Open versus closed advertising texts and interpretive communities

Abstract

This paper examines the interpretation of print advertising by different interpretive communities, and explores how audiences interpret open-text vs closed-text advertisements. A reader-response/reception theory approach was adopted and conducted through depth interviews. Our findings reveal that there are meaningful differences in interpretation based on the social class and gender of the participants. The study demonstrates how interpretive communities use different interpretive strategies, and explores the implications for designing marketing communications.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Natalia Yannopoulou

Natalia Yannopoulou is a Doctoral Researcher in Marketing and Consumer Research at the University of Warwick. She has an MBA with specialisation in Marketing and has worked for 6 years in marketing and strategy with 2 US multinationals in Europe and Latin America.

Richard Elliott

Richard Elliott is Professor of Marketing and Consumer Research at the University of Bath School of Management, and a Fellow of St. Anne’s College, Oxford. He is a visiting professor at Bocconi Universita Commerciale Milan, Thammasat University Bangkok, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Previously he was the first person to be appointed to a Readership in Marketing at the University of Oxford and was a Deputy Director of the Säid Business School. He worked for 12 years in brand management with a number of US multinationals and as an Account Director at an international advertising agency.