bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Marketing Energy Conservation to Homeowners: An Action Program from Public Policy Research
Authors: Rudelius William , Weijo Richard , Dodge Gary
Published: January 2019

Energy conservation appeals to homeowners stressing patriotism and social responsibility have not worked. The authors believe that more precise information for the homeowner showing the specific dollar costs and savings for various energy actions will stimulate meaningful, beneficial trade-offs for the individual. They further believe that broadly conceived, publicly sponsored marketing strategies can help individual consumers make more informed energy-conservation choices from among the continuous, seasonal, and one-time actions available to them. If public policymakers focus efforts on the most cost-effective, energy-saving actions for households, the community will receive the greatest energy savings for a fixed amount of public expenditures.
The Ability of Children to Understand the Product Package: A Study of Limitations Imposed by Cognitive Developmental Stage
Authors: Soldow Gary F.
Published: January 2019

Based on cognitive developmental theory, this study examined children's understanding of the product package in terms of size. Using a laboratory experiment with specially designed product packages, it was found that younger, preoperational children expect the package to be a determinant of the size of its contained object. Further, many children within this group did not understand the proportional relationship between package size and consumption need. Older, concrete operational children appeared to understand package size. In addition to cognitive stage, the mediating effects of ethnicity and social class were examined.
Advertising Self-Regulation: Private Government and Agent of Public Policy
Authors: Boddewyn J. J.
Published: January 2019

Advertising self-regulation as a form of private government is being recognized as a valid complement to government regulation in a growing number of countries. It is also being increasingly integrated into public policy as more governments refer to its standards, participate in its functioning, and even promote and supervise it.
Misleading Advertising: In Search of a Measurement Methodology
Authors: Grunert Klaus G. , Dedler Konrad
Published: January 2019

Based on theoretical and policy considerations, two criteria for a feasible procedure to detect misleading advertising are derived. Current concepts for detecting misleading advertising are reviewed and found wanting with respect to these criteria. Due to the orientation toward cases, misleading advertising can be detected only in specific instances, while judgments about a certain ad's capacity to mislead still must be made on intuitive grounds. A different procedure is presented, the misleading components approach, that aims at detecting certain types of misleading messages which might be found in many advertisements, thus avoiding the problems associated with case-oriented methodologies. Results are reported from a pilot study that show that it is possible to identify misleading components in advertising.
Assessing Social Impacts of New Products: An Attempt to Operationalize the Macromarketing Concept
Authors: Upah Gregory D. , Wokutch Richard E.
Published: January 2019

This paper outlines an approach to operationalizing the macromarketing concept for new product marketing decisions. A decision rule which explicitly assesses the impacts of potential new products on the firm's various publics is proposed. The advantages of this approach over other corporate decision rules and over social audits are discussed.
Legal Issues in Channels Modification Decisions: The Question of Refusals to Deal
Authors: Scammon Debra L. , Sheffet Mary Jane
Published: January 2019

Effective distribution management can be a source of increased efficiency and profitability for many manufacturers. The ability to modify channels of distribution to cope with changing market conditions is essential to effective marketing management yet modification may be beset with problems. The elimination or replacement of current dealers by a manufacturer, usually termed a “refusal to deal,” often raises antitrust allegations. Recent federal cases illuminating the courts’ reasoning regarding the legality of such refusals to deal are discussed and recommendations for manufacturers to adopt when making channels changes to minimize antitrust liability are suggested.
“Pre-Testing” Jurors’ Reactions to Corporate Marketing Decisions
Authors: Gelb Betsy D. , Cheney J. Richard
Published: January 2019

Marketing decisions are constrained by numerous laws, but the applications of those laws are often ambiguous. Now, this article suggests, a research technique can offer decision makers before-the-fact guidance on what a jury would say if a decision under consideration led to a lawsuit.
Affirmative Disclosure at the FTC: Strategic Dimensions
Authors: Wilkie William L.
Published: January 2019

This paper builds on previous work by the author on a framework for understanding affirmative action orders by the FTC. Specifically, this paper moves from the abstract level of goals, objectives, and outcomes of these orders toward the pragmatic level of operational decisions for structuring the disclosure. The strategic aspects of these orders provide a group of general decisions which set the direction and basic form of the orders. These strategic decisions are discussed in detail in this paper.
Animated Host-Selling Advertisements: Their Impact on Young Children's Recognition, Attitudes, and Behavior
Authors: Hoy Mariea Grubbs , Young Clifford E. , Mowen John C.
Published: January 2019

