Michael L. Klassen

Consumer ethics in cross‐cultural settings

Entrepreneurs interested in entering different cultures and countries can be confronted with a bewildering array of differences in moral values. This situation is indicated by past research that has examined the moral judgements of American consumers, but has directed little or no effort towards investigating such attitudes in foreign‐market settings with the intent to assist the entrepreneur in understanding differences across cultures. Compares attitudes of consumers in two different countries (Northern Ireland and Hong Kong) who share a common environment of colonialism. Uses a theoretical three‐stage typology of moral development to establish hypotheses and explain the results of this study. The findings reveal Irish consumers to be less sensitive to consumer ethical issues and less idealistic than the Hong Kong consumers. However, there was no difference between the survey groups with regard to relativism and Machiavellianism. Culture, competition, economics, war and terrorism might be factors that e...

Relationship marketing on the Internet: the case of top- and lower-ranked US universities and colleges

Abstract This study uses Kotlers “five-level model” of relationship marketing (P. Kotler and G. Armstrong, Principles of Marketing . Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1996) to assess the web sites of top- and lower-ranked US universities and colleges. The data suggest that few web sites of both top- and lower-ranked institutions have yet attained the highest level (“partnership”) of relationship marketing. However, the results also suggest that the web sites of top-ranked schools vs. lower-ranked institutions are better suited to build relationships with students.

Lots of Fun, Not Much Work, and No Hassles: Marketing Images of Higher Education.

ABSTRACT The college viewbook has come to play an increasingly important role in the marketing of American colleges and universities. Offering appealing images of student life and campus activities, college viewbooks are potentially powerful segmenting tools when the visual symbolism used connects with the demands of the market niche. This segmentation is seen in the present study which content analyzed the visual material of college viewbooks from top- and lower-ranked American college and universities, as determined by the 1998 U.S. News and World Report. Drawing on advertising message strategy, the results of the analysis are interpreted in four parts: the “face” of the organization, the package, the promise, and the “Big Idea.”

Perception of Attractiveness by Obesity and Hair Color

In a study of 318 Caucasian college students, obese persons and redheaded men were seen as unattractive compared to the nonobese and other hair colors. The obesity stereotype and the hair-color stereotype appear to be evaluated separately with little interaction. The results imply that a stereotypic characteristic like obesity, which is perceived as being under a persons control, may be evaluated differently than a stereotypic characteristic independent of personal choice such as hair color.

Comparison shopping on the internet

Though comparison shopping is used widely by online shoppers, very little research exists about how comparison shoppers differ from those who are not involved in comparison shopping. A survey of 208 US consumers identified comparison shoppers, both on and off the web. A comparison using the t-test analysis revealed that comparison shoppers, in contrast to those who are not involved in comparison shopping, have a more positive attitude towards shopping on the web; consumers find it more economical and convenient and believe it to offer more bargains and better selection than traditional shopping. Comparison shoppers also possess a more positive attitude to comparison shopping on the web, seeing it as convenient and easy.

At the Intersection of Demand Creation and Demand Fulfillment: Which Schools Are Getting There First and Why

ABSTRACT College and university Web sites have evolved from passive information-laden bulletin boards to interactive “cyber ads,” designed to generate consumer demand for information. A question worth asking is: “How well are we meeting that demand?” By examining the responses of 107 U.S. colleges and universities to requests for enrollment information, this study identifies which schools are fulfilling demand in a timely and effective manner and explains why they are being successful.

Language in Advertising a Psycholinguistic Approach

Abstract The theory and methodology of psycholinguistics, from experimental cognitive psychology, has much to offer for the study of the processing of the language used in advertising. This conceptual paper explores several areas where a psycholinguistic approach has been useful already or may have potential for studying advertising language. We argue that such research may benefit both the study of advertising and the basic research on language information processing.

Auto Ads Execution in the United States and Around the World: A Census Comparison in a Major U.S. Magazine, and a Sample Comparison in Major World Magazines

With the financial troubles facing the big three auto manufacturers in the United States, designing the right advertisement could make a big difference. This study highlights differences in the messages that exist among the U.S., Japanese, and European auto ads in the United States by analyzing the verbal and nonverbal information that appeared in all auto ads in Time magazine over the last eight years. Content analysis revealed differences among the auto ads with regards to size of advertisement and automobile size and color. Similarities were found with the importance of price and automobile performance. A second study was conducted to compare a random sample of twenty auto ads from the following four countries: the United States, Japan, Germany, and the Middle East. Differences were revealed with respect to number of propositions, length of an ad, color of automobiles, color of background, and use of human models in the advertisements.