Rick T. Wilson

Creativity and Memory Effects: Recall, Recognition, and an Exploration of Nontraditional Media

Using a combination of exploratory and traditional approaches, we replicate and extend previous research on creativity and memory effects. The first study examines creativitys effect on advertising recall using two nontraditional media: airport terminal and preshow cinema advertising. Results suggest that differences in how consumers interact with nontraditional media influence the effect of advertising creativity on memory. For cinema advertising, where media consumption is similar to traditional media, creativity enhanced recall. For airport advertising, where media consumption often occurs when consumers are in a distracted state, creativity had no effect. The second study continues this investigation of exposure context and extends previous creativity research by investigating the recognition dependent variable in a forcedexposure context. Recognition is measured at four time-delay intervals: no delay and delays of one-week, three-weeks, and five-weeks. Creative advertising was found to enhance recognition, and this positive effect increased over time.

Product placements in movies and on Broadway

Product placement is increasing in importance as a non-traditional method to reach consumers. A review of previous research on this topic indicates three research gaps: the need for additional ecologically valid field testing, more research using categorycued recall of the brand as the basic measure of product placement effectiveness, and more studies covering entertainment media other than film and TV. To these ends, we conducted two field studies. The first replicates prior laboratory research by assessing brand recall from product placements in four movies, while the second extends previous research by assessing brand recall in a Broadway musical. Both these field studies confirm previous laboratory findings in that those placements that are combined audio-visual, prominently displayed, have actor involvement, and have two or more verbal mentions of the brand significantly increase consumers’ subsequent category-cued recall of the brand name of the product placement.

Acculturation and Discrimination in the Global Market Place

Abstract Mass international migrations to countries that promise economic, social, and political prosperity has created ethnic communities that are lucrative targets for many businesses. Members of these communities are often very brand loyal, conspicuous purchasers of prestige products, and willing to pay for quality products. Acculturation theory is used to explain how businesses can effectively communicate to these groups. Unlike past studies which rely on one acculturative dimension to understand its impact on marketing programs, this study employs multiple dimensions including the dimension of discrimination which has not previously been used in past consumer behavior research. An exploratory study using Hispanics in the U.S. as a sample population suggests that Hispanics with lower incomes and lower levels of education as well as Hispanics who use Spanish in the home and have perceived some level of discrimination in the past have greater levels of purchase intent for products when they are advertised in Spanish. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed, and limitations and directions for future research are offered.

Airport Advertising Effectiveness: An Exploratory Field Study

Transit advertising is a growing category of out-of-home advertising and an area that has received little academic attention. A field study was conducted in New York Citys LaGuardia Airport to explore the effectiveness of airport advertising. The results of three studies—ethnographic, recognition, and recall—produced five general themes. Of particular interest is that depending on the type of advertising effectiveness measurement tool used by the researcher—recognition or recall—different characteristics of the advertisement or its execution correlate more strongly with one measurement tool than the other. Message response involvement provides an integrated theory that ties these findings together.

Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising: Building and Testing a Model for Advertising Effectiveness

ABSTRACT Using a large-scale database, we present, test, and refine a model for direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising effectiveness via structural equation modeling. Results suggest that consumers who are greatly involved in their healthcare and possess positive attitudes toward DTC advertising appear to be more likely to contact a doctor about the prescription drug after viewing a DTC advertisement. While individuals that are poor in health and/or hold more favorable attitudes toward the healthcare system do appear to respond to DTC advertising, the effect is quite small. The results of this study provide a comprehensive overview of DTC advertisings effect on behavior.

