A Stakeholder Approach to the Regulation of On-Premise Signs
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Using stakeholder theory, this article introduces a framework to inform decision making with respect to the regulation of on-premise signs. Because signage resides in a broader, shared environment and its regulation largely takes place at the local level of government, it can be considered unique among most other marketing-related communications. On-premise signs are important to individual businesses and the communities in which they are used, but at the same time, they are “out in the world,” cannot be avoided, and may not be relevant to or welcomed by many consumers who are exposed to them. A transformative consumer research lens is applied in this article to arrive at regulatory recommendations that balance the interests of the business with the interests of consumers, the general public, and other stakeholders.
Article Details
References
Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimension of brand personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 34(3), 347–356.
Ailawadi, K. L., & Keller, K. L. (2004). Understanding retail branding: Conceptual insights and research priorities. Journal of Retailing, 8(4), 331–342. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2004.10.008
Auffrey, C., & Hildebrandt, H. (2017). Do motorists see business signs? Maybe. Maybe not. A study of the probability that motorists view on-premise signs. Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, 1(2), 100–115. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15763/ijsw.v1i2.8
Bazin, D., & Ballet, J. (2004). Corporate social responsibility: The natural environment as a stakeholder?” International Journal of Sustainable Development, 7(1), 59–75. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/ijsd.2004.004981
Belch, G. E., & Belch, M. A. (2018). Advertising and promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective. McGraw Hill. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5937/ekonhor1403265r
Belk, R. W. (1988). Possessions and the extended self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/209154
Bellizzi, J. A., & Hite, R. E. (1992). Environmental color, consumer feelings, and purchase likelihood,” Psychology & Marketing, 9(5), 347–363. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.4220090502
Berman, B. R., Evans, J. R., & Chaterjee, P. R. (2018). Retail management. Pearson.
Berthon, P., Holbrook, M. B., Hulbert, J. M., & Pitt, L. (2007). Viewing brands in multiple dimensions. MIT Sloan Management Review, 48(2), 37–43.
Bertucci, A. D., & Crawford, R. B. (2016). Model code for regulation of on-premise signs. United States Sign Council Foundation.
Bloch, P. H., & Kamran-Disfani, O. (2018). A framework for studying the impact of outdoor atmospherics in retailing. AMS Review, 8(3/4), 195–213. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13162-018-0111-5
Business Roundtable. (2019). Statement on the purpose of a corporation.
Bullough, J. (2017). Factors affecting sign visibility, conspicuity, and legibility: Review and annotated bibliography. Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, 1(2), 2–25. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15763/ijsw.v1i2.9
Calori, C., & Vanden-Eynden, D. (2015). Signage and wayfinding design: A complete guide to creating environmental graphic design systems. John Wiley and Sons. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781119174615
Century 21 Real Estate Corp. v. Nevada Real Estate Advisory Commission, 448 F. Supp. 1237 (1978).
Chang, C., & Killion, P. J. (2015). Sign languages: The regulatory authority of municipalities over commercial signage does not trump the First Amendment. Los Angeles Lawyer, 37, 28–35.
City of Germantown, Tennessee. (2019) Code of Ordinances, Sec. 14-37, Old Germantown (OG) District. (Code 1986, § 17-32; Ord. No. 2011-05, 7-25-11; Ord. No. 2011-08, 10-10-11).
City of Gresham, Oregon. (2002). Strategic Plan (May).
