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Introduction: This brief report examines how e-cigarette form affects perceptions of cigarette similarity, health risk evaluations, and willingness to try the product. The mediating roles of product form similarity to combustible cigarettes and perceived health risk across vapers and non-vapers are also assessed.Aims and Methods: A between-subjects experiment examines the effects of four product forms (a cigalike, a vape pen, a tank, and a pod/Juul) for 443 nonsmokers who are either current vapers or non-vapers. Multi-item measures are used to assess the mediating and outcome-dependent measures.Results: Results show that the product form affects similarity, and there are differences between vapers and non-vapers for all outcomes. Moderated mediation results show that (1) form similarity mediates the effects on health perceptions and differs between vapers and non-vapers and (2) there are serial mediation effects of form on willingness to try the different products.Conclusions: Electronic nicotine delivery systems product form matters. Similarity to combustible cigarettes influences health risk perceptions, and, in turn, there are effects on willingness to try the product. There are differences in mediation effects across current vapers and non-vapers. These results contribute to understanding reasons why the public health community should monitor and consider how manipulations in product form can affect and reduce health risk perceptions.Implications: Electronic nicotine delivery systems have evolved since their introduction to the market and are now comprised of product types that vary substantially in design and appearance. By changing form and reducing resemblance to cigarettes, these differences in product form are shown to have downstream consequences on health risk perceptions and willingness to try the product. The public health community needs to consider unconventional ways in which companies may reduce risk perceptions of youthful users and nonusers, even when there are no objective differences in risk across product types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Requiring restaurants to present nutrition information on menus is under consideration as a potential way to slow the increasing prevalence of obesity. Using a survey methodology, we examined how accurately consumers estimate the nutrient content of typical restaurant meals. Based on these results, we then conducted an experiment to address how the provision of nutrition information on menus influences purchase intentions and reported preferences. Methods. For both the survey and experiment, data were analyzed using analysis of variance techniques. Results. Survey results showed that levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat in less-healthful restaurant items were significantly underestimated by consumers. Actual fat and saturated fat levels were twice consumers' estimates and calories approached 2 times more than what consumers expected. In the subsequent experiment, for items for which levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat substantially exceeded consumers' expectations, the provision of nutrition information had a significant influence on product attitude, purchase intention, and choice. Conclusions. Most consumers are unaware of the high levels of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium found in many menu items. Provision of nutrition information on restaurant menus could potentially have a positive impact on public health by reducing the consumption of less-healthful foods. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2004.054973

Objectives. We examined whether specific antismoking advertising-based beliefs regarding the addictiveness of smoking, the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke, and the tobacco industry's use of deceptive advertising practices are associated with adult smokers' consideration of quitting. We also assessed whether interactions between such beliefs and having children living in the home were associated with consideration of quitting. Methods. We used analyses of smokers' responses to a telephone survey conducted after completion of the Wisconsin Anti-Tobacco Media Campaign to test hypotheses associated with our study objectives. Results. Results indicated that advertising-based beliefs regarding smoking addictiveness and the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke were associated with consideration of quitting. The findings also showed that consideration of quitting was positively affected by the interaction between number of children living at home and advertising-based beliefs about deceptive tobacco industry advertising practices designed to induce people to smoke. Conclusions. Creating advertisements that target specific antismoking beliefs may be the most effective approach to enhancing consideration of quitting among adult smokers, particularly those with children living at home. (Am J Public Health. 2005;95:1062-1066. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2004.050195)

The relationship between discipline research productivity and undergraduate and masters business school program rankings are examined. Results indicate that research productivity is strongly related to undergraduate program ratings with more than 50% of variance in ratings explained by a school's research productivity scores.

In this article for the 40th Anniversary of the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (JPPM), the authors first share what is meant by "policy," "public policy," and "marketing and public policy" for researchers in our field. The authors then offer examples of JPPM research informing policy across different stages of the policy-making process: problem identification, agenda setting, policy formulation, budgeting, implementation, and evaluation. They also discuss important sources of public policy (e.g., federal, state, and international agencies; self-regulation; the courts; nonprofits; society; industry standards; company policies; personal ethics) and their role in the marketing and public policy process. The authors then offer JPPM application examples (consumer protection; antitrust/competition; vulnerability; diversity, equity, and inclusion; nutrition labeling; addiction, cannabis, and antidrug research; tobacco warning labeling and education; and privacy and technology) and share ideas for developing research that contributes to the marketing and public policy discipline and in making a positive difference in society and people's lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factors which cause retailers to advertise tensile price claims, wherein products are offered at a given range of savings, were assessed according to product sales generated. A comparison was made on the sales generated by a maximum, minimum and a range level of savings. The effect of store type to price of products was also examined. A statistical analysis revealed that the maximum level of savings had the strongest effect on tensile price claim. Results also showed that an objective price claim is better than the tensile price claim because it promotes consumer price perception.

Drawing from theories of social cognition and perception, the effects of information consistency and distinctiveness implied by semantic cues in reference price ads are examined in a 2 (Levels of Distinctiveness) x 2 (Levels of Consistency) x 3 (Levels of Reference Price) between-subjects experimental design. Both the reference-price level and the perceived distinctiveness of information implied by the semantic cue had significant effects on internal price standard and attitudinal and perceptual dependent variables. Consistency information had no effect. Competing rationales drawn from assimilation-contrast theory and anchoring and adjustment effects on judgment are offered as bases for reference-price predictions. Results reveal that reference-price level had a monotonic effect on most dependent variables, and thus are more consistent with effects predicted by anchoring and adjustment rationales.

Since food labels first became required on certain consumer packaged food products 18 years ago, researchers have been concerned with consumers' perceptions and use of nutrition information on food labels [...]

Recommendations for the effective management of sale price promotion to improve consumer perceptions are derived from studies on price perception and in particular, from acquisition-transaction utility theory. This framework proposes that a positive effect on utility perceptions can be obtained by developing advertisements which raise the internal reference price, lower perceived purchase price and enhance product utility. Generally, the recommendations stress the importance of influencing consumer perceptions through the use of price, semantic and product cues.

The theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) and the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985) are compared in terms of predictive validity and a comparison between behavioral expectation (BE) and behavioral intention (BI) as the immediate antecedent of behavior is offered. In addition, the relationships between attitude-toward-the-act (Aact), subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) as predictors of BE are examined. Results indicate that the theory of planned behavior is a better predictor of intention than the theory of reasoned action and that BI is a stronger predictor of behavior than BE. The results also suggest that Aact, SN, and PBC are better predictors of BI than of BE and that development of a behavioral plan moderates the Aact-BI-B relations.

In this study a confirmatory methodology was implemented to analyze a model that uses the Rizzo, House, and Lirtzman (1970) scales of role conflict (RC) and role ambiguity (RA; i.e., the Bedeian and Armenakis, 1981, model). The validity of the RC and RA scales were examined through structural equations analysis, and a nested models approach was used to compare the Bedeian and Armenakis model with a model suggesting a more parsimonious representation of the data. Furthermore, path estimates from models incorporating random measurement error were compared with estimates from a model not incorporating the effects of random measurement error. Results indicate that the RC and RA measures meet some established thresholds of convergent and discriminant validity. However, the causal results suggest a more parsimonious representation of the effects of RC and RA than that posited by Bedeian and Armenakis. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

The effects of spokescharacter personality characteristics on key elements of brand equity are hypothesized and tested in two studies. More specifically, two studies assess the role of the spokescharacter personality characteristics of excitement, sincerity, and competence in affecting brand trust, brand attitude, and willingness to pay a price premium (WPPP). Study 1 results show that excitement and sincerity directly and indirectly affect brand attitude, brand trust, and WPPP. Furthermore, sincerity is more positively linked to brand trust than is excitement. Study 2 results show that a spokescharacter designed in a manner to evoke greater perceived sincerity has a stronger positive impact on trust, brand attitude, and WPPP than a spokescharacter designed to evoke greater competence. Overall, these findings demonstrate that personality-laden spokescharacters featured in advertising campaigns can strengthen these equity-related constructs found important in enhancing consumer-brand relationships. Implications for brand and advertising managers are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the regulator of all national food advertising, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has expressed concern that consumers may be misled by certain comparative nutrient content claims in advertising. To help examine this issue, primary food shoppers were recruited and interviewed in three U.S. markets according to generally accepted procedures for advertising copy tests. The study employs a 2 (ad claim type) x 2 (nutrition knowledge) x 4 (disclosure type) between-subjects design using manipulated print advertisements. Misleading generalizations for absolute levels of sodium content beyond that of control ads are found for both specific and general nutrient content claims from experimentally manipulated soup advertisements. Effects of certain ad disclosure types are found to be dependent on ad claim type and on nutrition knowledge levels. Conclusions from the study and implications for advertising practice and public policy are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Research on electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) warnings has primarily focused on addiction warnings, such as the one soon to be required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. However, reduced-risk warnings, similar to the warnings recently proposed for smokeless tobacco products, remain a future possibility for e-cigarettes. Thus, this brief report compares e-cigarette health risk perceptions based on reduced-risk warnings and the FDA addiction risk warning, and considers whether these warnings differ in believability, ease of comprehension, and perceptions about the clarity of risk communication.Methods: A quota sample of 672 smokers, e-cigarette users, dual users, and nonusers participated in this between-subjects experiment. Study participants were randomly assigned to one of three warning conditions, including the FDA-mandated addiction warning and two reduced-risk warnings. After exposure to the warning statement, participants responded to measures of health risk perceptions, believability, ease of comprehension, and perception about the clarity of risk communication.Results: Results reveal that the addiction warning is perceived as more believable, easier to comprehend, and more clearly communicating the health risks of e-cigarettes use compared with the reduced-risk warnings. In addition, overall health risk perceptions and addiction risk perceptions based on the addiction warning are greater than health risk perceptions based on the reduced-risk warnings. In contrast, specific disease-related risk perceptions such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and harm to an unborn baby are greater for the reduced-risk warnings.Conclusions: This study provides a comparison of the forthcoming FDA-mandated e-cigarette addiction warning and reduced-risk warnings that have begun to be considered in the literature on a number of critical outcomes.Implications: This research provides a greater understanding of how variations of e-cigarette warnings, including addiction and reduced-risk warnings, are perceived by smokers, e-cigarette users, dual users, and nonusers. Specifically, findings show that overall health risk perceptions and addiction risk perceptions based on the addiction warning are greater than risk perceptions based on the reduced-risk warnings. In contrast, specific disease-related risk perceptions, such as cancer and heart disease, are greater for the reduced-risk warnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]