Olivier Droulers

The influence of threatening visual warnings on tobacco packaging: Measuring the impact of threat level, image size, and type of pack through psychophysiological and self-report methods

The first aim of this research was to assess the effectiveness, in terms of emotional and behavioral reactions, of moderately vs. highly TVWs (Threatening Visual Warnings) displayed on tobacco packs. Given the key role that emotional reactions play in explaining the effect of TVWs on behaviors, psychophysiological and self-report methods were used–for the first time in this context–to measure the emotions provoked by TVWs. The second aim of this research was to determine whether increasing the size of warnings, and their display on plain packaging (compared with branded packaging) would improve their effectiveness. A within-subjects experiment was conducted. Three variables were manipulated: health warning threat level (high vs. moderate), image size (40% vs. 75%) and pack type (plain vs. branded). A convenience sample of 48 French daily smokers participated. They were exposed to eight different packs of cigarettes in a research lab at the University of Rennes. Smokers’ emotions and behavioral intentions were recorded through self-reports. Emotions were also evaluated using psychophysiological measurements: electrodermal activity and facial electromyography. The results revealed that TVWs with a high threat level are the most effective in increasing negative emotions (fear, disgust, valence, arousal) and behavioral intentions conducive to public health (desire to quit, etc.). They also highlight the appeal of increasing the size of the warnings and displaying them on plain packs, because this influences emotions, which is the first step toward behavioral change. Increasing the threat level of TVWs from moderate to high seems beneficial for public health. Our results also confirm the relevance of recent governmental decisions to adopt plain packaging and larger TVWs (in the UK, France, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Hungary, etc.).

The legibility of food package information in France: an equal challenge for young and elderly consumers?

OBJECTIVE The present study investigated whether food package information is legible in a real purchase context; more specifically, it examined the level of legibility of non-mandatory, mandatory and nutritional information as well as the influence of age on legibility. This is an important issue, especially for older consumers who are usually advised to pay attention to their diet. DESIGN An in-store study was conducted in a French hypermarket. Descriptive statistics were used to measure the overall level of legibility and then ANOVA tests were carried out to examine the influence of age on the legibility of information. Complementary results included the influence of level of education. SETTING Participants were asked to read information on four food packages when they were food shopping. SUBJECTS The sample included 196 consumers aged 18-82 years. RESULTS An asymmetry was observed between the extremely high level of legibility of non-mandatory information and the low level of legibility of mandatory and nutritional information provided on food packages. Elderly respondents performed significantly worse than their younger counterparts. An interaction effect was found between age and level of education on the legibility of mandatory information. CONCLUSIONS Legibility of mandatory information is clearly unsatisfactory. There appears to be a hierarchy between significant, but non-mandatory, company information and important mandatory and nutritional information. The first type of information is promoted on food packages whereas the last two are all but concealed to older and less educated consumers.

Measuring affective reactions induced by social campaigns : complementary and convergence of Iconic and verbal Measures

This research note demonstrates the complementarity and convergence of verbal and iconic measurement scales of affective reactions induced by commercials, to explain the Attitude toward the ad (Aad). Our results illustrate that using two measurement tools instead of only one provides a statistically superior explanation of Aad. When Aad was measured iconically, it was very well explained (R2 > 0.80) by affective reactions measured both verbally and iconically. Practical implications are highlighted and priorities for future research are outlined.

Heraldry and brand logotypes: 800 years of color combinations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to draw a parallel between color combinations in coats of arms of the twelfth century and color combinations in current brand logotypes of 400 companies from the Forbes Global 2000 list. Design/methodology/approach In this work, the frequency of color combinations displayed in medieval coats of arms and in the brand logotypes of the top 400 largest companies in the Forbes list were compared. Findings One of the main findings of this research is the stability of color usage in two visual identity systems – coats of arms and brand logotypes – although 800 years separate them. In these two identification systems, almost the same colors are preferred or rejected. Yet, even though it is regularly argued that color will submerge the consumption world, this research shows that, in the twenty-first century, visual identities of brands are rather less colorful than medieval coats of arms: nowadays, at a global level, half of the logotypes are formed with white combined with red and/or blue. Originality/value By drawing a parallel between two visual identification systems that are coats of arms and logotypes, the results from this study highlight the stability in color usage and color combinations along the centuries. Thus, it seems that modern analysis of color combination practices could greatly benefit from the history and historical evolution of coats of arms. Far from being out of date, the study of coats of arms can provide marketers with interesting insights about the rules and implementation of color combinations when designing logotypes.

Influence d’un contexte de programme triste sur le processus de persuasion publicitaire chez des adultes jeunes et âgés

Résumé Cette recherche expérimentale examine l’influence de l’âge (adultes jeunes vs. âgés) et du contexte de programme (triste vs. neutre) sur les réactions affectives déclenchées par le programme, sur l’attitude envers les annonces insérées dans le programme et sur l’attitude envers les marques. Les résultats mettent en évidence des effets différenciés chez les adultes jeunes et âgés: le niveau de tristesse déclaré après l’exposition au programme triste est moins fort chez les adultes âgés que chez les adultes jeunes; la tristesse n’influence pas l’attitude envers les annonces (Aad) chez les adultes âgés, alors que son influence est négative chez les adultes jeunes; l’effet de la tristesse sur l’attitude envers les marques (Ab), médiatisé par Aad, n’est pas significatif chez les adultes âgés, alors qu’il est significatif et négatif chez les adultes jeunes. Cette recherche confirme l’existence d’une meilleure régulation émotionnelle chez les adultes âgés (vs. adultes jeunes) dans une situation inductrice d’émotion négative.

