ADVERTISING'S NEW AUDIENCES

This study investigates the structure of consumer beliefs and attitudes toward advertising in a leading-edge, new market economy of Central and Eastern Europe the Czech Republic. Based on a national sample, Czech consumers' beliefs about advertising's informational value and its role in the nation's economy explained their attitudes toward advertising significantly. Our data also revealed five consumer segments ranging from enthusiasts to severe critics. Segments with unfavorable attitudes saw advertising as being short on information and long on falsity. As such, the study's findings signal a need to steer the practice of advertising toward more product information, truth, and ethical standards. The first of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, the study underscores the need to map consumer attitudes in other Central and Eastern European nations, and toward that agenda, it provides a framework for measurement of consumer belief profiles and identification of diverse attitude segments.