honesty while claiming the different product attributes in advertisement of the product, fairness in
responsive claim made by the model and so on. Keeping this into consideration an attempt was made to access the
mood of the respondents about the reliability of the model of beauty enhancing products. The analysis reveals that
Sherubse Journal Of Business, Bhutan, 1 (1), 2006

33.5 % respondents indicated that advertisement presented by the model is reliable to a great extent as claimed.
Among the respondents 29.5 percent felt that it is reliable to a considerable extent. The product presented by the
model was reliable to some extent was felt 17 percent and 20 percent respondents are in the specify that the
advertisement is not reliable at all.
l). An attempt was also made to assess degree of reliability of the message of the advertisement presented by the
models as perceived by the respondents in association with their level of education with the hypothesis that the nature
of customers based on their purchase pattern is independent with consumers having the perception of good-looking
models. The calculated value of Chi Square test statistics ( 2 )= 10.80094is greater than the tabulated value (7.82)
at 5% level of significance. Hence the hypothesis is rejected indicating that the nature of customers based on their
purchase pattern is dependent with consumers having the perception of good-looking models.

Conclusions and Suggestions:

In general models are most effective in building the brand awareness as almost all the respondents in the
sample recognized it. It is seen that most of the respondents in the sample are in favour that models used in beauty
enhancing product is able to create the need for the product in their mind with varied extent irrespective of their sex
categories. It is also seen that model used in the beauty enhancing product has played an important for making a trial
purchase.

Table 1: Age wise Classification of Respondents

Sl. No. Description Total No of Respondent Percentage
1. Upto20 Years of Age 16 08
2. From 21 to 25 Years 148 74
3. Above 25Years 36 18
Total 200 100
Source: Primary data from Survey
Table No 2 Sex Wise Classification of Respondents
Sl. No Description Total No of Respondent Percentage
1. Male 138 69
2. Female 62 31
Total 200 100
Source: Primary data from Survey
Sherubse Journal Of Business, Bhutan, 1 (1), 2006

Table No 3 Education Qualification wise Classification of Respondents

Sl. No Description Total No of Respondent Percentage
1. Upto Matric 08 04
2. Upto Intermediate 02 01
3. Up to Graduation 126 63
4. Post Graduate and above 64 32
Total 200 100
Source: Primary data from Survey
Table No 4: Income Wise Classification of Respondents
Sl. No Description Total No of Respondent Percentage
1. Upto 5000 per month 38 19
2. From 5000 10000 pm 52 26
3. Above 10,000 PM 110 55
Total 200 100
Source: Primary data from Survey
Sherubse Journal Of Business, Bhutan, 1 (1), 2006

Table No 5: Media Accessibility

Media Percentage
TV 37
News Paper 5
Shops 2
Hoarding 4
Posters 1
At least two media 11
At least three media 3
At least four media 8
All media 29

Graph 1. Media Accessibility

Media Accessibility

40
35
30
25
20 37
15 29
10
5 11 8
5 2 4 3
0 1

Source: Primary data from Survey

Table 6: Nature of Models
Sl. No Description Total No of Respondent Percentage
1 Good Looking Model 170 85
2. Not so Good Looking model 30 15
Total 200 100
Source: Primary data from Survey
Sherubse Journal Of Business, Bhutan, 1 (1), 2006

Table No 7: Ability of Good Looking Models to create the need for the product in the mind of consumers
Sl. No Description Total No of Respondent Percentage
1 To a great extent 48 24
2. To some extent 66 33
3 To a considerable Extent 60 30
4 Not at all 26 13
Total 200 100
Source: Primary data from Survey

Table No 8 Degree of Association with Need Creation by Good Looking Models with the age of respondents

Sex To a Great To a Considerable To Some Extent Not at all Total

extent Extent
Male 32 52 42 12 138
Female 16 14 18 14 62
Total 48 66 60 26 200
2 = 4.725323
Source: Primary data from Survey

Table No 9 Nature of Customer on the basis of Purchase

Sl. No Description Total No of Respondent Percentage
1. Early adapter 52 26
2. Early Follower 40 20
3. Late Follower 62 31
4. Laggard 46 23
Total 200 100
Source: Primary data from Survey
Sherubse Journal Of Business, Bhutan, 1 (1), 2006

Table No 10 Degree of Association between Nature of Customer with their perception of being
Good Looking Models
Attractiveness Early Early Late
Laggard Total
Adopter follower follower
Good looking model 46 32 52 40 170
Not so good Looking 6 8 10 6 30
model
Total 52 40 62 46 200
X2 = 1.473095
Source: Primary data from Survey
Table 11: Reliability of Advertisement
Sl. No Description Total No of Respondent Percentage
1. Highly reliable 67 33.5
2. Reliable to some extent 59 29.5
3. Reliable to a considerable extent 34 17
4. Not reliable at all 40 20
Total 200 100
Source: Primary data from Survey
Table 12: Degree of Association between Reliability with the education Qualification of Respondents
Reliable to
Educational Highly Reliable to Not reliable
considerable Total
Qualification Reliable some extent at all
extent
Up to Matric 4 2 2 00 8
Up to Intermediate 0 0 0 02 2
Upto graduate 41 39 21 25 126
Post graduate and others 22 18 11 13 64
Total 67 59 34 40 200
2 =10.80094
Source: Primary data from Survey