Why universities and grant bodies shouldn’t try to over-manage research impact

Academics should be engaged with the wider world, but impact, if it is routinised, loses its potential to change the dynamic of a system. Chris Hackley writes that the research that influences policy should be celebrated but we must be wary of the risk that the impact measurement will begin to define what is to be measured

Crap detecting. Autoethnographic reflections on critical practice in marketing pedagogy

In this commentary, I use selected autoethnographic passages from my life in teaching to reflect on what, if anything, the designation of ‘critical’ might mean in my own practice of marketing education. I draw selectively on some ideas from educational and critical theory, particularly the notion of interpellation as applied to marketing academics, to reach the conclusion that my personal idea of critical marketing pedagogy is probably closer to the notion of classroom education as a subversive practice than it is to any neo-Marxist versions of liberatory pedagogy. Ernest Hemingway suggested that the primary virtue of a writer’s education ought to be the refinement of the students’ ability to detect crap. By nurturing the fundamental transferable life-skill of crap detection, I like to think that marketing can fulfil a worthwhile pedagogic role alongside the other subjects in a liberal intellectual university curriculum

Ethics and regulation of contemporary marketing communication practices: an exploration of the perceptions of UK-based consumers towards the ethical issues raised by product placement in British TV shows

Product placement, as a variant of television programme sponsorship, has become a unique and evolving marketing communications tool in which brands are seamlessly embedded within the consumer's experiential world. Although studies have suggested that consumer attitudes towards product placement are generally positive, several issues of ethical concern have emerged. To date, there is a marked shortage of studies that address particular ethical issues in specific contexts of product placement practice. This paper reviews previous work and reports a small-scale UK-based study into the ethics and acceptability of product placement in British television programmes. The research design adapts and extends that used in a larger US-based study. The major findings concur with previous studies and some new insights emerge. Ethical concerns tend to focus on the 'hidden' promotional motive of product placement and the problematic status of ethically-charged product categories. The paper discusses findings and suggests that product placement research needs to develop to keep pace with developments in the field. In particular, research is needed to inform regulatory systems that address ethical concerns

A qualitative case exploration of the use of image political advertising in the Taiwanese presidential election of 2000

By 'image' advertising we refer to television and press advertising that applies brand marketing techniques to political campaigns. Such advertising tends to contain appealing imagery and symbolism rather than factual, policy-based appeals. In the Taiwanese presidential election of 2000 the main opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party, used image advertising on TV before their widely unexpected victory. This was a major departure for the DPP who until then were typically associated with poorly resourced, controversial but ineffective election advertising. This paper examines the Taiwanese political context and briefly reviews relevant research literature before discussing this particular case of political advertising. The paper adopts a mixed interpretive approach drawing on a quantitative analysis of poll data, a qualitative focus group and secondary sources to seek insights into the voter impact this image political advertisement may have had

Internationalisation Strategy of Iconic Malaysian High Fashion Brands

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the success factors behind four globally recognised Malaysian high fashion brands. The three main sub‐objectives are: to map the process of high fashion internationalisation onto the general retail internationalisation literature; to engage fashion within the more general marketing and branding literature; to open up a qualitative line of inquiry in internationalisation research, from an Asian business perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe research design is qualitative, using a case study approach. The paper reports part of a wider study that entailed 32 depth interviews with leading practitioners in four countries, in addition to secondary and informal data sources.FindingsThe chosen case studies achieved their international success through a high degree of cultural assimilation obtained within locations of intense industrial concentration. Knowledge of education, location, language, networks and management systems were important to sustain world class standards of creative design, branding, quality management and marketing communication. For many Asian fashion brands, recognition in key European and American markets enhances the domestic prestige of the brand.Research limitations/implicationsThe research generates contextualised insights that are not statistically generalisable.Practical implicationsThe study offers first hand insights into high fashion branding and retail internationalisation from four of the most celebrated Asian designers.Originality/valueThe study responds to a need, highlighted in the literature, for more research into the internationalisation strategies of high fashion retail brands.</jats:sec

Television Product Placement Strategy in Thailand and the UK

Abstract This paper discusses the implications for international brand communications management of a qualitative cross-national research study on television product placement in the United Kingdom and Thailand. The study involved secondary research into the respective media environments and depth interviews with leading agency practitioners in each country. The research suggests that, while television product placement practice may be superficially similar in Asia and the UK, there are important differences arising from the very different regulatory, media and consumer environments. As a consequence, detailed local knowledge is essential for successful product placement strategy which crosses cultural borders. The paper explains key differences in regulation and practice and explores implications for brand communications practice and research