Building sustainability into services marketing: expanding decision-making from a mix to a matrix

In line with the AMA\u27s revised (2007) definition of marketing, which aligns with the societal marketing orientation by requiring that Marketing create value not just for individual consumers and organisations but also for society at large, this paper proposes a Sustainability Services Marketing (SSM) framework. At present, services marketing managers have little guidance on how to pursue sustainability and achieve sustainable development goals. The SSM addresses this gap in a systematic, holistic and transparent way by ensuring sustainability cascades through the strategic marketing planning process. The traditional services marketing mix is expanded to include partnership, and the eight elements are cross-referenced against the three pillars of the triple bottom line - Planet, People and Profit - to produce the Sustainability Services Marketing Matrix (SSMM). The model is described and illustrated with brief case examples, and implications for theory and practice, and potential directions for further research are discussed

Message variables for effective advertising of corporate social responsibility initiatives: results of an experimental design

Stakeholders increasingly expect firms to consider their social and environmental impacts as well as their economic impacts, and address their corporate social responsibility (CSR). One stakeholder group, consumers, report they want to be informed of how firms do this, and use this information when purchasing. This paper reports on an investigation of two message variables believed necessary for effective advertising about CSR initiatives, social topic information and social impact specificity. We manipulated each of these variables at three levels for an unfamiliar retail bank brand engaging with the social issue of the arms trade. While social topic information was found to be non-significant in influencing the dependent variable, overall scepticism toward CSR claims, social impact specificity was found to have a significant link to message inhibition of scepticism cognitions. The findings are insightful for marketing communications managers tasked with effectively informing a key stakeholder audience, consumers, of a firm’s pro-social achievements

Denying bogus skepticism in climate change and tourism research

This final response to the two climate change denial papers by Shani and Arad further highlights the inaccuracies, misinformation and errors in their commentaries. The obfuscation of scientific research and the consensus on anthropogenic climate change may have significant long-term negative consequences for better understanding the implications of climate change and climate policy for tourism and create confusion and delay in developing and implementing tourism sector responses

The impact of claim diagnosticity on consumer scepticism to corporate social responsibility advertising claims

A considerable body of literature on consumers’ responses to information about firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives has been published over the past decade. To date, however, little if any of this research has looked at consumer reaction to such information communicated via the medium of advertising, despite the increasing use of such corporate societal advertising appeals. While scepticism is a common cognitive response toward advertising, how scepticism toward non-economic corporate image claims might be promoted or inhibited through message elements has not been the focus of research attention. This thesis seeks to address this knowledge gap by investigating the impact of two diagnostic message elements on scepticism toward specific CSR claims. This study examines whether consumer scepticism toward the advertising of CSR claims can be influenced by altering the diagnosticity of social topic information and CSR commitment message dimensions. Two key research questions are addressed: does the provision of more social topic information encourage consumers toward less CSR advertising claim scepticism?, and does more specific information about a firm’s CSR commitment, expressing both its history and actual achievements, and their impacts, inhibit CSR advertising claim scepticism? In order to investigate these two research questions, an experimental approach was used to allow the manipulation of message elements and the testing of cause and effect. Data received via an online panel of a cross-section of 417 Australian consumers were analysed, and the hypotheses specified in study were tested using analysis of variance and covariance techniques. Results from this research suggest that increased information about the social topic related to the domain of the firm’s CSR initiatives does not significantly influence the level of scepticism toward CSR advertising claims, but information specificity about the firm’s CSR commitment does. These results are impacted by the consumer’s level of scepticism toward advertising in general, attitude toward the notion of corporate social responsibility, and attitude toward the social topic. The findings of this thesis provide evidence that consumers have the ability to deal with larger cognitive loads, created by information about specific impacts of firms’ CSR programs, and that such diagnostic information is useful in reducing scepticism responses to CSR messages. These responses are important, as they form the foundation of subsequent attitudinal and belief structures so critical for influencing consumer behaviour. The theoretical contributions of this study include: (1) situating the role of social topic information, considered a critical element of advertising campaigns in social marketing, in CSR advertising situations; (2) implicating an organisation’s CSR history and CSR and impacts as important diagnostic elements in CSR message claims; and (3) defending the ability of consumers to adequately discriminate between cognitively demanding informational inputs when evaluating CSR advertising claims. Given increasing demand from consumers to learn about firms’ CSR efforts, and firms’ increasing willingness to respond to these information demands with CSR-based advertising campaigns, this study also offers guidance for marketing communication managers charged with developing corporate image based on CSR-based brand claims. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed

Controversial corporate communications in a controversial industry: the neutralisation of regulatory change in the Australian electronic gaming industry

