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States that the level of consumer involvement in a product category is a major variable relevant to advertising strategy. Suggests product category is often segmented by the level of consumer involvement; however, consumers are rarely segmented. Points out that different involvement clusters have different responses to advertising effectiveness for the same product. Presents a case study segmenting a market using the consumer involvement degree, exploring the characteristics in order to determine the relationship between advertising effectiveness and the level of consumer involvement. Shows results suggesting that a high degree of consumer involvement directed a high advertising effect and is therefore an important indication for advertising strategy.

Little conceptual and empirical effort has been directed toward differentiating high technology from low technology products, and identifying effective strategic alternatives for marketing technology‐based products. The purpose of this paper is to answer such fundamental questions as: what a high technology product is; what dimensions differentiate between high and low technology products and their marketing strategies; and what types of marketing strategies high technology companies should use. These issues are tackled from a contingency theory perspective with the assumption that marketing of high technology products, compared to that of low technology products, is influenced by different industry/market situations, and thus strategies should be designed and used differently. The paper reports the results from a survey of over 100 Australian firms, which examined the environment‐strategy‐performance link for low versus high technology‐based products. It discusses the implication of the results for marketers of high‐tech products.

The purpose of this article is to present an inside look at the history of a little‐known but interesting initiative in the marketing field, one that involved the infusion of marketing thought into public policy decision‐making in the USA. It aims to trace the interesting tale of how marketing academics came to be included in the activities of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through the FTC's “Marketing Academic Consultancy Program” (MACP) during the 1970s. This story also aims to include descriptions of the contributions made by those marketing academics and how those scholars were later phased out of the FTC.

An autobiographical approach is used since each of the authors was personally involved in the MACP. As participants in the program and as scholars whose careers were thereafter tremendously affected by that participation, these personal accounts provide considerable insight into the impact on both FTC operations and on marketing academic thought itself.

Over the decade of the 1970s some 30 marketing academics participated in this program, with considerable impact on both FTC operations and on marketing academic thought itself. Reflecting positive impact within public policy, for example, was a massive increase in the FTC budget for marketing and consumer research activities – from essentially zero at the start of the program to some $ 1 million in 1978. Benefits also flowed back into academia, as this program formed a prime basis for the development of today's “Marketing and Society” research area.

Although there are histories of the FTC, this is an original, first‐hand account of a little‐known era during which marketing academics and public policy decision‐makers were given a unique opportunity to work together and learn from each other. It offers personal insights into the workings of this innovative program and the benefits that accrued for both the FTC and for the marketing discipline.

The study addresses the effect of product usage, satisfaction derived out of the same and the brand switching behaviour in several product categories while looking at the product involvement level in the Indian marketplace. A fair amount of work has been done in the area of customer satisfaction and loyalty and many customer satisfaction indexes are available in the market using different variables and characteristics. The study attempts to understand the brand switching behaviour of the customers and its relation not with just satisfaction derived out of the product but also connects to the usage pattern of the customers and product involvement. Five categories (vehicles, television, soap, hair oil, and ice cream), involving varying levels of involvement were chosen. Cluster analysis was used to understand the grouping of the characteristics across the categories and their effect on brand switching behaviour in correlation with satisfaction and involvement level. It was observed that product usage and related level of satisfaction fail to explain the brand switching behaviour. Product involvement was found to have moderate impact on readiness to switch. The study emphasises that marketers will have to keep a constant eye to understand the usage pattern associated with their products and the satisfaction derived out of it and also at how customers involve themselves with the product to lessen the brand switching behaviour among their customers.

A relevant, timely issue in the professional services area is that of marketing. Should professional service providers actively market their services? And, if so, how? Many professionals have already stepped into the marketing arena, but without first understanding the nature of their target market(s). This article concentrates on one area of the user market that should be known and understood by all professional service marketers: What level of consumer interest or perceived personal importance typifies the purchase of a professional service?

A high level of product involvement is typically assumed to accompany higher information search, a fewer number of acceptable alternatives, and a higher number of choice criteria than does low level of product involvement. Inferring the level of product involvement from these behavioral or evaluative characteristics is, however, potentially misleading. Two factors are identified as mediating the relationship between the high level of involvement and these characteristics: (1) product trial, and (2) the consumer learning stage. The results of the present study support this view. Even for high involving products, considerable variations exist in these characteristics, depending on product trialability and consumer learning stage. Several strategic marketing implications stemming from these results are offered.

Although some researchers have assumed a positive relationship between consumers' involvement in products and their commitment to brands, there are times when just the opposite occurs. In some instances, involvement with a product can be high while commitment to brands is low, or product involvement can be low when commitment to a brand is high.

Suggests that housewives shift brand preferences when confronted with actual price differentials in a market and, irrespective of income or educational levels, react to price cues on low‐priced grocery items. Discusses and compares various studies conducted across varying price differences and consumer stereotypes in the UK and the USA. Reports results of an experiment designed to extend empirical evidence about the relationships among brand preference, perceived quality and price cues. Sums up that this study once again confirms the basic importance of price to housewives.