Race, Tattoos in Advertising Affect What Consumers Buy

When deciding whether to make an online purchase, skin color matters to some consumers, new research finds.

A study recently published in the Economic Journal of the Royal Economic Society discovered that online shoppers are less likely to purchase a product if a black person or someone with a tattoo is selling it.

As part of the study, researchers conducted a yearlong experiment selling iPods in about 1,200 online classified ads placed in more than 300 locales throughout the United States, ranging from small towns to major cities. They tested for racial bias among buyers by featuring photographs of the Apple iPod — all of which were silver, 8GB "current models" of the iPod nano digital media player, described as new in an unopened box, and for sale because the seller did not need it — held by a man's hand that was black, white or white with a wrist tattoo. Read more...