Karen H. Smith

Trademark Dilution and the Practice of Marketing

This article considers the marketing implications of the Federal Trademark Dilution Act (FTDA) of 1995. The FTDA, an amendment to the Lanham Act, will influence the manner in which marketing is practiced well into the twenty-first century. Although the FTDA is specifically concerned with protecting famous trademarks from being diluted—either by having their distinctiveness diminished or positive associations tarnished—by similar trademarks, its influence will not be limited to trademark or branding issues. Implications range from the allocation of advertising resources to the increased use of marketing research.

The Internet Educational Tool in the Global Marketing Classroom

The Internet offers a powerful educational delivery tool in the global marketing classroom. This article introduces educators to this revolutionary and innovative tool and outlines a variety of practical methods for using the Internet in the global marketing classroom. These methods, which have been used by the authors, will have a direct impact on international business student learning.

Implementing the “Marketing You” Project in Large Sections of Principles of Marketing

There is mounting pressure on business education to increase experiential learning at the same time that budget constraints are forcing universities to increase class size. This article explains the design and implementation of the “Marketing You” project in two large sections of Principles of Marketing to bring experiential learning into the large classroom setting. Results from a questionnaire administered to students after completing the project indicate that the four objectives of the project were met: developing needed skills, aiding in the job search process, enhancing learning in a large classroom setting, and improving the usefulness of the Principles of Marketing course for both majors and nonmajors.

Narcissism as a Predictor of Facebook Users' Privacy Concern, Vigilance, and Exposure to Risk

A model is developed and tested to explain the relationships among narcissism, privacy concern, vigilance, and exposure to risk on Facebook, with age and gender as controlling variables. Two important constructs are conceptualized and measured in this research. Facebook exposure is defined as the opportunity for privacy and security breaches on Facebook. Facebook vigilance is the extent to which consumers stay focused, attentive, and alert to potential security and privacy risks on Facebook by restricting who can access and post to their Facebook accounts. Data from a survey of 286 adult Facebook users in the U.S. support the hypothesized relationships in the model. Results suggest that narcissism is related to increased Facebook exposure and lower Facebook vigilance, despite greater stated concern for privacy and security. Furthermore, females and younger users have greater risk exposure compared to males and older users. Implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.

An Exploratory Study of the Behavior and Perceptions of College Students with Respect to Regular, Light, and Ultralight Cigarettes

The authors perform an exploratory survey that examines the smoking behavior, perceptions, and quitting intentions of 579 college students, an important segment because of their large numbers, their education, and the fact that many of them begin smoking during college. Unlike findings from prior studies of adults, most college students in the sample did not perceive that light cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes or that ultralight cigarettes are safer than light cigarettes, but rather they perceived lights to provide sensory benefits (e.g., milder, lighter taste) over regular cigarettes. This was especially true for former and current smokers. The majority of smokers were nondaily smokers, many of whom have no thoughts of quitting. This is a concern because these nondaily smokers may not consider their smoking behavior risky. In addition, nondaily college student smokers who are primarily social smokers constitute a large group of young adults for which there is little research into the health risks from smoking.

A Social Marketing Template for Solving the Musicians’ Dilemma Through Nonprofit Healthcare Networks

The Musicians’ Dilemma—the lack of affordable healthcare for the uninsured or underinsured musical entrepreneur—is actually a common problem plaguing not only 33% of musicians, but approximately 19% of the American population as a whole. The current research uses social marketing principles to conceptualize a template for designing a marketing program that meets the healthcare needs of the target market. Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) is a nonprofit organization that links healthcare providers, local businesses, and community donors in a network providing basic preventive health services to this essential segment of the community. HAAMs business model is analyzed and cast on the social marketing framework so that it can be adapted for use by other music cities. Although the template could also be applied to serve other uninsured populations, it is critical that research be undertaken to understand the specific characteristics and needs of each target market and used to adapt the model to those populations.

The Impact of Online Training on Facebook Privacy

ABSTRACT Facebook is a major part of the lives of many consumers who share a considerable amount of information with friends, acquaintances, and commercial interests via the platform, leading to greater exposure to privacy risks. Training has been shown to be effective in reducing computer risk in a variety of contexts. This study investigates the effectiveness of training on consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions toward Facebook privacy risk. The study highlights the importance of training consumers on how and why they need to protect their privacy. Findings suggest that training can reduce consumer risk, but effectiveness can vary across types of training. For example, Facebook’s Privacy Tour was less effective than third-party training videos in improving consumer vigilance. Implications of the findings for consumers and privacy advocates are discussed.