The advertising agency manager's response patterns to a mail survey and follow-ups

This study reports findings about British advertising agency managers' response patterns to a mail survey and four follow-up techniques (original, photocopy, postcard and letter), which were manipulated to determine their individual impact on response rate. Findings should provide original insights to mail survey researchers planning to sample advertising agency managers in reducing both non-response and sampling bias. The initial response rate was just over 18 per cent and four follow-up techniques altogether lifted the overall response rate to a little less than 32 per cent. There are several statistically significant differences of importance to mail researchers in reducing non-response bias and increasing response rate

Advertising of controversial products: a cross-cultural study

Full text of this item available only from related link.Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine attitudes towards the advertising of certain controversial products/services and reasons for being offensive across four different countries, Malaysia, New Zealand, Turkey and the UK. Design/methodology/approach – This was achieved by analyzing the responses to a questionnaire that was distributed to a convenience sample of university students in the four countries. A total of 954 were sampled for this study. The results indicated that geography is not a major determinant of attitudes, and that religious and historical factors play a very important role. Findings – Of the 17 products presented, 11 resulted in similar answers for New Zealand and the UK, and seven were similar for Malaysia and Turkey. However, it was apparent that the two countries mostly populated by Muslims had some differences as Malaysia has a multicultural society that must make some allowances for other ethnic groups. It also appears that racism and racist images are of concern to all those sampled. Originality/value – The opening up of regional markets and the development of regional and global media, such as satellite television and the internet, will mean that marketers will try to take advantage of the associated benefits of a standardized approach to advertising and promotional activities. For those involved in international marketing, it is important that they are aware of possible differences and cultural sensitivities when entering a new market or undertaking a standardized mass-media campaign across a region, whether it be Australasia or Europe.PublishedPeer ReviewedAlter, J. (1982), “A delicate balance: not everything goes in the marketing of ‘unmentionables’”, Advertising Age, July 12, pp. M3-M8. Barnes, J.H. Jr and Dotson, M.J. (1990), “An exploratory investigation into the nature of offensive television advertising”, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 61-9. Calder, B.J., Phillips, L.W. and Tybout, A.M. (1981), “Designing research for applications”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 8 September, pp. 197-207. Crosier, K. and Erdogan, B.Z. (2001), “Advertising complainants: who and where are they?”, Journal of Marketing Communications, Vol. 6 No. 2. Dant, R.P. and Barnes, J.H. (1988), “Methodological concerns in cross-cultural research: implications for economic development”, in Erdogan, K. and Firat, A.F. (Eds), Marketing and Development: Towards Broader Dimensions, JAI Press, Greenwich, CT. Deng, S., Jivan, S. and Hassan, M.-L. (1994), “Advertising in Malaysia: a cultural perspective”, International Journal of Advertising, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 153-66. Fahy, J., Smart, D., Pride, W. and Ferrell, O.C. 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The influence of religion on attitudes towards the advertising of controversial products

The full text of this item is available only via the related link.In a constantly changing and increasingly globalized world, religion still plays a significant role in influencing social and consumer behavior. This study will analyze what influence religion and intensity of belief has on attitudes towards the advertising of particular controversial products and services. A questionnaire was distributed to 1,393 people across six different countries and resulting in samples of four main religious groups. The results indicated some statistically significant differences between the groups, which can have important implications for global marketers.PublishedPeer ReviewedAlter, J. (1982), “A delicate balance: not everything goes in the marketing of ‘unmentionables’”, Advertising Age, Vol. 12 July, pp. M3-M8. Anand, C. and Kumar, M. (1982), “Developing a modernity attitude scale”, Indian Educational Review, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 28-41. Barnes, J.H. Jr and Dotson, M.J. 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