Destigma-vertising: The Role of Homophily In Transformative Advertising to Impact Societal Norms and Practices
(A2024-119462)

AUTHORS

Karen Middleton, University of Portsmouth; Shanjita Shawrin, University of Portsmouth; Judith Fletcher-Brown, University of Portsmouth; Sarah Turnbull, University of Portsmouth

ABSTRACT

Facial acid assaults on women are acts of culturally bound gender-based violence. This study utilizes institutional theory as a conceptual framework, employing a netnographic approach to investigate interactions between micro-level actors that result from a social purpose organization's advertising campaign, #EndAcidSale in India. The contributions of this study are threefold. Firstly, it generates a novel phenomenon, “destigma-vertising,” defined as “advertising that aims to de-stigmatize social norms and practices through institutional legitimacy”. Secondly, the paper outlines advertising's transformative capabilities to leverage homophily and motivate micro-level actors to engage in institutional work within the marketplace. Lastly, it identifies a process of micro-level institutional delegitimization stimulated by a meso-level advertising campaign, which ultimately serves as a catalyst for policy changes at the macro-level. The study provides valuable insights for advertising researchers and practitioners by adding a deeper understanding of both transformative advertising and the use of homophily in advertising messages.