bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Economics of Information: An Empirical Approach to Nelson's Search-Experience Framework
Authors: Smith Darlene Brannigan
Published: January 2019

The economics of information offers a framework within which consumer responses to advertising may be examined. This research tests the propositions espoused by Nelson regarding differential skepticism for search and experience attribute claims. A 2 (search, experience claims) by 2 (objective, subjective) by 2 (low risk, high risk) between subjects analysis of covariance was performed. Results support Nelson's hypotheses. Consumers’ use of information is influenced by the nature of the advertised attribute, the semantic content of the claim, and the perception of risk associated with the product.
Marketing and the Religious Right: An Application of the Parallel Political Marketplace Conceptualization
Authors: Lynch James
Published: January 2019

This article uses the parallel-political marketplace conceptualization as a framework for describing the use of economic and political power by the religious right in attempting to constrain certain marketing practices. The historic relationship between religious beliefs and political action in the United States is considered, and the various constituencies, advocacy organizations and agenda of the religious right are identified. The role of the marketer as a political actor in the parallel-political marketplace is also explored.
A Framework for Effective Export Marketing: The Jamaican Partnership of Public Policy and Private Enterprise
Authors: Nicholls J. A. F. , Lyn-Cook Marlene , Roslow Sydney
Published: January 2019

The roles of government and the private sector in export marketing tend to fall between two extremes. At one extreme, the private sector operates in a totally free environment, unimpeded by government; at the other, government owns the means of production and controls the export function. This paper examines a hybrid arrangement in which the government does what it can do best and the private sector does likewise. With emphasis on Jamaica, but using examples from other countries, 12 marketing strategies are highlighted that effectively enhance exporting. An analysis summarizes the interrelationship between public and private sectors in a framework whose dynamic comprises marketing strategies, public policy, private enterprise, specific examples and generalizations.
How Public Policy Can Define the Marketplace: The Case of Pollution Liability Insurance in the 1980s
Authors: Brockett Patrick L. , Golden Linda L. , Aird Paul R.
Published: January 2019

Using the case of pollution liability insurance, this paper describes how public policy can both stimulate and negate marketplace functions. The paper focuses on the role of marketing in public policy and illustrates that if public policy decision makers do not incorporate explicit consideration of both buyer and seller motivations, as well as other marketplace realities, they can work against their own objectives and stifle exchange. Prescriptive solutions to the availability crisis in pollution liability insurance are also presented.
Changes in the Visual Imagery of Cigarette Ads, 1954–1986
Authors: King Karen Whitehill , Reid Leonard N. , Moon Young Sook , Ringold Debra Jones
Published: January 2019

This study provides a descriptive account of how the visually oriented content of cigarette ads changed over three health and smoking event eras: 1954–1970, the pre-broadcast ban era; 1971–1983, the post-broadcast ban era; and 1984–1986, the “anti-smoking ideology” era. In general, support was found for the hypothesized changes in visual imagery of cigarette ads published during the post-ban and “anti-smoking ideology” eras. While model activity portrayals varied somewhat by magazine audience orientation, models engaged in individualistic and recreational activities were rather universally employed. Erotic/romantic portrayals were no more likely in women's publications than in other magazines. No relationship between the median age of the audience and the frequency of cigarette ads per issue was found.
The Determinants of Cigarette Consumption: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Andrews Rick L. , Franke George R.
Published: January 2019

This study summarizes econometric findings from time-series research on the relationships between cigarette consumption and advertising, price, and income using a meta-analysis methodology. The study also investigates the trends in these relationships over time, controlling for possible confounding effects of design variables in the studies analyzed. The results show that the advertising and income elasticities are positive and significant on average across studies, and the average price elasticity is significantly negative. The elasticities vary across countries and design factors and have become smaller over time. Implications for public policy and future research are discussed.
What State Regulators Should Learn from FTC Experience in Regulating Advertising
Authors: Beales J. Howard
Published: January 2019

Advertising regulators should recognize that advertising enhances competition, that regulation cannot prevent every possible misinterpretation, and that advertising cannot provide complete information. At the Federal Trade Commission, a consensus has long existed on these issues. Many state enforcement actions against national advertising have not followed these principles.
FTC or NAAG: Who Will Win the Territorial Battle?
Authors: Richards Jef I.
Published: January 2019

An overview is presented of the recent conflict between state and federal authorities regarding the regulation of national advertising. Multistate regulatory efforts have raised questions about the legality of state restrictions on national ads. Although the answers may vary as different federal agencies become involved, it is concluded that state actions represent no legal conflict with those of the Federal Trade Commission. Because states are expected to continue playing an important role in national advertising, policy researchers must adjust to this change in regulatory environment.
Are Slotting Allowances Legal under the Antitrust Laws?
Authors: Cannon Joseph P. , Bloom Paul N.
Published: January 2019

