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1 – 10 of over 28000This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of message framing and source credibility on attitudes, intentions and beliefs about attributes of teeth whitening products…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of message framing and source credibility on attitudes, intentions and beliefs about attributes of teeth whitening products. Although each of these variables, message framing and credibility, has been explored individually, few attempts have been made to investigate them jointly. This study aims to base itself on a full factorial design that allows for testing of interaction effects. Similar investigations in marketing limit their inquiries primarily to attitudes and intentions as dependent variables. This study goes further in that it also aims to investigate the effect of framing and credibility on the salient attributes of products. Third, the market for whitening products is maturing, resulting in a target market that is gaining knowledge about these products. Thus, the paper seeks to use knowledge as a covariate in the above investigation to determine if the communication strategy should be changed as the product moves from introduction to maturity.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a 2 × 2 factorial design with framing (positive‐negative) and credibility (high‐low). The setting for the study is a hypothetical brand name of teeth whitening products.
Findings
The results reveal that positive framing is more effective in changing attitudes and intentions. However, the effects of framing and credibility are significant in changing beliefs related to the product's attributes. Although the covariate knowledge is significant, the findings indicate that communication strategy need not change as the product moves from introduction to maturity.
Research limitations/implications
Caution is advised in extrapolating the results beyond the issues investigated in the study.
Practical implications
The findings help marketers in formulating effective strategies.
Originality/value
The focus of most research studies in marketing is on changing attitudes and intentions. This research also includes the change in beliefs regarding the attributes of the product. Prior research on framing is tilted towards the use of negative framing. The findings of this study suggest using positive or gain‐framed messages.
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Paul C.S. Wu and Yun‐Chen Wang
Based on message source theory, the purpose of this paper is to use positive electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM) settings to examine the influence of message source credibility on…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on message source theory, the purpose of this paper is to use positive electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM) settings to examine the influence of message source credibility on brand attitude (brand trust, brand affection, and purchase intention). The current study also uses the elaboration likelihood model to examine the moderating effect of product involvement on the relationships between message appeals (rational vs emotional) and brand attitude, as well as between message source credibility and brand attitude.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected via internet questionnaires. Based on the internet investigation and pretest, this study chose the stimuli for research products, virtual brands, eWOM, and message source credibility. Via a 2 (notebooks vs shampoo) *2 (appeal: rational vs emotional) experimental design, 211 effective samples were collected to verify the hypotheses of this study.
Findings
The results, for both notebooks and shampoo, are: the positive eWOM message with higher message source credibility indicates a better brand attitude than the eWOM message with lower message source credibility, and this effect is not moderated by the degree of product involvement, indicating its robustness. Second, with a high degree of product involvement, the rational appeal indicates a better brand attitude than the emotional appeal; no significant difference is found when product involvement drops to a low level.
Originality/value
Previous research investigating the moderating effect of involvement on the effects of message‐appeal types and the message source credibility of eWOM is rare. The main contribution of this study is to fill this gap.
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This study explores the influence of parasocial interaction (PSI), brand credibility and product involvement on celebrity endorsement, and how PSI interacts with brand and product…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the influence of parasocial interaction (PSI), brand credibility and product involvement on celebrity endorsement, and how PSI interacts with brand and product factors and affects celebrity endorsement synthetically.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a 2 (high/low product involvement) by 2 (high/low brand credibility) between-subjects factorial design experiment to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Brand credibility has a positive effect on followers' attitudes toward advertising and products, and product involvement influences its moderation. PSI has salient positive effects on followers' attitudes and behavioral intention, regardless of high/low product involvement. Brand credibility mediates PSI's influence on celebrity endorsement.
Research limitations/implications
The results reinforce the significant effect of PSI on endorsement effectiveness and brand credibility, show the influence of brand credibility and product involvement and show how their influence conditionally interacts with others.
Practical implications
The corporate advertiser should prefer a high PSI celebrity as their endorser. The advertising message design on the microblog also deserves the attention of advertisers.
Originality/value
This study is the primary attempt to construct an integral model to demonstrate the synthetic effect and interaction process of consumers' perception of the endorser, brand and product category factors on celebrity endorsement within the social media context.
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Rakesh Kumar, Shailesh Kumar Kaushal and Kishore Kumar
This paper aims to explore the role of source credibility while purchasing environment-friendly products using Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior as underpinning model.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the role of source credibility while purchasing environment-friendly products using Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior as underpinning model.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed theoretical model was empirically tested with the data collected from 334 respondents using structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results gave empirical support to the addition of source credibility to the original theory of planned. Moreover, consumer attitude was found mediating the effect of corporations’ credibility on purchase intention. Also, attitude and perceived behavioral control were found as the most important predictors of consumer’s intention to purchase environment-friendly products.
