Brand Loyalty Measurement Made Easy: A Preference-Behavior Model

A new method for assessing and interpreting brand loyalty is proposed that should be well suited for small business managers because it is easy and inexpensive to implement, the results are easy to  interpret, and it offers insights into competition that are superior to alternative approaches. The method is based on a modification of a brand switching model. Rather than two brand purchases, the measures of the new model are one brand purchase and brand preference. The resulting mixed model combines the conceptual advantages of behavioral and attitudinal approaches to brand loyalty. A matrix of the two measures can be analyzed in terms of each brand's gravity, or power to convert brand preference into sales, and focus, which relates lo its ability to attract sales from preferences for other brands. Implications  are drawn for  small business strategy

Are Green Men from Venus?

A consistent finding in sustainability research is that women are eco-friendlier than men, a gap usually ascribed to differences in socialization. Our research explored a corollary process—the cognitive association of environmentalism with femininity along with the consequent negative responses of men that arise from their efforts to safeguard their masculine identity. Two studies replicated the recent discovery (Brough et al., 2016) of a mental association between environmentalism and femininity (for both men and women) and the consequent reduction in the effectiveness of conventional environmental appeals to men. This research also investigated two approaches for overcoming the effects of the implicit association of sustainability with femininity. The first considered that well-learned reflective knowledge structures about advertising or about sustainability might mitigate the resistance of men to environmental appeals. We tested whether established measures of advertising skepticism (Study 1) or sustainability literacy (Studies 1 and 2) would moderate these consequences of the green-feminine association. Whereas skepticism moderated these effects, sustainability literacy did not. The second approach for offsetting the association between sustainability and femininity was to create an environmental appeal with distinctly masculine brand-positioning elements. Two versions of an environmental appeal with different brand elements were produced—one masculine and the other feminine (Study 2). While men and women were equally responsive to the masculine brand positioning, the most positive responses were from women toward the feminine positioning. Collectively, these results corroborate the green-feminine association and demonstrate the moderating role of advertising skepticism. Furthermore, although higher sustainability literacy resulted in more pro-environmental behavior in general, it did not moderate downstream effects of the implicit green-feminine association

Customized Pricing: Win-Win or End Run?

Modern technology, particularly as associated with internet shopping, permits excellent estimations of individual consumer willingness to pay. Customized pricing is defined as a pricing strategy based upon such individualized estimates--each customer is presented with an individual price. The paper addresses the ethical, legal, and managerial challenges of customized pricing practice. A simple empirical study is included to illustrate not only the economic effects of customized pricing but, also, the surprising finding of initial consumer satisfaction with customized prices. Participants showed considerably less satisfaction, however, upon learning the nature of the pricing technique

Consumer perception of taboo in ads

International audiencePractitioners frequently use taboo themes in ads but the subject of taboo has received little attention inadvertising research. This article proposes a new conceptualization and measure of consumer perception oftaboo in advertising. Using the new measure, an empirical study reveals that – for a general audience – the useof sexual taboo and death taboo themes in ads produces a more negative brand attitude and triggers socialnormative pressure that reduces intention to purchase the advertised product

The effects of advertisement picture likeability on information search and brand choice

Advertising, Ad picture likeability, Ad affect, Information search,

¿Los hombres verdes son de Venus?

A consistent finding in sustainability research is that women are eco-friendlier than men, a gap usually ascribed to differences in socialization. Our research explored a corollary process—the cognitive association of environmentalism with femininity along with the consequent negative responses of men that arise from their efforts to safeguard their masculine identity. Two studies replicated the recent discovery (Brough et al., 2016) of a mental association between environmentalism and femininity (for both men and women) and the consequent reduction in the effectiveness of conventional environmental appeals to men. This research also investigated two approaches for overcoming the effects of the implicit association of sustainability with femininity. The first considered that well-learned reflective knowledge structures about advertising or about sustainability might mitigate the resistance of men to environmental appeals. We tested whether established measures of advertising skepticism (Study 1) or sustainability literacy (Studies 1 and 2) would moderate these consequences of the green-feminine association. Whereas skepticism moderated these effects, sustainability literacy did not. The second approach for offsetting the association between sustainability and femininity was to create an environmental appeal with distinctly masculine brand-positioning elements. Two versions of an environmental appeal with different brand elements were produced—one masculine and the other feminine (Study 2). While men and women were equally responsive to the masculine brand positioning, the  most positive responses were from women toward the feminine positioning. Collectively, these results corroborate the green-feminine association and demonstrate the moderating role of advertising skepticism. Furthermore, although higher sustainability literacy resulted in more pro-environmental behavior in general, it did not moderate downstream effects of the implicit green-feminine association. Un resultado consistente en las investigaciones de sostenibilidad es que las mujeres son más ecológicas que los hombres, una brecha normalmente explicada por las diferencias en la socialización. Nuestro estudio exploró entonces un proceso corolario – la asociación cognitiva del ecologismo con la feminidad junto con las respuestas negativas consecuentes por parte de los hombres que surgen de sus esfuerzos en proteger su masculinidad. Dos estudios duplican el descubrimiento reciente – la asociación cognitiva entre el ecologismo y la feminidad (tanto para los hombres como para las mujeres) y la disminución consecuente en la eficacia de los atractivos ambientales convencionales a los hombres. Este estudio investigó también dos enfoques para superar los efectos de la supuesta asociación implícita de la sostenibilidad a la feminidad. El primero toma en cuenta que las estructuras de conocimiento reflexivo y bien aprendido sobre la publicidad o la sostenibilidad pueden mitigar la resistencia de los hombres a los atractivos ambientales. Probamos las medidas establecidas para ver si el escepticismo publicitario (Estudio 1) o el conocimiento de la sostenibilidad (Estudios 1 & 2) suavizaría estas consecuencias de la asociación ecológica-femenina. Mientras que el escepticismo suavizaba estos efectos, el conocimiento de la sostenibilidad no lo hizo. El segundo enfoque para mitigar la asociación entre la sostenibilidad y la feminidad era crear una atracción al medioambiente con un posicionamiento de marca bien masculino. Se produjeron dos versiones de un atractivo ambiental – uno masculino y otro femenino (Estudio 2). Mientras que los hombres y las mujeres respondieron al posicionamiento de marca masculino, las reacciones más positivas vinieron de las mujeres hacia un posicionamiento femenino. Juntos, estos resultados confirman la asociación ecológicafemenina y muestran la función suavizante del escepticismo publicitario. Además, aunque un mejor conocimiento de la sostenibilidad resultó en un comportamiento más proambiental en general, no suavizó los efectos de la asociación ecológica – femenina implícita