Suggesting a More Effective Way to Use the Promotional Mix in Services

The purpose of this research is: (a) to examine the persuasive effects of a message presented either as a webpage, advertising, or publicity, (b) to study whether sequencing (i.e., advertising then publicity) matters in marketing. Four dependent variables are studied: message strength, perceived credibility, attitude, and purchase intent. Lack of significance for a webpage was unexpected. Several paired comparisons emerged significant for message strength but only one for purchase intent. Results have application for marketing mix allocations and promotional scheduling. New questions are raised for future research that may potentially challenge some well-established concepts.