Retail grocers are currently requiring many packaged goods manufacturers to make up-front cash payments, called slotting allowances, before they will put a new product on their shelves. Manufacturers, grocery retailers, and public policymakers have expressed concern that this practice might be in violation of the antitrust laws. The primary goal of this paper is to assess whether the use of slotting allowances would be likely to be found illegal under current antitrust laws. The potential cases of small manufacturers, small retailers, and the Federal Trade Commission are examined, and the arguments that might be used on both sides are scrutinized. The analysis concludes that although private suits attacking slotting allowances could be won, the Commission is the party best-suited to bring a case aimed at the practice.
The Antitrust Analysis of Grocery Slotting Allowances: The Procompetitive Case
Authors: Kelly Kenneth
Published: January 2019

Slotting allowances are a recent and controversial development in the grocery industry. An hypothesis that slotting allowances can be a means of communicating information and allocating risk between a manufacturer and retailer is offered. This hypothesis provides a plausible explanation for the emergence of slotting allowances. Appropriate antitrust policy toward the practice is discussed.
An Evaluation of the Alcohol Warning Label: Initial Survey Results
Authors: Mazis Michael B. , Morris Louis A. , Swasy John L.
Published: January 2019

This paper assesses the impact of alcoholic beverage warning labels through national surveys conducted in May 1989 and May 1990. The results show a slight increase in the public's perception of the risk level associated with consuming alcoholic beverages since the warning label became effective. They also show that, 35 percent of the sample responded that alcoholic beverage containers were “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to have warnings. About 11 percent of the sample was able to identify the specific pregnancy hazard warning. The awareness level was highest among younger adults and “heavy” alcohol consumers.
Consumer Response to Generic/Chemically Equivalent Drugs
Authors: Kendall K.W. , Ng Simon , Schoner Bertram
Published: January 2019

This paper addresses the prescription drug market and three fundamental public policy questions concerning the marketing of generic drugs: (1) What factors influence the acceptance of generic substitutes for prescription drugs by consumers? (2) What factors influence consumers’ satisfaction with generic drugs? (3) For consumers who have been given a generic substitute by the pharmacist, what factors influence their intention to obtain a generic drug again? These questions were addressed in a field experimental study. Results indicated that there was greater actual acceptance of generic drug substitution than was predicted from the literature on attitudes toward acceptance. Satisfaction was lowest for those patients who received a generic substitute without choice, and higher for patients who were required to pay for all or a portion of the drug. The strongest predictors of intentions were having accepted the generic substitute, perceiving the savings to be high, satisfaction with the generic substitute, and being required to pay part or all of the prescription costs. Public policy issues are discussed in light of the findings.
Advertising and the First Amendment: A Practical Test for Distinguishing Commercial Speech from Fully Protected Speech
Authors: Petty Ross D.
Published: January 2019

Because of the substantially greater amount of regulation that is allowed under the First Amendment for commercial speech compared with fully protected speech, it is important to be able to distinguish between the two consistently, correctly, and simply. This task is complicated by the increasing merging of traditional product advertising and corporate image advertising. The author reviews what little guidance the Supreme Court and commentators have provided on making this distinction and then proposes a simple method for accomplishing this task. If people are likely to be influenced by the speech in their role as consumers of goods and services, the speech should be deemed commercial. If they are likely to be influenced in their capacity as members of the electorate, or in some other nonconsumer capacity, the speech should be considered fully protected. This model can be readily applied by marketing managers and is consistent with Supreme Court cases.
Strict Liability for Sellers of Used Products: A Conceptual Rationale and Current Status
Authors: Boedecker Karl A. , Morgan Fred W.
Published: January 2019

Marketers of used products face uncertainty in the legal environment because of the inconsistent ways their offerings are treated with respect to strict product liability. The authors analyze the conceptual underpinnings of strict liability to assess its applicability to used goods. Then they examine litigated cases to present an overview of current judicial treatment of defective used products. Finally, they discuss policy issues related to used products in the context of both the law and marketing.
Is There a General Conserving Consumer? A Public Policy Concern
Authors: Pickett Gregory M. , Kangun Norman , Grove Stephen J.
Published: January 2019

The authors conducted a survey to identify conservation activity among the general populace of a midsize Southwestern community to increase our understanding of those who do and do not engage in a broad section of environmentally friendly activities. Numerous self-reported behaviors were gauged and combined to form a composite measure representing the conserving consumer. They then explored both demographic and psychosocial variables as predictors of this self-reported composite scale of conservation. The results and their implications are discussed for researchers and public policy officials.
The Frequency and Context of Alcohol and Tobacco Cues in Daytime Soap Opera Programs: Fall 1986 and Fall 1991
Authors: Diener Betty J.
Published: January 2019

