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1 – 10 of over 3000Moty Amar, Yaniv Gvili and Aner Tal
This paper aims to offer social marketers an innovative method to promote healthy foods. This method demonstrates the effectiveness of indirect communication in attracting…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to offer social marketers an innovative method to promote healthy foods. This method demonstrates the effectiveness of indirect communication in attracting consumers to healthy foods. Further, it aims to offer a way to promote food as healthier with no detrimental effects on its perceived appeal, which are a likely side effect of advertising food as healthy.
Design/methodology/approach
Four between-participant lab studies (N = 50, 80, 80, 102) included manipulations of food motion vs stillness and then compared ratings of food freshness, healthiness and appeal using self-report measures.
Findings
Motion increases healthiness evaluation. This increase in healthiness evaluation occurs without reductions in food appeal. These effects are mediated by evaluations of freshness. This occurred across three different food types and two mediums (still images and digital videos).
Research limitations/implications
The paper provides an effective tool for social marketers wishing to encourage healthier eating. Specifically, it helps address two problems: low effectiveness of prevalent, information-based appeals to encourage healthy eating; and reduced evaluations of tastiness that normally occur when consumers are convinced food is healthy.
Social implications
Social marketers can use motion as an effective tool to promote food as healthy. Importantly, this indirect communication avoids the potential pitfall of reduced food appeal. This should help encourage healthier eating. The findings also supports the use of indirect cues as an effective approach to promoting social ends.
Originality/value
Offering a novel, indirect method of enhancing judgments of food healthiness via a simple visual cue. Demonstrating the effect and its underlying mechanism. Providing a way to counter the prevalent “unhealthy = tasty” intuition, a major obstacle to promoting healthy eating. Supporting social marketers’ use of indirect communication to increase the appeal of desirable societal goals. Finally, showing that sensory visual cues can serve as a source of heuristic thinking.
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Janna M. Parker, Doreen Sams, Amit Poddar and Kalina Manoylov
The purpose of this study (mixed-method) was to examine the effectiveness of two types of marketing interventions on water conservation behavior and to compare behaviors to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study (mixed-method) was to examine the effectiveness of two types of marketing interventions on water conservation behavior and to compare behaviors to self-reported conservation claims.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper consists of four phases (advertisement selection focus group, behavioral trace field study, self-report survey and follow-up focus group). In the USA, residing in a dormitory typically includes a fee for water without quantity restrictions. The subjects for this research were college students who lived in dormitories at a medium-sized university in southeastern USA where metering individual water consumption is not possible.
Findings
The results of the field study phase of student water conservation behaviors were not congruent with the participants’ self-reported behaviors. Phase 2 yielded results contrary to published laboratory experimental research in which cause-related claims were effective.
Research limitations/implications
This research was limited by a single sample (one university), time (13 weeks) and the inability to measure individual consumption behavior. However, valuable findings were obtained, and suggestions surfaced for future research.
Practical implications
Using eco-feedback technology and advertisements may result in significant cost savings. While findings were somewhat inconclusive, there was evidence that the use of the eco-feedback technology could result in cost savings for the subject university.
Originality/value
The behavioral trace study is one of the first field research studies in the marketing discipline designed to examine resource conservation behavior in an impactful way. Further, this research used a single sample triangulated methodology across Phases 2, 3 and 4.
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Frank S. Perri and Richard G. Brody
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how a financial fraud practice, known as affinity fraud, relies on building trust with victims based on shared affiliations or…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how a financial fraud practice, known as affinity fraud, relies on building trust with victims based on shared affiliations or characteristics such as age, race, religion, ethnicity or professional designations, for the purpose of exploiting the trust factor for financial advantage.
Design/methodology/approach
Sources of information consisted of scholarly articles and articles retrieved from the web.
Findings
Findings suggest that these fraud offenders rely on a myriad of persuasion techniques to overcome offender skepticism coupled with victims engaging in a psychological concept known as projection bias to evaluate the credibility of these offenders. These factors create a negative synergy that dilutes the perceived need for due diligence normally required prior to engaging in securities transactions. In addition, these offenders display a predatory quality, debunking the myth that fraud offenders exhibit a homogenous crime group behavioral profile.
Practical implications
Social institutions that include both for profit and not for profit should consider evaluating their interactions with those who share similar characteristics and affiliations that attempt to offer goods or services by considering some of the factors contained within this article that may dilute due diligence protocol.
Originality/value
This paper serves to alert and educate anti‐fraud professionals, law enforcement and policy makers of a predatory fraud practice that targets organizations exploiting the inherent trust that these organizations rely upon.
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Frank S. Perri and Richard G. Brody
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how a financial fraud practice, known as affinity fraud, relies on building trust with victims based on shared affiliations or…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how a financial fraud practice, known as affinity fraud, relies on building trust with victims based on shared affiliations or characteristics such as age, race, religion, ethnicity or professional designations, for the purpose of exploiting the trust factor for financial advantage.
