Doctors of Medi-Screen: The Portrayal of Medical Doctors as Product Endorsers in Television Commercials and its Effects on the Audience Perception of the Credibility of the Endorsed Products

ABSTRACT

Anuncio, R.R.S. (2011). Doctors of Medi-Screen: the portrayal of medical doctors as product endorsers in television commercials and its effects on the audience perception of the credibility of the endorsed products, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines, College of Mass Communication.

This research study discussed how medical doctors are portrayed as product endorsers in television commercials and how this portrayal affects the audience perception of the credibility of the endorsed products. Medical doctors as personages carrying a high degree of credibility are gradually becoming frequent product endorsers in television commercials as an advertising strategy to earn credibility for the advertisements and persuade the audiences to consider purchasing the endorsed products. To find out the physical and speech characteristics being associated with medical doctors, the physical environment surrounding them, and the over-all mien they manifest, all comprising the foundation of their credibility, textual analyses of six television commercials were performed. A focus group discussion was then conducted among ten participants to be able to explain the effects of this portrayal on the perception of the audiences towards the endorsed products. Upon implementation, medical doctors were discovered to be portrayed in accordance with the general preference of the society, further reinforcing the credibility they uphold. Although it contributed to the credibility of the endorsed products, their credibility as professionals did not guarantee persuasion among the audiences to consider buying the endorsed products due to several other affective factors associated with the products.

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