Practical implications
This study provides valuable insights for the marketers engaged in sustainable business practices. Amid, ever-increasing carbon emission, promoting the use of environment-friendly products has become the need of the time. Credibility plays a crucial role while promoting and communicating an organization’s sustainable practices among its stakeholders including consumers. Therefore, the marketer should formulate appropriate marketing communication strategy to communicate the consumer about the green practices and environment-friendly products they produce. The results suggest that corporation’s credibility shapes consumer attitude and influences intention to purchase environment-friendly products. Earning trust of the consumer is pivotal to achieve success in the market. Therefore, results may help the marketers to better understand consumer’s response toward their marketing strategies and further convince and persuade them to buy their products.
Social implications
The findings of this study may be useful for marketers, strategists, policymakers and government while formulating promotional strategies to make consumer aware, educate and persuade them to purchase products which do not cause harm to the environment.
Originality/value
The study is novel in terms of exploring role of source credibility and extending theory of planned behavior in the context of sustainable consumption.
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Hsuan-Hsuan Ku and Pei-Ting Chen
To heighten shopper interest, fast moving consumer goods marketers often attach supplementary labels to the package front to promote product benefits. This study aims to use claim…
Abstract
Purpose
To heighten shopper interest, fast moving consumer goods marketers often attach supplementary labels to the package front to promote product benefits. This study aims to use claim credibility as the foundation for investigating how an extra affixed label that addresses product benefits impacts consumer evaluation, as well as identifying important factors that might moderate the resulting responses.
Design/methodology/approach
Three between-subjects experiments examine how claim credibility mediates the influence of extra affixed labels on product evaluation (Study 1). They also test whether the impact on consumer responses of extra affixed labels, with emphasis on the same vs different benefits as those printed on the front of a package (Study 2.1) or with a high or low relevance between their claimed benefits and the front-of-package stated ingredients (Study 2.2), is dependent upon individuals’ need for cognition.
Findings
Results show the power of extra affixed labels in improving product evaluation. Claim credibility mediated the observed effects of extra affixed labeling. Yet, the favorable effects of extra affixed labels for individuals high in need for cognition is diminished when expressed in a different (vs same) claim from those printed on the package front or the claim about product benefits is low (vs high) relevance to the declared ingredients. The reverse holds true for those low in need for cognition.
Originality/value
This study advances knowledge on the effects of extra affixed label claims on product evaluation.
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Ghadeer R. Alsaeed, Kathleen Anne Keeling, Panagiotis Sarantopoulos and Eman Gadalla
This paper aims to investigate an integrated, holistic assessment of the characteristics by which consumers judge non-sponsored product review video (PRV) source, message and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate an integrated, holistic assessment of the characteristics by which consumers judge non-sponsored product review video (PRV) source, message and medium components as credible, and how these are linked to personal values for a deeper understanding of multidimensional credibility assessments of PRVs.
Design/methodology/approach
Employing a means-end approach, the authors draw on credibility theory and the persuasion knowledge model to analyse data from 21 in-depth semi-structured laddering interviews.
Findings
First, the authors demonstrate distinctive contributions of the video modality towards PRV credibility assessments and the interplay between specific PRV characteristics, cognitive and socio-emotional consequences, and personal values in an ongoing process of credibility assessment. Second, high persuasion knowledge creates awareness of the potential phoniness of the market, revealing a dark side to PRV use even in non-sponsored PRV seemingly created and shared as an act of benevolent concern between consumers.
Research limitations/implications
This paper focused on the credibility of non-sponsored PRVs, future studies might investigate motivations and attributes by which users judge sponsored reviews. Also, the roles of specific product categories and existing brand trust on PRVs credibility provide avenues for further research.
Practical implications
This research offers practical implications for reviewers and brand managers to leverage the unique informational values of video by focusing on the interplay between credibility attributes and customer values.
Originality/value
This work advances credibility theory in the PRV context by examining how non-sponsored PRVs are evaluated as credible, by highlighting consumer persuasion knowledge and scepticism and including the holistic effects of the interplay between source, message and video format characteristics and by linking these to consumers’ goals and values.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the credibility assessment and adoption of electronic word-of-mouth on online social-networking sites, social word-of-mouth (sWOM)…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the credibility assessment and adoption of electronic word-of-mouth on online social-networking sites, social word-of-mouth (sWOM), where the author writes product reviews on Facebook and hopes their Facebook friends will buy these products. The readers of the sWOM message are aware of the author’s commercial intentions. sWOM messages on search goods and experience goods are considered separately.
Design/methodology/approach
Author of sWOM messages invites their closed circle of Facebook friends to participate in a survey. The respondents are randomly assigned to read a product review of a search good (i.e. a laptop computer) or an experience good (i.e. a moisturizer cream (beauty product)). The partial least squares method is used to analyze the data from 339 returns (166 for the search good and 173 for the experience good).
Findings
The sWOM readers’ assessments of the messages’ credibility remain free from commercial influence. While the traditional factors of credibility and author-reader tie strength continue to influence the adoption of sWOM message, readers’ perceptions of the sWOM author’s marketing skills is also a factor. The relationships between the constructs depend on whether the products are search or experience goods.
Originality/value
Few studies investigate the type of sWOM considered here. Commercially influenced sWOM messages are effective since the author’s marketing skills, and other often-cited factors, affect the credibility and adoption of sWOM. Thus, the equality-matching (friendship) relationship and the market-pricing (sales) relationship can work hand-in-hand in the sWOM context.
