William D. Diamond

Framing and Sales Promotions: The Characteristics of a ″Good Deal″

Considers the differences between consumer perceptions of nonmonetary promotions such as free extra product and monetary promotions such as discounts and rebates. Reports on an experiment which found that monetary promotions did not have to be as large as nonmonetary promotions to be noticed by the consumer, and that large incentives make consumers sceptical. Concludes that the decision about which type of promotion to use depends on whether a price‐conscious or a premium product market segment is being sought.

Does Ad-Context Congruity Help Surfers and Information Seekers Remember Ads in Cluttered E-magazines?

Does congruity between an ad and its context improve ad memory? This research examines task orientation and perceived ad clutter as moderating and mediating influences on the relationship between ad-context congruity and ad memory in an e-magazine context. The results show ad-context congruity increases ad recognition for information seekers, whereas it does not have any effect for surfers of an e-magazine. Perceived clutter plays a crucial role in this relationship, partially mediating the impact of ad-context congruity on recall and completely mediating the effect of ad-context congruity on recognition. The managerial implications for the burgeoning e-magazine format include indications that when recall is paramount, adjacent incongruent ads and content can be used, but when recognition is important, congruent ads and content should be used and targeted toward people who consume the medium to gather specific information.

“If You've Seen One, You've Seen Them All!” Are Young Millennials the Same Worldwide?

ABSTRACT The values of coming-of-age millennials in the United States, Sweden, and New Zealand were studied to determine if their values are similar, thus enabling marketers to stress the same values panculturally. While similarities were found on some value dimensions, many differences were noted as well. U.S. and Swedish millennials were most different from one another while New Zealand millennials were more similar to U.S. respondents than Swedes, a finding consistent with Hofstedes model of cultural values. The findings support the need to understand cohort-based values and cultural values in designing a marketing strategy targeting millennials across cultures.

Creating Effective Direct Mail Charitable Solicitations: The Effects of Enclosures and Different Appeals

ABSTRACT This article presents a study examining the effect on direct mail response rates of two different types of enclosures or premiums included in a fund raising packet. Also, the effect of audience involvement combined with the effect of varying enclosure types was examined. A field experiment was conducted on individuals from two mailing lists of recent charitable donors. Managerial implications are discussed.

Effects of format and expertise on the decision rules used to evaluate supermarket sales promotions

Heavy and light coupon users generated “talk aloud” protocols (Ericsson and Simon 1984) as they evaluated computerized supermarket sales promotions. “Buy N get 1 Free” and “Buy A get B Free” coupons were rapidly accepted or rejected. They led subjects to concentrate on their liking of the brand or need for the promoted product. Subjects evaluating price promotions thought of the deal rather than of the product. Heavy and light coupon users used different rules to evaluate promotions.

Consumer perceptions and intentions toward smoking cessation tools

Purpose This paper aims to examine preferences for different smoking cessation tools, investigates smokers’ perceptions of these tools by examining their brand personalities and determines whether these perceptions predict intentions to use particular cessation tools. Design/methodology/approach Two surveys of smokers evaluated cessation tools from electronic cigarettes to hypnosis. Findings Smokers showed a strong preference for electronic cigarettes over other cessation tools. Different aspects of brand personality predicted intention to use different cessation tools. Research limitations/implications The research used online surveys rather than real purchasing behavior. The results indicate that advertisements emphasizing the personality attributes of different cessation tools could be effective in encouraging the use of appropriate cessation tools. Social implications If research validates e-cigarettes as a valuable cigarette smoking cessation tool, then public service advertisements encouraging their use should emphasize their sincerity and excitement. If e-cigarettes have a net negative effect on public health, public service advertising should stress that the marketing of e-cigarettes is not sincere. Originality/value This research extends the idea of brand personality, showing how it can encourage behavior that promotes public health goals.

Charitable Giving: Even the Willing Need to be Persuaded

Nonprofits that depend on charitable giving operate in a competitive context and cannot simply expect to receive donations because they represent a “good” or “deserving” cause. To increase the chances of receiving donations, they have to communicate the positive impact of the donors actions (perceived efficacy) and ensure that the appeals are seen as motivating (persuasiveness). We sampled donors from the database of a local charity and found that perceived efficacy for the charity was significantly influential. We also found that persuasiveness of an appeal fully mediated their charitable giving behavior. Thus, to receive a fair share, or any share, of an individuals donations, even the willing need to be persuaded.