Arch G. Woodside

A General Model Of Traveler Destination Choice

Substantial evidence exists to support the proposition that consumer perceptions and preferences should be the basis for tourism marketing and consumerpolicy. Some of this evidence is reviewed, and a general model of traveler destination awareness and choice is presented. Results of an empirical test of the model provide some supportfor the hypotheses presented in the model.

A General Theory of Tourism Consumption Systems: A Conceptual Framework and an Empirical Exploration

A tourism consumption system (TCS) is defined as the set of related travel thoughts, decisions, and behaviors by a discretionary traveler prior to, during, and following a trip. The central proposition of a theory of TCS is that the thoughts, decisions, and behaviors regarding one activity influence the thoughts, decisions, and behaviors for a number of other activities. Using exit interview travel data and quick clustering analysis, this article empirically examines seven basic TCS propositions pertaining to decisions made once the destination has been selected. The findings support and extend the basic propositions specifically indicating clear patterns in the behaviors of visitors to Prince Edward Island, Canada. The authors conclude by recommending that this approach is useful for tourism marketers and practitioners in general. Suggestions are provided for analyzing TCS to increase the effectiveness of tourism marketing strategies.

Ste p Two in Benefit Segmentation: Learning the Benefits Realized by Major Travel Markets:

The benefits realized from product use may differ widely for different market segments. The benefits experienced from traveling to the same vacation destination by three different national samples are reported. Canadian visitors most often reported rest and relaxation as the major benefit realized from their Hawaii visits, mainland Americans reported cultural experiences, andJapanese visitors reported family togetherness as major benefits realized. Different marketing positioning strategies are recommended for each national market segment based on the results of the study. Travel research on the benefits realized by different visitor markets is recommended.

Effects of Consumer Life Styles, Demographics, and Travel Activities on Foreign and Domestic Travel Behavior

more adequate supply. The results point out certain differences in these attitudes and behaviors during these varied conditions. Caution is in order, however, as this is one of the first attempts to empirically examine attitudes and behaviors in periods of shortages. Other studies need to be undertaken, as it appears that future shortages of goods and/or services may be prevalent in the future economic outlook for the U.S. and the world.

An Updated Model of Travel and Tourism Purchase-Consumption Systems

Abstract A purchase consumption system (PCS) is the sequence of mental and observable steps a consumer undertakes to buy and use several products for which some of the products purchased leads to a purchase sequence involving other products. The central PCS proposition (P1) is that several decisions within a customers PCS are dependent on prior purchases of products that trigger these later purchases. While many additional propositions follow from this central proposition, only three are examined empirically in this report. P2: some of the important product purchases made subsequent to the destination choice are not pre-planned before the start of the trip; these purchases often include destination-area restaurant decisions, gift purchases, and activity purchases. P3: two categories of choice decisions occur for many travelers within a leisure-travel PCS: (1) the generic product decision (e.g., should I plan a trip?); and (2) the brand choice decision (e.g., which destination alternative should I select?). P4: destination visitors who are high information users participate in more activities, spend more money per day in the destination area, are more satisfied with their destination experiences, and have higher intentions to return compared to low information users. In the article additional propositions are proposed for examination in future research. To examine the propositions and the usefulness of the PCS framework for tourism research, qualitative, long interviews of visitors to an island tourism destination (the Big Island of Hawaii) were conducted. The results include strong empirical support for the four propositions. Several suggestions for future research are offered.

Measuring Advertising Effectiveness In Destination Marketing Strategies

The use of true experiments is advocated for testing destination advertising effectiveness in causing visits. Examples of A-B ad copy split tests in other industries are described and the value and limitations of advertising conversion research studies are reviewed. A hypothetical example in tourism advertising effectiveness research of an A-B-C split is presented, C being a control group of subjects not exposed to advertising. A call for travel and tourism industry action to test advertising s influence on causing visits and revenues concludes the article.

Personal Value Influences on Consumer Product Class and Brand PReferences

Summary Four hypotheses were tested which relate to values as basic criterion variables for market segmentation, and a fifth hypothesis was tested regarding the usefulness of values in enriching market segmentation. The research investigated market segmentation procedures at two levels—product class preference and brand preference within a class—for three products: automobiles, underarm deodorants, and weekend recreation activities. The Rokeach value scale was sent to 830 consumer panel members. Several months later each third of the panel received a one-product survey concerning class and brand choice criteria, beliefs, preferences, intentions, and past behavior. Consumer value structures were found to be linked to the importance of choice criteria for product classes and brands. Value structures were not found to relate to product class and brand preferences or intentions. The preference and intention variables may be too far removed cognitively from values for segmentation based on them to be effective.

Assessing Relationships among Strategic Types, Distinctive Marketing Competencies, and Organizational Performance

Abstract The multi-item scale developed by Conant, Mokwa, and Varadarajan (1990) for assessing Miles and Snow’s (1978) strategic typology is applied in a multi-industry, cross-sectional study of 93 Finnish enterprises. To replicate and extend the findings of previous reports, three principal hypotheses are examined: (1) prospector, analyzer, and defender strategic types more often exhibit higher levels of distinctive marketing competencies than reactors; (2) distinctive marketing competencies are associated positively and strongly with organizational performance; (3) a weak association exists among the strategic types and organizational performance. The results support al three hypotheses. The importance of distinctive marketing competencies in serving as intervening variables between strategic types and organizational performance is illustrated.

Modeling innovation, manufacturing, diffusion and adoption/rejection processes

Purpose – Seeks to advocate adopting the comparative case study method and system dynamics modeling to inform theory and to prescribe executive actions for successfully managing new products built using radically new technologies.Design/methodology/approach – Reviews NPD theory and research on the dynamic processes including feedback loops and the hidden demons (hard to identify weak linkages that have large downstream impacts) in radically new innovation, manufacturing, diffusion and adoption/rejection processes; examines the IMDAR process model (innovation‐manufacturing‐diffusion‐adoption/rejection) of new products.Findings – Several alternative routes of tacit and explicit interorganizational behaviors and decisions lead to NPD successes and failures; while executives believe surveys identifying specific factors are important particularly for NPD success, none of these factors is necessary or sufficient by itself for explaining success – specific cases of NPD success occur in the absence of any one of ...

Consumer Responses to Interactive Advertising Campaigns Coupling Short-Message-Service Direct Marketing and TV Commercials

ABSTRACT As a direct marketing tool, electronic Short Message Service (SMS) is likely to surpass internet-based advertising before the end of 2006. This article profiles heavy and light consumer acceptors of SMS direct advertising texts and SMS direct marketing prompts to watch TV programs. The article includes empirical findings of practitioner campaign evaluations of SMS-TV direct marketing campaigns in U.K. and U.S. markets. The results support the view that younger consumers higher in social class are the most willing to accept SMS direct advertising text and respond favorably to SMS-TV integrated marketing communications. The article closes with a call for true experiments to validate consumer acceptance and use of SMS-TV interactive, commercial, communications via split-run testing.