The use of program characters to promote products (host selling) was investigated in an experiment. Two variables were manipulated: 1) whether the commercial character was the same as or different than the program character and, 2) the position of the commercial relative to the program. The results revealed that young children, aged three to seven, could distinguish a host-selling commercial from programming. Additionally, the commercial's location relative to the program affected their ability to recognize the commercial. Finally, the children experienced greater positive attitude change toward the advertised product when they viewed a nonhost-selling as compared to a host-selling commercial.
Consumer “Confusion” of Origin and Brand Similarity Perceptions
Authors: Loken Barbara , Ross Ivan , Hinkle Ronald L.
Published: January 2019

Results of a laboratory study show the similarity in physical appearance of two brands (e.g. a store brand and a national brand) is significantly related to consumer perceptions of a common business origin between them. Other factors, particularly the actual origin of the two brands, also contributed to perceptions of common origin. Legal implications are discussed.
Home as an Electronic Marketplace: The Consumer Protection and Public Policy Issues
Authors: Shapiro Stanley J.
Published: January 2019

Although market and technology-related aspects of videotex have for some years received considerable attention, consumer protection and public policy dimensions have been relatively neglected. This paper is an attempt to help rectify that imbalance. Thirty consumer protection and public policy issues related either to the use of videotex systems for promotion, purchasing, and payment or to the management of such systems are identified, and the relative significance and possible methods of solving the problems which are identified are commented upon.
Dealing with Children's Advertising: Public Policy Issues and Alternatives
Authors: Armstrong Gary M. , Brucks Merrie
Published: January 2019

Resolving recent children's television advertising concerns about overcommercialization and the use of so-called “program-length commercials” promises to be a complex, protracted, costly, and frustrating process characterized by political maneuvering and conflict. The eventual outcome may well be a partial solution that is less than satisfactory to most of the participants. This article describes the current controversy, reviews broader children's advertising issues, and examines alternative solutions. It proposes the creation of a regulatory/self-regulatory organization in which all factions work together for better children's advertising.
Is There a Better way of Improving Compliance with the Tax Laws? Insights from the Philanthropic Literature
Authors: Harvey James W. , McCrohan Kevin F.
Published: January 2019

A problem for both philanthropic organizations and tax agencies is their shared dependence upon citizens to willingly accede to their call for general support. Comparison of the literature on philanthropic behavior and voluntary payment of taxes reveals the very different research perspectives which have been taken. This paper presents voluntary behavior as a subset of such broader behaviors as helping and compliance.
Michigan's Mandatory Beverage-Container-Deposit Law: Economic Effects of a Public Policy on Industry Sales
Authors: Sjolander Richard , Kakela Peter
Published: January 2019

The following is an estimate of the effect of mandatory beverage container deposit legislation, or “bottle bills” on beer sales. Demand models are defined over a thirty-year series for industry sales. Through the use of binary variables the effect of the legislation is shown to be negative, large, and significant.
Are Disclosures Sufficient? A Micro Analysis of Impact in the Financial Services Market
Authors: McAlexander James H. , Scammon Debra L.
Published: January 2019

Policymakers recognize that investments and investment decisions are vitally important to the financial stability of many families. Poor investment advice may result in decisions which may, in a literal sense, financially cripple a family. With the importance of investment decisions in mind, the purpose of this research is to explore the potential efficacy of public policy proposals designed to remedy the problems consumers have with the investment and financial services markets. To accomplish this purpose, this research takes a micro look at how consumers evaluate and choose investment services, a unique perspective for an impact evaluation.
The Informational Content of Cigarette Advertising: 1926–1986
Authors: Ringold Debra Jones , Calfee John E.
Published: January 2019

A content analysis of 568 cigarette ads during 1926–86 found that most explicit claims (i.e., statements) are about health, construction, and taste. Consistent with theoretical predictions, and contrary to popular belief, health claims emphasized the negative health aspects of smoking, except when prevented by regulation. Moreover, emphasis in health claims corresponded to the dominant smoking-and-health fears of the time. Health-related claims came in two major waves, first in the late 1920s through the early 1950s, reaching a peak during the cancer scare of the early 1950s, and then again after 1966, when the FTC first allowed tar and nicotine claims, and later required tar and nicotine information and health warnings.
Promoting a Region for International Investment: An Integrated Marketing Program
Authors: Schuster Camille P. , Samli A. Coskun
Published: January 2019

The current view of marketing focuses on the exchange relationships used by both profit and nonprofit organizations. The research reported here examined a particular nonprofit marketing situation—states attracting direct foreign investment. The marketing strategy used by the top ten states in 1984 depends upon a reciprocal, dynamic process involving a strong internal network and emphasizing two-way communication with prospective investors, thereby supporting the claim that the external environment should have an important role in the marketing process. The results of this investigation also hare public policy implications for the ways in which a state agency can attract direct foreign investment.
The Evolution of Punitive Damages in Product Liability Litigation for Unprincipled Marketing Behavior
Authors: Morgan Fred W.
Published: January 2019

