Attitudes toward Direct Marketing and its Regulation: A Comparison of the United States and Japan

Abstract

The authors propose that the high-context nature of Japanese communication and the collectivistic nature of Japanese culture have an impact on attitudes toward direct marketing and its regulation. The results of a survey of Japanese and U.S. university students suggest that certain types of direct marketing messages are less effective in Japan than in the United States. The results also indicate a greater willingness by Japanese respondents to support regulation of direct marketing practices. The authors discuss managerial implications of the findings for multinational marketers and advertisers and suggest public policy implications for direct marketing in Japan.

Are direct messages (texts and emails) from wagering operators associated with betting intention and behavior? An ecological momentary assessment study

“…Research into US pharmaceutical advertising has noted the difficulty of regulating direct marketing (Gibson, 2014; Henney, 2000; Mackey, 2016; Taylor, Franke, & Maynard, 2000). Gibson (2014) concluded that third party oversight and industry self-regulation are important in regulating direct marketing, although gambling industry self-regulation has been criticized (Selin, 2016).…”

Service quality and satisfaction: an international comparison of professional services perceptions

“…Ferley, Lea and Watson (1999) found significant differences between Canadian and U.S. consumers in terms of product-usage patterns. Taylor, Franke and Maynard (2000) examined the behavior of Japanese consumers compared to U. S. consumers with regard to their attitudes toward telemarketing. Because Japan is a high-context country where relationships come before business, the Japanese consumers perceived the telemarketing calls from an unknown source as even more rude and intrusive than U. S. consumers did.…”

A cross-cultural investigation of consumer e-shopping adoption

“…The effect of individualism-collectivism on risk perception is likely to be situation specific. Taylor et al (2000) noted that privacy in a collectivist culture is not important among in-group members since they are expected to share personal thoughts and feelings and trust one another. Weber and Hsee (1998) identified a cushion effect among Chinese who exhibit strong collectivism.…”

“…Culture has also been found to affect how an individual responds to a potential risk (Taylor et al, 2000;Yamagishi & Yamagishi, 1994;Bontempo et al, 1997;Weber & Hsee, 1998). Individuals' cognitive propensity to risk differs across cultures and is likely to affect the perceptions of the presence of risks as well as the evaluation of the risks (Tse et al, 1988).…”