For brand alliance social or cause related marketing which one is better? A study in emerging markets

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships and the effectiveness of cause‐ related or social marketing on consumer perceptions, perceived brand motivations, and the direct and indirect effects that these factors have on brand alliance, attitude, and purchase intentions. A total of 425 participated who are users of soap and oil in the fast‐moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. Advertisements of three per brands are taken up for study. Dove soap, Parachute hair oil, and Dettol Soap (social marketing) and Fiama Di Wells beauty soap, Vatika hair oil, and Nihar hair oil (cause marketing) are selected for study. Both social and cause‐related marketing motivate the consumer to purchase products from the same company and likewise recommend to others. The present study findings clearly suggest that compared with social cause‐related marketing, social marketing is more preferred. People like watching advertisements incorporating social marketing more compared with cause‐related marketing. Both social and cause‐related marketing motivate the consumer to purchase products from the same company and also recommend to others. The takeaway from this study is how social and cause‐related marketing differ on brand alliance and subsequent effect on brand image, brand recommendation, brand loyalty, consumer perceptions, and purchase behaviour.     

Positively negative: the impact of negativity upon the political consumer

• For years there has been an ongoing debate as to the role and impact that ‘marketing’ has had on politics. Yet, it is the case that many of the concepts associated with the field of marketing have real relevance and have, in fact, been employed within the field of political campaigning for many decades. This is an empirical paper that focuses upon the concept of political brands and the impact that current trends in campaign strategy, and in particular the growth and continued use of negative campaigning, have upon them. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, the implications associated with such activity are examined and, in particular, its effect upon the consumer/brand relationship.
• Within the consideration of the results, it becomes clear that political brands' use of negative campaigning is somewhat shortsighted; offering short‐term gains but at the cost of long‐term damage not only to their brand image but also to the wider democratic system as it stands. In a search for political ‘brands’ that more effectively meet their needs, there appears a tendency for political consumers to now look outside of the conventional political sector. The emergent concept of the ‘negative brand’ is explored together with the implications for political consumers, political brands and the wider field of conventional party politics.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A model of antecedents of consumers' post brand attitude upon exposure to a cause–brand alliance

• A cause–brand alliance is a type of cause‐related marketing campaign in which the brand supports a cause in response to a consumer purchasing a product associated with the brand. Using the meaning transfer, attribution, and schema theories, the researchers developed a model and hypotheses addressing structural relationships among key antecedents of brand attitude change upon encountering a cause–brand alliance. The model and the hypotheses were tested in the context of hypothetical cause–brand alliance scenarios. Findings indicate cause–brand alliance attitude as a strong direct predictor of post brand attitude, whereas cause involvement, perceived brand motivations, and prior brand attitude indirectly predict post brand attitude through their effects on cause–brand alliance attitude. Cause–brand fit also indirectly predicts cause–brand alliance attitude via perceived brand motivations. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.

Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Consumer perceptions of compatibility in cause-related marketing messages

• Consumers respond more positively to marketing efforts, like celebrity endorsements and sponsorships, when the image of the sponsoring company or brand is compatible with the celebrity or sponsored event.
• The authors explore the concept of compatibility within a cause-related marketing context. The results of an experiment confirm the role of sponsor/cause compatibility for the creation of positive consumer perceptions of the donor, and highlight the importance of individual characteristics that affect perceptions of the cause and its compatibility with a donor. Theoretical and strategic implications and future research directions are discussed.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding factors influencing consumer attitudes toward cause‐related marketing

• Cause‐related marketing (CRM) has proliferated as a marketing strategy and is being employed by numerous brands across product categories. Despite its widespread popularity, not much is known about the factors that influence consumer attitudes toward CRM. In this study, we investigate the antecedents of consumer attitudes toward CRM, specifically sociodemographic characteristics, consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence, and mediating role of consumer values. We test causal relationships employing a partial least squares‐based structural equation model. The data are collected via a structured questionnaire resulting in 456 valid responses. Our study demonstrates that attitudes toward CRM are influenced by sociodemographic characteristics with personal values acting as mediator. In addition, our findings show that consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence affects the importance given to values, which in turn influences attitudes toward CRM. Our study makes theoretical contributions in the domain of CRM, specifically regarding the role of personal values, interpersonal influences, and sociodemographic factors in influencing attitudes toward CRM. In addition, the findings have relevance for managers responsible for their CRM campaigns.

