The effect of media literacy on digital ads

Abstract EN

Advertising literacy can be approached from three different vantage-points.

From the point of view of media education and research, advertising literacy is an analytic concept and a model that can be used to study different forms of advertising.

From the consumer point of view, advertising literacy is part of the individual's personal, practical ability to understand commercial messages and media phenomena.

Finally, from the communicator's perspective, advertising literacy is a new viewpoint that provides direction for advertising planning.

An analysis of consumers' literacy skills directs choices concerning the measures and channels of communication.

The model facilitates the planning of communications and the formulation of messages, but also helps to understand what kind of communications potentially annoys media literate consumers.

Given the well-documented importance of media literacy and media education, it is surprising how little research attention has been paid to the aspect of advertising.

Advertising has usually been discussed in the frame of media literacy in general.

Many of the textbooks on media literacy identify advertising as a component part of media literacy.

but overall the conceptualization and modelling of advertising literacy has failed to move beyond its infancy.

Indeed, it is quite obvious that the concept of advertising literacy needs to be clarified and developed further.

Furthermore, the model of advertising literacy provides a way of anticipating stakeholder reactions and of analysing the social impacts communications.

Enlightened consumers and critical stakeholders require transparency, reliability and social responsibility of companies and their communications.

The demands of social responsibility also apply to advertisers, advertising agencies and advertising planners, because advertisements are shaping people's attitudes and cultural values as well as public debate to a greater extent than before.