Tilottama G. Chowdhury

The effect of aging and time horizon perspective on consumers' response to promotion versus prevention focus advertisements

This research investigates the influence of ageing and its associated time horizon perspective on responses to promotion versus prevention focus advertisements. The results show that both older and younger adults had more favourable reactions to prevention versus promotion focus advertisements when they were asked to think about time as limited. When older and younger adults were asked to think about time as expansive, they had better liking of the promotion focus appeal. In the absence of time horizon manipulation, older adults preferred the prevention message, whereas younger adults expressed similar liking for both promotion and prevention messages. Theoretical and managerial implications and directions for future research are also discussed.

Accentuate the positive: how identity affects customer satisfaction

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to address an important gap in identity research – how does consumer identity affect satisfaction following an unambiguous product experience. Design/methodology/approach – Two experiments were conducted involving a product experience scenario and a service recovery encounter. Findings – Study results demonstrate that experience valence moderates the impact of identity on customer satisfaction. Specifically, we find that identity improves satisfaction with a positive (but does not increase dissatisfaction with a negative) experience, and this effect arises via enhanced performance perceptions under positive experience rather than expectations. Research limitations/implications – Our research investigates whether the prior research argument that identity is a powerful and “sticky” source of brand evaluation is robust to product experience. Specifically, we extend the disconfirmation paradigm of satisfaction by identifying identity as a driver of satisfaction and by...

Self-oriented Masculinity Advertisements and the Changing Culture of the Male Market

This research chronicles the changes in the understudied and rapidly evolving male market segment using two related studies: (1) a content analysis of advertisements in fifty-one years of Sports Illustrated magazine and (2) an experiment involving age-based differences in consumer ad perceptions. Both investigate changing ad values and the ethnic diversity of ad models. Results indicate that the male market is becoming increasingly self-oriented in its values orientation as a result of broad societal changes and changing gender roles. Increasing use of black or African American models in key positions indicates a growing acceptance of minorities as representations of the ideal self among younger men, who express a preference for black or African American models. This finding speaks to the increasingly multicultural nature of society and the impact of minority celebrities on American culture. The results are indicative of the power of advertising in both reflecting and facilitating societal change.

Men Seeing Stars: Celebrity Endorsers, Race, and The Male Consumer

This project explores attitudes of males of different ages toward black and white celebrity endorsers. Using advertisements for a men’s fragrance, the authors determine that although males of various age cohorts have similar perceptions of a celebrity’s credibility, likability and attractiveness, once paired with a product in an advertisement, attitude measures diverge. Older white male consumers have significantly more positive attitudes toward products endorsed by white celebrities versus black celebrities while young males make no such distinction. A key explanation for this difference lies in the self-focused value orientation of younger males. Multiple study iterations replicate results and reinforce findings.

Flexible flexibility! Food categorization flexibility and utilitarian preference

Purpose This research proposes that high categorization flexibility’s positive influence on hedonic or affect-laden choice is attenuated by conservation and nutrition mind-sets. Further, categorization flexibility can also promote utilitarian or cognitively superior preference and may have a role in steering customers towards healthier dietary choices. Design/methodology/approach Two experimental studies document that the pro-utilitarian impact of food categorization flexibility can be facilitated by priming conservation mind-set and nutrition mind-sets. Findings Results show that conservation and nutrition mind-sets not only mitigate the earlier-demonstrated facilitative influence of food categorization flexibility on hedonic food preference, but also can facilitate utilitarian food preference. Originality/value The current research provides the first evidence that food categorization flexibility can facilitate both hedonic and utilitarian preferences. The findings contribute to literature streams on cat...