Punitive damages claims have increased substantially in the 1980s for both manufacturing and marketing practices, resulting in several well-publicized awards to injured consumers. In this article the current status of punitive damages for intentional marketing wrongdoing is reviewed. Likely future developments and suggestions for marketers are provided.
The Impact of Product Usage Warnings in Alcoholic Beverage Advertising
Authors: Smith Sandra J.
Published: January 2019

Warnings in alcoholic beverage advertising are a subject of increasing policy interest. An experiment uncovers communication capabilities of such warnings in television advertising—the likely future battleground for policymaking. Results indicate a positive communication potential for including warnings in television advertising for alcoholic beverages with varying effects based on message severity and transmission mode (audio versus video).
Advertising Prescription Drugs to the Public: Headache or Relief?
Authors: Sheffet Mary Jane , Kopp Steven W.
Published: January 2019

This paper explores the issue of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs. The viewpoints of the four major groups involved—pharmaceutical manufacturers, physicians, regulators and consumers—are discussed, the legal questions such advertising raises are examined and the costs and benefits of it are reviewed. Finally, some recommendations are developed to assist the two groups most actively involved: manufacturers and regulators.
Assimilation and Contrast Effects in Product Performance Perceptions: Implications for Public Policy
Authors: Bone Paula Fitzgerald , Shimp Terence A. , Sharma Subhash
Published: January 2019

Marketplace deception depends in large part on whether consumers assimilate or contrast exaggerated promotional claims following direct product experience. This paper develops a theory specifying the conditions when assimilation and contrast effects are most likely. It then presents results from three experiments that were designed with the specific intent of trapping the heretofore elusive contrast effect. The cumulative findings support the theoretical expectation that contrast is a rare perceptual bias in the domain of product performance perceptions. Public policy implications are discussed.
Predatory Practices in Competitive Interaction: Legal Limits and Antitrust Considerations
Authors: Gundlach Gregory T.
Published: January 2019

In this paper, the author examines competitive interaction in the form of predatory conduct and presents an overview of alternative strategies and current U.S. antitrust policy. Marketing has traditionally emphasized issues related to the reaction of consumers to marketing strategies. In contrast, the reactions and strategies of competitors toward one another have received less attention. A climate of mounting competitive intensity and an increasingly aggressive stance for marketing theory indicate that marketers should be aware of the nature and legal implications of these strategies.
A Comment on “Public Policy Issues in Health Claims for Foods
Authors: Silverglade Bruce A.
Published: January 2019

The regulation of nutrition information on food labels and in food advertising is one of the most important public health issues now pending before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Widely disparate recommendations have been made concerning how these two agencies should regulate the provision of such information. This comment responds to the views presented by Calfee and Pappalardo [1991], which rely on free market principles to provide such information. The views expressed by the authors represent a refinement of similar views expressed by the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Bureau of Economics and the Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection since 1984. Thus, this comment is not only a response to the preceding paper, but also represents a critique of FTC policy in this area.

Public health concerns underlying the need for better nutrition information in food labeling and advertising will be reviewed. Differing regulatory approaches to providing nutrition information through the inclusion of health claims on food labels will be analyzed by contrasting the requirements of the new Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) [1990] with the regulatory approach recommended by the authors. Several marketing campaigns for foods instituted prior to the enactment of the NLEA, and regulated in accordance with the recommendations of the authors will be reviewed. Reasons why the FTC should modify its current regulatory and enforcement policies regarding health claims and make them uniform with those followed by the FDA in accordance with the requirements of the NLEA will be given.
Games, Contests, and Sweepstakes Run Afoul: A State of Legal Disorder
Authors: Taylor Charles R. , Kopp Steven W.
Published: January 2019

The increased number of sweepstakes, contests, and games sponsored each year has been accompanied by a growing number of legal disputes. Analysis of the regulatory framework surrounding these promotional practices indicates that ambiguities and irregularities in the legal system are in part responsible for these disputes. This paper develops policy recommendations that are designed to reduce the number of conflicts by providing a more uniform regulatory plan.
Alcohol Warnings: How do you know when you have Had One Too Many?
Authors: Scammon Debra L. , Mayer Robert N. , Smith Ken R.
Published: January 2019

