Negative brand beliefs and brand usage

This research focuses on consumer brand usage segments and the responses they give to negative attributes in brand image studies. Analysis was conducted across three markets and four approaches for measuring brand beliefs with respondents who were current users, past users or had never tried a brand. The major finding of this study was that past users of a brand consistently have the highest tendency to elicit negative beliefs about brands. Further, those who have never used a brand typically have a lower propensity than current brand users to elicit negative brand beliefs. These results suggest that negative beliefs about a brand are developed as a result of purchase behaviour, rather than as mechanisms to reject a brand prior to purchase. These findings have implications for the role of negative beliefs in consideration of set formation and the trial of a new brand. They also provide insight into the patterns that may be expected when measuring and interpreting negative brand beliefs across different usage groups

The impact of word of mouth on intention to purchase currently used and other brands

This paper measures how the impact of positive and negative word of mouth (PWOM, NWOM) is related to the receiver's intention to purchase brands, using shift in the intention to purchase as the measure of impact. It distinguishes between currently used and other brands, and finds that PWOM has more impact, and NWOM less, when these forms of advice are on the current brand. The PWOM effect persists among those who are disinclined to rebuy their current brand, so it is not based on preference. Similarly, the NWOM effect is not enhanced when respondents are disinclined to repurchase their current brand. To explain this phenomenon, we suggest that the current brand is better understood, making it easier for customers to accept PWOM and reject NWOM on it, irrespective of preference. This work, by showing that the response to WOM is relatively independent of preference, also indicates that bias based on preference may be a limited hazard in survey responses about WOM. When account is taken of the relative frequency of WOM on current and other brands, PWOM has twice as much effect on customer acquisition as customer retention, while NWOM has more than four times as much effect in deterring the acquisition of new buyers as it has on deterring customer retention. This evidence contributes to our understanding of how WOM acts to both retain and acquire customers. </jats:p

The efficacy of brand-execution tactics in TV advertising, brand placements, and Internet advertising

This article examines brand-execution tactics in television, internet video advertising, and in brand placement within TV programs. Multiple studies provide evidence that showing the brand early and often—and having at least one verbal mentionenhances brand recall. By contrast, the evidence is mixed for verbal frequency, and there is not support for the brand simply being present for a iong time. A review of current practice across a variety of media finds considerable scope for improvement in brand execution.

A comparison of retail trade and company sales staff perceptions of a trade based sales promotion

This paper presents a case study that was undertaken to understand the perceptions of both dealers and internal staff about a sales promotion that was employed by the company. In terms of general attitudes to promotions, sales representatives and dealers both saw promotions as purely sales driven, in terms of objectives and evaluations. However, senior staff saw sales promotions as having a relationship building role and as a motivator for staff. The internal staff we spoke to were sceptical about the effectiveness of such promotions with the sales reps perceiving that they would have achieved the sales anyway and the senior staff unsure how to assess these more abstract objectives. The key findings were the identification of the areas perceived by dealers and/or internal staff as impacting upon a sales promotion. These were: ability to attract attention, simplicity, having realistic targets, having good support material, appropriate incentives, efficient logistics, communication of benefits and sales support. It was also important to ensure that the goals of the promotion, as set by the company, were able to provide a benefit to the dealers