Attracting Foreign Direct Investment: Applying Dunning's Location Advantages Framework to FDI Advertising

Countries compete intensely for foreign direct investment (FDI) and perform a wide range of activities to attract it. Research on FDI promotion often overlooks the effects of advertising. To fill this gap in the literature, this study analyzes the content of FDI advertising to explain its structure. To guide the analysis, the authors use Dunnings FDI location advantages framework. This framework represents an effective prism through which to view FDI advertising, and Dunnings location advantages are reflected in advertising content. In an effort to shed more light on FDI advertising, the authors first provide an assessment of how advertising content varies by country income classification. Next, using exploratory factor analysis, they identify the five factors represented in FDI advertising: knowledge resources, market attractiveness, economic governance, infrastructure, and natural resources. The findings suggest that high-income countries tend to focus on knowledge resources, while lower-middle-income countries focus on economic governance. Upper-middle-income countries tap into both knowledge resources and economic governance while also promoting the attractiveness of their market.

Resource endowments, market positioning, and competition in transitional economies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to draw upon the resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm in order to assess the “who, when, where, and how” questions about use of resources in shaping market positioning by global and local firms in a transitional economy (TE).Design/methodology/approach – The paper utilizes a longitudinal case‐study approach to present and discuss resource asymmetry between global and local advertising agencies operating in Hungary.Findings – RBV proves to be valuable theory, revealing an interesting and unexpected range of sources and types of resources that are being used to advantage by local and global agencies competing in Hungary. Earlier historical asymmetries in resource endowments contributed to a notable division between global and local agencies according to market sector. Specific resources, such as reputation, access to global resources, and use of Western‐style business practices, proved beneficial to global firms after Hungarian market liberalization in 1989, while int...

Recall of preshow cinema advertising: A message processing perspective

In a time when the growth of traditional advertising is declining, out-of-home (OOH) advertising has become a prominent component of advertising plans. Despite this prominence, OOH advertising is often plagued by inattentiveness and incidental exposure making it even more important to link theoretical frameworks on advertising effectiveness to actual marketplace data. To assess the effectiveness of this increasingly important media, we take one context, cinema advertising, and, using the message response involvement theory, we test several hypotheses surrounding consumer motivation, opportunity, and ability to process advertising. Our results were generally consistent with the message response involvement theory indicating that higher rates of recall for cinema advertising were found when motivation and opportunity to process advertising is high. Higher rates of recall were also found with other movie-going behaviors such as consuming concessions and with whom you attend the movie.

Competing successfully against multinationals: a longitudinal perspective of Hungarian advertising agencies

An increasing amount of attention is being placed on domestic firms in emerging markets especially in understanding how they develop strategy in response to market-based reforms and competition from multinational corporations. However, of this attention little is given to the plight of service firms. In an effort to address this gap, we conduct a case study of seven advertising agencies in Hungary. Using a three-pronged structure of the resource-based view, and its extension (dynamic capabilities framework), institution-based view and competitive strategy research, we find evidence of only some of the differentiation strategies found in other markets. The use of networks proved beneficial in the development of these strategies. We also discover two transitioning strategies utilized by firms as they move from a command economy toward a market-based economy.

Targeting of Outdoor Alcohol Advertising: A Study Across Ethnic and Income Groups

The marketing and advertising of alcoholic beverages is socially and ethically sensitive and subject to particular interest of regulators, public interest groups, and societal watchdogs because of its potential impact on vulnerable populations such as low-income consumers, certain ethnicities, adolescents, and alcoholics. While alcohol advertising is pervasive across a variety of media, outdoor advertising facilitates the targeting of specific neighborhoods that, in a sense, represent a captive audience of people who live and/or work in those neighborhoods. In a study of outdoor advertising in New York City across multiple ethnic and income neighborhoods, we examine the proportion of alcohol advertising found in each neighborhood and the variation of advertising appeals used. The results suggest that marketers of alcoholic beverages do not selectively target their products based on income, but evidence was found that targeting based upon ethnicity is occurring. Black and Hispanic neighborhoods receive a greater percentage of alcoholic beverage advertising than do white and Asian neighborhoods, and Hispanic neighborhoods also receive more influential advertising appeals such as celebrity endorsements, affiliation, and status appeals.