Jeremy J. Sierra

Creativity Via Cartoon Spokespeople In Print Ads: Capitalizing on the Distinctiveness Effect

Although some research has examined the effects of animation in interactive advertisements, no research has investigated consumer responses to animated effects or cartoon spokespeople in print ads. Distinctiveness theory suggests that an ad can be considered distinctive if it has atypical traits that differentiate it from other marketing stimuli. Distinctiveness theory should be readily applied to advertising research, as advertising agencies and clients continuously strive to make their advertisements different, noticeable, and memorable to consumers. Our research applies distinctiveness theory to a creative caricature or cartoon spokesperson in print ads in a between-subjects experiment. Results of the study reveal that compared with a human spokesperson in the same advertisement, the creative use of cartoon spokespeople in print ads leads to more positive consumer advertising outcomes, including attitude toward the ad, attitude toward the brand, and purchase intention of the advertised brand. The implications for practitioners and directions for future creativity and distinctiveness research are discussed.

A Dual-Process Model of Cheating Intentions

Although prior pedagogy research indicates significant relationships between several student characteristics and cheating intentions, no research has examined the simultaneous effect of cognition and anticipated emotions on such intentions. To explore the possibility that imagined outcomes—prompted by anticipated emotions—and select cognitive factors antecede cheating intentions, the authors developed and tested a model that relates anticipated regret, anticipated elation, locus of control, and personal expertise to willingness to cheat. The empirical results, which rely on five extant scales and a new multiitem vignette measure of cheating intentions, validate this dual-process model. Also, the results show that anticipated elation is a source of value for students, which positively affects their willingness to cheat.

Exploring Determinants and Effects of Shared Responsibility in Service Exchanges

Service inseparability means that customers and service providers rely on each other for successful exchanges. Customer and employee interdependence or shared responsibility is often needed to complete a service transaction. Although shared responsibility is an integral part of service exchanges, few studies examine its effect on customers. Based on existing theory, we propose that perceptions of shared responsibility for service exchanges create value for customers and positively affect their responses to the service. We conduct three studies to evaluate this idea. In Study 1, we find empirical support for the direct and indirect effects of shared responsibility on willingness to pay a price premium for the service received in a full-service restaurant setting. In Study 2, we find that perceptions of shared responsibility for student learning lead to favorable emotional and attitudinal responses toward the educational experience. In Study 3, we show that for unsuccessful service exchanges, customer perceptions of shared responsibility positively influence customer responses to the service and brand; additionally, we identify key antecedents of shared responsibility. The implications of these findings for service marketers are discussed.

Brand tribalism: an anthropological perspective

Purpose – Companies should move beyond product attribute positioning to fostering affective-laden relationships with customers, as customers often want to feel engaged with the brand they purchase. These brand tribal members share something emotively more than mere brand ownership. As measures of brand engagement continue to evolve, proven instruments measuring brand tribalism and studies investigating its explanatory power are limited. The purpose of this paper is to help fill this research fissure by offering a three-study approach, leaning on Sahlins anthropological theory of segmented lineage. Design/methodology/approach – In Study 1, the authors develop and evaluate the measurement properties of a brand tribalism scale. Using survey data in Study 2 and Study 3, the applicability of brand tribalism on brand-response variables across two technological contexts is examined. Findings – Data drawn from ordinary brand users confirm scale validity while questioning the efficacy of communal social structure...

Shared Responsibility and Student Learning: Ensuring a Favorable Educational Experience

In academia, interdependence or shared responsibility between instructor and student is an essential part of the educational process, yet research examining its effect on student responses toward their learning experience is scant. To offer insight into this context, two studies are developed. Study 1 finds that perceptions of shared responsibility for student learning are positively related to attitudinal, emotional, and behavioral responses toward the marketing education experience. Study 2 finds that shared responsibility relates positively to grade earned in the course. Implications for marketing academicians are discussed.

Ethnic Identity in Advertising: A Review and Meta-Analysis

The corpus of research on ethnic identity in advertising indicates that (1) ethnic identity influences commonly examined attitudinal and purchase-intention outcomes, and (2) attitudes toward both the actor(s)/model(s) and the ad moderate attitudes toward brands depicted in ethnically resonant ads. Individual studies often differ by measurement type (i.e., single-item measure versus multi-item scale), study design (i.e., experiment versus survey), and diversity of respondent sample. Seemingly, ethnic-identity effects are greater for studies that relied on single-item measures, experimental designs, and more diverse samples. Implications and future research directions are suggested.