Face Presence and Gaze Direction In Print Advertisements: How They Influence Consumer Responses: An Eye-Tracking Study

ABSTRACT For product manufacturers and advertisers, attracting consumer attention in a cluttered advertising environment is essential. The eye-tracking study reported herein examines the impact of face presence and model gaze direction in print advertisements. The findings show that face presence and gaze directed toward the product—versus no face and gaze toward the viewer—have a strong influence on attention to and memorization of advertisements, on advertisement and brand evaluation, and on purchase intention. This research provides meaningful and actionable recommendations for managers.

“The Possibility of an Island”: The Insula and its Role in Consumers’ Emotion

Today, consumer cognitions and behaviors cannot be investigated without taking into account affective phenomena. Indeed,emotion has been obtaining credibility and legitimacy for about three decades in marketing academia (Cohen, Pham and Andrade 2008). Moreover, the recent advances in cognitive and affective neuroscience have highlighted that affect is deeply associated with and inherent to cognition. Since the 1990’s, neuroscientific scholars have demonstrated that efficient decision-making cannot occur without the recruitment and proper functioning of specific cortical or sub-cortical structures, initially conceived of as so-called “limbic” structures, now commonly referred to as the “reward” network. Prominent among these structures are the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the striatum, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the amygdalar nuclei and the insular cortex or insula (island in Latin). Whereas a marketing scholar could not previously investigate consumer behaviors or attitudes without including affect-laden hypotheses, the same investigator could hardly propose today emotionrelated hypotheses without marshalling neuroscience theories and constructs (Roullet and Droulers 2010). The main objective of this paper is to convince the reader of the above and to present succinctly as evidence a brief review of one of the previously mentioned structure. Actually, the insula – regularly described as an affectively active area in neuroscientific and neuromarketing publications – is particularly mobilized in situations eliciting moral or visceral disgust at different levels.

The Perceived Risks of Adopting a Responsible Gambling Behavior: Development and Validation of a Reliable Measurement Index (An Abstract)

This research aims at developing a measurement index of the perceived risks of adopting a responsible gambling behavior. It builds on existing gambling studies, the concept of perceived risk both in consumer psychology, and in health research as well as Rothman and colleagues’ works on health-framed messages and contributes to address a specific research gap: the absence of a measurement instrument of the perceived risks of adopting a responsible gambling behavior. Following Churchill’s, Rossiter’s, and Jarvis and colleagues’ recommendations regarding the development of measurement instruments, we conducted a quantitative study (n = 22 gamblers) in order to thoroughly conceptualize the concept of perceived risks of adopting a responsible gambling behavior. Three quantitative studies (n = 605 gamblers) allowed assessing the stability, the predictive, and discriminant validity of the measure. Results show that the perceived risks of adopting a responsible gambling behavior index are a valid and reliable measure formed of five dimensions: perceived risk of (1) living less excitement, (2) having less socialization, (3) earning less money, (4) winning less money, and, finally, (5) having less distraction. Results suggest that gamblers perceive responsible gambling as a risky alternative to gambling because they would not be able to satisfy their gambling motivations.

Mixed Emotions in TV Advertisements Are Not So Bad: An Extended Abstract

Mixed emotions can refer to the experience of two emotions of opposite valence such as happy and sad (Larsen et al. 2001; Williams and Aaker 2002) but researchers also use this term to describe concurrent experiences of two emotions of the same valence such as fear and regret (Grasshoff and Williams 2005). A consensus does not seem to have been found on the definition of mixed emotions, and the debate continues about the possibility to feel two opposite valence emotions at the same time (Larsen et al. 2001; Oceja and Carrera 2009; Larsen and McGraw 2011; Larsen and Green 2013). Two main models oppose, Russell’s (1980; Russell and Carroll 1999) valence–arousal model and Cacioppo and Berntson’s (1994) Evaluative Space Model (ESM). The first one argues that positive and negative emotions, as two opposite ends of a bipolar continuum, are mutually exclusive like feelings of hot and cold (Schimmack 2001) and so cannot be felt at the same time. The second one contends that positive and negative emotions characterizing valence are two separable dimensions (Larsen et al. 2001) allowing, for instance, emotions of happiness and sadness to co-occur like hunger and thirst (Schimmack 2001).

Contexte de programme violent à la télévision et mémorisation des publicités : Rôles respectifs du niveau de violence et de la narrativité

Afin de mieux comprendre l’influence d’un contexte de programme violent sur la mémorisation des publicités, trois expérimentations ont été menées. Prenant comme point de départ une réplication conceptuelle des travaux de Bushman et Bonacci (2002) (expérimentation 1), nous proposons d’étudier l’influence du niveau de violence contenu dans les programmes (expérimentation 2) ainsi que celle de la continuité narrative du récit, préservée ou non (expérimentation 3). Les résultats montrent que l’intensité de violence est positivement corrélée au rappel libre des publicités et que la continuité narrative n’a pas d’influence sur la mémorisation des publicités. Enfin, le rôle de l’implication envers le programme – variable médiatrice entre violence perçue et rappel publicitaire, modérée par le sexe et la sensibilité du spectateur – est mis en évidence.