The author conducted a content analysis to determine the frequency and context of alcohol and tobacco cues in daytime television soap opera programs broadcast in Fall 1986 and Fall 1991. Given societal concerns about alcohol and tobacco, one might expect the frequency and use of these products to be similar. This research found, however, that alcohol cues occurred significantly more frequently than tobacco cues and with significantly increasing frequency in 1991 versus 1986. The alcohol cues were found to be generic, in “appropriate” settings, and neither actively consumed nor directly related to storylines. Nevertheless, their increasing use could still be of concern.
The Marketing and Public Policy Literature: A Look at the past Ten Years
Authors: Laverie Debra A. , Murphy Patrick E.
Published: January 2019

The authors examine the public policy literature in marketing during the 1980s and early 1990s. The articles are classified using a three-part framework—conceptual, methodological, and substantive. The authors analyze work published in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing and other major marketing journals and draw implications for further public policy research.
Comparative Price Advertising: Informative or Deceptive?
Authors: Grewal Dhruv , Compeau Larry D.
Published: January 2019

An issue currently generating considerable debate is the increasing use of the comparative price format in advertising. In this paper, reviews of comparative price advertising literature and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines are integrated to discuss whether comparative price advertisements are informative or deceptive. Recent court cases relevant to comparative price advertising are also discussed. The central focus of the paper is to articulate the state of knowledge regarding comparative price advertising and to assess its potential for being informative or deceptive using an examination of relevant literature and public policy. Recommendations regarding comparative price advertising for public policy makers, managers, and researchers are developed.
Research and Policy Issues in Ringold and Calfee's Treatment of Cigarette Health Claims
Authors: Cohen Joel B.
Published: January 2019

Volume 8 of the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing contained a content analysis of cigarette advertising from 1926–1986 [Ringold and Calfee 1989], together with critiques of both the analysis and its implications [Cohen 1989; Pollay 1989]. In a subsequent paper, Ringold and Calfee [1990] (1) argued that “the evidence supports our exclusion of mildness and most filter claims from the health claims category,” (2) defended their exclusive focus on coding of explicit advertising content (i.e., rather than the likely meaning/interpretation of such claims), and (3) presented a lengthy and speculative analysis to the effect that regulation of tar, nicotine, and related health claims (particularly by the Federal Trade Commission) was ill-advised. This paper responds to each of these issues.
Power and Limitations of Media Clearance Practices and Advertising Self-Regulation
Authors: Rotfeld Herbert J.
Published: January 2019

Self-regulation programs deter many advertising practices, but there are inherent limitations to its power in the United States. U.S. media vehicle managers’ advertising acceptance policies may influence advertising content, but their decisions often are focused on priorities other than consumer protection. This article describes the power limitations of U.S. self-regulation and media advertising acceptance policies, showing how self-regulation alone is unable to fulfill the public policy goal of discouraging false advertising during government deregulation.
Information and Decisionmaking at the Federal Trade Commission
Authors: Yao Dennis A. , Vecchi Christa Van Anh
Published: January 2019

Ad interpretation is a central issue in nearly every false advertising case before both the Federal Trade Commission and the federal courts (under the Lanham Trade-Mark Act). Part of ad interpretation is the ancillary issue of whether to require extrinsic evidence supporting a disputed interpretation, particularly where the false claim alleged to be made is implicitly rather than explicitly stated. The authors first discuss the legal standard concerning when extrinsic evidence is required. Though the FTC and most federal courts apply different standards in requiring extrinsic proof of an ad's meaning, some federal courts appear to be moving toward the FTC's standard—namely, that extrinsic proof is required only for those implied claims that the decision maker cannot himself interpret with confidence from the face of the ad itself. The authors then use a Bayesian decisionmaking perspective to examine the implementation of the FTC's legal standard. This perspective leads to the conclusion that measures of variability will often be as important to decisionmaking as the mean estimate provided in statistical evidence.
A Field Test of Subliminal Self-Help Audiotapes: The Power of Expectancies
Authors: Spangenberg Eric R. , Obermiller Carl , Greenwald Anthony G.
Published: January 2019

