R. Zachary Finney

An IMC Approach to Event Marketing: The Effects of Sponsorship and Experience on Customer Attitudes

ABSTRACT The number of companies sponsoring events has increased over the past decade. Yet, for many firms it is unclear how the effectiveness of event marketing activities can be measured. The study examines outcomes associated with an automobile manufacturers sponsorship of a six-day charitable sporting event. Data for the study were collected from a sample of 565 spectators in five cities during the six-day event. Results provide evidence for inclusion of event marketing in the companys promotional mix and indicate that experience with the sponsors products during the event may enhance event outcomes. The role of event marketing as a form of communication is discussed, and recommendations and directions for future research are suggested.

Engaging the Consumer Through Event Marketing: Linking Attendees with the Sponsor, Community, and Brand

ABSTRACT With an on-site study at a sponsored event, we construct and test competing models to examine the relationship among event attendees, sponsorship, community involvement, and the title sponsors brand with respect to purchase intentions. We show that an attendees enthusiasm and activeness in the area of the sponsored event and knowledge of the sponsors products positively influence the attendees desire that a sponsor be involved with the community. Then, we show that attendees who are more community-minded have a more positive opinion of the sponsor as a result of their event experience; a better opinion of the sponsor contributes to increased intentions to purchase the sponsors products. Results from this framework indicate that event marketing, in conjunction with consumers who are enthusiastic, active, and knowledgeable about the sponsor and event, serves as a valuable lever to engage the consumer.

Interpersonal Communication in the Consumer Socialization Process: Scale Development and Validation

In this study, the development and validation of a scale to measure socialization agent (family and peer) interpersonal communication regarding particular shopping channels (mall and Internet) is described. A brief overview of consumer socialization (Moschis and Churchill 1978) is given, including the role of interpersonal communication in this process. Next, a scale is developed and tested on a sample of 1,258 high school students. Evidence of reliability and convergent and discriminant validity is provided. In addition, validity is established relative to time spent shopping and future intentions to shop a particular channel. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

The pivotal roles of product knowledge and corporate social responsibility in event sponsorship effectiveness

The authors employ consumer theories of cognition into the event marketing context. Upon gathering field surveys from attendees (n=1,636) at an international sporting event with a multinational sponsor, the authors demonstrate the pivotal roles that attendees’ knowledge regarding the sponsor’s product and perceived corporate social responsibility play in successful event sponsorship. Specifically, structural model results show how attendees’ knowledge of the event sponsor’s products and perceptions of the sponsor as socially responsible enhance attendees’ commitment to the sponsor and intentions to purchase the sponsor’s products. These results provide scholars and managers with means of improving event marketing communications.

Consumer attitudes toward pharmaceutical direct‐to‐consumer advertising: An empirical study and the role of income

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer attitudes toward direct‐to‐consumer (DTC) advertising and whether consumer attitudes regarding these types of advertisements differ based on income.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 168 consumers completed the survey on‐site at a pharmacy while waiting for their prescription(s) to be filled.Findings – The findings indicated that low‐income consumers were more likely than higher income customers to: report being persuaded by DTC advertising to ask for an advertised drug; go to the doctor based on symptoms described in DTC advertising; and to prefer branded medication over generic alternatives.Practical implications – The results provide useful information to policy makers and drug companies. The finding that these advertisements appear to impact lower income consumers to a greater extent than their higher‐income counterparts has both positive and negative implications. On the positive side, these ads appear to influence unhealthy, low‐incom...

Analysis of the mission statements of AACSB‐accredited schools

Purpose – Research indicates that high‐performing firms share common components among their mission statements. The present study aims to begin a search for a similar correlation among academic schools of business.Design/methodology/approach – Content and statistical analyses are used to analyze mission statements gathered from nearly all AACSB‐accredited business schools.Findings – Mission statements for AACSB‐accredited schools are less than a page but not extremely short nor memorable. They address multiple stakeholders and usually do not include vision statements, goals or objectives. They often do not reference quality or the AACSB.Research limitations/implications – The sample was AACSB schools. As such, one should be circumspect in generalizing to other areas of business.Practical implications – This paper shows deans and other interested stakeholders what an average mission statement for an AACSB school looks like. It also suggests that mission statements do not effectively identify individual uni...

Experience, Comfort, and Privacy Concerns: Antecedents of Online Spending

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine antecedents of consumer online spending.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 766 college students in the USA completed surveys using intercept interviews on a college campus. The research examines the consumers level of technological savvy, experience with online shopping, level of confidence that online activities are not monitored, worry about other parties obtaining credit card information, comfort providing personal information online, and concern for online privacy when predicting the amount a consumer will spend online.Findings – The findings reveal that consumer experience with online shopping and level of comfort with providing personal information online were significant predictors of the amount spent online. Surprisingly, privacy concerns were not a significant factor in online spending.Practical implications – The results provide useful information to online marketers and privacy advocates by revealing factors that influence the amount spe...

Lotus-Eaters, Pilgrims, Seekers, and Accidental Tourists: How Different Travelers Consume the Sacred and the Profane

Travelers visit destinations that are associated with organized religion for a variety of reasons. Building on Cohens (2003) work, we categorize visitors to “religious” travel destinations as: (1) seekers who intend to visit both religious and secular tourist sites, (2) lotus-eaters who intend to visit only secular tourist sites, (3) pilgrims who intend to visit only religious tourist sites, and (4) accidental tourists who intend to visit neither type of tourist site. We use these four types of tourists to accomplish three aims: (1) explain each type of traveler, (2) explain the interaction between religious and secular elements at travel sites, and (3) provide guidelines for attracting each type of traveler.

Evidence of television exposure effects in AP Top 25 college football rankings.

A potential source of bias in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 football rankings is television exposure. Using the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 college football seasons, the authors observe, all else equal, that AP voters change the ranking of teams differently on the basis of television exposure: The more often a team is televised, relative to the total number of own- and opponent-televised games, the greater the change in the number of AP votes that team receives, even after accounting for own and opponents on-field performance.

Omitted Variable Bias in the Link Between Planning and Performance

This article argues that existing research poorly specifies the link between planning and performance because of omitted variable bias. Researchers agree planning is a critical part of creating any new venture. Many researchers assess planning by whether a small firm has a written business plan. Unfortunately, efforts empirically to validate this relationship have been inconclusive. This article proposes that researchers should assess business plans both on the quality of the plan (and the planning process that produced it), and on the quality of the underlying business opportunity. Failure to account for both aspects of a business plan amounts to omitted variable bias, frustrating attempts to accurately estimate the true relationship.