Bonnie B. Reece

Consumer Receptivity to Green Ads

Abstract The overarching goal of this study is to clarify how individual characteristics may influence consumers to be more or less receptive to ecologically themed ad claims. An experiment compares the effectiveness of strong and weak green product claims with a cause-related marketing strategy to advertise a “green” product. The results suggest that consumers with positive attitudes toward environmental protection are equally receptive to all conditions tested. An analysis using a theoretically based structural equation model points to the important role played by perceived consumer effectiveness in creating positive responses.

The Adoption of Persuasive Internet Communication in Advertising and Public Relations Curricula

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the diffusion of Internet communication into the curricula of advertising and public relations programs. While the establishment of any new medium is a process that develops over time, the Internet has taken hold faster than other mass media. This explosion has caused many scholars to ask whether advertising and public relations curricula have kept pace. An online survey administered to a sample of advertising and public relations educators (n=253) explored the perceived attitude, adoption, and innovation attributes associated with persuasive Internet communication. The results indicate that educators have integrated persuasive Internet communication into their curricula, and many have adopted specialized courses in this topic. Compatibility, observability, and trialability predict the rates of adoption.