Despite widespread pro-green attitudes, consumers frequently purchase non-green alternatives. One possible explanation for this value-action gap is the tradeoffs that green products often force on their users: higher prices, lower quality, and/or reduced performance.The current study uses conjoint analysis to uncover the attribute preferences of car and TV buyers when green attributes are negatively correlated with conventional attributes. These attribute preferences are then used to predict choice among sets of green and less green alternatives currently sold in the marketplace. Strong preferences for green products are found when tradeoffs are not apparent, but preference shifts significantly to less green compromise alternatives when the actual attribute tradeoffs are considered. Although general preference is reduced by tradeoffs, a green product that offer some compensatory advantage on a conventional attribute does attract a broader spectrum of consumers, while only "dark green" consumers are willing to pay the price to go green when the product offers few compensatory qualities. In all cases, however, predicted buyers of the greenest technologies offset some of their environmental benefits by choosing more energy-thirsty specifications on negatively correlated conventional attributes. Managerial and public policy implications of the findings are then discussed.

Research Paper PurposeThe development of a comprehensive model of high-level sponsorship effects that works well in both sports and cultural sponsorship contexts. Design/Methodology/ApproachThe sponsorship model is tested using survey data from target market representative samples in two professional sports contexts and two cultural contexts. FindingsThe model works almost equally well in both contexts. Furthermore, a more parsimonious mediated effects model provides virtually the same results as the full model. Improving attitude towards the sponsorship and object equity are found to be the most important factors for improving sponsor equity. The model also confirms earlier research on the importance of sponsor sincerity and sponsor-object fit in determining sponsorship effects. Research LimitationThe explained variance of the sincerity and object equity constructs was not as high as for other constructs in the model. Practical ImplicationsSponsorship managers should pre-test potential objects and sponsorship communications to make sure that constructs in the model such as fit, sincerity, sponsorship attitudes, and object equity are maximized to provide optimal sponsor equity. ValueThe model combines constructs from various literatures into a comprehensive model of highlevel sponsorship effects. Furthermore, while most previous sponsorship research have used convenience samples and/or fictional and/or single sponsorship contexts, the comprehensive model tested here is shown to have high external validity by its consistently good performance in predicting sponsorship effects using four real sponsorships and representative samples.

The fit between a sponsor and object (i.e., sponsored organization, cause, event, or individual) has been shown to be an important construct in predicting sponsorship effects, but little research has been done to understand the basis for fit perceptions. The current research uses three studies to find and test the underlying dimensions used to judge the degree of overall fit between a sponsor and object. Starting with an exploratory study that uses qualitative cognitive mapping to uncover seven dimensions that form the basis for overall fit perceptions, a follow-up experiment determines their ability to predict overall fit and sponsorship-related attitude changes. The last study tests whether overall fit perceptions can be manipulated both positively and negatively with fit dimension-related communications about the sponsorship. The research finds that sponsor product relevance, attitude similarity, geographic similarity, audience similarity, and sponsorship duration significantly predict overall fit and/or can be used to manipulate fit perceptions positively.

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