Connolly, B. J. (2012). Environmental aesthetics and free speech: Toward a consistent content neutrality standard for outdoor sign regulation. Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law, 2(1), 185–224. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.36640/mjeal.2.1.environmental
Crawford, P., Lee, E., & Beatty, M. (2015). Aesthetic perception of urban streetscapes and the impact of form-based codes and traditional zoning codes on commercial signage. Current Urban Studies, 3(3), 199–215. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/cus.2015.33017
De Nisco, A., & Warnaby, G. (2013). Shopping in downtown: The effect of urban environment on service quality perceptions and behavioral intensions. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 41(9), 654–670. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijrdm-05-2013-0106
Dennis, C., Brakus, J. J., Gupta, S., & Alamanos, E. (2014). The effect of digital signage on shoppers’ behavior: The role of evoked experiences. Journal of Business Research, 67(11), 2250–2257. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.06.013
Diamond, N., Sherry, J. F., Jr., Muniz, A. M., Jr., McGrath, M. A., Kozinets, R. V., & Borghini, S. (2009). American Girl and the brand gestalt: Closing the loop on sociocultural branding research. Journal of Marketing, 73(3), 118–134. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.73.3.118
Driscoll, C., & Starik, M. (2004). The primordial stakeholder: Advancing the conceptual consideration of stakeholder status for the natural environment. Journal of Business Ethics, 49(1), 55–73. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/b:busi.0000013852.62017.0e
Du, S., Yalcinkaya, G., & Bstieler, L. (2016). Sustainability, social media driven open innovation, and new product development performance. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 33, 55–71. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12334
Duerksen, C. J., & Goebel, M. R. (1999). Aesthetics, community character, and the law. PAS Report, 489–490.
Dun & Bradstreet. (2024). First research industry profile: Sign manufacturing.
Eckhardt, G. M., & Bengtsson, A. (2010). A brief history of branding in China. Journal of Macromarketing, 30(3), 210–221. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0276146709352219
Edquist, J., Horberry, T., Hosking, S., & Johnston, I. (2011). Effects of advertising billboards during simulated driving. Applied Ergonomics, 42(4), 619–626. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2010.08.013
Elijido-Ten, E., Kloot, L., & Clarkson, P. (2010). Extending the application of stakeholder influence strategies to environmental disclosures: An exploratory study from a developing country. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 23(8), 1032–1059. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09513571011092547
Ellis, S. R., Johnson, R., & Murphy, R. (1997). The economic value of on-premise signage, International Sign Association.
Escalas, J. E., & Bettman, J. R. (2005). Self-construal, reference groups, and brand meaning. Journal of Consumer Research, 32(3), 378–389. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/497549
Ferrell, O. C., Tracy, L., Gonzalez-Padron, G., Hult, T. M., & Maignan, I. (2010). From market orientation to stakeholder orientation. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 29(1), 93–96. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jppm.29.1.93
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman.
Freeman, R. E., Harrison, J. S., Wicks, A. C., Parmar, B., & de Colle, S. (2010). Stakeholder theory: The state of the art. Cambridge University Press. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3917/mana.143.0210
Gjerde, M. (2011). Visual evaluation of urban streetscapes: How do public preferences reconcile with those held by experts? Urban Design International, 16(3), 153–161. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/udi.2011.10
Golden, L. L., Albaum, G., & Zimmer, M. (1987). The numerical comparative scale: An economical format for retail image measurement. Journal of Retailing, 63(4), 393–410.
Greenley, G. E., Hooley, G. J., & Rudd, J. M. (2005). Market orientation in a multiple stakeholder orientation context: Implications for marketing capabilities and assets. Journal of Business Research, 58(11), 1483–1494. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2004.07.004
Hein, C., Ngalamulume, K., & Robinson, K. J. (2010). Urban Planning and Aesthetics. Urban Health: Global Perspectives, 18, 339–354.
Holt, D. B. (2004). How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding. Harvard Business School Press.
Houck, J. W. (1969). Outdoor advertising: History and regulation. University of Notre Dame, 11–56.
Hult, G., & Tomas, M. (2011). Market-focused sustainability: Market orientation plus! Journal of the Acadamy of Marketing Science, 39(1), 1–6. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0223-4
Hult, G., Tomas, M., Mena, J. A., Ferrell, O. C., & Ferrell, L. (2011). Stakeholder marketing: A definition and conceptual framework. AMS Review, 1(1), 44–65. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13162-011-0002-5
James, D. L., Durand, R. M., & Dreves, R. A. (1976). Use of a multi-attribute attitude model in a store image study. Journal of Retailing, 52(2), 23–32.
