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ABSTRACT
The ubiquitous use of sex appeal in marketing communication despite its numerous criticisms, appears to have validated its effectiveness. The study set out to examine elements of sex appeal used in marketing communication and its influence on the purchasing decisions on consumers using delta soap and Caro white cosmetics as a case study. The objectives were to ascertain the features that audience perceive as sexual in marketing communication strategies; to ascertain if sex appeal attracts the attention of consumers to a particular brand or product; to find out if sex appeal really influences product patronage; to evaluate how consumers feel about the use sex of appeal to market product and examine how elements of sex appeal were portrayed in select products. The study was anchored on persuasion theory and AIDA model. Mixed method design, involving content analysis and survey methods, was adopted for the study. The Content analysis was adopted to identify the elements of sex appeal in the marketing communications of the selected case studies and survey was employed to gauge respondent’s perceptions and positions on the use sex appeal as a marketing communication strategy. The study utilised selected advertisement, promotional pictures to examine the nature and elements of sex appeal used in marketing communication. Finding reveals that consumers indeed recognise nudity, sexualised behaviour, physical attractiveness, and sexual referents and sexual embeds as elements of sex appeal in marketing communication. The findings also indicated that sex appeal is a counterproductive marketing strategy as it does necessarily guarantee consumer patronage and brand loyalty; at best it can be useful for trial purchase. Standing on the premise of these findings, this study recommends that the prevalent use of sex appeal in product marketing should be de-emphasised. Emphasis should be placed on rational, economic and logical strategies in product marketing.
