James M. Munch

Consumer Responses to Tropes in Print Advertising

Abstract This research investigates the effects of a specific type of figure of speech in print advertising. The figures of speech, tropes, are indirect or irregular statements, such as puns or metaphors, that require viewers to make inferences to understand their intended meaning. The results suggest that using tropes can significantly enhance the effectiveness of a print ad, making the ad more persuasive and more memorable. However, the effectiveness of tropes seems limited to low involvement settings. The authors suggest that advertisers can employ tropes to overcome some of the difficulties associated with advertising to disinterested consumers.

Cultural values in international advertising: An examination of familial norms and roles in Mexico

Past research suggests that the cultural value orientation, individualism-collectivism, should be considered when developing international advertising campaigns. The present study examines how (in)consistencies in collectivist values (e.g., familial norms and roles) may affect attitudes and behaviors toward advertised products within a collectivist culture, Mexico. The findings suggest advertisements that depict consistencies in local cultural norms and roles are viewed more favorably and purchase intention is higher than for advertisements that depict inconsistencies. The data provide no support for the moderating role of individual-level differences in value orientation (i.e., allocentric versus idiocentric tendencies) on persuasion measures. Interestingly, product category advertised appears to be the best moderator of the relative strength of role and norm effects on ad attitudes and purchase intention.

Attitude functions in consumer research: comparing value–attitude relations in individualist and collectivist cultures

Abstract Culture, and the influence that cultural values have on attitudes and behavior, is an important topic in cross-cultural consumer research. The relationship between values and the psychological purposes (functions) of attitudes are investigated in a cross-cultural study on consumer groups from the individualist culture, US, and collectivist culture, Colombia. The primary objective of this study is to test the moderating role of attitude functions (the goals served by attitudes) in the value–attitude relationship. In an attempt to extend attitude function theory to other cultures, it is expected that value–attitude relations will be stronger when people have value-expressive (or social-identity) attitudes than when they have utilitarian attitudes. Similarly, value–attitude relationships are expected to vary between idiocentric (individualist) and allocentric (collectivist) individuals within each culture. Overall results support the moderating role of attitude functions, as values were related to attitudes only when ad appeals emphasized a social-identity function, but not when they emphasized a utilitarian function.

Source expertise versus experience effects in hospital advertising

Previous research concerning relevant source characteristics has often confounded source expertise and source experience. This study examines whether these two source attributes have differential effects on consumer attitudes. A laboratory study based on a 2 (high/low expertise) 2 (high/low experience) factorial design was conducted. The results indicate that: consumers can distinguish between endorser expertise and experience; information communicated by an endorser high in expertise as compared to one low in expertise leads to more positive attitudes toward the endorser and the advertisement; and even though consumers can discriminate between low and high experience endorsers, no effects on attitudes toward the endorser and the advertisement can be shown. Since it seems to be more difficult for consumers to assess experience than expertise and consumers seem to discount an experienced source as being too subjective and/or not knowledgeable enough, choosing an expert endorser might be more effective for certain target markets.

Comparing US and European perspectives on B2B repair service quality for mission‐critical equipment

Purpose – To evaluate the cross‐regional equivalence of repair service quality for mission‐critical equipment.Design/methodology/approach – Using the five dimensions of SERVPERF as a framework, clinical laboratory directors across Europe and the USA were surveyed about repair service for mission‐critical equipment. Assessment of construct equivalence across the two regions was then performed using item bias analysis. Following this, assessment of model equivalence across the two regions was conducted using both the Chow test of model equivalence and regression in structural equation modeling (SEM).Findings – Results suggest that service quality in this B2B domain is perceived to be remarkably the same in both the USA and Europe.Research limitations/implications – Future research could focus on repair services for other types of mission‐critical equipment, and another region of the world, such as Asia. Both of these steps would boost the generalizability of the studys findings.Practical implications – The...

The Influence of Simple and Complex Tropes on Believability, Importance and Memory

This research focuses on one type of figure of speech, tropes, and investigates their effects on persuasion and memory. Tropes are phrases in which the combination and ordering of the words causes them to take on unexpected meaning. The results of two experiments suggest that tropes can influence both the persuasiveness of and memory for advertised information. Complex tropes appear to influence persuasion without lasting memory effects, while simple tropes seem to be more memorable but not more persuasive. This suggests that the objective of an advertisement be clearly defined before the specific message tactic is chosen. Simple tropes may be more suitable for informative and reminder ads, while complex tropes may be the appropriate choice for persuasive ads.

Examining Consumers’ Thoughts during a Telemarketing Message

We report the results of a study which examined consumers’ thoughts while listening to a salesperson deliver a telemarketing message. Although telemarketing does not involve a face to face sales encounter, our results suggest that the salesperson continues to play a vital role in the telemarketing sales process. Consumers think about the salesperson throughout the encounter, even when the telemarketing presentation is dominated by product information. Consumers’ product attitudes, developed during the telemarketing presentation, appear to be influenced by thoughts about both the salesperson (source-oriented) and the product (message-oriented). In addition, attitudes appear to form during the early stages of the sales process. Managerial implications of these findings are discussed.