Vanessa Apaolaza

Nature imagery in advertising: attention restoration and memory effects

Environmental psychology postulates that interacting with nature has inherently positive emotional, cognitive and physiological effects. Based on Attention Restoration Theory and related research, this paper presents a theoretical framework hypothesising that nature imagery presented in an advertisement enhances cognitive advertising message elaboration and memory. Three experimental studies, including an eye-tracking experiment, which successively addressed emotional, information processing and memory effects of exposure to nature imagery in advertising, provided evidence supporting postulated effects. Findings confirmed the hypothesis that advertisements featuring visual representations of pleasant nature scenes can evoke very similar emotional responses to those experienced in pleasant natural environments, which constitutes a necessary condition for the suggested cognitive effects. As hypothesised, advertising messages of advertisements featuring pleasant nature imagery achieved higher memory scores in both unaided recall and recognition compared to identical advertisements displaying a variety of other attractive pictures.

Environmental threat appeals in green advertising: The role of fear arousal and coping efficacy

This study addresses the behavioural effects of cognitive threat appraisal, emotional fear response and perceived coping efficacy in threat appeal based green advertising. While most existing theories attribute fear arousal a secondary role as a moderator of cognitive effects, or consider fear detrimental to persuasion, the proposed framework integrates fear response as a principal behavioural antecedent. An experimental online survey of a representative sample of the Australian population reasserted the role of fear arousal, indicating that both cognitive threat level beliefs and fear arousal from exposure to climate change related environmental threat appeals significantly increase pro-environmental intentions. Cognitive threat level beliefs and emotional fear response were highly correlated. Perceived coping efficacy did improve persuasion effects for one of the two studied behaviours, but providing efficacy information also significantly lowered fear responses.

Nature Imagery in Non-Green Advertising: The Effects of Emotion, Autobiographical Memory, and Consumer's Green Traits

Images of pristine nature constitute frequent elements of visual advertising design. Research on the effectiveness of such imagery has been scarce, however. Which psychological processes are involved? Do all individuals react equally to nature advertising imagery? Based on environmental psychology theory, the present research analyzes the effectiveness of the use of nature imagery in non-green advertising and the underlying processes involved. We conduct three experimental studies, two with student samples and one with a representative population sample, to test the effects of visual advertising stimuli featuring nature versus urban and indoor scenery. Findings contribute to research in two ways: First, emotional ad responses that are similar to the feelings experienced in nature as well as the retrieval of positive autobiographical memories are identified as intervening processes by which nature advertising imagery increases attitude toward the ad (Aad) and brand (Abr). Second, results indicate these processes are moderated by consumers’ green traits, with green consumers being more susceptible to the persuasive effects of nature advertising imagery even though advertisements were non-green. The processes are further moderated by the accessibility of memory of past nature experiences. These findings enrich our knowledge on the effects of specific visual appeals and provide practical implications for visual advertising effectiveness.

Who Buys Counterfeit Luxury Brands? A Meta-Analytic Synthesis of Consumers in Developing and Developed Markets

Although numerous previous studies have investigated consumer demographics and psychographics as determinants of counterfeit purchases, their findings are diverse and fragmented. In conceptually referring to the brand signals that help consumers build their identities, the present meta-analysis synthesizes the influence of consumer demographics and psychographics on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors with regard to branded counterfeit luxury products. It empirically summarizes 610 effect sizes from 98 independent studies and shows that whereas demographics have little impact, some psychographics greatly influence counterfeit purchases, with these influences differing between developed and developing countries. In the former, risk propensity and reduced integrity are stronger determinants of counterfeit purchases and are related to brand signals that refer to identities that consumers attempt to avoid. In developing countries, consumers are more influenced by psychographics, such as status seeking, which are related to positive brand signals for consumer identities. The findings lead to a profile of consumers of counterfeit luxury items that provides guidance for future research and for improved consumer targeting with regard to international anticounterfeiting measures.

Local sustainability processes worldwide: a systematic review of the literature and research agenda

This article presents a systematic literature review of 109 articles (1992–2015) dealing with Local Agenda 21 processes worldwide. It analyzes two essential elements of Local Agenda 21: (1) the holistic approach of the sustainable development concept and (2) the main driving forces behind such processes. It shows that, although at the beginning, sustainability was seen as a natural extension of environmental policy work, it has been perceived over recent years as a guiding principle applied to issues of environment, economic development, and social welfare, and Local Agenda 21 is perceived as a coherent approach to sustainability planning. In addition, Local Government Strategy is the main typology followed, although it suffers from important limitations. Future studies could focus on local sustainability process outcomes. Further quantitative studies would be welcome, given the qualitative case study dominance in the field. We conclude with a research agenda to tackle theoretical, methodological, and empirical lacunae.