In the face of evidence to the contrary, consumers continue to believe in the efficacy of subliminal message self-help (SMSH) audiotapes. The authors contend that the value consumers attribute to these tapes stems from the illusion of efficacy, the result of an expectancy effect. Two double-blind studies tested subliminal message self-help audiotapes claimed to improve memory, increase self-esteem, or induce weight loss. Actual content and labeled content were independently varied; some subjects believed they were using memory tapes but were actually using weight loss or self-esteem tapes, and so on. After a month of use (per manufacturers’ recommendations) by volunteer subjects, there were no effects of subliminal content in the claimed direction on any of the three dimensions. In contrast, there were changes or the perception of changes corresponding to the tape labels. These placebolike effects are hypothesized to result from consumer expectancies. If consumers who forsake more conventional treatments for SMSH audiotapes are misled, they suffer both the loss of the price of the tapes and, more importantly, opportunity costs. Thus, the potentially damaging consequences are a major concern from a public policy perspective.
Proving and Disproving Materiality of Deceptive Advertising Claims
Authors: Richards Jef I. , Preston Ivan L.
Published: January 2019

To be regulated by the FTC, an advertising claim must be both deceptive and material. Much attention and research has been directed to deception, but almost no study has been done on materiality. However, a recent case has highlighted the need for better understanding of this legal requirement. The authors explore the genesis and evolution of the materiality standard explain the pitfalls awaiting advertisers who try to prove their claims immaterial, and outline several considerations for empirical testing of advertisements.
The Scandalous Record of Avoidable Errors in Expert Evidence Offered in FTC and Lanham Act Deceptiveness Cases
Authors: Preston Ivan L.
Published: January 2019

A content analysis is reported on evidence introduced in deceptive advertising cases, evidence that is erroneous, meaning rejected as unable to establish the factual finding it was introduced to support. Further, this evidence is avoidably erroneous, meaning the invalidity and consequent rejection were predictable in advance on the basis of the professional knowledge of lawyers or researchers. The result is discussed as happening because of the nature of legal action and because of the interaction of lawyers and researchers. Implications of such avoidably erroneous evidence are discussed and suggestions are made for ways to eliminate them.
Perceived Consumer Effectiveness and Faith in Others as Moderators of Environmentally Responsible Behaviors
Authors: Berger Ida E. , Corbin Ruth M.
Published: January 2019

The authors use a 1989 environmental opinion poll of the Canadian population to examine the influence of perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) and faith in the efficacy of others (FIO) on the relationship between environmental attitudes and consumer behaviors. The results indicate that PCE moderates both the strength and form of the attitude–personal consumer behavior relationship while FIO moderates the strength and form of the attitude–support for regulatory action relationship. Implications of these results for consumer researchers, marketing managers, and policymakers are outlined.
Criminal Receiving: The “Fence” as Marketer
Authors: Hill Ronald Paul
Published: January 2019

The criminal receiver of stolen property has been described as an essential actor in property theft and a crucial figure in the support and preservation of thieves for more than 200 years. Today, the thief's ability to market stolen property through the “fence” still determines the success or failure of criminal operations, and results in tens of billions of dollars in sales annually. The author investigates criminal receiving as an illegal but profitable marketing operation. The history of fencing activities is described with a focus on the case of Jonathan Wild, a man believed to be the “father” of criminal receiving. Then modern fencing activities are portrayed on the basis of three landmark sociological studies. Finally, public policy implications are delineated with an emphasis on reducing illicit marketing activities by fences.
Intended and Unintended Consequences of Warning Messages: A Review and Synthesis of Empirical Research
Authors: Stewart David W. , Martin Ingrid M.
Published: January 2019

The authors review the diverse literature on the effects of product warnings. They conclude that warnings inform rather than persuade consumers and consumers selectively attend to warning messages. They also examine research on potential warning message ineffectiveness due to frequent use and on possible reactive behavior induced by warning messages. They conclude that greater caution in the design of warning messages is needed because of the multiple effects of warnings and the varying responses of different groups of consumers. Furthermore, they suggest that warning messages should be designed using empirical research rather than expert opinion or judgment.
Bill Collectors and Consumers: A Troublesome Exchange Relationship
Authors: Hill Ronald Paul
Published: January 2019

The author examines the interface between bill collectors and consumers through the use of in-depth interviews. One important result is a profile of both bill collectors and consumer debtors that includes an understanding of their beliefs and attitudes toward as well as reactions to each other. To develop this profile, details of the debt collection process, including the activities of bill collectors, the reactions of consumers, and their resulting relationship, are provided. The author closes with public policy implications, further research opportunities, and broader implications for marketers.
The Influence of Summary Information on the Usage of Nutrition Information
Authors: Viswanathan Madhubalan
Published: January 2019

