Direct Mail Advertising to Hispanics: the Influence of Acculturation on Attitude Toward the Ad

Abstract

This study examines the influence of acculturation, language used and model ethnicity on the effectiveness of direct mail advertising to Hispanic consumers, as measured by respondents' emotional response to the ad. An advertising experiment was conducted with a convenience sample of 205 respondents in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (BAS) was used to group respondents into one of three acculturation groups: Low Acculturated, Bicultural, or High Acculturated. Emotional reaction to the advertising stimulus was measured using the Emotional Quotient (EQ) scale and Reaction Profile. Results revealed some significant differences in advertising preferences. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.