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1 – 10 of over 1000The purpose of this study is to assess the presence of deceptive advertising practices in wine retailers’ e-mails and, if identified, to analyze the extent and content of these…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to assess the presence of deceptive advertising practices in wine retailers’ e-mails and, if identified, to analyze the extent and content of these deceptive advertisements.
Design/methodology/approach
The study follows an observational research design to examine the accuracy of two claims that were made in 258 marketing e-mails from two major wine retailers in New Jersey, USA: (1) that all wines have 90+ scores; and (2) that these wines are offered at a deeply discounted price.
Findings
The study found that only 3.9% of cases accurately supported both major claims made: the wines having 90+ scores and being offered at a discounted price. Both claims were inaccurate in 64.7% of cases. Nearly half (49.3%) of the advertised wines had concealed critic’s scores below 90 points. Recipients were told they could save 37.2% by purchasing from the advertising retailer, but they could have actually saved 12.7% more by buying the wines elsewhere.
Research limitations/implications
The study’s limitations include the small sample size. Variations between different wine retailers and their advertising practices require further investigation.
Practical implications
Advertised discounts and scores may be inaccurate or incomplete, causing consumer confusion and disappointment, erosion of wine advertisements’ as well as wine retailers’ and wine experts’ credibility.
Social implications
Deceptive advertising can erode consumer trust and lead to unfair practices. Consumers may make purchasing decisions based on misleading information. Deceptive practices create an uneven playing field, giving businesses that engage in them an unfair advantage, hindering market transparency and ethical businesses. Policymakers should develop regulations to protect consumers and ensure fair competition.
Originality/value
An investigation of deceptive advertising practices in the wine industry has not been done before. This exploratory study contributes to consumer awareness and highlights the importance of truthful and transparent marketing practices.
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Julie A. Pirsch, Stacy Landreth Grau and Michael Jay Polonsky
The aim of this paper is to outline key social marketing issues apparent in deceptive weight‐loss advertising, from the perspective of government policy‐makers, manufacturers, the…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to outline key social marketing issues apparent in deceptive weight‐loss advertising, from the perspective of government policy‐makers, manufacturers, the media, and consumers. The purpose is to examine the complexity of one aspect of the obesity battle and provide a framework for coordinated and integrated social marketing initiatives from a multiple stakeholder perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The results of deceptive weight‐loss advertising are framed using the harm chain model, and the paper offers recommended solutions based on a framework of marketing, education and policy changes across the network of stakeholders.
Findings
This paper concludes that a resolution to the harm created by deceptive weight‐loss advertising can be achieved by the creation of a more holistic, system‐wide solution to this important health and policy issue. This networked approach must involve all aspects of harm in a multi‐stakeholder solution, including both upstream and downstream integration. Specific recommendations are made for policy‐makers, manufacturers, the media, and consumers to achieve this goal.
Social implications
From a marketing perspective, analyzing the issue of deceptive weight‐loss advertising using the harm chain allows for the creation of a more holistic, system‐wide solution involving stakeholders in all aspects of harm for this important health and policy issue.
Originality/value
This research examines the problem of obesity and weight‐loss advertising from the unique perspective of the harm chain framework. The authors make unified recommendations for various stakeholders including industry, media, government and consumers, in order to direct integrated social marketing and consumer‐oriented strategies within this industry.
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A. Shafiq, A. Haque, K. Abdullah and M.T. Jan
This paper aims to explore people’s beliefs towards Islamic advertising.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore people’s beliefs towards Islamic advertising.
Design/methodology/approach
Being exploratory in nature, this paper applies qualitative method of research by adapting thought elicitation technique of data collection. This method rests in the projective techniques of data collection and is also known as “word association technique”. It allows free thinking of respondents that helps in generating rich data which is most required in qualitative studies.
Findings
Various beliefs regarding Islamic advertising were extracted and categorized into different dimensions. These dimensions pertained to Islamic advertising’s possibility, nature, characteristics, real-time decisions and potential outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
Being an exploratory study, the data are collected from a small sample, hence raising generalization issues. Though, the same opens avenue for future research in that these dimensions should be subject to validation via large sample size.
Practical implications
This research will help in developing a scale to measure attitudes towards Islamic advertising, which the researchers can use to find justification for using Islamic advertising. Such application has great implications for businesses, as Islamic advertising concept stands contrary to the contemporary practices.
Social implications
With a growing concern for business ethics, this research is an attempt to bring Islamic ethics into advertising practice. This will not only eradicate the ill-effects of contemporary advertising but also provide sound evidence for revising advertising policies.
Originality/value
It adds to the developing field of Islamic marketing, by being the first attempt of its kind in paving the way for Islamic advertising.
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Gordon E. Miracle and Terence Nevett
Until the late 19th century, the controls on advertising in Britain and the US depended on complying with laws relating to defamation and on the ethical values of advertisers and…
Abstract
Until the late 19th century, the controls on advertising in Britain and the US depended on complying with laws relating to defamation and on the ethical values of advertisers and media proprietors. During the 20th century, concerns about public safety from dangerous products or services, recognition of the need to safeguard people from misleading or untrue claims, and attempts to strike a balance in the interests of fair trading have led to movements for both self‐regulation, as well as some legal restrictions on marketing and advertising practices. Differences in British and American practices have arisen from the nature of the legal systems and the cultural mores of the respective societies.