This study evaluates the impact of a new federal requirement that warnings appear on alcoholic beverage containers. The study uses multiple data points before and after implementation of the warning, as well as multiple dependent measures. The study also takes advantage of the special characteristics of one state, Utah, to create a non-equivalent, non-exposed comparison group. Based only on the study's first six waves of data collection (three pre-warning and three post-warning), the labels appear to have been noticed, but there is no evidence yet that perceptions of the risks of alcohol abuse or behavior have been altered in response to the alcohol labels.
Consumer Response to a Five-Year Campaign to Combat Air Pollution
Authors: Hutton R. Bruce , Ahtola Olli T.
Published: January 2019

Between 40 percent and 67 percent of the U.S. population breathes air that is unhealthful. The single largest source of air pollution is tail pipe emissions, accounting for 40 percent of all air pollution. This paper reports on the impact of a five-year program to reduce carbon monoxide in Denver, Colorado. Awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and intentons were affected positively by the program, but there was limited evidence of behavior change. Mandatory components (woodburning bans and use of oxygenated fuels in cars) produced significant reductions in carbon monoxide, while the voluntary component (reduced driving) produced only marginal change.
Characterizing Participants in Activities Protecting the Environment: A Focus on Donating, Recycling, and Conservation Behaviors
Authors: Granzin Kent L. , Olsen Janeen E.
Published: January 2019

This study characterizes participants in three related, but different environmental protection activities. The activities studied here are donating items for reuse, recycling newspapers, and walking when possible for reasons of conservation and environmental concern. The findings indicate that demographic, media usage patterns, information sources, and knowledge provide modest understanding of environmental protection activities. Participation can be better understood in terms of personal values and when aspects of helping behavior are considered. The empirical findings of this study provide policymakers with insights into how environmental protection activities can best be promoted
Using Benefit Segmentation to Influence Environmental Legislation: A Bottle Bill Application
Authors: Pilling Bruce K. , Crosby Lawrence A. , Ellen Pam Scholder
Published: January 2019

The application of benefit segmentation to public policy formation is addressed by examining its use in understanding differences in voter behavior on a container law referendum. Using evaluations of the potential benefits, costs, and incentives of container laws—“bottle bills”—six clusters were identified which differed on both attitudinal and behavioral dimensions. The results indicate that benefit-based cluster solutions can provide important strategic implications for understanding and influencing voting behavior.
Changing Garbage Disposal Patterns of Consumers: Motivation, Ability, and Performance
Authors: Pieters Rik G.M.
Published: January 2019

The role of consumer behavior in the recycling and special treatment of garbage is analyzed in three steps. The first step focuses on the production and consumption cycle. Four recycling chains and one special treatment chain, as well as the role of consumers in these chains, are discussed. The second step concerns the specific decisions of consumers that lead to their continued participation in waste separation programs. The third step deals with the determinants of these decisions. Results from research on the participation of consumers in waste separation programs in the Netherlands and Germany illustrate the application of the three-step approach. Conclusions and recommendations for public policy are formulated.
The Role of Perceived Consumer Effectiveness in Motivating Environmentally Conscious Behaviors
Authors: Ellen Pam Scholder , Wiener Joshua Lyle , Cobb-Walgren Cathy
Published: January 2019

While perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) has consistently been linked to socially conscious attitudes, the concept appears to have been confounded with other related constructs in the empirical studies measuring its effects on behavior. In addition, the few studies which have considered the effects of PCE on reported behavior have done so only in aggregate. This research demonstrates that PCE is distinct from environmental concern and contributes uniquely to the prediction of certain pro-ecological behaviors. In addition, differences in PCE are shown to be associated with differences in demographics and political affiliation. The results suggest that motivating consumers to express their concern through actual behavior is to some extent a function of increasing their perception that individual actions do make a difference.
Hazardous Exports: An Update and a Framework for Policy
Authors: Albers Nancy D. , Gelb Betsy D.
Published: January 2019

Harvey [1988b] described the problem of U.S. exports of dangerous pesticides which are banned domestically. This paper shows that the problem extends to other categories of goods, particularly pharmaceuticals, and that developments since 1988, specifically the London Guidelines, offer no panacea but do provide a framework for regulation.
Factors Affecting Attitudes among Buying-Center Members toward Adoption of an Ecologically-Related Regulatory Alternative: A New Application of Organizational Theory to a Public Policy Issue
Authors: Apaiwongse Tom Suraphol
Published: January 2019