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Social marketing with challenging target groups: smoking cessation in prisons in England and Wales

• Smoking levels among prisoners are much higher than amongst the UK population as a whole. Our research focuses on the development and implementation of a pilot smoking cessation project:
  • Using a social marketing process combined with the Health Behaviour Model, 159 participants, drawn from four prisons, undertook a smoking cessation programme.
  • Data was collected using a case study approach, with a variety of research methods: primarily depth individual and mini‐group qualitative interviews, but also document analysis and observation.
  • The findings draw on prisoners' perspectives in the context of the marketing mix in elements of the strategy design, implementation and evaluation.
  • The discussion identifies the need to maintain a consumer perspective, feeding into the marketing mix, and to identify and promote aspects of mutually beneficial exchange over and above basic health and monetary costs.
• The positive outcomes and insights gained show that using a social marketing strategy, as part of a smoking cessation programme, has important policy and practice implications. Lessons could be applied to other health issues and in similar settings such as forensic mental health.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Missing a strategic marketing trick? The use of online social networks by UK charities

• This paper explores the use of online social networks in the charity sector. Twelve major UK charities from a range of sectors and three digital marketing agencies were selected to provide rich interview data on the current adoption of online social networks by UK charities. The empirical findings illustrate the diverse drivers in adopting online social networks including regaining control of a brand, external pressures and gaining new audiences. Levels of usage differed significantly and the resistors consistently cited were the lack of skills and resources. The strategic marketing implications for the development of online social networks are also outlined for the UK charity market. The value provided by this paper stems from exploring the organisational perspective rather than the consumer experience of contributing to social networks, within a context which is often overlooked, the charity sector.

Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

网络属性对消费者在线重购品牌选择行为影响研究

在线渠道日益成为厂商重点渠道之一,越来越多的消费者选择在网上购物。传统营销方式正逐渐发生变化,在线渠道不仅扩展了线下属性,同时,也展现了新的特征。因此,研究网络属性对消费者重购品牌选择具有重要的意义。本文以手机作为研究对象,构建多元Logit模型研究线下品牌属性和在线营销组合变量对消费者下次选择的购买意愿的影响程度,分析在线渠道下影响消费者品牌选择的机理。研究发现,产品属性和网络属性对消费者重购品牌选择产生影响;虽然网络属性会显著地改变品牌选择方式,但传统的产品属性在品牌选择中仍然起到关键性的作用。最后本文还得出了在线手机品牌的消费者心理市场份额。     

Evaluations of branding alliances between non‐profit and commercial brand partners: the transfer of affect

• There is growing interest in the trend towards co‐branding alliances between non‐profit and commercial entities,which are undertaken by these organisations to transfer associations and affect between each brand partner. Certainly, it makes sense that commercial entities want to gain more from their brands and that non‐profits want secured funding, however, in the same way that the joining of two brands can be beneficial, it can also bring with it major risks when the brand alliance is not well received and evaluations of the alliance are not favourable.
• This research supports the notion that both commercial entities and non‐profit organisations can benefit from a branding alliance, however, an understanding of how these brand alliances are evaluated is important. This research investigates evaluations of brand alliances and the resulting spillover effects for original brand partners that result from brand alliances.
• This research provides empirical support relating to reactions to brand alliances between a non‐profit organisation and a commercial business in terms of how original brand attitudes, familiarity of original brands and perceived brand fit impact on evaluations. While collaboration is important and has potential benefits for each partner—they rest on partner selection and fit between alliance partners. Managerial implications and future research directions are also provided.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effectiveness of cause‐related marketing for differential positioning of market entrant in developing market: An exploratory study in Indian context

Cause‐related marketing is being increasingly used for forging strong relation between the brand and the customer. It is primarily being used by the well‐established brands to further strengthen their position in the market as it leads to a positive image of the brand, and customers are more receptive towards such brands because they tend to provide them with tangible as well as intangible benefits. This study tends to identify the effectiveness of cause‐related marketing as a marketing tool for newly launched products in developing market of India, which has so far remained a less explored area. A sample of 150 consumers was taken, and case studies were undertaken for validating these findings. The findings suggest that cause‐related marketing campaigns, even at early stages of brand development, can lead to customer trial and differential positioning thus providing these new entrants with an opportunity to interact with the customers. The proposed framework can provide useful insights to brand managers to design cause‐related marketing campaigns for newly launched brands. The results and findings have been deduced from real‐time market research, and it can help in furthering research in the field of cause‐related marketing in India and other developing economies with similar market conditions.     