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) claims are often included in the response to withdrawal of legitimacy in order to manage the impression of the organisation as meeting societal expectations, particularly in controversial industries. Alternatively, an organisation may argue its legitimacy. This paper considers the latter response, arguing that registered clubs, a controversial sector of the Australian gambling industry, use techniques of neutralisation in an attempt to justify their continued targeting of a vulnerable gambling consumer segment, problem gamblers, and forestall Government efforts to impose increased regulation over electronic gaming machines (EGMs), the key source of registered club revenues. Little extant research considers CSR communication responses during legitimacy crises. Techniques of neutralisation are juxtaposed with theories of legitimacy, and considered in terms of i agenda setting political discourse in analysing registered clubs\u27 sought societal legitimacy

Strategic marketing sustainability: from a marketing mix to a marketing matrix

This paper proposes a marketing planning framework that will assist managers to address sustainability challenges in their decision making, in line with the American Marketing Association\u27s (AMA) revised (2007) definition of marketing, which calls for a responsibility to society at large, not just individual consumers. At present, marketing\u27s conceptual frameworks lag behind what is a fundamental and significant shift in marketing philosophy. We propose a Sustainability Marketing Model, a simple yet systematic framework that ensures sustainability cascades through the marketing planning process. In developing this, the marketing mix is replaced with a matrix that adds four critical decision fields to the traditional marketing mix - Participants, Physical Evidence, Process and Partnership - and draws on the three pillars of sustainable development - Planet, People and Profit - to ensure managers cross-check decision-making\u27s sustainability impacts. The model is described, and implications for theory and practice, and potential directions for further research, are discussed

Indigenous identity in the nation brand: tension and inconsistency in a nation\u27s tourism advertising campaigns

The purpose of this paper is to discuss one nation\u27s attempts at tourism branding in which elements of Indigenous identity featured as a key element of the brand, arguably impairing persuasion results. The methodology follows a qualitative and interpretivist approach. A recent tourism advertising campaign for Australia is described; observations are made regarding Indigenous Australian identity in relation to the broader national identity; recent international tourist arrival trends are discussed; and connections between this triad are proposed. The campaign under study is also compared with proximate campaigns. The study raises questions about tapping a contested national identity for tourism branding purposes, and comments on the pitfalls of inconsistency in brand positioning, drawing on available tourism data to support the discussion. The study contributes by examining nation brand from a marketing communications perspective where exaggerated identity claims are argued to undermine perceived brand image. The use of secondary tourist arrival data to support our thesis is a limitation of the study and must be seen in the phenomenological light of the overall discussion. We conclude with suggestions for further research

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): an examination of consumer awareness, evaluation and purchase action

Despite marketplace polls reporting heightened consumer interest in and support for companies acting in socially-responsible ways, there remains to date little evidence of such consumer support translating into general purchase behaviour. There is a gap in our knowledge regarding which particular socially-responsible behaviours are likely to prove most influential with consumers and be rewarded with supportive purchase behaviour, and how awareness of firms’ commitments to these behaviours is to be brought to consumers’ attention. It appears from the marketplace success of some socially-responsible, or ‘ethical’ brands, such as The Body Shop and recently launched clothing brands such as American Apparel and Edun, that the reporting and marketing of CSR is gaining popularity, yet there is little extant research to guide these initiatives. The increased expectation in the community that companies should engage in CSR has resulted in organizations being called to account by anti-corporate and other activist groups, and concerned consumers, for their irresponsible behaviours. Organized consumer boycotts achieve much negative publicity resulting in organizations seeking ways to avoid such situations occurring, however, there is limited research to guide managers in the manner to best portray the organization in a positive manner. Further there is scant academic research examining how consumers perceive the CSR activities of organizations and whether there are any subsequent effects on purchase evaluations and behaviour. This paper calls for greater research into the manner in which consumers interpret the corporate social responsibility (CSR) stances of organisations and how these corporate activities form part of the brand beliefs of consumers

Marketing for sustainability: Extending the conceptualisation of the marketing mix to drive value for individuals and society at large

The purpose of this paper is to provide new theoretical perspective on marketing for sustainability, particularly for dealing with the environmental threat of climate change. We reconceptualise how marketing is operationalised through the conceptualisation of the marketing mix in order to permit the normalisation of sustainability considerations in business operations and consumption. To the traditional four Ps (product, price, promotion and place) we add but recalibrate for the specific purpose of sustainability participants, processes, and physical evidence, and introduce: promise, principles, and partnership, arguing that each of these may be considered a controllable marketing variable that will contribute to the creation/co-creation of individual and social value. This framework is developed and justified in order to make a novel contribution to marketing theory and practice. Limitations and future research directions conclude the discussion

The portrayal of aboriginal spiritual identity in tourism advertising: creating an image of extraordinary reality or mere confusion?

This paper considers how Aboriginal identity and spirituality are appropriated to construct national identity for an Australian tourism advertising campaign, and proposes a research agenda to investigate whether incongruity, based on consumers’ prior knowledge of Indigenous Australians’ real everyday identity, might reduce advertising effectiveness