Little attention has been focused on the application of industrial marketing to macro-marketing theory, and only recently have academics become concerned with issues in ecology and business-government interface. Additionally, marketing theory and practice have centered on exchange between buyers and sellers in a consumer market; unfortunately the exchange paradigm has rarely been applied to the roles played by business and government as buyer and seller, respectively. This interdisciplinary study investigates industrial buying-center members’ attitudes toward the adoption of an ecologically-related government policy, currently known as the “Bubble.” The study explores the business-government interaction under economic incentive and political market domains. This article also point to one neglected area—the application of group dimension to the public policy issue in marketing. Guided by ecological marketing and diffusion theory, 42 firms involved in the Bubble policy project were surveyed. Findings suggest that benefit and uncertainty about the policy, as well as structure and climate of the buying-centers, were significant predictors of a firm's attitude toward adopting the policy.
Governance in Exchange: Contract Law and Its Alternatives
Authors: Gundlach Gregory T. , Achrol Ravi S.
Published: January 2019

Conceptual debate centering on the efficacious nature of contract law for regulating exchange has prompted recent emphasis on alternative modes of governance. The emergence of this interest has been bolstered in marketing through current focus on exchange relationships versus transactions. Scholars in both marketing and law are examining the use of varying forms of integration, self-interest stakes (i.e., credible commitments), social norms, ethics, effects of reputation, and other governance elements. The authors examine this trend and empirically investigate factors relating to the use of different governance approaches and their interrelationships. In particular, a simulated channel environment is used to test hypotheses relating to the effect of environmental uncertainty, relational interaction, and the interrelationship of different governance mechanisms (i.e., hierarchical authority and social norms). The authors report on the conceptual foundations and methodology underlying this research along with key results and implications for public policy and marketing. Their findings provide insight for informing policy underlying contract law and antitrust.
New Food Labeling Regulations and the Flow of Nutrition Information to Consumers
Authors: Ippolito Pauline M. , Mathios Alan D.
Published: January 2019

The policy debate over producers’ role in disseminating nutrition information to consumers has culminated in the passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA), which requires the Food and Drug Administration to implement sweeping changes in the regulations governing food labeling. The authors summarize the major features of the new labeling regulations and examine their likely impacts on the flow of nutrition information to consumers, using USDA nutrition data for a wide variety of foods consumed in 1989. Their analysis indicates that, though much in the new labeling rules is likely to improve consumer information, a number of important features of the rules raise concerns that the provision of key types of information that could be used to improve food choices will be deterred. The authors attempt to highlight those issues for which evidence would be most useful in informing the policy debate as the labeling rules are refined and food advertising policy is adapted to harmonize with the labeling rules.
Market Share Liability: An Analysis since Sindell
Authors: Scammon Debra L. , Sheffet Mary Jane
Published: January 2019

The market share liability (MSL) theory generated much concern among marketers when it was introduced in the Sindell case in California in 1980. In the twelve years since that decision, courts in several states have considered the applicability of MSL in a variety of situations and have refined the theory considerably. This paper surveys key cases since 1980 and concludes that MSL has been upheld only by a handful of states and only in cases involving diethylstilbestrol (DES). The issues raised in Sindell and the ways in which courts have dealt with these issues are examined, and a policy solution for the recurring problems is proposed.
An Empirical Analysis of Outcome Biases in Constituent Evaluations of Public Policy Decision Makers
Authors: Mowen John C. , Stone Thomas H.
Published: January 2019

This research empirically investigated a phenomenon that may influence the exchange relationship between public policy makers and consumers—the tendency of consumers to exhibit an outcome bias in their evaluations of a public policy maker who makes a decision under uncertainty. An outcome bias occurs when evaluators assess performance based upon the outcome of the decision rather than upon the quality of the decision itself The results of the study revealed that outcome and decision appropriateness information interacted to influence the evaluation of a public policy decision maker, thereby supporting a “weak form” of the outcome bias phenomenon. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of public policy makers marketing their decisions by publicizing the process through which decisions are made.
The Effect of a Class Action Suit on Consumer Attitudes
Authors: Doren Doris Van , Peyrot Mark , Smith Louise , Thomas Susan
Published: January 2019

This article examines post purchase dissatisfaction caused by a class action suit and the resultant settlement. The findings indicate that participants in a consumer class action suit have more negative attitudes than nonparticipants and that their attitudes are further affected by their perceptions of the violation and the redress offered. The article concludes with implications for public policymakers and companies affected by class action suits.
“Crafty Advertisers”: Literary versus Literal Deceptiveness
Authors: Stern Barbara B.
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this paper is to use literary theory to extend prior categorizations of message claims that are likely to result in deception by implication from the level of the individual claim to that of the advertisement's overall meaning. The paper will first summarize three literary forms that advertising has adapted—metonymy, irony, and absurdity—and discuss each in terms of how form and content interact to yield the whole verbal meaning of a text. These forms can be used to structure an ad so that the totality misleads the consumer by perverting meaning in three different ways. Metonymy can mislead by adding multiple meanings; irony, by hiding doubled meanings; and absurdism, by conveying subjectively ambiguous meanings. Advertising examples will be presented in the discussion. The paper will conclude with research suggestions for gaining greater understanding of how artistic creativity can be balanced with the public policy need to protect the consumer from deception by innuendo.
Communicating Radon Risks Effectively: The Maryland Experience
Authors: Desvousges William H. , Smith V. Kerry , Rink Hillery H.
Published: January 2019

