Editorial
The first issue of 2007 continues to project a diversity of topics in the field of marketing and logistic practices in the Asia pacific region. This is quite a bumper copy with six thought provoking papers comprising empirical research and practitioner's commentary. The issue opens with a research comparing beliefs of advertising creatives across Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. Through a combination of in-depth interviews and questionnaires, it is found that Malaysian creatives have a somewhat different view of advertising creativity than do their Australian and New Zealand counterparts. While this is expected, there was also a significant overlap of views. It is critical that both advertisers and their agencies are familiar with the differences so as to effectively manage the differences in perceptions to enhance creative results and to achieve ultimate communication objectives. The authors have suggested a series of further research directions to better understand the differences including replication studies in other cultures possibly European and Northern American to gain a better perspective of the issue.
The second paper examines how the distribution channel systems in China can be effectively reformed and improved to compete in such emerging markets. The research design is considerably robust and rigorous with data collected at national, regional and municipal levels. Time series analysis was employed as the statistical technique to test the cross-sectional data. The findings suggest that the structure of the channel is determined by both economic development and government policy. The good news is China is a growing economy thereby paving the utmost necessity for developing such efficient channels. Further, China's current push for a more "open policy" will continue to reinforce and facilitate this process.
The third paper also looks at China, investigating the intricacies of how advertising campaigns can be designed and managed successfully in such a massive consumer market. Key determinants were analysed which resulted in the emergence of some very interesting implications. The first pre-requite for success is the availability of a unique product. High brand loyalty and market shares are also more likely to enjoy higher potential for advertising success. Message/creativity and media selection are however of concern as it was found that consumers relate to these variables very differently in different cities. One stark finding is that even for some very successful campaigns, these companies do not invest sufficiently on market research before making advertising decisions. As such, this is very much left to the element of luck. This paper provides many useful insights for brand managers and decision makers involved in brand advertising in China.
The fourth paper features prominently; both Hofstede's cultural framework and Rogers Diffusion Theory to examine how national culture may have an effect on Internet use. The findings were mixed. The dimensions of power distance and masculinity were both found to have a significant negative effect on Internet access and usage. However, there is no significant relationship between a country's degree of uncertainty avoidance and individualism on Internet access and usage. While education is found to have a high explanatory power in terms of variance, it does not fully explain the different rates of Internet use and access across countries. In essence, culture and socioeconomic factors should not be understated. The paper therefore highlights several critical implications for different stakeholders.
The next paper investigates the recency effect of word of mouth communication on product attitude and purchase intention. Through an experimental approach,two studies were designed to study the above and also examine the moderating effect of involvement. Findings reflect that consumers base their evaluations more on "later" information than "earlier" information regardless of involvement level. This result is also found to be consistent for different product categories. The paper contributes to helping companies in the effective positioning of different messages in their advertisements. For instance, companies can choose the presentation order of positive and negative information in their communication campaigns to evoke favourable feelings towards their products.
Finally, this issue closes with a stimulating and thought provoking piece addressing an inherent gap in the literature. It provides an analytical audit of the entertainment software market from the perspective of the industry. It questions the need to delve further into the intricacies of this industry such as consumers' changing needs and wants and how they can be segmented effectively to fully exploit the market to its full potential. Only then, can these target markets be better served with more customized marketing strategies and approaches.
Once again, I am grateful to the editorial advisory board and the ad-hoc reviewers for reviewing the manuscripts in a most timely manner. Their contributions must be fully acknowledged especially with the growing number of submissions to the APJML. Without the continued support, it is very difficult to cope with the reviewing process. Please do not hesitate to send me your feedback and comments to further improve the quality of the journal.
Ian Phau