The influence of branding on adolescent smoking behaviour: exploring the mediating role of image and attitudes

• This study investigates the continuing effects of tobacco marketing communications in a post advertising era, focusing on the constructs of brand awareness, brand image, attitude formation and intention to smoke by adolescents.
• A conceptual model is presented, based on 926 respondents from a UK wide study, to assess brand‐related interrelationships and influences of peers on adolescents' attitudes toward smoking and intention to smoke.
• Results show the strong influence of branding on both attitude and intention, and have implications for government anti‐smoking policies specifically in regard to generic packaging and point of sale displays.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于消费者怀旧的中华老字号品牌营销

已有研究表明消费者怀旧与消费者细分、品牌复兴和广告策略具有密切的联系,中华老字号由于具有深厚的品牌文化、持续性的经营理念和丰富的品牌故事而较为适合怀旧营销。本文在此基础上提出了品牌重构、产品创新、消费者激活等中华老字号品牌怀旧营销策略,对消费者怀旧相关理论在品牌营销中的应用和中华老字号的品牌复兴有一定参考意义。     

An investment‐led expansion is no pipe dream

• Contrary to some perceptions, the UK's economic recovery has not been a disproportionately consumer‐led one. In fact, business investment has punched well above its weight in supporting growth. And the conditions look good for this outsized contribution to continue.
• Consequently, we think that the threat of ‘secular stagnation’, reflecting a lack of appetite to spend on the part of firms, is one that the UK should avoid. Moreover, strong investment growth should have desirable by‐products in the form of more accommodative monetary and fiscal policy.

     

Barriers to brand building in UK universities?

• Branding in universities has become an increasingly topical issue with practitioners, with some institutions committing substantial financial resources to branding activities. It has, however, received only limited academic investigation, and as the particular characteristics of the sector present challenges for those seeking to build brands, it seems to be timely and appropriate to investigate potential barriers to branding.
• This exploratory study investigates the opinions of the ‘brand guardians’ of UK universities—Vice Chancellors, Principals and Rectors—on the barriers to successfully building brands and draws conclusions on their views of the key challenges facing successful branding activity in the sector. Implications for practitioners are also explored.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How international nonprofits build brand equity

This paper describes an empirical model of brand equity for international nonprofit organizations and offers nonprofit managers suggestions for the management of their brands. The main areas of interest include:

• A review of the importance of branding for nonprofits, the lack of a brand equity models specifically for nonprofits, and the key differences between for‐profits and nonprofits.
• A proposed nonprofit brand equity model, based on a grounded theory and system dynamics approach.
• A series of specific managerial recommendations, for building nonprofit brand equity.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The brand positioning and image of a religious organisation: an empirical analysis

• Brand positioning and image development are important topics for any religious organisation wishing to provide an effective service to the public. It follows that in a world with increasing religious options, the position strategy decision and the brand position statement are essential aspects of a fully responsive religious organisation. To investigate these issues the author presents the findings of a study that compared the brand position of a Catholic shrine in Portugal, i.e. the sanctuary of Fátima, with the image of the shrine as perceived by its pilgrims. The paper also attempts to offer a definition of religious marketing and explores some possible antecedents of effective brand positioning within this particular field.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

To pay or not to pay — the role of monetary incentives in an optimal blood donation service bundle

• This study derives four attributes that make up the typical blood donation service bundle. It focuses on the role of monetary incentives in such bundles, but also discusses three other attributes, namely the offering organization, the distance to donation location, and the donation time. Each attribute is discussed in the context of a blood donation marketing mix. In an empirical conjoint study, 529 potential blood donors evaluate different designs of blood donation service bundles. Monetary incentives are found to be the most important factor when donors compare different blood donation service bundles. It is found that the distance to the donation location is almost as important as monetary incentives. Blood donation organizations aiming to collect all blood donations from unremunerated blood donors should therefore shape their service bundles to be attractive for potential blood donors. It is concluded that nonpaying blood donation organizations have to offer superior convenience to their donors to be able to compensate for not offering monetary incentives. Operating with mobile donation teams is one of the concrete suggestions for blood donation marketing that are given in this study.

Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How to face a political boycott: the relevance of entrepreneurs’ awareness

Despite the growth in the number of consumer boycotts, the marketing literature has paid little attention to the factors that could explain such behavior or the effect of boycotts on entrepreneurial initiatives. Several studies have examined the motivations of customer boycott behavior. Nevertheless, its relation to other attitudinal variables and with firm-related characteristics has not been analyzed or has been dealt with only partially even though the implications are crucial for incumbents and start-ups to adapt their strategies. This paper examines the factors that could explain the consumer’s decision to boycott a brand because of its location in a specific country. The relevance of addressing this gap is based on the boycotts’ impact on local firms and start-ups performance. This study addresses this issue by proposing a model that considers consumer-related variables and the perceived importance of brands. The hypotheses proposed in this research are verified via variance-based partial least squares structural equation modeling. The authors tested their framework during an actual boycott to Catalonian products and firms promoted on social media in Spain. The discussion of the results and their implications contribute to improving entrepreneurs, managers and academics’ comprehension of the determinants of customers’ intentions to participate in a boycott. This can also provide entrepreneurs and managers with a guide to orientate the design and implementation of strategies that enable the reduction of customer abandonment due to political boycotts. The main value of this research is that it provides a comprehensive model that includes different sorts of variables that could be involved in consumer boycott behavior. This model can support flexible entrepreneurial and managerial practices to help entrepreneurs to adapt rapidly to changes in the market due to boycotts.

     

The global monetary boom - no cause for panic

• ▀ Global monetary growth has been its fastest for decades over recent months, but we continue to believe inflation risks are lower than many think. A modest inflation overshoot in the coming years is possible but would not be very damaging.
• ▀ While headline money growth figures still look strong, heavy precautionary borrowing by firms in March-April is already starting to unwind in the US and UK. About 80% of the rise in borrowing by large UK firms has been repaid.
• ▀ In addition, tightened lending standards at banks are likely to weigh on future corporate borrowing and money growth. A net 70% of US banks tightened corporate credit standards in the latest Fed survey. Rising loan defaults risk exacerbating this.
• ▀ Heavy government borrowing and accompanying central bank QE have been key drivers of monetary growth and are likely to remain so, notwithstanding a slowdown in the pace of central bank bond purchases. This is the main risk factor those who fear inflation cite.
• ▀ But if credit to the private sector starts to shrink, deficit financing of this sort may be essential to prevent long-term weakness in money, credit, and economic growth. Japan's experience in the 1990s and 2000s is relevant here.
• ▀ Inflation also has room to overshoot current targets, if necessary, given the substantial undershoots of the last decade. This consideration in part explains the recent shift in Federal Reserve thinking towards targeting an average inflation rate over time

     

Critical social marketing – The impact of alcohol marketing on youth drinking: Qualitative findings

• This paper presents findings from exploratory qualitative research as part of a critical social marketing study examining the impact of alcohol marketing communications on youth drinking. The findings from stakeholder interviews (regulators and marketers) suggest that some alcohol marketing might target young people, and that marketers are cognisant of growing concern at alcohol issues, including control of alcohol marketing. Focus groups with young people (aged 13–15 years) revealed a sophisticated level of awareness of, and involvement in, alcohol marketing across several channels. It was found that some marketing activities featured content that could appeal to young people and appeared to influence their, well‐developed, brand attitudes. The research demonstrates the utility of taking a critical social marketing approach when examining the impact of alcohol marketing. The implications of these findings for research, regulation and policy around alcohol marketing are also examined. The contribution that studies such as this make to the debate around marketing principles and practice, and to social marketing, is also discussed.

Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.