Advertising message processing amongst urban children: An Indian experience — with special reference to TV advertising

This study is designed to extend knowledge of cognitive processing of advertising messages by urban children in India. Data were collected from 250 children aged between 7 and 12 years, drawn in the sample from five major towns of the relatively affluent western state of Gujarat (India) by using the cluster sampling approach. It was found that children's ability to decode and process advertising messages and to understand their intents is influenced not only by their cognitive abilities at different age strata but also by their social and personal environments. Social norms related to acceptability and appropriateness of gender behavior also influence the processing of ad messages by the children of both sexes. Other elements like likeability of the model, character or endorser, story line, slogan and the music will create liking or disliking for a particular advertisement and hence decoding of its message.