Design/methodology/approach
Sources of information consisted of scholarly articles and articles retrieved from the web.
Findings
Findings suggest that these fraud offenders rely on myriad persuasion techniques to overcome offender skepticism coupled with victims engaging in a psychological concept known as projection bias to evaluate the credibility of these offenders. These factors create a negative synergy that dilutes the perceived need for due diligence normally required prior to engaging in securities transactions. In addition, these offenders display a predatory quality. debunking the myth that fraud offenders exhibit a homogenous crime group behavioral profile.
Practical implications
Social institutions that include both for profit and not for profit should consider evaluating their interactions with those who share similar characteristics and affiliations that attempt to offer goods or services by considering some of the factors contained within this paper that may dilute due diligence protocol.
Originality/value
This paper serves to alert and educate anti‐fraud professionals, law enforcement and policy makers of a predatory fraud practice that targets organizations exploiting the inherent trust upon which these organizations rely.
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Sameer Kumar and Jorgen Ellingson
The Chinese market presents numerous challenges to companies from industrialized nations, none of which is as daunting as protecting intellectual property (IP). It is necessary to…
Abstract
Purpose
The Chinese market presents numerous challenges to companies from industrialized nations, none of which is as daunting as protecting intellectual property (IP). It is necessary to develop a fresh approach for the US, EU and Japanese governments and companies to take advantage of China's growing domestic market while not exposing their IP to continued losses. This paper seeks to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on review of existing literature on IP rights infringements in China, application of theory of sustainable competitive advantage as a prescription to discourage imitation and promote early‐mover advantages, and SWOT analysis of the contrasting US and Japanese IP strategies.
Findings
Both US and Japanese IP strategies have advantages and disadvantages, but the question remains who can be the most creative and adaptive in their ultimate goal of preserving their IP rights while prospering in the world's largest marketplace.
Practical implications
Apart from internal use, IP may also be commercialized through a joint venture, outright sales, franchising, or licensing. Using creative but proven methods to protect IP is another way to equalize the playing field. Companies can operate in regions where IP laws are strictly enforced and they should work with, and not against, their counterparts in China.
Originality/value
IP strategies of US and Japan in China provide a number of valuable insights on distinctive approaches used. A prescriptive approach is outlined for companies from the industrialized world to manage their efforts in protecting IP in an emerging market with a vastly different social and economic structure.
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Stefan F. Bernritter, Iris van Ooijen and Barbara C.N. Müller
This paper aims to demonstrate that self-persuasion can be used as a marketing technique to increase consumers’ generosity and that the efficacy of this approach is dependent on…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to demonstrate that self-persuasion can be used as a marketing technique to increase consumers’ generosity and that the efficacy of this approach is dependent on consumers’ involvement with target behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
An experimental field-study was conducted to investigate the effects of self-persuasion versus direct persuasion attempts versus no persuasion attempts on consumers’ tipping behavior in a lunchroom. Additionally, in a lab experiment, the moderating role of involvement on self-persuasion versus direct persuasion was tested.
Findings
The results reveal that self-persuasion is more effective than direct persuasion attempts or no persuasive messages in increasing consumers’ generosity. This is moderated by consumers’ involvement with the target behavior. For consumers with high involvement, self-persuasion is more effective than direct persuasion, while no differences were found for consumers with moderate or low involvement.
Practical implications
The scope of self-persuasion is not limited to the inhibition of undesired behavior, but it also extends to the facilitation of desired behavior, which considerably broadens the scope of this technique. Self-persuasion might be used as a marketing technique to influence consumers’ purchase behavior. This might be particularly viable in situations in which consumers feel high involvement with products or behavior.
Originality/value
Recently, research in health psychology demonstrated that self-persuasion is a very effective way of inhibiting undesired, addictive behavior and being more successful than direct persuasion. Yet, insufficient knowledge is available about the efficacy of self-persuasion with regard to promoting other target behaviors. In particular, its potential as a marketing technique to influence consumers’ behavior and its boundary conditions are still understudied.
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Hsuan-Hsuan Ku and Mei-Ju Chen
As an alternative to straight rhetorical questions, questions using analogies that invite the reader to think about the frame of reference to answer the target have been used in…
Abstract
Purpose
As an alternative to straight rhetorical questions, questions using analogies that invite the reader to think about the frame of reference to answer the target have been used in advertising to persuade. This paper aims to investigate consumer responses to the use of analogical questions in ads for incrementally new products and the important variables moderating those responses.
Design/methodology/approach
Four between-subjects experiments examined how product evaluations in response to analogical questions differ from non-analogical variants as a function of consumers’ persuasion awareness (Studies 1 and 2) and also tested if the effectiveness of an analogical question among potential consumers who are more aware of persuasion attempts might be enhanced only when it is proposed with a strong rather than a weak frame of reference (Study 3), and when the frame of reference and the target share underlying similarities (Study 4).