The authors address the effectiveness of two pilot programs for encouraging radon testing: a targeted mass media approach and mass media combined with a community-based implementation program. To measure the effectiveness of these radon risk communication efforts, they used a design that included three Maryland communities with high radon concentrations. Hagerstown received an integrated radon risks/testing media campaign during the winter heating season. Frederick received the same media campaign but also received a community outreach program that included presentations and posters. Randallstown served as the comparison community with no special radon risk testing information. Pre- and post-campaign telephone surveys with 500 randomly selected homeowners were conducted in each area. The post-campaign surveys included an additional independent sample of 500 homeowners in each area to test for presensitization bias. Frederick, which received both the community-based program and the media program, had a 15-percentage-point increase in attitudes favorable toward radon testing, 15-percentage-point increase in knowledge, and an 8.2-percentage-point increase in testing in comparison with Randallstown, the control community. Hagerstown, which received only the media program, had an 8-percentage-point increase in favorable attitudes. There was no detectable increase in testing in Hagerstown.
A Marketing Approach for Measuring Product Market Differentiation and Concentration in Antitrust Cases
Authors: Milne George R.
Published: January 2019

Product differentiation is a reality in today's consumer markets and warrants further study in antitrust analysis because product differentiation increases market power. Currently the FTC and Department of Justice rely on the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI) to detect market power. However, the HHI is not sensitive to product market differentiation. The author uses marketing tools of market structure analysis to propose a new measure of concentration, the market concentration index (MCI), that reflects product market differentiation. The rationale for the new measure is based on marketing theory, antitrust court opinion, and the antitrust economics literature. MCI is compared with HHI and is shown to have several practical and theoretical advantages. The 1986 proposed mergers in the carbonated soda market are analyzed by means of both measures. The empirical work demonstrates MCI's ability for detecting changes in product market differentiation.
Collaborative Relationships: Legal Limits and Antitrust Considerations
Authors: Gundlach Gregory T. , Mohr Jakki J.
Published: January 2019

Competitors are increasingly relying on collaborative relationships guided by intermediate forms of governance (i.e., strategic alliances, hybrids, networks) to find and maintain competitive advantages. In contrast, antitrust analysis has emphasized cartels and joint ventures as the primary modes of collaboration among competitors. This focus overlooks many intermediate forms of governance. This and other trends in antitrust have resulted in confusion over proper treatment of collaborative relationships. The authors examine these trends with the objective of developing an analytical framework that clarifies current law for horizontal collaboration. Implications for managerial practice, policy, and research are provided.
A Segmentation Analysis of Prescription Drug Information-Seeking Motives among the Elderly
Authors: Morris Louis A. , Tabak Ellen R. , Olins Nancy J.
Published: January 2019

A study was done to determine why elderly users of hypertension medication seek or avoid prescription drug information. Subjects were users of the American Association of Retired Persons Pharmacy Service who returned a questionnaire that measured theoretically relevant motivations and corresponding knowledge and behaviors. Analysis indicated four distinct segments of information seekers: the ambivalent learners, who viewed themselves as vulnerable to negative health information, not particularly healthy, but receptive to drug information; the uncertain patients, who perceived difficulty adhering to the regimen and reported low levels of information receipt from health professionals; the risk avoiders, who viewed information-seeking as a risk-control coping strategy; and the assertively self-reliant, who were the least receptive to information about their medication. The authors postulate different message strategies that could be targeted to these four segments in response to their informational needs.
The Production, Marketing, and Consumption of Sexually Explicit Material: Alternative Philosophies
Authors: Muncy James A.
Published: January 2019

Gould does a commendable job of presenting the issues surrounding the production, marketing, and distribution of sexually explicit material from the liberal or libertarian perspective. Though widely held (particularly among academicians), that perspective is not necessarily compatible with other widely held views. The author discusses alternative perspectives for addressing this sensitive public policy issue.
The Legal Status of Trade and Functional Price Discounts
Authors: Spriggs Mark T. , Nevin John R.
Published: January 2019