Jourdan, D. (2019). Full issue. Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, 3(1), 1–2. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15763/issn.2470-9670.2019.v1.i2.a39
Jourdan, D., Hurd, K., & Hawkins, H. G. (2013). Evidence-based sign regulation: Regulating signage on the basis of empirical wisdom. The Urban Lawyer, 45(2) 327–348.
Jourdan, D., Strauss, E., & Hunter, M. (2017). Sign code development process: Best practices. Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, 2(1), 34–59. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15763/issn.2470-9670.2017.v2.i1.a21
Kellaris, J. J. (2011). 100,000 shoppers can’t be wrong: Signage communication evidence from the BrandSpark International Grocery Shopper Survey. The Science of Signage: Proceedings of the National Signage Research and Education Conference, Signage Foundation, Cincinnati, October 12–13, 2011. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15763/issn.2470-9670.2016.v1.i1.a4
Kellaris, J. J. (2012). Further evidence from the BrandSpark / Better Homes and Gardens American Shopper StudyTM: A longitudinal update and extension. The Technology of Signage: Proceedings of the National Signage Research and Education Conference, Signage Foundation, Cincinnati, October 10–12, 2012.
Kellaris, J. J. (2013). Additional insights from the BrandSpark / Better Homes and Gardens American Shopper StudyTM: A three-year longitudinal update. In Signage as Advertising: Proceedings of the National Signage Research and Education Conference, October 9–10, 2013, Cincinnati. Signage Foundation.
Keller, K. L. (2013). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity. Prentice-Hall.
Kendig, L. (2010). Community character: Principles for design and planning. Island Press.
Kitchen, P. J., Brignell, J., Tao, L., & Jones, G. S. (2004). The emergence of IMC: A theoretical perspective. Journal of Advertising Research, 44(1), 19–30. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021849904040048
Klingmann, A. (2007). Brandscapes: Architecture in the experience economy. MIT Press.
Kopp, S. W., & Langenderfer, J. (2014). Protecting appearance and atmospherics: Trade dress as a component of retail strategy. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 33(1), 34–48. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jppm.09.031
Laine, M. (2010). The nature of nature as a stakeholder. Journal of Business Ethics, 96(1), 73–78. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0936-4
Lange, F., Rosengren, S., & Blom, A. (2016). Store-window creativity’s impact on shopper behavior. Journal of Business Research, 69(3), 1014–1021. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.08.013
Larwood, J., & Hotten, J. C. (1866). The history of signboards: From the earliest times to the present day. Chatto and Windus. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nq/s3-x.239.78f
Leeman, J., & Modan, G. (2009). Commodified language in Chinatown: A contextualized approach to linguistic landscape. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 13(3), 332–362. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9841.2009.00409.x
Levy, S. J. (2017). Consuming the idea of the brand. In J. F. Sherry, E. M. Fischer (Eds.), Contemporary Consumer Culture Theory. Routledge.
Lewis, K. (2010). Yellowtown: Urban signage, class, and race. Design and Culture, 2(2), 183–198. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/175470710x12696138525668
Lonsway, B. (2013). Making leisure work: Architecture and the experience economy. Routledge.
Mandel, N., & Johnson, E. J. (2002). When web pages influence choice: Effect of visual primes on experts and novices. Journal of Consumer Research, 29(2), 235–245. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/341573
Menguc, B., & Ozanne, L. K. (2005). Challenges of the ‘green imperative’: A natural resource-based approach to the environmental orientation–business performance relationship. Journal of Business Research, 58(4), 430–438. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2003.09.002
Menthe, D. C. (2009). Aesthetic regulation and the development of First Amendment jurisprudence. Boston University Public Interest Law Journal, 19, 225–260.
