The effect of fit and dominance in cause marketing communications

Consumer processing of cause marketing communications featuring a brand and a cause is investigated in the context of the communication format (perceived fit and dominance) on consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions. Two studies using different forms of communication, public service announcement (PSA) and cause-related marketing advertisement (CRM ad), are used to examine these effects. Findings suggest that both factors are important to consider in any joint communication. While high fit is critical for brands, dominance is shown to be important for both in joint communications.Cause marketing Advertising Nonprofit Brands

Teenagers’ eWOM intentions: a nature vs nurture perspective

Purpose: the purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of parents (via family communication patterns) on teenagers’ electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intentions, via a serial mediation by internet usage and self-esteem, along with the moderating effect of online impression.Design/methodology/approach: a conceptual model was developed based on the nature vs nurture perspective and theory of consumer socialization. Structural equation modeling was applied to investigate the interplay among proposed variables, using a sample of 797 teenage respondents in India.Findings: the findings indicate that family communication, internet usage, and self-esteem are significant antecedents to eWOM intents of teenagers. Also, online impression is a strong moderator which influences whether teenagers would engage in eWOM activities or not.Research limitations/implications: this study presents actionable items for marketers interested in teenage consumers in an emerging economy. Marketers can benefit by tailoring their online communication to influence parent’s attitude toward the internet and to enhance online impression of teenagers to substantially increase eWOM dispersion.Originality/value: this study provides original insights about how parents and individual characteristics act as antecedents and impact teenagers’ eWOM intentions including the moderating effect of online impression

Adolescent's eWOM intentions: an investigation into the roles of peers, the Internet and gender

Teenagers are major contributors of online content because of continuous communication and sharing with peers using social media or instant messaging apps. They like to immediately tell the world about their purchases and consumption experiences, which leads to the generation and transmission of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). This study uses consumer socialization perspective to examine how age, peers and Internet usage influence teenagers' eWOM intentions. The findings suggest that normative and informative influence of peers and the Internet have significant positive association with eWOM. Moreover, these influences also mediate the direct influence of age and Internet usage on eWOM. Further, the potential eWOM behavior of male teenagers is influenced by the existing peer norms, whereas for females, their reliance and belief in the credibility of online information is more critical. The insights are valuable for marketers interested in the powerful and growing teenage consumer segment, especially in the new emerging markets