An increasing number of firms have integrated beyond traditional retailer-wholesaler boundaries and now sell the same product through two or more structurally different channel systems. As a result, the historically synonymous definitions for trade and functional price discounts are becoming obsolete. If regulatory agencies continue to use these obsolete definitions, enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act becomes confused and distributive innovation is inhibited. A price discount's definition determines who is (and is not) entitled to the discount, so the definition is a key starting point for analyzing a discount's competitive effect, which is the primary test under the Robinson-Patman Act. Regulatory agencies should be conscious of the pro-competitive effects of price discounts and follow an enforcement policy that encourages both competition and innovation. The authors clarify trade and functional price discount terminology, discuss the role those discounts play in developing more efficient channel systems, review the existing defenses to price discrimination charges, and conclude with a recommendation for an explicitly recognized availability defense for these types of channel-based price discounts.
Switch Drugs Vis-à-Vis Rx and OTC: Policy, Marketing, and Research Considerations
Authors: Hoy Mariea Grubbs
Published: January 2019

The over-the-counter drug market is expected to nearly double in sales from 1990 to 2000, attributed primarily to a growing product class: prescription drugs that are “switched” to over-the-counter status. The author presents a framework in which to compare and contrast switch drugs with prescription and over-the-counter drugs by evaluating them in light of health and safety, economic, consumer behavior, and marketing considerations. She also addresses the general policy implications and marketing communications considerations for switch drugs in light of their relationship to consumer choice and vulnerable market segments such as the elderly and children. Finally, given the limited attention to switch drugs in previous marketing literature, the author provides research directions in which academicians could contribute to policy related to this product category.
Regulatory Issues in Outdoor Advertising: A Content Analysis of Billboards
Authors: Taylor Charles R. , Taylor John C.
Published: January 2019

The regulation of outdoor advertising has been subject to continued controversy. Although many arguments have been made both for and against restrictive regulation of billboards, the focus of these arguments seldom has been on the content of the billboards themselves. The authors use a content analysis of a sample of over 700 Michigan billboards to provide empirical evidence on issues that are central to assessing the regulation of outdoor advertising. Data collected on the information content of billboards, prevalence of billboards for alcohol and tobacco products, and prevalence of billboards for small businesses suggest that current regulation of the outdoor industry has been effective.
Social Marketing: Its Definition and Domain
Authors: Andreasen Alan R.
Published: January 2019

The author argues that social marketing has been defined improperly in much of the literature. A revised definition is proposed and the domain of social marketing defined. He concludes with suggestions for implications for future growth of the discipline.
Segmenting Teens for AIDS Preventive Behaviors with Implications for Marketing Communications
Authors: Frankenberger Kristina D. , Sukhdial Ajay S.
Published: January 2019

The authors summarize the literature from marketing, health and medicine, adolescence, communications, education, and psychology in a way that helps public policymakers segment adolescents into potential adopter groups of AIDS preventive behaviors. They discuss public policy implications for marketing communications and conclude with suggested directions for further research.
Product Innovation and Teenage Alcohol Consumption: The Case of Wine Coolers
Authors: Goldberg Marvin E. , Gorn Gerald J. , Lavack Anne M.
Published: January 2019

The results of this study suggest that wine coolers, a sweetened alcoholic beverage innovation, has played a significant role in underage drinking. Teens selected wine coolers over other alcoholic beverages, as both the drink they preferred when they first started drinking alcohol and the drink they preferred at the time of the study. This preference for coolers was stronger for females than males and stronger for younger teens than for older teens. The authors also provide tentative evidence that the presence of coolers may have influenced some teens to drink more alcohol than they might have otherwise.
The 70% Majority: Enduring Consumer Beliefs about Advertising
Authors: Calfee John E. , Ringold Debra Jones
Published: January 2019

Six decades of survey data consistently indicate that about 70% of consumers think that advertising is often untruthful, it seeks to persuade people to buy things they do not want, it should be more strictly regulated, and it nonetheless provides valuable information. Consumers also tend to find that advertising's benefits outweigh its deficits. These beliefs have remained remarkably stable despite large fluctuations in the scope and vigor of advertising regulation.
The Drug Lag: A 20-Year Analysis of Six Country Markets
Authors: Popper Kathleen M. LaFrancis , Nason Robert W.
Published: January 2019

The sensitive nature of pharmaceuticals and the high cost of research and commercialization to introduce new products have led to numerous regulations intended to ensure the availability of safe and effective drug products. An unintended result has been to increase the cost of product introductions into various markets. The authors empirically test the relationship among the types of regulation, pharmaceutical product introductions, and the timing of their entry into the six largest country markets from 1970 to 1989. Surprisingly, the findings show that the type of regulation affects timing more than the number of new product introductions. The authors address the drug lag across the largest country markets on a product level over a period of 20 years. They discuss important potential implications for public policy and society.
The Noticeability of Warnings on Alcoholic Beverage Containers
Authors: Laughery Kenneth R. , Young Stephen L. , Vaubel Kent P. , Brelsford John W.
Published: January 2019

