ABSTRACT. Of the many ethical corporate marketing practices, many firms use corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication to enhance their corporate image. Yet consumers, overwhelmed by these more or less well-founded CSR claims often have trouble identifying truly responsible firms. This confusion encourages "greenwashing" and may make CSR initiatives less effective. On the basis of attribution theory, this study investigates the role of independent sustainability ratings on consumers' responses to companies' CSR communication. Experimental results indicate the negative effect of a poor sustainability rating for corporate brand evaluations in the case of CSR communication, because consumers infer less intrinsic motives by the brand. Sustainability ratings thus could act to deter "greenwashing" and encourage virtuous firms to persevere in their CSR practices.

International audienceAn organic label offers a market signal for producers of organic food products. In Western economies, the label has gained high recognition, but organic food still represents a small part of total food consumption, which raises questions about the label's efficacy. By considering organic labels as a signal of quality for consumers, this article studies how this signal interacts with brand signals when both are visible to consumers, applying a cobranding framework. This research examines the moderating effect of the brand on organic label effects. In a 2 × 2 experimental design using real consumers (N = 122) in a shopping context, it found that, depending on brand equity, the marginal effect of organic labelling information in terms of perceived product quality varies. In particular, when brand equity is high (low), the organic label appears less (more) effective. However, regardless of the brand equity level, an organic label makes the environmentally friendly attribute salient, which has a positive impact on perceived quality. Pertinent implications for marketing and public policy are discussed

The objective of this research is to explore the decision-making process of consumers when faced with food products that have values-based labels. An experimental methodology was used to test the impact of a label of origin guaranteed by the European Union, the Protected Geographic Indications (PGI) label. The reactions of French consumers to photographs of two food products were investigated with four different presentations: without a specific label, with a simple regional label, with both a regional label and the PGI label, and finally, with the previous two labels along with an explanation of the nature of the PGI label. It was found that the impact on overall quality and purchase intention emerged only when the relatively unrecognized PGI label was explained to consumers, thus highlighting the importance of building awareness of a values-based label. When it was explained, however, the values-based label was shown to operate as an effective market signal that generated both descriptive and inferential beliefs in relation to the products bearing the label. These beliefs in turn explained consumers' perception of overall quality and influenced purchasing intention. By investigating the dimensions of label equity and by explaining the mechanism whereby values-based labels are perceived by consumers, this research offers firms a methodology for improving the commercial viability of values-based labelling schemes. Policymakers can also benefit from these insights to develop clearer understanding of how labels are actually interpreted by consumers. Finally, consumers -individually and collectively -will be better served by labelling schemes that incorporate an understanding of their perspective.

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JEL classification: L85 R31 R21 M2 A11 Keywords: Services brokerage FSBO Residential property market Intermediation Market expertise Time pressure a b s t r a c tThis paper aims to explain the determinants of using an estate agent vs. conducting a private sale on the French housing market. A survey that collected 3992 responses relating to completed transactions showed that the decision of whether or not to use an estate agent is not explained by the physical or spatial features of the property or socio-demographic variables, but rather by buyers' and sellers' perceptions, i.e. perceived advantages of brokerage services in terms of expected relevant outcome, efficient process, psychological security and social facilitation. These results may help brokers to differentiate from FSBO in a context of freely-available information.

Dans le secteur cinématographique, les spectateurs potentiels ont aujourd'hui la possibilité de se renseigner sur Internet pour connaître les recommandations des critiques et celles des internautes. Or, plus cette recommandation est portée par un grand nombre d'individus, plus elle fait du bruit: du « buzz ». Cette recherche explore dans quelle mesure ces buzz en ligne peuvent être prédicteurs et/ou influenceurs du box-office, en particulier après la semaine de lancement. Une expérimentation de terrain menée sur 534 films montre que les buzz et plus précisément les recommandations affichées sur le site allocine.com sont significativement corrélées au box-office après la première semaine. Différents développements montrent que ces recommandations peuvent non seulement prédire, mais aussi influencer le box-office.

The role of emotion in a housing purchase: An empirical analysis of the anatomy of satisfaction from off-plan apartment purchases in France

We sincerely thank Christian Bernard, a jeweler, and the CPDHBJO (French Professional Committee for the Development of Watchmaking, Jewelry, Gold and Silverware), without whom this research would not have been possible. We would also like to thank the three anonymous reviewers of this article for their constructive remarks, together with François Courvoisier for his comments on this article at the time of its presentation at the Journées de recherche en marketing horloger (marketing research day in watchmaking).