A comparative study of Chinese and US consumers' attitudes toward advertising regulation

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer attitudes toward advertising regulation in local contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was carried out of 211 Chinese consumers and 205 US consumers.

Findings

It was found that the two samples converge in their views on free commercial speech, self‐regulation, and regulation by market forces. Yet, the Chinese are more likely than their US counterparts to support government regulation, endorse legal ban on strong sexual and indecent content, and favor rigorous advertising regulation. The females of both countries are more enthusiastic than their male counterparts about regulating strong sexual images in advertising and requiring advertising to promote positive values. Both countries witness considerable generational gaps, as the older respondents are more conservative in their views and more likely to support rigorous regulation of advertising.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to systematically survey consumers' attitudes toward advertising regulation.

Citation

Gao, Z. and Zhang, H. (2011), "A comparative study of Chinese and US consumers' attitudes toward advertising regulation", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 72-90. https://doi.org/10.1108/13555851111100003