Final Presentation Group 5

Members:
Jared Deimund
Kiana Moridi
Alexis Terrill
Alexis Trammell
Matt Woods

AleAlx

Research Question and Topic

RQ: What is the relationship among public
relations, advertising and marketing?
Topic: E-commerce

Subtopics
Alexis Terrill: Video Sites and Video Ads
Matt Woods: Cause-Related Marketing
Jared Deimund: Healthcare
Alexis Trammell: Electronic Word of Mouth
Kiana Moridi: Retail

Literature Review
Regalado (2014) found that while in-store purchases
still lead the market, Internet purchases have increased
steadily since 2002.
Bronn and Vrioni (2001) found cause-related marketing
can backfire if customers see the partnership as
insincere.
Rippen and Risk (2000) discovered trust enhances the
value of the Internet for both consumers and providers
of health information, products and services.

Literature Review
Schimmel and Nichols (2005) found word of mouth is
one of the most useful public relations tools when
spreading the message and brand of an online retailer.
Defining trust as the perceived credibility and
benevolence of a target, Hsu, Lin and Chiang (2012)
found that consumers think the contents of blogs are
relatively more useful and trustworthy compared to
traditional media.

Survey Findings
Survey group was relatively unaware of ecommerce
There was a lack of concern for privacy and
security
Price was the primary purchasing
consideration (65% of respondents)
Celebrity influence was low in purchasing
decision, blogs - 46% strongly disagreed

Survey Findings
Majority of video watchers use well-known
sites such as Netflix
Majority of online shoppers rely heavily on
family and friends reviews
Majority of college-age students distrust
blogs but often rely on online reviews

Observations
Every ad displayed on YouTube was skipped by the
participant
Participants often went directly to a brands website for
specific purchases
Participants most often Googled their illness or
symptoms and clicked on the first option instead of
visiting a specific site
Majority of in store shoppers were roaming for pieces
with no particular item in mind

Interviews
Student online shopper: I really care about brands, I stick to what I
know works.
Student vlogger/online video watcher: I sometimes watch ads
online, but it has to catch my attention immediately.
Small Business Owner: About 10-12% of our sales are onlineIts
hard to measure returns from social media.
Student e-Health user: I click on the first website that I see after I
Google my symptoms, but I think that WebMD is usually pretty
reliable.

Interviews
Hospital PR Professional: I think that e-Health and EMRs are the
future of medicine, but seeking medical advice from a licensed
physician should always be the first move. However, hospitals will
always be needed.
Avid Online Shopper: The most important factors to online shopping is
a smooth process, receiving an email when purchasing, tracking
notifications, email when shipped, easy return, easy navigation, and
quick delivery.
Student online shopper: Im trying to think of a time when an online ad
didnt just make me want to stop online shopping forever.

Focus Group
-13 people in attendance, common thread: all student
shoppers
Research Questions:
How do public relations, advertising and marketing
affect consumer attitudes towards e-commerce?
How do public relations, advertising and marketing
affect future consumer purchasing behavior online?

Focus Group Quotes

If its something that resonates with me on a personal level, Im
crazy inclined to buy it or at least promote it.
Sometimes the best customer service is like no customer service.
...public relations is pretty important because the way that you see
a company determines how willing you are to trust them and buy
their product.
I think advertising affects my behavior the most because I see
advertising everywhere, all the time, without even trying.

Triangulation

Based on quantitative and qualitative findings, the primary factors to

acquire and retain e-commerce customers were brand loyalty, trust and
shared values
Reviewed Literature casts Public Relations as a primary facilitator of these
functions
Surveys and focus group findings indicated families and friends highly
influenced consumer trust and buying decisions, while celebrity
endorsements were viewed as non-effective
Survey findings indicated brands were a significant factor influencing
consumer purchases and focus group findings cast brand recognition as a
source of trust or reliability online

Conclusion
The relationship among public relations, advertising and
marketing within e-commerce is:
Advertising is the tool to spread the brand image
(awareness)
Public relations is the primary factor in facilitating
brand loyalty (attitude)
Marketing converts customer loyalty to sales (behavior)