Gerard Prendergast

Online word of mouth and consumer purchase intentions

Previous researchers have explained how offline word of mouth (WOM) influences consumer behaviour. Increasingly, however, consumers are turning to online WOM, especially online forums. In an online context, the research discussed in this article replicates the approaches taken to studying offline WOM. Grounded in social comparison theory, social network analysis and the theory of reasoned action, a mall intercept survey of consumers in Hong Kong showed that both similarity between a user’s interests and a forum’s topic and user attitudes towards the forum strongly predict purchase intentions as well as having an indirect effect through helping determine the forum’s persuasiveness. Theoretical implications are discussed as well as practical implications for marketers and recommendations for further research.

Linking sports sponsorship with purchase intentions: Team performance, stars, and the moderating role of team identification

Purpose – It is common for companies to sponsor sports teams. The aim of this paper is to examine experimentally the impact of two team attributes (team performance and the presence of a star in the team) on consumers intention to purchase the sponsors product. The moderating role of team identification on the relationship between these two team attributes and intention to purchase is also to be studied.Design/methodology/approach – An experiment was conducted in Hong Kong. A series of hypotheses relating to team performance, presence of stars in the team, and team identification were tested.Findings – Team performance significantly influenced consumers intention to purchase the sponsors product, and this influence was more pronounced for casual than for avid fans and more pronounced when the team contained a star. A winning team with a star generated the strongest purchase intention. A losing team with a star produced the lowest purchase intention.Research limitations/implications – The trade‐off bet...

Is a “star” worth a thousand words?: The interplay between product-review texts and rating valences

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate how the interplay of valences (positive or negative) between review texts and ratings affects consumers reactions to the reviews and the product being assessed.Design/methodology/approach – An experimental design with hypothetical movie reviews was used to investigate how inconsistent text‐rating reviews affect peoples intention to consume a particular product and their perceptions of the review itself.Findings – It was found that text valences (positive or negative) significantly influence how subjects perceive the interestingness and trustworthiness of reviews. The texts also have an influence on the subjects movie‐attendance intention compatible with their valence. In addition, a cross‐over interaction was found between texts and ratings that affects a reviews trustworthiness.Research limitations/implications – The study enriches understanding of consumer decision making when different formats of information about the same object are presented.P...

The interactive influence of country of origin of brand and product involvement on purchase intention

Purpose – Globalization and outsourcing have decoupled country of origin into the country of origin of manufacture (COM) and the country of origin of the brand (COB). This study seeks to extend the work of Gurhan‐Canli and Maheswaran and Lee et al. by investigating the interactive influence of COB and personal involvement with a product on purchase intention.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 168 young adults in Hong Kong were intercepted for mall interviews and presented with mock advertisements for personal computers ostensibly with brands originating in Japan and Korea. Their personal involvement with such products was measured using an instrument designed by Zaichkowsky, and their purchase intentions were self‐assessed.Findings – COB was found to predict purchase intentions among consumers with a low level of personal involvement with computers, but not among consumers with a high level of personal involvement.Research limitations/implications – First, to improve internal validity, the study inv...

A Hong Kong study of advertising credibility

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 expose...

Communicating healthy eating to adolescents

Purpose - This study aims to explore perceptions of healthy/unhealthy eating, and perceptions of various socializing agents encouraging healthy eating, amongst Chinese adolescents. Design/methodology/approach - A survey was conducted of 152 seventh, eighth and ninth grade Hong Kong students. A structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions was distributed in three public secondary schools. Findings - Results showed that respondents frequently ate out with friends and frequently consumed a range of relatively unhealthy food (candies, chips, and soft drinks). They perceived that a balanced diet and eating at a regular time were the most important attributes of healthy eating. In terms of situational influences on their consumption, respondents most likely ate unhealthy food at parties, when eating out or with friends. They most likely ate healthy food at home and when they were sick. Looking at socializing agents, respondents claimed that parents and government publicity asked them to eat healthy food more often than teachers or friends. Parents were also perceived as being the most effective source in encouraging them to eat healthy food. In terms of alternative advertising appeals discouraging unhealthy eating, respondents considered news and fear appeals to be the most effective, while popularity and achievement appeals were considered to be relatively less effective. Research limitations/implications - The respondents were chosen from three secondary schools (two co-ed schools and one school for boys). These three schools may not be representative of all schools in Hong Kong or elsewhere, thus limiting the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications - The study can serve as a guideline for social services marketing professionals targeting adolescents. Looking at the findings in relation to socializing agents, social services marketers can consider influencing the adolescents eating habits through the parents. As government publicity was perceived as a relatively weak socializing agent, there is a need to review health education materials targeting adolescents. Looking at the findings in relation to different advertising appeals discouraging unhealthy eating, news and fear appeals should be considered, as these were considered relatively more likeable and effective than other types of appeals. Originality/value - The paper offers insights into designing communication strategies for adolescents. It is original in that it focuses on adolescents, and explores the perceptions of various socializing agents influencing healthy eating.

