Austrian consumers are open to advertising, but advertisers should not make mistakes.

VIENNA. The Austrian Advertising Council (ÖWR) has investigated Austrian consumers' attitudes toward advertising. The result of the current study: "Advertising is seen as an important economic factor, but there are things that are not appreciated," says Roswitha Hasslinger, ÖWR vice president and head of the study. The respondents were liberal on the point that all products and services that may be sold may also be advertised - 83 percent said "yes" here. The statement that advertising promotes the sale of goods and services and secures jobs also received high approval. A majority of 56 percent said that "the economy would not function without advertising." However, advertising is also perceived critically by Austrians. 70 percent think that advertising tempts people to buy something they don't need. Two-thirds feel annoyed by advertising, and almost as many think that advertising often exaggerates and appears untrustworthy.

Amazing results

What doesn't work at all in advertising are depictions that glorify violence, skinny models, aggressive images and vulgar language. In contrast, people who do not conform to the classic beauty ideals, as well as overweight models and same-sex couples, found surprisingly high levels of acceptance. Those who advertise too obtrusively can even harm themselves: 62 percent say they have already deliberately not bought something because of unacceptable advertising. According to Hasslinger, when comparing the results of men and women, hardly any differences can be observed