A public health warning is currently required for all alcoholic beverage containers in the United States. One factor in the effectiveness of this warning is its noticeability—the characteristics that influence whether or not it is likely to be seen. Three experiments addressed this aspect of the warning. Experiment 1 examined warning design factors on currently available containers and found that the warnings are not very noticeable. Experiments 2 and 3 examined four salience features (pictorial, color, signal icon, and border) and demonstrated that they could improve the likelihood that a warning will be seen. Overall, the research suggests ways of making warnings more salient and thus increasing the probability that they will have the desired effects.
Communication of Alcohol Facts and Hazards by a Warning Poster
Authors: Kalsher Michael J. , Clarke Steven W. , Wogalter Michael S.
Published: January 2019

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether a warning poster would effectively convey alcohol-related information to college students. In experiment 1, a warning poster containing alcohol facts was posted at several social fraternities. Students’ knowledge of alcohol hazards increased after exposure to the warning, though much of the information was already known. In experiment 2, the poster was refined and included less-well-known facts. Students knowledge increased after exposure to the poster. These results show that posted warnings can effectively communicate important information to one “at-risk” group, college students. Suggestions for improvement and potential utility for other groups at risk are discussed.
Searching for a Place to Stand: Toward a Workable Ethical Philosophy for Marketing
Authors: Robin Donald P. , Reidenbach R. Eric
Published: January 2019

The authors suggest and support three characteristics that should be useful for the development of a workable ethical philosophy for marketing. They also illustrate why the adaptation of currently popular “ grand narratives” from moral philosophy is unsuitable for marketing and why marketing must work to develop its own philosophy.
Deception, Materiality, and Survey Research: Some Lessons from Kraft
Authors: Stewart David W.
Published: January 2019

The author presents a response to a review by Jacoby and Szybillo (1995) of two empirical studies offered as evidence in Federal Trade Commission v. Kraft, Inc. (1991). He reviews the rationale for the design of the Federal Trade Commission research and responds to specific criticisms offered by Jacoby and Szybillo. The author also examines the Kraft materiality survey and concludes that it did not address the question of the materiality of claims. Finally, the author raises some general issues related to the use of survey research in litigation and the need for standards for extrinsic research in cases involving implied claims.
Increasing the Supply of Providers for the Medically Underserved: Marketing and Public Policy Issues
Authors: Scammon Debra L. , Li Lawrence B. , Williams Scott D.
Published: January 2019

Lack of access to health care by those medically underserved results from a complex of social and economic factors. Solutions to the problem will require, at a minimum, removal of financial barriers and assurance of availability of qualified providers. The authors examine public policies designed to impact the supply and training of health care providers in terms of their short- and long-term effectiveness in influencing the composition of the health care workforce. They analyze data from a series of qualitative studies with family practice residents, providers, and key personnel from family practice residency programs for insights to help identify candidates who could be successful in needy environments, and in understanding providers’ perceptions of benefits and drawbacks of working with the underserved. The authors recommend a strategy for recruiting candidates better matched to the requirements of practice with the underserved, revising curricula to provide needed training to facilitate providers’ success in underserved settings, and designing practice environments supportive of providers working with underserved populations.
Everyday Market Helping Behavior
Authors: Price Linda L. , Feick Lawrence F. , Guskey Audrey
Published: January 2019

Research in marketing includes many examples of consumers helping other consumers. However, most research has studied helping behavior from the recipients’ perspective by examining the use of personal sources of information. Consequently, very little is known about the prevalence of market helping or why market helpers provide assistance. The authors examine the incidence of a variety of everyday market helping activities and identify a few key antecedents of market helping behavior. The results of a study of 302 heads of household confirm significant relationships between market helping and two hypothesized predictors: general altruism and marketplace involvement. The market maven construct is shown to mediate completely the relationship of these predictors with market helping behavior. The authors discuss the implications of the results for public policymakers and consumer welfare.
Price Predation: Legal Limits and Antitrust Considerations
Authors: Gundlach Gregory T.
Published: January 2019

Competition centered strategies in the form of predatory pricing directed toward weakening or destroying a competitor are receiving increasing emphasis in the Courts and among antitrust theorists and policymakers. Recently, the Supreme Court found little evidence of antitrust injury extending from price predation in the case of Brooke Group v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation (1993). The author examines the current legal standard for predatory pricing and juxtaposes it against emerging insights on this competitive practice.