Summary
Through an experimental design, this study examines the mediating role of attitude towards values advocacy advertising sponsored by Miller and McDonald’s. Adopting hierarchy-of-effects perspectives, the study examined the role of attitude towards the values advocacy advertising in evaluating purchase intention and issue support behaviour. The study results revealed that AValuesAdvocacyAd is a mediator for predicting issue support behaviour when consumers perceive a company’s value advocacy advertising as driven by public-serving motives. Purchase intention was directly affected by perceived public-serving motives of the advertisers. Further, a new construct, self-construal, was found as an antecedent to the cognitive construct, consumers’ perceptions towards the advertisers’ intention as public-serving.

Summary
Periodically tracking public sentiment toward television advertising (TVA) is an important barometer for the advertising industry and its myriad stakeholders. To date, however, most studies of consumers’ attitudes to TVA have been cross-sectional. This study, alternatively, provides a quasi-longitudinal examination of Australian attitudes toward TVA across four time points (2002, 2005, 2008, and 2010). Findings suggest that although attitudes toward TVA are generally negative, in fact they have not deteriorated over time. Considerable scope consequently exists for improving consumer attitudes toward TVA.

Summary
This article looks at the state of the advertising industry, based on the findings of a survey of US consumers and advertising executives conducted by the 4A's and McCann Erickson. While over three-quarters of shoppers feel largely positive about advertising, some 70% of the industry panel believe the industry's best days are over.

Summary
Smartphone and tablet ownership, and time spent on mobile devices, are rocketing around the world. This report from Millward Brown reviews how individuals use and relate to smartphones and tablets, which are becoming increasingly central to our lives. It shows that while most consumers will tolerate mobile marketing, few consumers are favourable towards it. However, by demonstrating greater respect for the platform and audience, attitudes can be improved. Employed correctly, mobile is highly effective at brand building and can play a number of diverse roles in the media mix. Best practice guidance for delivering effectively in the mobile world is also included.

Summary
Recent studies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) illustrate the positive consumer reaction to the socially responsible practices of retailers, and outline the upside for retailers to engage in these practices. However, little is known about the downside of these practices: consumer negative reaction due to the ambiguous and complex nature of consumer reaction, and consumers’ resistance to the ‘citizen argument’ put forth by retailers. This research, through 17 interviews, fills this gap to explore the complex nature of consumer reaction to CSR practices, and investigates motivations and manifestations of consumer resistance to the ‘citizen argument’ of mass-market retailers. The findings reveal consumer responses to CSR practices (their resistant behaviour), their causes, and classify them in two forms – resistance to the consumerist practice attributed to retailing, and resistance to an ‘insidious’ commitment to sustainable development where sincerity is claimed by the mass-market retailers.

Summary
The current study introduces the concept of ethnic compatibility to explain differences between strong and weak Hispanic identifiers’ evaluation of print advertising. The findings challenge the effectiveness of multicultural advertisements that are intended to reach multiple ethnic groups simultaneously by featuring various ethnicities’ models together. Although this non-adaptation communication strategy is mainstream in the United States, the findings suggest that it may be ineffective in connecting with strong Hispanic identifiers.

Summary
A round-up of presentations from the Edinburgh International Marketing Festival 2012. Key themes emerging from the presentations include: marketers believe that advertising should be more about science than art – though many also agree that both are essential to produce successful campaigns; agencies are adapting to shifting trends in their daily working practices, with account allocation, office space and the possibility of getting into NPD all under consideration; and, among the digital trends that are reshaping these practices are the rise of gamification, "responsive design" and the increasing use of social media in corporate PR.

Summary
Jon Alexander argues that marketers could be major contributors to the systemic change we need to see in the world. But at the moment, they are doing more to trap society on its current path to disaster than to facilitate creative change. The dark side of materialism was clearly exposed during the 2011 riots, when looting of consumer goods was widespread. Young people feel that they must have these goods by any means necessary. In his counter argument, Rory Sutherland proposes that conspicuous consumption is innate to human nature - displaying abundance, as the peacock does with his tail, serves to highlight our fitness as a potential mate.

Summary
Results of a UK research project exploring advertising's role in the cosmetics and beauty category. Specifically, it looks into the impact of airbrushed images on body confidence. Credos, the researchers, first performed a literature review of previous studies, and concluded that they provide insufficient evidence to back up the case for further regulation on airbrushing in advertising, and that additional research was required. Credos' own subsequent study showed that self esteem and body confidence is often low among young women. Their vulnerability appears to peak at around 16-17 years of age. Moreover, almost half of young women agree that if brands use airbrushing to significantly alter the way a model looks, it makes them less inclined to believe what the brand or product is telling them.

Summary
Handbills are paper advertisements that are distributed by hand to pedestrians. What roles do the credibility of the distributor and the credibility of the handbill have in the probability that a handbill offered will be accepted? Street intercept interviews with 223 pedestrians in Hong Kong showed that distributor credibility positively predicted handbill acceptance, but the credibility of the handbill itself mediated this relationship. Environmental concerns moderated the relationship between handbill credibility and handbill acceptance. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for advertisers, and a platform is sketched for future researchers to build on.