Ruth Rettie

The verbal and visual components of package design

It is estimated that 73 percent of purchase decisions are made at point of sale. In scanning packs at point of sale, perception is rapid, and quick recognition is important for inclusion in the decision process. Under conditions of rapid perception, there is an advantage for verbal stimuli perceived from the right‐hand side, and for non‐verbal stimuli perceived from the left‐hand side. This advantage probably derives from the laterality of the brain, with word processing generally being handled by the left hemisphere, while the right hemisphere generally processes pictorial matter. This asymmetry of perception implies that to maximise recall, words should be on the right‐hand sides of packs, pictures should be on the left. We tested this, using a tachistoscope to measure difference in recall. The results confirm the asymmetry of perception of elements of packaging.

An exploration of flow during Internet use

Several authors have suggested that the concept of flow is useful for understanding consumer behaviour in computer‐mediated environments. Previous Internet flow research has used self‐completion questionnaires. This research uses focus groups to facilitate the identification and discussion of respondents’ Internet experience. Explores respondents’ awareness and experience of flow. Finds that half of the respondents recognised Internet flow experience and that Internet flow seems to prolong Internet and Web site usage. Identifies several factors that promote or inhibit Internet flow. These factors may help practitioners design Web sites that stimulate flow and encourage users to stay on the site.

Mobile Phone Communication: Extending Goffman to Mediated Interaction

Mediated interaction has become a feature of everyday life, used routinely to communicate and maintain contacts, yet sociological analysis of mediated communication is relatively undeveloped. This article argues that new mediated communication channels merit detailed sociological analysis, and that interactional differences between media have been overlooked. Goffman explicitly restricted his interaction order to face-to-face interaction.The article adapts some of Goffmans interactional concepts for synchronous mediated interaction, but argues that his situational focus is less relevant to asynchronous media. The theoretical approach developed is illustrated and supported by qualitative research on mobile phones, which fortuitously afford both synchronous and asynchronous communication.The study suggests that although the distinction between synchronous and asynchronous interaction is important, it is not technologically determined, but shaped by interactional norms.

Mobile Phones as Network Capital: Facilitating Connections

Mobile phones enable interaction at times and in places where it was previously impossible, facilitating social networks. This paper identifies and explores the ways in which mobile phones increase the social support afforded by a network, improving access to contacts and promoting the development and maintenance of personal relationships. Mobile phones are ‘network capital’ (Larsen et al., 2006a) because they expedite the availability of social support in a network. The exploratory research involved 32 UK mobile phone users, and combined several different qualitative research techniques: communication diaries; text message analysis; and interviews. The paper concludes that mobile phones increase access to networks and facilitate the development and maintenance of network ties; this highlights the catalytic role of communication technology in social networks.

The web motivation inventory: replication, extension and application to internet advertising

The Web Motivation Inventory (WMI) is used in internet advertising research, and is frequently used and cited in advertising, marketing and communication literature. Investigations of the robustness of the WMI have been somewhat limited. Additionally, new uses of the internet are not accounted for by the WMI since its publication in 2002. This paper replicates and extends the original WMI using participants in the US, UK and Australia and includes internet motives not previously examined. The results show that the four-factor WMI remained reliable and valid for all three samples. Findings suggest the extended WMI may be broken into 12 sub-scales that represent the original fourfactor measure.

Is social norms marketing effective? A case study in domestic electricity consumption

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present details of a large-scale experiment that evaluated the impact of communicating two types of feedback to householders regarding their domestic electricity consumption: feedback on their own consumption and feedback of both their own consumption and that of others in their locality. Design/methodology/approach – Digital technologies were used to automatically measure and communicate the electricity consumption of 316 UK residents for a period of 16 weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: one involving no feedback; one involving feedback about a households own usage, and one involving a households own usage plus social norms feedback (the average consumption of others in the locality). At the end of the study, a selection of participants took part in interviews or focus groups. Findings – Both types of feedback (individual and individual-plus-social-norms) led to reductions in consumption of about 3 per cent. Thos...

CAQDAS: a supplementary tool for qualitative market research

Purpose – The aims of the paper are twofold: to assess the usage of Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDAS) in the UK market research industry; and to evaluate the use of CAQDAS as a supplement to paper‐coding in market research.Design/methodology/approach – CAQDAS usage was assessed by a questionnaire, sent to a sample of 400 UK market researchers. The second part of the research is a case study of a research experiment. The authors conducted focus group research into online grocery shopping, supplementing a paper‐coding‐based analysis with a further analysis based on computer coding.Findings – Usage of CAQDAS in commercial market research is very low at only 9 percent. The research suggests that CAQDAS can be a useful supplement to traditional methods. Using computer software, the paper was able to mine the data for more detail; clearly identify minority views; and produce a useful resource for future research.Research limitations/implications – The survey response rate was 38 percent, but ...

Internet motives of users in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Korea: a cross-cultural replication of the WMI

ABSTRACT The Web Motivation Inventory (WMI) is used in academic research and is cited in the academic Internet advertising literature. To date, the scale has only been tested on U.S. consumers. This research replicates the WMI using consumers from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and South Korea. Our findings revealed the same four-factor structure for three of the four countries, providing evidence of the scale’s global stability. However, the four motives--research, communicate, surf, and shop-differed significantly among the countries.

Walking in the Wild – Using an Always-On Smartphone Application to Increase Physical Activity

This multidisciplinary paper reports on a large-scale field trial, designed and implemented by a group of social scientists, computer scientists and statisticians, of a new smartphone-based app for the promotion of walking in everyday life. The app, bActive, is designed for a more diverse range of users than the typical active-lifestyle app, since it requires neither additional equipment nor a great deal of commitment to exercise. As a result, it can raise awareness of walking and promote walking amongst those with only a casual or hesitant engagement with the topic. The 6-week randomised controlled trial with 22-40 year-old male participants (N=152) indicates that bActive prompted users to increase the amount of walking they did by encouraging them to value and increase walking that is incidental to normal everyday activities. Longitudinal data analysis showed that use of the app increased walking by an average of 64% but did not find any evidence to suggest that the inclusion of comparative social feedback improves the impact of such apps on male participants.

Energy Consumption Feedback: Engagement by Design

This paper reports two energy feedback studies and explores the role of design in increasing householder engagement with energy feedback. The paper discusses a range of design issues that arise when developing an energy feedback system. It argues 1) that it is important to provide feedback in terms of activities rather than energy units, which have little relevance to householders, and 2) that emphasising the avoidance of waste could help to make energy consumption visible and prompt changes in energy consuming behaviours.