Gender Differences in Responses to Written Touch References in Hospitality Print Advertisements [Summary]

An emerging body of research indicates that males and females often respond differently to advertising stimuli. Therefore, this research used a between-subjects experimental design in study 1 to illustrate that a written touch reference in a destination ad (e.g., Visit the Newstead Cove Resort and feel the soothing Caribbean sand and water as you walk on our pristine award- winning beach) positively influences females' affective responses to the advertisement and image of the destination, without having a significant impact on male sentiment. Next, study 2 used two photo-elicitation sessions, one conducted with females and the other with males, to probe deeper into these findings. The managerial and research implications of both studies are discussed.