Idolizing sport celebrities: a gateway to psychopathology?

Purpose – Sport celebrities often endorse their team, their sport, and non-sports-related products. Increased idolizing of sport celebrities by adolescents is one artifact of this promotional practice. Although seemingly innocuous, adolescents who idolize sport celebrities may, as adults, come to worship such celebrities; this unhealthy obsession may afflict 10 percent or more of adults. If adolescent hero worship of sport celebrities is a gateway to this adult psychopathology, then alerting parents, as well as encouraging social responsibility among advertisers and sport teams/leagues, is critical. This paper aims to address the issues. Design/methodology/approach – After a brief review of the literature on adolescent hero worship, the literature on the determinants and effects of celebrity worship are explored. Findings – Once parents, advertisers, sport team/leagues are sensitized to the problem, adolescent hero worship of sport celebrities can be mitigated as a likely gateway to many adults’ unhealthy obsession with celebrities. Research limitations/implications – Directions for future sport celebrity worship research are suggested. Practical implications – The incidence of a potentially psychologically damaging affliction can be reduced without harm to advertisers, sport teams/leagues, and athletes. Social implications – Ways to reduce promotion-induced sport celebrity worship – without eliminating sport promotion per se – are suggested. Recommendations are targeted for sport-related and non-sport-related products as well as teams and leagues/conferences.

Personal Opinions and Beliefs as Determinants of Collegiate Football Consumption for Revered and Hated Teams

Although personal opinions and beliefs are robust influencers of consumer behavior, research linking such factors to sport consumption is deficient. Hence, two studies are developed. Study 1 explores beliefs (i.e., internal locus of control for game outcomes) and opinions (i.e., personal expertise about a team, attitude toward the head coach) as determinants of fans’ willingness to attend games and purchase apparel of their favorite college football team. Study 2 examines these same determinants of fans’ willingness to attend games involving their least favorite college football team. There is partial support for the posited relationships in both studies.

A sequential process of brand tribalism, brand pride and brand attitude to explain purchase intention: a cross-continent replication study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and replicate the indirect effect of smartphone brand tribalism on purchase intent via brand pride and brand attitude. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 190 US (Study 1) and 432 Qatari (Study 2) smartphone consumers, path analysis is used to evaluate the hypotheses. Findings For these disparate samples, only the defense of the tribal brand dimension of brand tribalism influences brand pride, which in turn leads to a sequential process of brand attitude and purchase intention. Research limitations/implications Using only smartphone data from the USA and Qatar may hinder external validity. As effect sizes in this context are understood, researchers have additional benchmarks for future brand tribalism and brand pride research. Practical implications The psychological underpinning and presence of brand tribes in society cannot be overlooked by strategists. Such tribal-laden following is too evident within smartphone communities. By further understanding the effect of brand tribalism on brand pride and subsequent attitudinal response and behavioral intent, marketers and brand leaders are in an improved position to develop strategies that appeal to targeted customers, ultimately growing and strengthening their brand value. Originality/value Supported by the anthropological view of brand tribalism, this paper contributes to the branding literature by examining the indirect effect of brand tribalism on purchase intention via brand pride and brand attitude. The posited model, previously untested and replicated here across two ethnically diverse samples, shows more explanatory power for defense of the tribal brand on brand pride as compared to the other brand tribalism dimensions. A novel and valid, multi-item brand pride measure is also developed.

Determinants of Intentions to Purchase Unhealthy Food and Beverage Options: A Dual-Process Theoretical Perspective

Research evinces that both cognitions and emotions illuminate consumer decision-making processes; however, quantitative examination of such factors concomitantly as antecedents (i.e., dual-process theory) of unhealthy food and beverage purchases is deficient. To address this research fissure, survey data from undergraduate business students (N = 268) at a southwest U.S. university were collected during regularly scheduled classes to help explain corn-fed beef and soft drink purchase processes. Specifically, self-expression via food consumption, organic food brand tribalism, nutrition seeking, attitude toward the corn sweetener industry, and emotional response toward ranchers that raise their cattle on a corn diet, among others, were modeled as determinants of intentions to purchase corn-fed beef and soft drinks. Data collected for this model support dual-process theory in a food and beverage consumption context; mediating factors are also uncovered. Implications and future research directions are offered.