Altaf Merchant

Nostalgia Drives Donations

ABSTRACT The authors find that appeals for charity that evoke personal nostalgia will have an effect on the charitable-donation intentions of consumers. In study 1 (with 103 respondents), nostalgic charity appeals evoke higher levels of emotions and donation intentions than non-nostalgic appeals. Study 2 (457 respondents) indicates that this effect is moderated by the consumers propensity towards being nostalgic. In study 3 (sample: 186 consumers), the effect of nostalgia emotions and intentions is, in turn, moderated by the importance of the memory evoked. Nostalgia-based charity appeals work better when they evoke important memories for the consumer. The results indicate that advertising/fund-raising professionals can effectively use nostalgia to stimulate donations.

How Strong is the Pull of the Past? Measuring Personal Nostalgia Evoked by Advertising

ABSTRACT Marketers frequently evoke personal nostalgia in their advertising. To date, scales have been developed to measure the propensity to get nostalgic but not the actual dimensions of personal nostalgia. Results from four studies show that advertising-evoked personal nostalgia comprises four correlated but distinct dimensions: past imagery, positive emotions, negative emotions, and physiological reactions. This multidimensional scale showed a high level of validity and reliability. Moreover, due to careful choice of sampling frames, the study demonstrates a high level of external generalizability. Evaluating nostalgia-based advertising using the studys multidimensional scale may provide marketers with strategic insights for developing and fine-tuning advertising aimed at inducing nostalgia among consumers.

‘Don't forget to say thank you’: The effect of an acknowledgement on donor relationships

Abstract Donor attrition is a major cause of concern for non-profit organisations. Non-profits can improve retention by nurturing donor relationships. Acknowledging or thanking the donor is a vital building block in the non-profit organisation–donor relationship. This paper examines the impact of such acknowledgements on donor relationships. In study 1, we employed cross-sectional data obtained from 478 donors to a regional public television station in the United States. We found that the effect of acknowledgements on the donor relationship is moderated by how frequently the donor gives to the organisation, and that acknowledgements help strengthen the non-profits relationship with less frequent donors. In study 2, we used an experimental design (111 respondents) to probe the emotional effects of a thank-you note. The findings indicate that acknowledgements enhance positive emotions and alleviate negative emotions; the converse effect is observed when the donor does not get a thank-you note. Thus acknowledging the donors gift provides a promising means of fostering donor relationships and retaining donors.

A Ten-Year Retrospective of Advertising Research Productivity, 1997-2006

Given institutional accountability and ever-increasing pressure to gain recognition with high-quality research at the highest academic levels, objective performance benchmarks are needed to reward faculty, enhance institutional image, and attract needed funding. Two studies were undertaken to examine advertising scholarship for 1997-2006. The first study examined refereed publications in the top three U. S. advertising journals (Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, and Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising), while the second study added a variety of other sources of advertising scholarship. A comprehensive picture of advertising scholarship is developed and suggestions for the discipline are provided.

Fantasy in Food Advertising Targeted at Children

This study examined the use and effects of fantasy in food advertising targeting children. A content analysis documented the prevalence of fantasy appeals, including fantasies that center on product ingredients, animals, and adventures. A qualitative analysis of 8- and 9-year-old childrens responses to food advertisements revealed substantial variability in their understanding of advertising, inference of manipulative intent, and use of persuasion knowledge. An experiment among 8- through 10-year-old children found that fantasy was associated with positive attitudes toward an advertisement when perceived manipulative intent was low and negative evaluations when perceived manipulative intent was high.

The Impact of Time and Planning Orientation on an Individual's Recreational Shopper Identity and Shopping Behavior

We propose a model in which the consumers time orientation (past, present, and future) influences planning orientation (impulsiveness and prudence), which in turn affects the consumers recreational shopper identity (RSI), and general behaviors, such as browsing and socializing, and specific shopping behaviors, such as time and dollars spent on clothing. The findings of the structural equation modeling indicate that present time orientation influences impulsiveness and prudence, whereas past and future orientation only influences prudence. Further, impulsiveness influences RSI, which in turn influences all shopping behaviors. The findings have implications for managers for selecting segmentation, communication, and merchandising strategies.

Development and validation of an emic scale to measure ad-evoked nostalgia in France

The practice of imbuing marketing communications with nostalgic reverie is prevalent in numerous countries. However, scholarly research investigating consumer response to such communication across cultures is lacking. This inquiry follows an emic approach examining and measuring ad-evoked personal nostalgia in France. Findings from five studies (N = 699) reveal significant differences in consumer reactions in France, as compared to earlier research based on American samples. Among the French, nostalgic advertising evokes personal memories and cultural nostalgia, contrasted to reports of past imagery, physiological and positive and negative emotional reactions in the United States. Furthermore, while cultural nostalgia is an important component of the French personal nostalgic experience, it is the personal memories that are the key to the creation of positive impressions about the ad and brand (brand heritage, brand bonds, and attitudes), and driving behavioral intentions. The emic French scale was found to be superior to an etic ad-nostalgia measure, in terms of fit and variance explained of the endogenous variables. The findings contribute to cross-cultural advertising and marketing research, and can be instructive for advertisers targeting the French market.

Using Big Data to Study Psychological Constructs: Nostalgia on Facebook

Nostalgia, reflecting on the past, has many aspects. At times, we refer to it as a state of mind as in, I’m nostalgic. At times, as a feeling – I’m feeling nostalgic. We sometimes use nostalgia as a way to deal with “in the present” emotions or feelings. For instance, we reminisce about past holidays to feel better about the present [1]. Nostalgia can be internally or externally activated. Internally, an individual can evoke feelings of nostalgia. On the other hand, external stimuli can evoke nostalgia, such as a song, an ad, or a brand [2-5].

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Middle-Class Meanings of Money in India and South Korea: An Abstract

Little research exists that qualitatively and systematically examines the rich symbolic meanings of money across cultures. To what extent are symbolic money meanings universal? What roles do economic development and sociocultural differences play in shaping the symbolic meanings and attitudes associated with money? Prior research in the USA documents the interaction between societal changes, money meanings, and family dynamics and demonstrates that economic changes impact attitudes about money (Commuri & Gentry, 2005; Zeiler, 1989). This study builds on this research by examining differences in symbolic money meanings across two nations, India and Korea, at different stages of economic development. Qualitative analysis documents, assesses, and contrasts the rich, symbolic meanings of money for middle-class individuals in these nations.

Developing a Scale to Measure Brand-Evoked Nostalgia in Belgium and the United States: An Abstract

Contemporary branding activities by a host of companies demonstrate a managerial interest in nostalgia as a practical marketing tool. Little attention, however, has been paid to measuring the complex and multiple dimensions of this construct. More academic research is surely warranted to develop and validate a generalizable measure of brand nostalgia to help companies gauge and track the nuanced components of nostalgia associated with their brands.