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Gerard Prendergast, Po‐yan Liu and Derek T.Y. Poon
The aim of the research reported in this paper was to identify for which types of products and services consumers find the advertising to lack credibility and in which media this…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the research reported in this paper was to identify for which types of products and services consumers find the advertising to lack credibility and in which media this effect is most serious. The association between self‐esteem and skepticism towards advertising was also explored.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a structured questionnaire, 200 Hong Kong shoppers were surveyed in mall intercept interviews.
Findings
The results showed that ads for weight‐loss products were considered the least credible. The broadcast media (radio, broadcast television and cable television) were considered the most credible advertising media, while direct mail and the internet were considered the least credible. Self‐esteem was found to be positively related with skepticism towards advertising.
Research limitations/implications
The study had two key limitations. First, the list of products and services was not exhaustive. Second, the study did not consider how frequently the interviewees were exposed to each medium.
Practical implications
By recognizing the credibility of their advertisements and the media in which they are placed, and the influence of self‐esteem on advertising skepticism, the findings are of use to advertisers in formulating their strategies. The findings also provide information of value for policy makers trying to combat non‐credible and deceptive advertising.
Originality/value
The primary contribution from this work comes in the form of methodological considerations. This is the first study to consider the relationships between self‐esteem and skepticism after controlling for socially desirable responding. Also, this study takes a broader perspective by looking at credibility of advertising across a range of products and media, and with a broader audience, than has been considered in previous research.
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Cindy G. Grappe, Cindy Lombart, Didier Louis and Fabien Durif
Animal welfare is increasingly favoured by consumers in their choice of food and cosmetic products, proposed by manufacturers and retailers. This study aims to investigate the…
Abstract
Purpose
Animal welfare is increasingly favoured by consumers in their choice of food and cosmetic products, proposed by manufacturers and retailers. This study aims to investigate the impact of the “not tested on animals” claim on consumers' attitude and behavioural intention towards a cosmetic product through an enriched version of Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
A between-subjects design has been used. 450 participants were recruited through the social network of a cosmetics and personal hygiene brand in Quebec, Canada, and answered a questionnaire. They were randomly assigned to either a manipulation group (n = 226) or a control group (n = 224). Data were analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling.
Findings
This study shows that external (credibility and attitude towards marketing claims) and internal psychological variables (subjective norms and altruistic concerns with animal welfare) influence attitude towards and purchase intention of “not tested on animals” personal care products. More egotistic concerns, such as personal appearance, also explain the formation of attitude towards cruelty-free cosmetics.
Research limitations/implications
This research supplements Ajzen's original model with internal psychological (individuals' concerns with animal welfare and personal appearance) and external (general credibility of cosmetic products claims, credibility of the “not tested on animals” claim and attitude towards this claim) variables. These variables, as suggested by previous research on cosmetics and their claims, improve the understanding of consumer attitude and purchase behaviour patterns.
Practical implications
The study's findings point out the role of companies to increase consumers' knowledge on the significance and transparency of their messages, notably the “not tested on animals” claim. They also stress that policymakers in regions where regulation is unclear should at least punish untruthful communication pertaining to animal testing in cosmetic and personal care products.
Originality/value
Prior studies on cosmetic products did not investigate the difference of consumer attitude formation towards cruelty-free products compared to conventional cosmetic products. Consequently, this research shows that the construction of attitude towards cruelty-free products highly differs from conventional personal care.
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Anna Schorn, Friederike Vinzenz and Werner Wirth
When promoting sustainable products on Instagram, influencer marketing can be an effective tool when they are perceived as credible because consumers usually cannot verify the…
Abstract
Purpose
When promoting sustainable products on Instagram, influencer marketing can be an effective tool when they are perceived as credible because consumers usually cannot verify the sustainability of products themselves. However, when they disclose their posts as an ad, their credibility might be weakened which can lead to less interest in the product. Moreover, influencer marketing strategies usually focus on personal benefits and experiences, while advertisements for sustainable products emphasize altruistic motives. The purpose of this study is to investigate if the interest in the product and the credibility might be affected by such different benefit appeals.
Design/methodology/approach
A 2 (sponsorship: no disclosure vs disclosure) × 2 (benefit: ecological vs personal) between-subjects experiment with influencer posts promoting a sustainable travel accommodation was conducted to investigate how ad disclosures and benefits appeals affect the credibility of sustainability influencers and the interest in sustainable products among young consumers.
Findings
Disclosures and benefits appeals have no direct impact on the interest in further information about the product but on the credibility of the influencer. If an Instagram post for a sustainable accommodation was labeled as sponsored, the perceived expertise and likeability of the influencer were diminished. However, highlighting personal benefits instead of ecological benefits increased the influencers’ credibility compared to appeals emphasizing benefits for the environment.
Originality/value
In addition to sponsorship disclosures, other strategies of advertising literacy might be required to show young consumers how to cope with influencer advertising. Furthermore, it seems to be more important that influencers are popular and liked by their followers than that they are trusted.
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