Attitudes toward femvertising in the Middle East: the case of Lebanon

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer a clear understanding of the use of femvertising in Lebanon and its effects on consumers in general. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected using an online survey questionnaire, administered to a random sample of 318 individuals. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. Findings Lebanese people positively perceive the implication of women empowerment in advertisement. Gender, trust in ads, support of women’s rights and feminist self-identification, all have an impact on consumer behavior toward femvertising. However, the educational level and age do not affect the attitudes toward femvertising. Practical implications The practical contributions of our research derive from the importance of our findings on the uniqueness of the knowledge and information in the Middle East region. The importance of increasing knowledge of gender roles and Marketing in the Middle East is highly related to the gender dynamics embedded within broader globalization debates. Originality/value While studies have been extensive on the utilization of femvertising as a marketing strategy, the contexts under which these studies have been published, are mainly focused in the West. Hence, the Middle East in general and Lebanon, in particular, has witnessed no comprehensive and serious research on the subject. Consequently, this study is considered important and a major step toward establishing a theoretical base and underpinnings on the subject of utilization of femvertising in brands’ marketing strategies.