The author assesses whether a type of reference information that provides a summary description of all available brands on a product attribute, such as the average fat content of all brands of ice-cream bars, facilitates consumer usage of nutrition information. He examines summary information in the form of the average value and range of values of all available brands on an attribute. Hypotheses are generated and assessed across two experiments to test the proposition that numerical nutrition information will be used to a greater degree by consumers when it is presented with summary information than without. The findings point to the importance of summary information in facilitating the usage of nutrition information by consumers and the need for further research in this area. In addition, the author also examines the effect of verbal presentations of nutrition information in light of the descriptive nature of verbal information that allows its interpretation without summary information. Verbal presentations of nutrition information were found to lead to a greater degree of usage of such information than numerical presentations, suggesting the importance of verbal presentations in facilitating the usage of nutrition information.
Public Sector Promotion of U.S. Export Activity: A Review and Directions for the Future
Authors: Cavusgil S. Tamer , Yeoh Poh-Lin
Published: January 2019

Public sector promotion of export activity is gaining increasing importance in the face of the ongoing quest for global competitiveness and growing expenditures for such activity by individual states and the federal government. What are the principles of effective export promotion and assistance programs? What should be the features of a comprehensive public sector initiative to stimulate exports? Drawing from experience of past programs in the United States and other countries, the authors attempt to shed light on these questions.
Enhancing Consumer Involvement in Health Care: The Dynamics of Control, Empowerment, and Trust
Authors: Roth Martin S.
Published: January 2019

The author presents a value-based model of consumer involvement and preventive health care behavior. Through in-depth interviews, consumer views were elicited on three health care policy issues—health information use, the patient-physician relationship, and health compliance. Value maps are developed that explain the motivations and desired outcomes underlying consumer health care involvement and behavior. The author discusses the dynamics of control, empowerment, and trust and introduces a value-based conceptual model of health care involvement and preventive behavior incorporating these values. He concludes by offering implications for enhancing comsumer involvement in social marketing health care programs.
Not in Vogue: Portrayals of Asian Americans in Magazine Advertising
Authors: Taylor Charles R. , Lee Ju Yung
Published: January 2019

A content analysis of magazine advertisements indicates that advertising portrayals of Asian Americans reflect commonly held stereotypes. In particular, Asian models (1) appear more frequently in advertisements for technology-based products than for products not based on technology, (2) appear far more frequently in the popular business press and popular science/mechanics publications than in women's or general interest magazines, (3) appear regularly in business settings, but are seldom shown in other settings, and (4) are depicted frequently as coworkers of other models in the ad but are seldom seen in family or social settings. Drawing on expectancy theory, the authors discuss potential negative impacts of these stereotypes being reinforced through advertising.
Hospital Outshopping and Perceptions of Quality: Implications for Public Policy
Authors: Gooding Sandra K. Smith
Published: January 2019

In view of health care reform's consumer-based choice, this research pursues an enhanced understanding of health care choice behavior, specifically hospital outshopping, the bypassing of local hospitals. Multivariate analysis of variance, cross-tabulation, and log-linear analyses of responses to a mail survey of rural residents of southern Illinois reveal the following: (1) Consumers’ quality perceptions play a central role in explaining hospital choice behavior, (2) Perceptions of low local hospital quality are held by both users and nonusers of local hospitals, and (3) Consumers’ behavioral intentions do not comport with past behavior. Health care policy should incorporate these findings.
Newspaper Policies on the Potential Merging of Advertising and News Content
Authors: Lacher Kathleen T. , Rotfeld Herbert J.
Published: January 2019

Newspaper readers more readily trust news than advertising content. Therefore, journalists and media scholars consider it important that audiences can distinguish between news stories and advertisements. The authors collected survey responses from 321 daily newspapers on their standards for acceptable advertising for publication. The responses were analyzed to discover if advertising acceptance policies and practices reflect publications’ willingness to blur the lines between news and advertising sections. The data indicate that most newspapers are careful about letting advertisers pretend their messages are really news stories. In general, newspapers’ journalistic priorities for honesty influence their advertising policies. A few newspapers may use the editorial content to help sell advertising space and otherwise blur the lines between news and advertising content, but it is not a common and widespread problem.
Changes in Public Attitudes toward Alcohol Control Policies since the Warning Label Mandate of 1988
Authors: Kaskutas Lee A.
Published: January 2019

The author reports on changes in public attitudes toward alcohol control policies in the U.S. since the implementation of warning labels on alcoholic beverage containers, using general population survey data collected six months before and 18 months after implementation. Of the 13 policies assessed, only the warning label elicited sustained support in the intervening two years. Persons who reported seeing the label on a beverage container were twice as likely as others to support the warning label policy. More than half of the respondents believed warning labels are an effective way to change people's behavior, though supporters are split on the question of whether the label signals that alcohol is a dangerous product. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Immediate Effects of the Arizona Alcohol Warning Poster
Authors: Fenaughty Andrea M. , MacKinnon David P.
Published: January 2019

