'My Vote for My Mailman': Appeals to Reciprocity in Communication Campaigns
Schmalenbach Business Review, Vol. 65, July 2013, pp. 248-269
22 Pages Posted: 15 Oct 2013
Date Written: 2013
Abstract
We study the influence of an explicit appeal to reciprocity as a design element in communication campaigns. We conduct an experiment based on a real campaign run by Deutsche Post, the German postal service, in which German citizens could participate in a sweepstakes and vote for their mail carrier as “Mailman of the Year”, in return for good service. We also study a second reciprocity-based sweepstakes by a private company. We find that using an appeal to reciprocity as a communication tool neither increases participation in the sweepstakes nor improves brand image per se. Rather, its effectiveness depends on the fit between the campaign and the brand, and on customers’ satisfaction with the service provided.
Keywords: Communication Appeals, Reciprocity, Sweepstakes
JEL Classification: M10, M31, M37, M39
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation