Vincent J. Pascal

An Involvement Explanation for Nostalgia Advertising Effects

This study seeks to offer additional insights regarding why positive “nostalgia effects” in advertising may be observed, that is, why nostalgic ads tend to elicit more favorable consumer responses than do non-nostalgic ads. Using the personal relevance component of advertising involvement as a theoretical foundation, the study supports hypothesized expectations that nostalgic ads are capable of inducing greater levels of self-reflection and advertising involvement. Furthermore, hypothesized effects were shown to be more pronounced when a “personal” nostalgia-themed ad (eliciting “a yearning for a realized, lived past”) was used, as opposed to when an “historical” nostalgia-themed ad (eliciting “a yearning for a distant past, never experienced”) was used. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed and directions for future research are offered.

Anatomy of competitive advantage: towards a contingency theory of entrepreneurial marketing

Entrepreneurial marketing (EM), born out of the practice of firms operating in conditions of uncertainty, is emerging as a powerful alternative to cope with the decreasing effectiveness associated with traditional marketing. In this article, the authors provide their collective position regarding the field of EM. A brief history and conceptual background of EM is presented and the contextual differences that have shaped its evolution are considered. Distinctions between traditional and EM are derived based on discussions of the concepts of size, speed, market, opportunity, risk, and uncertainty. The perspective of value co-creation in uncertainty is used to develop a contingency framework to serve as the foundation towards a general theory of EM. Operand and operant resources and environmental conditions are proposed to moderate the EM process from opportunity recognition to entrepreneurial organization, EM, and temporary competitive advantage. The theoretical facets are illustrated with seven propositions and directions for future research.

Entrepreneurship and the early American clock industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of the early American clock industry as an entrepreneurial endeavor and to focus on the innovative marketing and financing practices that helped transform the industry during the first half of the nineteenth century.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses the historical method to identify the critical factors that allowed the clock industry to expand. Primary sources were consulted whenever they were available, and a survey of the existing clock literature was conducted.Findings – The nineteenth century New England clock industry provides a rich field of exploration into the entrepreneurial practices of the early American Republic and provides us with many insights that are applicable to the modern entrepreneur. The clock makers and peddlers who moved clock making from a backwater cottage industry to a modern international industry are examples of entrepreneurship at its best. From a marketing perspective, the clockmakers made use of t...

Clusters and Entrepreneurial Intnesity: The Influence of Economic Clusters on Entrepreneurial Activity

As interest in clusters has increased in recent decades, so has related research. To date, studies have explored the advantages of location within a cluster from an economic perspective, and much print has been devoted to describing clusters. Still to be addressed, however, is the question of whether economic advantage varies by cluster type and whether the competitive advantages that accrue to cluster firms vary according to both the location of the clusters and their concentration. Similarly, no empirical research has yet been carried out that specifically addresses the impact of clusters on entrepreneurial activity, in an effort to determine whether they enhance such activity. This paper begins by reviewing they key literature concerning cluster development and entrepreneurship. Hypotheses regarding the intensity of entrepreneurial activity in relation to cluster location and concentration are then presented and evaluated. The findings suggest that concentrations of multiple clusters do serve to enhance entrepreneurial activity and that, consequently, certain regions are naturally advantaged by the presence of these concentrations. A discussion follows, in which the implications of these findings for entrepreneurship and for regional policymakers are considered. Finally, directions for future research are proposed.

Entrepreneurs and Marketing: A New Look at Linguistic Interpretations

This paper seeks to explore linguistic nuances in responses to the definition of marketing for entrepreneurs in technology and non‐technology firms located in the US and UK. The present study focuses on an open ended marketing question and applies a hermeneutic analysis to the data. The results appear to suggest that differences exist between US and their UK counterparts on how they define marketing, such that UK firms “individualize” their application of marketing while the US firms “professionalize” the function.