Exposure to, awareness of, beliefs about, and memory for the warning on the recently required Arizona alcohol warning poster were measured in a sample of college students before (N = 362) and after (N = 332) the legislation became effective on January 1, 1992. The introduction of the warning poster was associated with greater exposure, awareness, and memory. The authors found inconsistent evidence for an association between the introduction of the warning poster and beliefs. Secular trends did not appear to be responsible for these changes.
Marketing Ethics: Onward toward Greater Expectations
Authors: Laczniak Gene R.
Published: January 2019

This article introduces a set of articles selected for this special JPP&M “Symposium on Marketing Ethics.” It also provides a brief overview of the evolution of marketing ethics research during the past decade. Several suggestions for the future development of marketing ethics research are advanced and discussed.
Information Technology, Marketing Practice, and Consumer Privacy: Ethical Issues
Authors: Foxman Ellen R. , Kilcoyne Paula
Published: January 2019

Marketers’ use of the new information technologies has provided the opportunity for improved market segmentation and target marketing. However, the profession faces ethical conflicts because application of these technologies commonly invades consumer privacy. The authors examine the ethical dimensions of marketing practice in relation to consumer privacy. The meaning of privacy in a marketing context is explored and specific marketing threats to consumer privacy are described. After examining current and potential mechanisms to safeguard consumer privacy, the authors conclude that marketers must make an active commitment to ethical behavior in this area if restrictive legislation is to be avoided.
When Experts Disagree: Comments on the Articles by Jacoby and Szybillo and Stewart
Authors: Sudman Seymour
Published: January 2019

The author discusses the more general lessons that can be learned from Jacoby and Szybillo's (1995) and Stewart's (1995) articles on the Federal Trade Commission v. Kraft, Inc. (1991) case. The lessons relate to issues of materiality, definitions of the universe, context effects, and questionnaire wording. Because of the complexity of questionnaire design, it is not surprising that experts will disagree, and such disagreements need not lead to reductions in public confidence about consumer surveys.
Race and Ideology: African-American Images in Television Advertising
Authors: Bristor Julia M. , Lee Renée Gravois , Hunt Michelle R.
Published: January 2019

Although the numerical representation of African-Americans in contemporary television advertising has improved in recent years, the authors’ analysis illustrates how the potentially positive effects of including more African-Americans in advertisements are often mitigated by subtle racist elements that suggest African-American inferiority. Using an interpretive approach, the authors cast the problem within a framework of racism as ideology, that is, the dominant white ideology pervading the advertising industry. Their discussion of six themes identified in their analysis of prime-time television commercials serves to highlight problematic images of African-Americans that continue to persist in contemporary advertising. In the spirit of self-regulation, the authors suggest actions that the advertising industry can take to present more positive and varied portrayals of minority populations.
Immigrant Consumers: Marketing and Public Policy Considerations in the Global Economy
Authors: Peñaloza Lisa
Published: January 2019

The author addresses marketing and public policy implications stemming from the presence of Mexican immigrant consumers in the United States economy. Their transnational consumption experiences raise a number of policy issues as the result of cultural differences in language, currency, processes of identity formation, and relations with others. In addition, the author discusses more general social issues regarding the significance of marketing activities situated at the nexus of consumption and labor in the global economy.
Recovering Addicts’ Responses to the Cinematic Portrayal of Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Authors: Hirschman Elizabeth C. , McGriff Joyce A.
Published: January 2019

Marketing researchers are turning increased attention toward major social problems, such as homelessness, compulsive purchasing, and abortion. The authors extend these efforts by establishing some initial guidelines for the therapeutic use of motion pictures in drug rehabilitation programs. Recovering addicts evaluated four films that depicted drug addiction and alcoholism, using rating scales and personal commentary. Working with counselors and administrators, the authors discuss their responses and make suggestions regarding treatment programs.
The Vulnerability of those Grieving the Death of a Loved One: Implications for Public Policy
Authors: Gentry James W. , Kennedy Patricia F. , Paul Katherine , Hill Ronald Paul
Published: January 2019

The death of a loved one causes a deterioration in decision-making skills at a time when new decision roles may be required and financial resources suddenly constricted or increased. The authors investigate this phenomenon by studying grievers’ interfaces with the marketplace to uncover how rituals help grievers cope with their desire to avoid decision making. The authors interview survivors and persons who interact with grievers on a regular basis. Although most of the transactions discussed were ethical and honest, there were some cases of insensitivity and overcharging or mischarging. The authors note that underlying the post-death transactions was the grievers’ desire to withdraw from them, which indicates their reduced awareness of what transpired during the transactions. They conclude with recommendations for service providers and an appeal for broadened legislation.
Researching Sensitive Topics in Marketing: The Special Case of Vulnerable Populations
Authors: Hill Ronald Paul
Published: January 2019

