JongRoul Woo

Media channels and consumer purchasing decisions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors determining which communication mediums influence a given consumer deciding to purchase a specific product. Design/methodology/approach – Using a consumer survey and a multivariate probit (MVP) model, the authors explore consumer information searches related to purchases in nine categories: milk, instant noodles, shampoo, mobile phones, televisions, cars, mobile communication services, credit card services, and life insurance. Findings – The media channels that motivate a given consumer to make a given purchase vary depending on both socio-demographic variables and product categories. Practical implications – As consumers can now obtain product information through different and multiple media channels according to their personal characteristics and the category of the product they seek to purchase, these findings will help companies develop media planning strategies that will effectively target specific market segments. Originality/value – Unli...

Public attitudes toward the construction of new power plants in South Korea

South Korea is facing difficulties securing sufficient generating capacity to meet its rapidly growing electricity demand because of public opposition to new power plants. Therefore, considering public attitudes toward energy supply facilities is crucial to implement a national energy plan. In this study, we empirically analyze South Korean attitudes, perceptions, and ideology factors related to building new fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable energy power plants. We find that fossil fuel and nuclear power generation could incur additional social costs owing to the strength of public opposition and NIMBY (not in my backyard) syndrome despite their cheaper generation cost than renewables. Further, while the public generally agrees to expand renewable energy nationally, it could oppose such proposals locally. Finally, an increase in the public’s knowledge about renewables and nuclear fuel could help improve attitudes toward these energy sources, whereas an increase in environmentalism may improve attitudes toward renewables only.