Meyers-Levy, J., & Peracchio, L. A. (1995). How the use of color in advertising affects attitudes: The influence of processing motivation and cognitive demands. Journal of Consumer Research, 22(2), 121–138. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/209440
Miller, S. R. (2009). Historic signs, commercial speech, and the limits of preservation. Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law, 25(2), 227.
Montgomery County Planning Commission. (2014). Montgomery County Planning Commission Model Sign Ordinance: A Comprehensive, Content-Neutral Approach to Local Sign Control. Pennsylvania: APA-Pennsylvania Chapter. https://planningpa.org/resource-library/montgomery-county-planning-commission-model-sign-ordinance/. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3144368
Moore, K., & Reid, S. (2008). The birth of brand: 4000 years of branding. Business History, 50(4), 419–432. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00076790802106299
Morley, D. (2018). Measuring community character. PAS QuickNotes, 72. https://www.planning.org/publications/document/9142842/
Morris, M., Hinshaw, M. L., Mace, D., & Weinstein, A. (2001). Context-sensitive signage design. American Planning Association, Planning Advisory Service.
Muñoz-Leiva, F., Porcu, L., & Barrio-García, S. D. (2015). Discovering prominent themes in integrated marketing communication research from 1991 to 2012: A co-word analytic approach. International Journal of Advertising, 34(4), 678–701. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2015.1009348
Nasar, J. L. (1990). The evaluative image of the city. Journal of the American Planning Association, 56(1), 41–53. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944369008975742
Orlando, C. C. (2013). Art of signage: The regulation of outdoor murals and the First Amendment. Cardozo Law Review, 35(1), 867–896.
Ozanne, J. L., Mick, D. G., Pechmann, C., & Pettigrew, S. (2014). Transformative consumer research. In Wiley Encyclopedia of Management (Vol. 9). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118785317.weom090270
Pall, L. J., & Hartig, T. (2013). Architectural variation, building height, and the restorative quality of urban residential streetscapes. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 33, 26–36. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.09.003
Patel, P. C., & Pearce, J. A., II. (2018). The survival consequences of intellectual property for retail ventures. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 43, 77–84. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.03.005
Portella, A. (2016). Visual pollution: Advertising, signage and environmental quality. Routledge.
Presbrey, F. (2000). The history and development of advertising. Advertising & Society Review 1, 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/asr.2000.0021
Rahman, M. N., & Mehta, V. (2020). Signage form and character: A window to neighborhood visual identity. Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, 4, 1. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15763/issn.2470-9670.2020.v4.i1.a59
Reed v. Town of Gilbert, 135 S. Ct. 2218 (2015).
Rexhausen, J., Hilderbrandt, H., & Auffrey,C. (2012). The economic value of on-premise signage. Signage Foundation.
Rosenbaum, M. S., Cheng, M., & Wong, I. A. (2016). Retail knockoffs: Consumer acceptance and rejection of inauthentic retailers. Journal of Business Research, 69(7), 2448-2455. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.015
Rosenbaum, M. S., Ramírez, G. C., & Matos, N. (2018). A neuroscientific perspective of consumer responses to retail greenery. The Service Industries Journal, 1–12. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2018.1487406
Rotenberg, R. (2015). Design standards as urban planning: from technical specification to community “look” in northeast Illinois suburbs. Economic Anthropology, 2(1), 145-164. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sea2.12022
Rowley, T. J. (1997). Moving beyond dyadic ties: A network theory of stakeholder influences. Academy of Management Review, 22(4), 887–910. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.2307/259248. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/amr.1997.9711022107
Schindler, R. M., & Holbrook, M. B. (2003). Nostalgia for early experience as a determinant of consumer preferences. Psychology & Marketing, 20(4), 275–302. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1002/mar.10074. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.10074
Shipley, R., & Snyder, M. (2013). The role of heritage conservation districts in achieving community economic development goals. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 19(3), 304–321. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2012.660886
Smith, P. B. (1983). Judicial review of historic and landmark preservation ordinances. Urban Lawyer, 15(3), 555–576.