The author purposes to stimulate discussion on the unique dilemmas experienced by public policy researchers in marketing, who investigate sensitive topics with vulnerable populations. After a brief description of what constitutes sensitive research, the author discusses the impact of this sensitivity on the conduct of such investigations. He then examines how findings should be disseminated to audiences beyond the academic realm and concludes with a call for research using a critical theory perspective.
Understanding Household Garbage Reduction Behavior: A Test of an Integrated Model
Authors: Taylor Shirley , Todd Peter
Published: January 2019

The authors examine the antecedents of household garbage reduction behavior in the context of an integrated waste management behavior model. This model incorporates a wide variety of important factors from previous research on environmental behavior into a single theoretical framework provided by the Theory of Planned Behavior. The model was tested using data from a sample of over 1400 individual respondents, each of whom completed a survey and a two-week diary of his or her waste management behaviors. Overall, the results suggest that this model fits the data well and provides significant insight into the factors that influence waste reduction behavior. The authors draw public policy implications from the results.
Increasing Environmental Sensitivity via Workplace Experiences
Authors: Berger Ida E. , Kanetkar Vinay
Published: January 2019

The authors examine the extent to which environmentally sensitive behavior at the workplace facilitates the translation of proenvironmental attitudes into consumer choices. They take advantage of a naturally occurring quasi-experiment in workplace experience and use a conjoint choice task to measure consumer behavior. The results indicate that (1) consumers are influenced by environmental attributes, (2) experience and level of concern moderate the influence of environmental attributes, (3) the effects of experience and concern are more than just additive, and (4) experience can facilitate environmentally conscious behavior among those with high levels of environmental concern by reducing their sensitivity to the effect of brand name. The authors conclude with implications for activists, public policymakers, and marketing managers.
Improving Pricing Accuracy at the Supermarket: Electronic Shelving Systems and Public Policy
Authors: Goodstein Ronald C. , Escalas Jennifer Edson
Published: January 2019

Recent government inquiries, media reports, and academic studies have focused consumers’ and public policymakers’ attention on the issue of scanner pricing inaccuracy. The authors focus on what can and is being done in response to this problem. They review the legal, regulatory, and legislative response to scanner pricing inaccuracies and report the results of a study that empirically examines the efficiency of one strategy being used by legislators and retailers in reaction to the scanner accuracy issue, namely, electronic shelving systems (ESS). The results of actual purchases are used to calculate error rates and reveal that both overring and underring rates are significantly lower for stores employing scanner systems and ESS than those employing scanners alone.
A Quasi Experiment to Assess the Consumer and Informational Determinants of Nutrition Information Processing Activities: The Case of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act
Authors: Moorman Christine
Published: January 2019

The author reports a longitudinal quasi experiment that uses the implementation of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) to examine the consumer and information determinants of nutrition information processing activities. Over 1000 consumers from balanced demographic, geographic, and site categories and across 20 different product categories were observed and surveyed within a supermarket setting. Findings suggest that consumers acquired and comprehended more nutrition information following the introduction of the new labels. The NLEA did not, however, always influence these outcomes irrespective of individual consumer differences. Specifically, the new nutrition labels were comprehensible to consumers with varying levels of motivation and most types of nutrition knowledge. However, the new labels appeared to widen consumer differences in terms of how much nutrition information was actually acquired—more motivated consumers and less skeptical consumers acquired more information after the NLEA was passed. Finally, consistent with the NLEA's apparent ability to reduce comprehension differences, the new labels narrowed comprehension differences across healthy and unhealthy products. In contrast, the NLEA widened differences in nutrition information acquisition in favor of unhealthy product categories. These results have implications for public health gains, as well as for the degree to which nutrition may become the basis for competition in unhealthy product categories.
Patterns in Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Print Advertising and Their Public Policy Implications
Authors: Roth Martin S.
Published: January 2019

Through a content analysis, the author identifies several patterns in direct-to-consumer prescription drug print advertisements. In general, many of the advertised brands are market leaders within their therapeutic class, are targeted at a broad patient base, and are relatively new drugs used for chronic and frequently occurring diseases. Most of the disease states and associated symptoms and treatments for which prescription drugs are advertised to consumers are easily understood relative to other diseases. Thus, the advertisements attempt to communicate information about diseases and products that consumers are likely to understand. Pharmacists’ assessments of advertising information content reveals that the majority of advertisements present a “fair balance” of benefit and risk information but occasionally omit information that may be useful to consumers. The author concludes by discussing public policy and social marketing implications for the FDA, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and medical advertising agencies.
Can a Marketing Campaign be used to Achieve Public Policy Goals?
Authors: Jones Russell W. , Marshall Carolyn , Bergman Thomas P.
Published: January 2019