Promoting Renewable Energy Adoption: Environmental Knowledge vs. Fear Appeals

This study addresses the effects of knowledge and fear arousal related to climate change issues on intention to switch to green electricity. Participants of an experimental online study were exposed to a fear appeal based on climate change threats. Fear arousal and knowledge concerning energy generation and climate change were assessed with an online questionnaire. Findings confirmed the hypothesized positive influence of fear arousal on the intention to choose residential green electricity. The effect of knowledge was non-significant, however. Findings contribute to reassessing the relevance of cognitive elaboration and have implications for marketers of green electricity products.

Emotional Claims in CSR Tweets: The Moderating Role of CSR Message Fit

CSR can have multiple benefits for firms including improving corporate image, stakeholder attitudes, market value of the firm as well as employee and customer relationships (Becker-Olsen et al., 2006; Du, Bhattacharya and Sen, 2010, Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006). Since stakeholder’s awareness of CSR activities is generally low, adequate CSR communication is a critical factor for CSR success (Du, Bhattacharya and Sen, 2010). Research indicates that consumer attitudes toward the communication of CSR activities are largely positive (Webb and Mohr 1998) and that indeed consumers generally perceive companies communicating their engagement in CSR activities as more socially responsible (Ross, Patterson and Stutts, 1992).

The role of psychological empowerment in climate-protective consumer behaviour: An extension of the value-belief-norm framework

Purpose This paper aims to address the role of psychological empowerment in proenvironmental consumer behaviour, focussing on climate protection. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 analyses the interaction of the effects of psychological empowerment and personal norms on two environmental behaviours with a sample of 600 individuals drawn form a representative online panel of the Australian population. Study 2 addresses the reinforcing influence of empowerment with a quasi-experimental design comparing 300 consumers of green electricity with 300 conventional electricity clients. Findings Psychological empowerment moderates the effects of personal norms on climate-protective consumer behaviour in a value-belief-norm (VBN) framework. Personal norms have a stronger influence for consumers experiencing high psychological empowerment than for disempowered feeling consumers. Furthermore, psychological empowerment experienced as an outcome of actual proenvironmental behaviour mediates the relationship between prior climate protection and future climate-protective intentions. Research limitations/implications Future research should focus on the experimental manipulation of psychological empowerment with communicational claims, studying how perceived empowerment can be enhanced. Practical implications To promote climate friendly products and behaviours, marketers should use communication claims aimed at enhancing consumer’s subjective experience of empowerment. Social implications Public policy aimed at climate protection should focus on consumer education increasing consumers’ awareness of their potential influence. Originality/value Psychological empowerment has not been studied previously as either an antecedent or outcome of proenvironmental behaviour. This is the first study to show that psychological empowerment moderates normative influences on climate-protective consumer behaviour. This research further reveals a novel behavioural reinforcement process, in which psychological empowerment intervenes as a behavioural outcome as well as an antecedent of climate-protective consumer behaviour. Findings contribute to the development of the VBN framework as well as to the consumer-empowerment perspective on proenvironmental behaviour.

The Relationship between Gratifications from Social Networking Site Use and Adolescents’ Brand Interactions

Online social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook or Twitter provide advertiser with new channels to contact and interact with potential target groups. Brand profiles enable companies to interact with consumers in a direct personalized way (Kelly et al., 2010; Rowley, 2009). The interactivity between consumers and the brand is based on playful experiences, entertainment, information and active participation.

Corporate Environmental Responsibility Communication: Implications from CSR and Green Advertising Research

Even though environmental topics are among the main themes addressed in CSR communication (CSRC), research on specific environmental themed CSRC has been scarce so far. This paper discusses the lessons that can be learned from previous CSR communication and green advertising research for corporate environmental responsibility communication (CERC) aims, channel selection and message strategy. The review of relevant literature reveals that, while stakeholders seemingly demand that companies engage in environmental initiatives, CERC potentially can backfire. If adequately implemented, CERC can have beneficial effects on corporate image, brand equity, stakeholder attitudes and consumer purchase intentions. Key factors of CERC success are discussed.