Match game: linking sponsorship congruence with communication outcomes

ABSTRACT One of the key debates in the sponsorship literature has been the importance of congruence between a sponsor and the event being sponsored. Functional sponsorship congruence describes a situation where the sponsors product or service is aligned intrinsically with the event. Image congruence, in contrast, exists when some aspect of an events image is similar to some aspect of the sponsoring brand. Little work, however, has been undertaken on the interaction between functional and image congruence. Is it worth sponsoring an event if there is low functional and/or low image congruence? Or would the sponsor (ignoring altruistic motives) be better off leaving the money in the bank? From a service perspective, this study investigated such interactions by means of an experiment using representative mock advertisements. No evidence was found of interaction effects between functional and image congruence, which suggests a compartmentalization of congruence rather than its being a multi-dimensional construct. Sponsorships involving low functional and low image congruence were found unable to create more favorable communication outcomes than no sponsorship at all. Managerial implications are discussed and future research directions suggested.

Does culture affect evaluation expressions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at product reviews from a cross‐cultural perspective. Product reviews are potentially an influential form of marketing communication, as well as a predictor of sales performance. With Hofstedes typology as a backdrop, the basic proposition of this study is that collectivistic cultural values place more emphasis on giving face to others, even in impersonal social environments, resulting in them giving more positive product reviews than their individualistic counterparts.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses content analysis of Chinese and American computer game reviews to test the hypotheses.Findings – The results showed that Chinese reviews use fewer negative comments and give higher final ratings for the same set of products than their American counterparts. In addition, Chinese reviews showed a lower consistency between their evaluative comments and their final ratings. Also confirmed is a common belief that final ratings are a summary of the evalua...

Antecedents to Advertising Avoidance in China

Abstract Advertising avoidance remains one of the most challenging elements in campaign planning. Strong commercial production values, glossy magazine advertisements and the endorsements of highly paid celebrities count for little if people simply avoid the advertising. This study builds on previous research on the topic by extending the range of psychological variables examined and assessing their influence in China, a country where advertising has a relatively short history. Survey data are collected on advertising avoidance in China. The article proposes a new passive-active framework to explain observations of avoidance behavior. The results of interviews with over 400 respondents in Shanghai indicate that general attitudes towards advertising are an important predictor of advertising avoidance in both broadcast and print media, with a more negative attitude towards advertising resulting in higher levels of advertising avoidance. The presence of others and individual time pressure are important predictors of advertising avoidance in the broadcast media.

Danish and Chinese Adolescents’ Perceptions of Healthy Eating and Attitudes Toward Regulatory Measures

Purpose – This article aims to examine young consumers perceptions of healthy eating, contexts where healthy or unhealthy eating are practiced, and their evaluation of regulatory measures that discourage the consumption of unhealthy foods in two different markets.Design/methodology/approach – A convenience sampled survey was conducted of 386 Danish and Chinese adolescents using a structured questionnaire.Findings – Results showed that perceptions of healthy eating were generally based on concepts such as balance and moderation. Unhealthy eating was most frequently practiced at parties and in festive periods. Hong Kong respondents were more likely to associate eating habits with healthy eating than Danish respondents. Danish respondents were more likely to practice healthy eating at schools than Hong Kong respondents. Making tanks of cold water freely available everywhere was perceived to be most effective in discouraging the consumption of soft drink. There were age, gender and market differences in atti...