How young consumers in China perceive femvertising: A qualitative study

“Femvertising”, advertising that adopts the perspective of females, has become a popular global marketing strategy. Some Chinese brands are adopting it in their marketing communication. However, studies on audience response to femvertising mainly focus on Western consumers. Relevant research studies, particularly those with young consumers, are still scarce in China. This qualitative study aims to fill the research gap and examine young consumers’ responses to femvertising and its perceived effectiveness. Focus group interviews were conducted in March 2023 with three groups comprising female university students, male university students, and working females aged 20 to 25. The results showed that participants paid much attention to the advertising execution style and storytelling skills of femvertising. Liking of a specific feminist advertisement would enhance the brand image. However, a brand’s historical portrayal of female influences the communication effectiveness of its femvertising. An abrupt adoption of femvertising creates doubts and reservations. Female and male participants had different attitudes toward femvertising. As expected, female participants showed more appreciation of femvertising than male participants.