The Taguchi Approach to Large-Scale Experimental Designs: A Powerful and Efficient Tool for Advancing Marketing Theory and Practice Journal of Marketing Science, 2024
Sharing to Persuade: The Role of Donor-Versus Charity-Focused Word of Mouth
Current marketing research often relies on narrowly focused experimental methods that address just a few independent variables or correlational designs, despite calls for future research to take big- picture perspectives that offer real-world applicability and causal evidence. This disparity likely reflects the constraints imposed by the need for extensive resources to conduct broad, causal examinations. To bridge this gap, our work presents the Taguchi approach to large- scale experimental design, which remains notably underutilized in marketing research despite being well-established in other fields. Its effectiveness stems from the robust catalog of experimental design rubrics that can incorporate many different independent variables systematically and efficiently. The causal and efficient experimental option for broad scopes of investigation embraces the embeddedness of in-dependent variables and thus can help build marketing theory and advance practice. In this work, we detail the fundamentals of the Taguchi approach, its relative advantages, and a three-step implementation process. Taguchi designs enable researchers to: Boost research efficiency by testing many variables with fewer conditions. Uncover causality in real-world scenarios with diverse configurations. Identify key drivers in complex phenomena to refine and extend theories. Advance theory with robust, real-world applicable causal evidence.
Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 62 No.1(2024) pp.22-39
Laura Boman Xin He OVERVIEW
TAKEAWAYS
Jordan W. Moffett Patrick Fennell Colleen M. Harmeling
Charitable organizations are increasingly soliciting donors to engage in word-of-mouth (WOM) as a strategy to foster future contributions. While some organizations encourage donors to share WOM that focuses on their own donations (donor-focused WOM; e.g., “I just donated to the kids of @StJude. Join me in saving children’s lives.”), others prompt donors to share WOM that focuses on the organization itself (charity- focused WOM; e.g., “Smile Train gives children with clefts the #PowerOfASmile.”). Contrary to the common be-lief that people mostly want to talk about themselves, the current research demonstrates that donor-focused WOM backfires, such that donors are less likely to share donor- than charity-focused WOM. This effect is driven by their belief that donor-focused WOM is less altruistic and is therefore less efficacious in persuading others to contribute to the same cause. In addition to sharing, the type of WOM solicited exerts far-reaching impact, with donor-focused WOM attracting fewer new donors in comparison to charity-focused WOM. Together, the current research improves the understanding of WOM type, its effect, and the underlying processes.
Donor-focused word of mouth (WOM) is less likely to be shared than charity-focused word- of-mouth. Donor-focused WOM is seen as less altruistic and less effective in persuading others to donate. Soliciting donor-focused WOM attracts fewer new donors compared to charity-focused WOM. Emphasizing organizational mission in WOM increases sharing and donation efficacy. For effective fundraising, charities should avoid donor-focused WOM solicitations.
Daniel Sheehan Alexander Bleier
Coles Research Magazine | Financial Times Top 50 Journals
9
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs