Robert D. Jewell

When Competitive Interference Can Be Beneficial

Prior research has viewed competitive interference as undesirable due to its negative effects on brand-attribute recall. We propose that competitive interference is not inherently bad but may be beneficial under certain conditions. In the context of an established brand promoting a new attribute, we show that the new attribute information is interfered with by the brands old attributes, causing lower retrieval. However, in the presence of competitive advertising, old attribute information is suppressed, and new attribute information is successfully retrieved. Copyright 2003 by the University of Chicago.

The Moderated Influence of Internal Control: An Examination Across Health-Related Behaviors

An extension of the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991) was used to identify whether moderated relationships exist between perceived behavioral control and theoretical constructs within the model. Study 1 examined influences of perceived internal control relative to behavioral category; for a utilitarian behavior (e.g., using sunscreen, donating blood), the moderating relation was of a cognitive nature (i.e., attitude, subjective norm), whereas for hedonic behaviors (e.g., drinking and driving, fast food consumption), the moderating relation was of a noncognitive nature (i.e., affect, past behavior). These relations were manipulated in Study 2 via the framing of neutral behaviors (i.e., chocolate and fat consumption) to explicate the hypothesized patterns of interactions. Theoretical implications of findings are discussed.

The Innovator's License: A Latitude to Deviate from Category Norms

Firms often look for ways to improve the return on investment they earn from costly innovation strategies. The authors investigate a previously unexplored benefit of innovation that occurs when a brands reputation as a provider of valued new offerings allows it to earn innovation credit, a form of customer-based brand equity. Innovation credit provides brands with the license or latitude to use strategies that violate category norms without the penalty (in the form of impaired attitudes) that consumers are shown to levy on less innovative brands. Consistent with the proposed theoretical framework, three studies demonstrate that innovative brands are granted the license to employ nonnormative strategies without sanction. In addition to providing evidence regarding the inferential mechanism underlying this licensing effect, Study 3 shows that, under certain conditions, innovative brands not only escape the penalty associated with using atypical strategies but are actually rewarded for utilizing such approaches. The authors provide theoretical and managerial implications of these findings and suggestions for further research in this emerging area of innovation research.

The Effects of Deadline Pressure on Attitudinal Ambivalence

This article examines how attitudinal ambivalence, derived from the positive and negative evaluations associated with an attitude toward a behavior, that has an explicit deadline, fluctuates as a deadline becomes imminent. Using a longitudinal design, it was shown that as a deadline for performing a behavior becomes imminent, the level of ambivalence associated with the behavior increased significantly. Such an increase was not realized for a control group that was assessed longitudinally but without the presence of an imminent deadline. In addition, we provide evidence that the increase in ambivalence as a deadline approaches is driven primarily by the increased salience of negative factors associated with the behavior.

Hidden consumption behaviour: an alternative response to social group influence

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how conflicting brand preferences between a social group and an individual may lead the individual to hide their consumption. Specifically, the authors examine the conditions under which hiding behaviour is most likely to occur and the impact of susceptibility to interpersonal influence on the decision to hide. Design/methodology/approach – Two experiments were conducted using a combination of student and adult samples. Analysis of variance and regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. Findings – Findings suggest that individuals are most likely to hide their consumption behaviour when group sanctions for non-conformity are severe, but the likelihood of being caught is low. Further, individual differences in susceptibility to interpersonal influence are found to affect individuals’ decisions to hide their consumption behaviour. Research limitations/implications – By identifying hidden consumption behaviour as a possible response to preference conflict, this...

The Myth/Fact Message Frame and Persuasion in Advertising: Enhancing Attitudes Toward the Mentally Ill

This article examines the information processing implications of the myth/fact message frame (MFMF), where a widely held yet incorrect belief (i.e., a myth) is stated then countered with a correcting fact. We demonstrate in two studies that recipients of the MFMF tend to assess message content using peripheral processing, calling into question its persuasiveness in changing misconceptions about mental illness. More persuasive messaging can occur by removing the myth and presenting the message in a fact-only frame. In Study 2, we optimize the processing of the MFMF by including rhetorical questions, which increases elaboration of the message content, thus enhancing the likelihood of forming strong, positive attitudes toward the mentally ill.

The Stigma of Mental Illness: Using Segmentation for Social Change

Despite the unequivocal incidence and burden that mental illnesses place on the world, those with mental illness remain not only neglected but also deeply stigmatized across societies. The stigma that surrounds mental illness serves as a barrier to treatment and recovery, leading to serious negative consequences such as school failure, job loss, and suicide. While many large-scale social marketing efforts have found some success in reducing stigma, we contend that the recommended approaches, which utilize the input of people with mental illness and those close to them, are inadequate and that a deeper understanding of those who stigmatize is needed. This research first provides a comprehensive examination of the components that comprise stigma and then uses these components to segment the general population. The authors then present recommendations based on differences in the endorsement of stigma among these segments to inform policy and advocacy groups in developing more varied and potentially more effective social marketing campaigns.

The Strategic Use of Contextual and Competitive Interference to Influence Brand-Attribute Associations

Broadening brand positioning is challenging because strong brand images are resistant to change. Consumers are likely to reject attempts to associate new discrepant attributes due to incongruence with the brands existing image. This research presents a contextual and competitive interference-based advertising tactic that facilitates acceptance of new attribute information into familiar brand meaning. Advertisers can influence new attribute associations by featuring an advertising image similar in both style and meaning to a competitor. Boundary conditions image similarity and competitor selection, and process variable response time, are investigated. This tactic presents a strategic way to use the cluttered advertising environment advantageously.

The tangled web we weave: Deceptive consumption behaviors as a means to cope with identity threat

Consumers have been observed to engage in deceptive consumption behaviors, including hiding their brand consumption and pretending to consume brands that they actually do not. This article defines deceptive consumption behaviors as the deliberate falsification or concealment of an individual’s consumption behaviors pertaining to a brand. The present work recognizes deceptive consumption behaviors as a relatively unexplored construct in the consumer behavior literature. Therefore, this article sets out not only to define and delineate the various types of deceptive consumption behaviors but also to explore the underlying motivations that would result in consumers engaging in this practice. We propose that these behaviors are a response to an identity threat that occurs due to goal conflict between personal and social identities. We further propose a typology to illustrate the various behaviors that consumers may employ when engaging in deceptive consumption. We explore the consequences of engaging in deceptive consumption behaviors for the consumer as well as for the consumer’s relationship with the brand and the group. Finally, we identify avenues for future research on deceptive consumption behaviors.