Findings
Analogical questions are more persuasive than non-analogical variants for participants who are more aware of persuasion attempts. Inferential fluency mediates the results. Furthermore, the positive impact of analogical questions for participants high in persuasion awareness is diminished when the frame of reference is weak or from a dissimilar domain. The same patterns are not evident for participants who are less aware of persuasion attempts.
Research limitations/implications
Drawing on the concepts of inferential fluency, this study offers an empirically-based view of how the analogical questions in advertising may bias the responses exhibited by individuals who demonstrate either a high or low level of persuasion awareness.
Practical implications
The inclusion of an analogy can lower consumers’ tendency to behave in a defensive manner by facilitating inferences about intended claims that are implicitly stated in a rhetorical question and achieve higher levels of persuasion.
Originality/value
This study contributes to prior study on rhetorical questions within a persuasion communication by adopting inferential fluency as an underlying mechanism for analyzing the impact of analogical questions and individual’s awareness of persuasion.
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Li-Shia Huang, Wan-Ju Huang and Hsiao-Yun Lin
Given the importance of third-party endorsements as external cues during purchase evaluations, the manipulation of endorsements may raise consumers’ suspicion and thereby reduce…
Abstract
Purpose
Given the importance of third-party endorsements as external cues during purchase evaluations, the manipulation of endorsements may raise consumers’ suspicion and thereby reduce the effectiveness of marketing messages. Consumers find it increasingly difficult to distinguish between authentic and biased brand reviews. This research conducts two experiments regarding brand rankings of third-parties in four industries. Study 1 aims to probes the interaction effect of persuasion knowledge and fairness of rating method (fair vs. unfair) on brand rankings’ credibility and brand image enhancement. Study 2 examines the interplay of dispositional persuasion knowledge and reputation of third parties (high vs. low).
Design/methodology/approach
This research builds on an analysis of data (Study 1, N = 122; Study 2, N = 123) from Taiwan, where brand rankings held by third-party organizations are regular. The hypotheses were tested using SPSS’s PROCESS macro.
Findings
Drawing on previous research of persuasion knowledge, the authors find that a fair rating method and a high reputation of third-party organization can mitigate the negative effect of persuasion knowledge.
Practical implications
The results of this research suggest that marketers need to manage third-party endorsements carefully. Consumer skepticism toward these endorsements (e.g. third-party’s brand rankings) can be weakened when persuasion attempt is considered appropriate.
Originality/value
This is one of the first efforts to empirically explore the influences of persuasion knowledge on third-party endorsements. The importance of this work is underscored by the fact that a growing number of third-party endorsements are sponsored or even manipulated by brand owners.
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Janna Olynick, Alexandra Iliopulos and Han Z. Li
The patient healthcare experience is a complex phenomenon, as is encouraging patient compliance with medical advice. To address this multifaceted relationship, the purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
The patient healthcare experience is a complex phenomenon, as is encouraging patient compliance with medical advice. To address this multifaceted relationship, the purpose of this paper is to explore the ways resident physicians verbally encourage patient compliance and the relationship between these compliance-seeking strategies and patient satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 40 medical interviews between resident physicians and patients were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analysed. Patient questionnaires were also administered and analysed.
Findings
It was found that resident physicians used indirect orders most frequently, followed by motivation, persuasion, scheduling, and direct orders. It was also found that female patients received (marginally) more messages than male patients; female residents used more messages with female patients than with male patients; female residents used more persuasion messages with female patients than with male patients; male residents were less likely than female residents to use motivational messages with female patients; and compliance was significantly correlated with expertise satisfaction, overall satisfaction, and communication satisfaction.
Originality/value
This study advances existing research by examining various ways in which residents verbally encourage patient compliance and the relationship between these messages and patient satisfaction. Findings can be used to inform physicians on strategies to encourage patient adherence to medication regimen, appointments, and lifestyle changes.
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Nancy H. Brinson, Laura L. Lemon, Coral Bender and Annika Fetzer Graham
The purpose of this study is to examine whether consumers are able to critically evaluate promotional content presented by a podcast host with whom they have a parasocial…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine whether consumers are able to critically evaluate promotional content presented by a podcast host with whom they have a parasocial relationship, and how this interaction impacts the listeners’ behavioral intentions toward the advertised brand.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a blended theoretical foundation of Persuasion Knowledge Model and Parasocial Interaction theory, this between subjects’ experimental study examined the effects of a traditional advertisement versus a host-read promotional message for the same brand in a highly rated podcast among listeners who reported varying levels of a parasocial relationship (PSR) with the host.
Findings
Results from a moderated mediation analysis suggest that a PSR with the podcast host decreased evaluative persuasion knowledge about the promotional message presented, which indirectly enhanced respondents’ intention to seek more information about the promoted brand.
Originality/value
This study extends the limited research examining the effects of promotional messaging delivered by podcast hosts with whom audiences have a PSR, and how this interaction impacts the listeners’ behavioral intentions. Theoretical contributions and practical implications for podcast marketers are also discussed.
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