Alan Pomering

Advertising corporate social responsibility initiatives to communicate corporate image: Inhibiting scepticism to enhance persuasion

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a set of research propositions concerned with how the alignment between socially responsible corporate image and corporate identity might be enhanced through the reduction of scepticism by considering diagnostic dimensions of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) image advertising claim.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews corporate image advertising, the tool investigated for informing about the firms CSR record, discusses the scepticism construct and theoretical explanations of why this communication approach might induce scepticism, considers extant empirical findings that lend support to these theories, and describes several elements of CSR advertising claims considered to be diagnostic and capable of inhibiting scepticism responses to CSR image advertisements among consumers. Research propositions are advanced and discussed.Findings – The paper provides conceptual insights into reducing consumer scepticism toward CSR‐based corporate id...

Conceptualising a contemporary marketing mix for sustainable tourism

This paper outlines how marketing, though traditionally considered an enemy of sustainability, can play a role in implementing sustainable tourism. It notes the redefinition in 2007 by the American Marketing Association of marketings aims to consider wider societal issues beyond those of clients and customers. It illustrates how the recognition of the importance of sustainable tourism at all scales of tourism activity provides marketing with an opportunity to pursue sustainability outcomes. We review the strategic tourism marketing planning process and conceptually develop a sustainability tourism marketing model that embeds sustainability considerations at each stage of the planning process. Our proposed model contributes to sustainable tourism theory development and offers a conceptual tool for managing a tourism organisations ecological and societal footprint on the supply side and a critical opportunity for transforming consumer decision-making on the demand side, irrespective of tourism scale. A 30-cell matrix is proposed that cross-references a strong set of 10 marketing elements (product, price, promotion, place, participants, process, physical evidence, partnership, packaging and programming) against the questions posed by the triple bottom line of economic factors, the environmental and sociocultural concern, creating a check list of indicators for management purposes.

Advertising corporate social responsibility: results from an experimental manipulation of key message variables

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how social topic information (STI) and corporate social responsibility commitment (CSRC) substantiate the firms CSR claims and promote message persuasion.Design/methodology/approach – A 2×2 between‐subjects experimental design was used to examine the impact of STI and CSRC on output variables using an online sample of 176 participants in Australia.Findings – The study found that manipulation of STI had a statistically significant impact on outcome variables, but that CSRC did not.Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to Australia and used a fictitious brand in the experiment.Practical implications – For marketing communications and brand managers, this study informs CSR‐based corporate image advertising.Social implications – Support for more socially responsible businesses through responsible consumption can potentially transform product attributes and markets. More effective CSR communication is critical to this response.Originality/v...

Gender and message appeal: their influence in a pro-environmental social advertising context

Purpose – In this article, message appeals along with the moderating effect of gender are examined on frequently used measures of ad effectiveness (i.e. ad likability, attitude to the issue, and behavioral intention) in the emerging domain of pro-environmental social advertising. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a between-subjects 2 (gender)×3 (message appeal) factorial design, administered through a commercial online consumer panel firm based in the USA, which included 444 respondents across three markets: Australia, the UK and the USA. Findings – Results show that of three frequently used message appeals (rational, negative emotional, and positive emotional), rational ad appeals are not as effective as emotional appeals. The study also shows that females respond more strongly to negative emotional appeals than males, while there is no significant difference in how males and females responded to positive emotional or rational ad appeals. In additio...

Self-identity and Social Norms in Destination Choice by Young Australian Travellers

Demand for domestic tourism in Australia is in decline, particularly for young Australian travellers (YATs) who prefer to travel overseas. Although models exist to explain destination choice, many of these have limitations, including the assumption of a rational consumer and a focus on the functional attributes of travel and tourism. Further, there has been a tendency to replicate studies, albeit in different contexts, rather than search for new insights into destination choice. With the aim of better explaining the decision of destination choice by YATs, focus groups comprising representatives from the population of interest were conducted. The approach was to examine tourism from a sociological perspective, drawing on theories of ritual, ritual inversion and fashion. The results reveal the importance of self-identity and social norms in destination selection. It is concluded that destinations that contribute to enhancing one’s self-identity, particularly when they are consistent with one’s existing or aspirational social group, are more likely to be visited by YATs.

Communicating CSR Through Corporate Image Advertising

The purpose of this chapter is to review the state of play in regard to corporations’ advertising of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, policies, and/or achievements as an identity-building exercise. An organisation’s use of advertising to lay claim to socially-responsible operations is bound to be contentious and inspire responses of scepticism and/or cynicism, especially if such advertising claims appear at odds with stakeholder perceptions of the organisation’s performance. The contentiousness of CSR advertising claims is enlarged by confusion over what constitutes CSR and what does not. Cause-related marketing campaigns, for example, are a form of sales promotion technique yet are enlisted in the hope of a corporation addressing its responsibility to society. Ultimately CSR performance must stand on impacts and outcomes, and anything less will be adjudged spin, greenwashing, or mere impression management. This chapter regards CSR advertising, and indeed other elements of the brand’s integrated marketing communications, in this light.

A review of: 'The Tourist Gaze 3.0'

The book is targeted at undergraduate, postgraduate, research and professional readers. Having already used it with undergraduate and postgraduate students, I can confirm that both cohorts enjoyed a widespread engagement with the material. The case study material, range of destinations covered, practitioner insights, accessible writing style and the link to literature beyond the tourism community, all received particular praise adding credibility to the work. Like me, a number of students agreed that this is an exciting book, I would add, and one that is long overdue. We challenge any reader not to learn something valuable from it.