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It is undoubtedly the case that advertising plays a significant part in modern economic life in most societies and many view it as an essential part of the operation of a free…
Abstract
It is undoubtedly the case that advertising plays a significant part in modern economic life in most societies and many view it as an essential part of the operation of a free market system. Yet it is also the case that our knowledge of how exactly it works and whether the vast amounts spent on it are justified is still uncertain. Lord Leverhulme, the founder of Lever Brothers, is credited with the famous aphorism — ‘one half of advertising does not work but nobody knows which half’ and that perhaps sums up the situation very well. One thing that is generally accepted is that some protection must be provided both to consumers and trade competitors from false or misleading advertising which can lead to market distortions and economic loss to purchasers. Increasingly controversial, however, is the scope and extent of legal and voluntary controls on advertising. In the advertising industry fears are rising about the volume of both national and EEC proposals to restrict or limit advertising and as we move from the '80s, a decade of conspicuous consumption in which advertising flourished, to the caring '90s where environmental issues are to the fore, the advertising industry faces major challenges. Advertising as a whole is facing severe economic and legal challenges after the massive expansion of the 1980's — it is estimated that there was a 4% fall in real terms in UK advertising expenditure in the first quarter of 1990 and an estimated 5% fall in the second quarter. Clients are becoming more demanding and the cosy cartel arrangement whereby advertising agencies made a 15% standard commission on a client's expenditure has gone — commissions are down to 12%‐13% or being replaced by fixed fees. It has been estimated by the Advertising Association that proposed legal restrictions could lead to a loss of £1 bn in revenue for the industry. Multi‐farious pressure groups are campaigning against drink advertising, cigarette advertising and sexism in adverts. The advertising industry's concerns are reflected in a recent report by the Advertising Association — ‘A Freedom Under Threat — Advertising in the EC’. The report indicates a number of areas where legislative controls have been introduced or are proposed to be introduced over the next few years and expresses the fear that controls may be going too far in limiting freedom of ‘commercial speech’. Martin Boase, chairman of the Advertising Association writes in his introduction to the report:
This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the Journal of Product & Brand Management is split into six sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Marketing strategy;…
Abstract
This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the Journal of Product & Brand Management is split into six sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Marketing strategy; Customer service; Pricing; Promotion; Marketing research, customer behavior; Product management.
Lori D. Wolin and Pradeep Korgaonkar
Previous research suggests males and females exhibit different beliefs about and attitudes toward traditional media advertising along with different advertising stimulated…
Abstract
Previous research suggests males and females exhibit different beliefs about and attitudes toward traditional media advertising along with different advertising stimulated consumer behaviors. However, little is known about gender differences in consumer beliefs about Web advertising versus other media, attitude toward Web advertising, or Web advertising associated consumer behavior. Survey results indicate males and females differ significantly on several dimensions with males exhibiting more positive beliefs about Web advertising and more positive attitudes toward Web advertising than females. Additionally, males are more likely than females to purchase from the Web and surf the Web for functional and entertainment reasons, whereas females are more likely to surf the Web for shopping reasons.
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Summarises a report from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications on the state of ethics in advertising worldwide. Begins with the assertion that advertising profoundly…
Abstract
Summarises a report from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications on the state of ethics in advertising worldwide. Begins with the assertion that advertising profoundly impacts the way people understand themselves and the world around them. It then looks at the potential benefits of advertising on society and the harm done by advertising. Then identifies moral principles that are essential for ethical advertising. Finally, looks at who is responsible for ensuring that advertising is ethical.
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William L. Wilkie and Patrick E. Murphy
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…
Abstract
Purpose
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.
Design/methodology/approach
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.
Findings
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.
Originality/value
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.
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The use of aggressive media campaigns to parody a competitor is a relatively recent development. The aim of this study is to gauge the consequences of parody on attitudes towards…
Abstract
Purpose
The use of aggressive media campaigns to parody a competitor is a relatively recent development. The aim of this study is to gauge the consequences of parody on attitudes towards the brand that is the victim of the parody.
Design/methodology/approach
The data collection was carried out in an experiment design in two steps (before and after brand parody exposure) in order to measure the effects of a parody exposition on brand‐parodied attitude.
Findings
The results show that average level of attitude toward the brand parodied is significantly different after exposure to the advertisement that parodies it. Thus, the average level of attitude toward the brand parodied is significantly different in accordance with the degree to which those exposed to parodies are subject to feelings of anti‐commercial rebellion.
Practical implications
This study shows that a brand parody communication by playing negative humour with an anti‐commercial style represents a real threat for the brand parodied.
Originality/value
This research measured the effect of parody on attitude toward the brand parodied by its competitor. For this, the original materials were used (iPod advertising and iPod parody advertising made by its competitor).
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