Stage, W. (2011). The painted ad: A postcard book of vintage brick wall signs. Floppinfish Publishing Company.
Stage, W. (2013). Fading ads of St. Louis. The History Press.
Sundar, A., Gonsales, F., & Schafer, G. (2018). Synchronicity in signage promotes a sense of belonging. Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, 2(2), 30–38. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15763/issn.2470-9670.2018.v2.i2.a34
Taylor, C. R., Claus, S., & Claus, T. (2005). On-premise signs as storefront marketing devices and systems. U.S. Small Business Administration.
Taylor, C. R., & Sarkees, M. (2016). Do bans on illuminated on-premise signs matter? Balancing environmental impact with the impact on businesses. International Journal of Advertising, 35(1), 61–73. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2015.1059005
Taylor, C. R., Sarkees, M., & Bang, H.-K. (2012). Understanding the value of on-premise signs as marketing devices to businesses for legal and public policy purposes. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 31(2), 185–194. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jppm.10.054
Taylor, C. R., & Taylor, J. C. (1994). Regulatory issues in outdoor advertising: A content analysis of billboards. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 13(1), 97–107. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/074391569401300108
Torelli, C. J., Ahluwalia, R., Cheng, S. Y. Y., Olson, N. J., & Stoner, J. L. (2017). Redefining home: How cultural distinctiveness affects the malleability of in-group boundaries and brand preferences. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(1), 44–61. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucw072
Treu, M. (2012). Signs, streets, and storefronts: A history of architecture and graphics along America's commercial corridor. Johns Hopkins University Press. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tech.2013.0089
Turley, L. W., & Milliman, R. E. (2000). Atmospheric effects on shopping behavior: A review of the experimental evidence. Journal of Business Research, 49(2), 193–211. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0148-2963(99)00010-7
Two Pesos, Inc. v. Taco Cabana, Inc. (1992) 505 U.S. 763.
United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. (2019, July 9). Morris v. City of New Orleans.
Van Oel, C. J., & van den Berkhof, D. (2013). Consumer preferences in the design of airport passenger areas. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 36(1), 280–290. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.08.005
Velasco, F. V. (2018). Beyond window signs: Understanding the affect-based effects of window signs on store patronage intentions. Psychology & Marketing, 35(7), 542–552. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.21105
Veryzer, R. W., & Hutchinson, J. W. (1998). The influence of unity and prototypicality on aesthetic responses to new product designs. Journal of Consumer Research, 24, 374–394. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/209516
Wall Street Journal. (2024). The pandemic was supposed to push all shopping online. It didn't. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-pandemic-was-supposed-to-push-all-shopping-online-it-didnt-11650081652
Wang, H.-M. D., & Sengupta, S. (2016). Stakeholder relationships, brand equity, firm performance: A resource-based perspective. Journal of Business Research, 69(12), 5561–5568. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.05.009
Weber, R., Schnier, J., & Jacobsen, T. (2008). Aesthetics of streetscapes: Influence of fundamental properties on aesthetic judgments of urban space. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 106(1), 128–146. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/pms.106.1.128-146
Weinstein, A. (2002). Legal issues in the regulation of on-premise signs. In M. Morris, D. Mace, M. Hinshaw, & A. Weinstein (Eds.), Context-sensitive signage regulation (pp. 119–153). American Planning Association Planners Press.
Weinstein, A. (2017). Free speech, sense of place, communication, economic development: Signage in the contemporary city. Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, 2(1), 60–79. https://journals.shareok.org/ijsw/issue/view/4. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15763/issn.2470-9670.2017.v2.i1.a17
Wolf, K. (2005). Business district streetscapes, trees, and consumer response. Journal of Forestry, 103(8), 396–400. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jof/103.8.396
Zukin, S., & Maguire, J. S. (2004). Consumers and consumption. Annual Review of Sociology, 30, 173–197. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.30.012703.110553