It is the policy of the United States as a whole as well as the individual states themselves that children receive the appropriate immunizations at the proper ages. Public health officials in Oklahoma used a marketing campaign to increase the likelihood that parents would have their children immunized by age two. The Due By Two campaign, spearheaded by the Oklahoma's first lady, Rhonda Walters, was a unique part of a nationwide effort aimed at increasing childhood immunization rates. The authors examine the results achieved and the cost involved in the Oklahoma campaign.
The Importance of Consumer Market Interactions as a Form of Social Support for Elderly Consumers
Authors: Kang Yong-Soon , Ridgway Nancy M.
Published: January 2019

Elderly consumers are often without adequate social support. Shopping habits may have significant implications for these consumers’ mental and physical welfare. When shopping is seen, at least partly, as a social activity, consumer-market interactions become a widely available substitute for true or traditional social support. By introducing the century-old social support literature and Integrating it with more recent consumer behavior and relationship marketing literature, the authors propose a conceptual framework that delineates the consumer health implications of shopping behavior. On the basis of this diverse literature, they propose several testable propositions. Additionally, they discuss public policy implications and future research directions.
Toward Understanding the Measurement of Market Efficiency
Authors: Ratchford Brian T. , Agrawal Jagdish , Grimm Pamela E. , Srinivasan Narasimhan
Published: January 2019

A variety of measures have been proposed in the literature to assess market efficiency and resulting losses to consumers. The authors provide an integrated review and summary of the findings in this body of literature. They critically examine properties of different measures of efficiency and discuss strengths and weaknesses of each measure. They also assess the theoretical linkage of each of the measures with the concept of market efficiency, and empirically study the relationships between measures. The authors conclude with guidelines regarding the appropriate use of these measures and suggest several areas for further research.
Environmental Organization Alliance Relationships within and across Nonprofit, Business, and Government Sectors
Authors: Milne George R. , Iyer Easwar S. , Gooding-Williams Sara
Published: January 2019

Alliances are being used by environmental organizations to achieve their mission of improving the natural environment. Many of these alliances have been formed within the nonprofit sector, whereas others have been formed across economic sectors with government agencies and businesses as partners. The authors discuss two studies that examine differences among alliances formed by environmental organizations with (1) government agencies, (2) for-profit businesses, and (3) other environmental organizations. In Study 1, which is based on a national survey of environmental organizations, they examine the relative effectiveness, formality, influence, and political position associated with different types of alliances. In Study 2, they further explore these relationships through in-depth telephone interviews of a subsample of respondents drawn from Study I. Both studies contribute to the understanding of nonprofit alliance relationships and their role in influencing environmental policy and market behavior.
The Industry Effects of Information and Regulation in the Cigarette Market: 1950–1965
Authors: Scheraga Carl , Calfee John E.
Published: January 2019

The authors investigate the historical effects of information and advertising regulation in the cigarette market. Their method is a series of event analyses, which examines patterns of stock returns of major cigarette sellers during six crucial event periods in the years between 1950 and 1965. They find that the “cancer scare” of 1950, the episode of fear advertising in 1953–54, and the 1962 report by the British Royal College of Physicians adversely affected the market valuations of the companies; however, the 1964 Surgeon General's report and subsequent labeling laws had no significant effect on the stock returns. They also find that the cessation of fear advertising, coincident with FTC policy guides prohibiting such claims, and the FTC-engineered ban on tar and nicotine advertising brought recovery in stock returns, but favored large firms over small firms.
The FDA's Proposed Rules Regulating Tobacco and Underage Smoking and the Commercial Speech Doctrine
Authors: Petty Ross D. , McKay Sandra E. , Dundas Mary Jane , Yeargain John W.
Published: January 2019

The authors examine the FDA's proposed regulations restricting the advertising of tobacco products in an attempt to determine if the four-prong test in Central Hudson and Electric Corporation v. Public Service Commission (1980) is met. On the basis of previous court decisions regarding commercial speech, the authors suggest that the proposed advertising restrictions should withstand constitutional challenge. Implications for marketing professionals are discussed.
Marketing and Minority Civil Rights: The Case of Amendment 2 and the Colorado Boycott
Authors: Hill Ronald Paul , Sen Sankar
Published: January 2019

The position marketers adopt on minority civil rights issues can have significant economic consequences. Consequently, marketers are faced with the complex task of ascertaining whether and how to adopt a position on particular minority civil rights legislations, while trying to gauge the effect of that position on their stakeholders and profits. The author examines the confluence of marketing and minority civil rights by considering the case of Amendment 2 and the ensuing Colorado boycott. He traces the events that led up to Amendment 2, describes the consumer backlash that followed, and assesses the economic impact of the boycott. He then discusses the lessons proffered by the Colorado case to marketers regarding their involvement and possible role in this domain of public policy.