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Abstract
Marketplace advocacy campaigns often arise in response to burgeoning societal concerns, especially those faced by energy industries. These campaigns may be launched by a single sponsor or by an industry trade group representing the collective interests of the industry sector. Using focus groups, this research explored how lay audiences with little knowledge of the topic being advocated responded to similar energy-focused marketplace advocacy messages when presented by a corporation versus an industry trade group, research which has potentially significant implications for how corporations allocate communication resources as well as for environmental groups attempting to combat certain industry initiatives. Specifically, this study explored audience response to marketplace advocacy messages when communicated via a corporation versus an industry trade group in two common contexts: (1) ads designed to build support for an industry category and (2) ads designed to build support for a specific, controversial industry initiative. Findings were analyzed through theoretical frameworks in persuasion knowledge and attribution theory. A model is introduced that integrates these perceptions and highlights the study's key findings.
Acknowledgement
The authors wish to thank Elon University's Faculty Research & Development for supporting this research.
Notes
[1] According to the U.S. Census (2014), Charlotte, NC, has approximately 775,202 residents; Durham, NC, has approximately 239,358 residents; and Burlington, NC, has approximately 51,306 residents. In the 2012 elections, both Durham and Charlotte tended to vote Democrat (Durham more so than Charlotte), and Burlington tended to vote Republican (City-Data.com, 2013).
[2] Moderator's guide available from authors upon request.