När känns reklam äkta – och när känns den bara som strategi? : Hur etiskt ansvarstagande och autenticitet påverkar konsumenters attityder och köpintention i underklädesreklam

Sammanfattning

Date: 2026-06-04 Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Business and Mathematics, Mälardalen University Authors: Linnea Berming, Hanna Hedén Rundgren & Olivia Schwartz Title: When does advertising feel authentic – and when does it feel merely strategic? Supervisor: Cecilia Lindh Keywords: Ethical responsibility, authenticity, underwear advertising, Persuasion Knowledge Model, purchase intention Research questions: (1) How do consumers’ perceptions of authenticity and ethical responsibility in underwear advertising influence their attitude toward the advertisement, attitude toward the brand, and purchase intention? (2) How are consumers’ interpretations of inclusive underwear advertising shaped by brand communication profile, brand history, and perceived commercial intentions? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how consumers perceive and interpret authenticity and ethical responsibility in underwear advertising, and how these perceptions influence attitude toward the advertisement, attitude toward the brand, and purchase intention. Drawing on the Persuasion Knowledge Model, the study also analyzes how the brand’s communication profile, history, and perceived commercial intentions shape whether the messages are perceived as genuine or strategic. In doing so, the study highlights the interpretive gap that may arise between companies’ public communication and consumers’ actual experiences. Method: The study applies an exploratory sequential mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative data consisted of a focus group and an information analysis of companies’ digital communication. The survey was completed by 630 respondents and was limited to two advertising examples from Victoria’s Secret and Lindex, which were selected because the brands represent different communication profiles within the underwear industry. The survey was designed according to a prime-then-reveal structure, where respondents first evaluated the advertisements without knowing which brand was behind them, and then answered additional questions after the brand had been revealed. Conclusion: The findings show that consumers’ evaluations of underwear advertising are shaped by the interplay between authenticity, ethical responsibility, practical purchase drivers, and brand context. For Victoria’s Secret, authenticity is particularly significant, suggesting that the brand’s history strengthens the importance of genuine and credible communication. For Lindex, ethical responsibility emerges as more central, indicating that inclusive advertising is evaluated both in terms of representation and whether the communication is perceived as respectful, credible, and consistent. The results also show that attitude toward the brand has substantial importance for purchase intention for both brands. The study therefore contributes to the understanding that inclusive underwear advertising is not interpreted solely through its visual expression, but through a broader interpretive filter in which authenticity, ethics, brand history, and perceived commercial intentions interact.