Dean M. Krugman

Adolescents' Attention to Beer and Cigarette Print Ads and Associated Product Warnings

Abstract Much of the controversy surrounding the advertising of tobacco and alcohol products concerns the impact on young people. Eye tracking was used to determine how a large sample of adolescents attend to print ads for cigarettes, beer, and other products. In particular, the time spent viewing the ads, the percentages attending to mandated and voluntary warning messages, and the time spent viewing those messages were analyzed. The two cigarette ads had similar mandated warnings but produced very different results, thus demonstrating the importance of conducting warnings research in the context in which the warnings will be used. Finally, preliminary results based on eye tracking indicate that in the beer ad, the voluntary message encouraging responsible drinking had limited warning value.

Compassion Fatigue: Communication and Burnout toward Social Problems

This study establishes the construct of “compassion fatigue,” encompassing desensitization and emotional burnout, as a phenomenon associated with pervasive communication about social problems. The study marks the first-known empirical investigation of compassion fatigue as it relates to media coverage and interpersonal communication about social problems. A telephone survey methodology was used to measure compassion fatigue among a general, adult population toward four social problems: AIDS, homelessness, violent crime, and child abuse. Results indicate the existence of a compassion fatigue phenomenon, in varying degrees of magnitude, for every issue. Compassion fatigue was found to be a situational variable, rather than a personality trait. Cognitive, affective, and behavioral manifestations of compassion fatigue are identified, and significant predictors of compassion fatigue are discussed. The findings support the existence of a mass-mediated compassion fatigue phenomenon and suggest that the nature of contemporary media coverage may contribute to emotional fatigue with societys problems.

Visual attention to programming and commercials: The use of in-home observations

Abstract The study uses in-home observations to examine eyes-on-screen times for both program and commercial viewing. Results indicate that viewers are visually oriented to programming 62 percent of the time and to commercials 33 percent of the time. Men are more apt to change channels during the commercial break than are women. Compared with previous studies conducted prior to the development of the multi-channel viewing environment, program eyes-on-screen times have remained stable while commercial eyes-on-screen times have diminished. Moreover, individuals who view programming are significantly more apt to view commercials. It is argued that eyes-on-screen measures may be valuable in determining exposure to advertising.

The Organizational Ethics of Advertising: Corporate and Agency Views

Abstract This investigation focused on the ethical perceptions that advertising practitioners, advertising agency account managers, and corporate advertising managers hold regarding members of their organizations and members of organizations they work with on a regular basis. In addition to assessing their own ethical beliefs and actions, advertising practitioners were requested to assess the ethical beliefs and actions of peers and superiors. Also, advertising agency respondents assessed the ethical beliefs and actions of corporate advertising managers, and corporate advertising manager respondents assessed the ethical beliefs and actions of their advertising agencies. Results indicate that respondents believe they hold significantly higher ethical standards than their peers. On the other hand, respondents believe that they hold lower or the same ethical standards as top management. Corporate advertising practitioners believe their advertising agency counterparts hold lower ethical standards than their o...

A Look At Mass and Computer Mediated Technologies: Understanding the Roles of Television and Computers in the Home

The multi-channel, multi-option television and the personal computer are two media technologies that have dramatically altered the home media environment. New media technologies have the capacity to create new media use patterns and blur the lines between entertainment and information. This study examines the social role of new media technologies in the home relative to: (1) social facilitation; (2) rule making (3) shifting/expanding media use; and, (4) attitudes toward media technologies.

Evaluating the Audiences of the New Media

Abstract The purpose of this article is to help advertising planners evaluate audiences as they relate to cable television and new technologies. Fundamental assumptions made about television audiences and advertisers are examined with regard to new services. The article reviews and organizes the recent empirical studies concerning the audiences of new technologies. It presents a model which analyzes audience similarities and differences between new and conventional media. Also considered are directions for planning, research and the immediate future of cable advertising.

Differences in the consumption of traditional broadcast and VCR movie rentals

Focus groups, mail surveys, and in‐home observations were used to examine traditional television viewing and VCR movie rental viewing. Viewing preparation, activities during viewing, and eyes‐on‐screen were measured to determine if differences exist with regard to the way television services are consumed. Results indicate that consumers structure their viewing environment to accommodate the different forms of programming and that VCR movie rentals are associated with more active viewing.

Understanding the Role of Cigarette Promotion and Youth Smoking in a Changing Marketing Environment

ABSTRACT In 2001,

Teenage Exposure to Cigarette Advertising in Popular Consumer Magazines

11.21 billion was spent on domestic cigarette advertising and promotion, an increase of 16.9% over 2000. This article explains how cigarette industry efforts stimulate demand and encourage smoking within the context of recent changes, including the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) and resulting litigation, and variations in tobacco marketing policies. Communication concepts are combined with adolescent development concepts to explain how youth are impacted. Industry documents and current syndicated research data are used to reveal and explain key concepts.

The competitive environment of pay per view

The tobacco industry indicates that it does not advertise in magazines that reach a high percentage of young people. To avoid reaching teens, current tobacco industry practice is to use circulation data to assess the number of young people who receive a magazine. Results from the reported study demonstrate that using circulation data is not an accurate method for estimating the size of the teenage audience. The authors analyze readership data from 1998 and construct specific media schedules to examine the extent to which teenagers are reached by popular consumer magazines that contain cigarette advertising. Results reveal that tobacco marketers routinely reach a high percentage of teenagers 12–17 years of age when placing advertisements in popular consumer magazines.