Timothy H. Reisenwitz

A comparison of younger and older baby boomers: investigating the viability of cohort segmentation

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to examine the relationship between two age cohorts within the baby boomer group, younger baby boomers (born between 1956‐1965) and older baby boomers (born between 1946‐1955), based on various behavioral variables. It is postulated that, even though this group is exceedingly large in number, there are more similarities than differences among its younger and older members.Design/methodology/approach – The study sample was a convenience sample and consisted of 295 respondents who were in the 40‐58 age category. A questionnaire was administered with scales that were well established and that have been used in previous research.Findings – With the exception of cognitive age, there were no significant differences between younger and older baby boomers regarding a large number of salient behavioral variables. This conclusion suggests that marketers use caution when applying the widely accepted age segmentation strategy of splitting baby boomers into younger and older boome...

Dealing with Student Group Project Traumas: Teaching Students Recognition, Responsibility, and Resolution of Group Project Problems

Marketing faculty frequently use group projects in their courses to provide students the opportunity to learn to work with others effectively to solve marketing problems. Unfortunately, these projects often are fraught with group problems detracting from their ability to provide students the opportunity to practice their marketing skills. Furthermore, marketing faculty typically do not have the time in their course to both teach the students the marketing content as well as how to function effectively in a team. This paper hopes to provide marketing faculty a means for making students more aware of group project issues before they occur, how to effectively document them, and how to fairly resolve them.

Examining Marketing Journals' Publication Process and Reviewer Practices

This study examines reviewer practices at 11 marketing journals. The results for the top three journals are compared to eight comparable journals that are typically considered to be non-top-tier journals. The results suggest that the reviewers and the review processes at the top journals differ significantly from those of the non-top-tier journals. One of the most important findings is the degree to which the double-blind review process is being employed. The results may provide aspiring authors with a greater understanding and empathy of the review process, which in turn may allow them to be more successful with their article submissions.

Deception in cosmetics advertising: Examining cosmetics advertising claims in fashion magazine ads

The FDA has only focused upon the physical safety of cosmetics and has ignored the significant reasonability of advertising claims. As such, the present article is intended to examine/ascertain the extent to which cosmetics claims contain deceptive content in fashion ads. Through a content analysis, the study reported herein revealed that cosmetics claims were not evenly distributed. To that end, the preponderance of the claims appeared to be described primarily by three categories (scientific, performance and subjective). The results also showed that more cosmetics claims were classified as deceptive than were deemed as acceptable. Close examination of these trends revealed that, for instance, most superiority claims were categorized as false, whereas scientific claims tended to be classified as vague or as omitting important information. Furthermore, performance claims were likely to be viewed as vague and endorsement claims were seen to be acceptable. The study concludes with practical and public policy suggestions that need to be addressed by advertisers and the FDA.

A consumer profile of the US honeymooner and an examination of elements of the destination decision-making process

The tradition of honeymoon is as old as marriage itself (Drobot, 1981). The term first appeared in English in the sixteenth century, referring to a one-month period after the wedding. The assumption was that the couple stayed in one place, drinking honeyed nectar for a month to ease their inhibitions towards each other. After this period, the emotional climate of the couple supposedly changes, just as the full moon appears briefly and then fades (Otnes & Pleck, 2003). Although quite different today, honeymoon has become an important custom of the Western society (Gersuny, 1970); it is one of several socially constructed customs that is reflective of how the larger culture has shaped individual emotional experiences (Bulcroff, Bulcroff, Smeins, & Cranage, 1997). Kalmijn (2004) categorizes honeymoon as one of the three important customs of the wedding, along with the wedding celebration or party and the church wedding. Wedding is a great example of a ritual or rite of passage, a role reinforcer that serves to socialize the bride and the groom into their new roles as married persons. Wedding has evolved over time in reaction to common uncertainties regarding marriage and family life, including a reaction to ambiguities about the role of community and kinship in the context of daily, intimate life (Bulcroff et al., 1997). Similarly, honeymoon’s function is to facilitate the transition towards a stable relationship (Gersuny, 1970). It symbolizes the couple’s departure from the two families of origin, presenting themselves to society as married (Kalmijn, 2004). The event is the beginning of the couple’s attempt to merge two distinct realities into one shared, consistent reality (Bulcroff et al., 1997). Thus, it is an aid in establishing a new equilibrium (Gersuny, 1970). Honeymoon features the elements that Van Gennep (1960) attributes to rites of passage, such as wedding: separation, transition, and incorporation. Separation typically takes place as the couple leaves the wedding guests and travels to the honeymoon destination. Transition is the adjustment period in which the couple becomes comfortable in an intimate relationship. Incorporation occurs at the end of the honeymoon as the newlyweds enter society as a married couple. More recently, honeymoon has evolved mainly due to changing demographics: couples tend to live together unmarried, the divorce rate has continued to rise, and the