Can Advertising Be A Force For Good ft. Dr Karen Middleton

If you’re currently overwhelmed by festive advertising, you might also have noticed some subtle shifts in the way brands and organisations are positioning their products and values.

Brands have long sought to gain our trust and loyalty through emotive and provocative campaigns, but today are more likely to be called out on their mistakes and mis-steps.

Karen explains why advertisers are being asked to take more responsibility than ever before for the social norms they promote, and what strides they are taking to be representative of diverse societies in campaigns.

She shares insights from her work into gender and advertising, discusses the trends she sees emerging and reflects upon how social media is allowing people to hold businesses to account.

Oh, and if you want to find out what this expert’s favourite Christmas advert is, you’ll just have to listen!

You can find out more about this work and other research at the University of Portsmouth website: https://www.port.ac.uk/research/research-project