DOI: https://doi.org/10.63345/ijrsml.v11.i8.1
Mona Mishra1 & Dr Praveen Mittal2
1Research scholar
Maharaja Agrasen Himalayan Garhwal University
Uttarakhand, India
2Research Guide
Maharaja Agrasen Himalayan Garhwal University
Uttarakhand, India
Abstract
In the digital age, the rapid proliferation of online advertisements has significantly influenced consumer perceptions, particularly among working women in urban regions like the National Capital Region (NCR) of India. This study investigates how working women interpret online advertisement messages, focusing on the elements of perception, emotional appeal, credibility, and trust. Drawing from cognitive response theory and schema theory, the research explores the underlying factors shaping ad interpretation and how they affect purchase intention and brand loyalty. A mixed-method approach involving quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with 200 working women across Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, and Faridabad was employed. The study reveals that trust in digital advertising is highly contingent on perceived authenticity, emotional resonance, and social proof. This manuscript provides valuable insights for advertisers aiming to tailor their messaging strategies to resonate more effectively with professional female audiences in metropolitan India.
Keywords
Online Advertisement, Perception, Trust, Working Women, NCR, Consumer Behavior, Brand Credibility, Digital Marketing, Emotional Appeal, Advertisement Interpretation
References
- Awad, N. F., & Ragowsky, A. (2008). Online trust: What matters, where? Communications of the ACM, 51(11), 82–87. This study finds that online trust plays a significantly stronger role in purchase intention for women than for men.
- Gupta, S., & Shome, A. (2020). Social Media Advertisements and Buying Behaviour: A Study of Indian Working Women. ResearchGate. Working women in India rely more on online product features and satisfaction than price when purchasing online.
- Mahesh, V., & Maruthanayaki, R. (2020). The Effectiveness of Online Advertisements in Thanjavur District. International Journal of Management, 11(11), 3666–3671. This paper highlights the roles of information, entertainment, trust, and attitude in online advertisement effectiveness IAEME.
- The portrayal of women in Indian advertising: Soni, P. (2020). The Portrayal of Women in Advertising. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research. A study on stereotypical and unrealistic portrayals influencing self-esteem and brand perception among women SSRN.
- Das, U., & Sharma, S. (2017). Perception of young adults towards the portrayal of women in Indian advertisements. Media Watch, 8(3). Female respondents are more critical of stereotypical or decorative portrayal of women than male respondents.
- Recent gendered digital behavior: Abitbol, A., & Sternadori, M. (2019). Femvertising and authenticity: The limits of empowerment messaging. Journal of Advertising. (Although not India‑specific, this work discusses how perceived authenticity dramatically affects trust in empowerment messages—relevant to our findings.) (Note: citation based on lecture, no direct source available; we flag if not verifiable.)
- Women’s reactions to visually appealing ads: “Gender Dynamics in Digital Consumer Behavior” (2025). This recent study reports Indian women respond more positively to visually engaging and emotional content, while expressing lower trust in unfamiliar e-commerce sites