Barbara A. Lafferty

A synthesis of contemporary market orientation perspectives

A great deal of attention has been devoted to the concept of market orientation in marketing academe and practice. Numerous perspectives have been proposed as researchers endeavor to conceptualize the market orientation construct and implement it in practice. Presents a conceptual framework that integrates five recently advanced perspectives on market orientation (Deshpande, Farley, and Webster; Kohli and Jaworski; Narver and Slater; Ruekert; Shapiro). The similarities and differences are reviewed and a synthesized conceptualization of market orientation is offered, followed by a discussion of market orientation as a managerial versus cultural phenomenon to achieving a competitive advantage.

THE DUAL CREDIBILITY MODEL: THE INFLUENCE OF CORPORATE AND ENDORSER CREDIBILITY ON ATTITUDES AND PURCHASE INTENTIONS

This study proposes a theory of the combined influence of corporate and endorser credibility. Participants assessed the credibility of the companies and spokespersons as well as their attitudes toward the ads and brands, and their intent to purchase the advertised product. The covariance matrix was subjected to a path analysis. The model fit the data, and the findings corroborated prior research indicating that both types of source credibility have an impact on attitudes and purchase intentions albeit a differential one. The results suggest that the Dual Credibility Model partially predicts and explains advertising effectiveness for these dual sources of credibility.

Consumer response to Web sites and their influence on advertising effectiveness

The purpose of the present study was to test four hypotheses regarding the effects of viewing Web sites on Internet advertising. We surveyed a convenience sample of 329 undergraduate students, asking them to recall brand names seen on the Internet, to describe perceived advantages and disadvantages of online advertising, and to recall ads encountered in all media and whether they liked these or not. Visiting Web sites appeared to increase aided recall of brands seen on the Internet and to improve consumers’ views of the brand. Consumers who felt that Web sites improved their perceptions of brands saw more advantages in Web advertising, but they perceived more disadvantages as well. Finally, the consumers appeared to like TV and magazine ads more than the ads they recalled seeing on the Internet. The findings present a complex picture of Internet advertising that should be useful to online advertisers.

Fortuitous Brand Image Transfer

This study investigates the phenomenon of fortuitous brand image transfer, or image transfer that occurs by chance, between two brands sponsoring the same event concurrently (i.e., concurrent sponsorships). Two experiments show that concurrent sponsorships lead either to a transfer of image or to a contrast of image between sponsoring brands that are both familiar, depending on the similarity of their underlying brand concept. Image transfer occurs when the brand concepts of the two sponsors are similar, whereas image contrast occurs when the two sponsors have dissimilar brand concepts. Implications for branding and sponsorship research are provided, as well as recommendations for managers. Finally, directions for further research are suggested.

Tendency to Conform: A New Measure and its Relationship to Psychological Reactance

This study assessed the relationship between two important constructs in social psychology, conformity and psychological reactance, which are suggested to be negatively related, i.e., a person higher in the tendency to conform will score lower on psychological reactance and vice versa. The two constructs were measured by multi-item self-report scales, the Therapeutic Reactance Scale of Dowd, et al. and a new tendency to conform scale constructed for this study. Data from a survey of 423 undergraduate students were used to test the hypothesis that scores on the scales were negatively correlated. The hypothesized relationship was positively supported by a significant but only moderately sized correlation (r = -.32, p < .001).

Are Innovators Influenced by Endorser Expertise in an Advertisement When Evaluating a High Technology Product

Product endorsers often contribute to an advertisement’s persuasiveness for many consumers. This study evaluates how consumer innovativeness moderates the influence of endorser expertise on attitude-toward-the-brand, purchase intentions, and willingness to pay for a new cell phone. Subjects (n = 697) were shown an ad for a fictitious new cell phone featuring either novice or expert endorsers. The results showed that there was a significant interaction between endorser expertise and innovativeness with respect to all three dependent variables. The non-innovators were more positively influenced by the expertise of the endorser than were the innovators. The fmdings suggest that innovators react differently to expert endorsement for new products than later adopters and thus might require different advertising tactics to appeal to them successfully.