Xuemei Bian

Are size-zero female models always more effective than average-sized ones?: Depends on brand and self-esteem!

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate if brand might affect consumers’ response to replacing size-zero models (SM) with average-sized models (AM) in advertising and how individuals’ psychological states might underlie consumers’ reactions. Design/methodology/approach – Three studies manipulating brand and model body size were conducted and advertising images to female individuals differing in self-esteem were exposed. Findings – This research finds that brand moderates consumers’ model evaluation. Participants evaluated AM as being more attractive than SM for new brands, whereas for well-established brands associated with SM, participants rated both AM and SM as being equally attractive. Self-esteem shapes participants’ evaluation of AM and SM. For new brands, low self-esteem individuals evaluated AM as being more attractive than SM, whereas high self-esteem individuals evaluate AM and SM as being equally attractive. The results are consistent, regardless of whether it is a luxury and a ge...

Will normal‐sized female models in advertisements be viewed as positively as small‐sized models?

Purpose - Despite the call from the public domain to use normal-sized models (NM) in advertising and the fact of the recent movement in the practitioner’s domain concerning the use of NM, knowledge of the advantages/disadvantages concerning the use of NM in comparison to small-sized models (SM) is lacking. Prior research indicates that framing changes attitudes by altering the underlying considerations used in one’s evaluation, but there is few study that tests framing effects on consumers’ judgments of commercial persuasion. Moreover, an actionable understanding of the brand effects on consumers’ model evaluation remains unexplored. The purpose of this study is to address these unresolved issues. Design/methodology/approach - In two studies, we examine the effects of different instructional frames on consumers’ evaluation of NM as opposed to SM for new brands. We also examine how and to what extent brand effects of established brands might alter the effects of instructional frame on NM and SM evaluations. Furthermore, we investigate the direct and indirect impact of consumers’ health-consciousness concerning SM on the results. Findings - Research findings are discussed. Originality/value - This research contributes to literature by bridging four knowledge gaps. First, this research is one of the few which investigated consequences resulting from using NM. Second, knowledge of comparative advantages/disadvantages in the relationship to the use of unconventional models versus SM was lacking until the present research. Third, this research is one of the few which provides empirical evidence of framing effects on consumers’ judgment of commercial persuasion. Fourth, brand effects on consumers’ model evaluations were unknown until the current research.

Advertising Self-Regulation - Clearance Processes, Effectiveness and Future Research Agenda

This paper assesses the progress made in international research in advertising self-regulation (ASR) since 1980. We analyse and critique the academic progress made in relation to the ASR clearance processes, focusing specifically upon advertising clearance procedures, the influential factors of advertising clearance activities, and their effectiveness (including complaint handling), evaluating the extent to which issues raised have been adequately addressed and what areas remain underexplored. We then offer a new agenda for ASR research.

National Homophily in Multicultural Newcomer Networks

Understanding the relational and network dynamics among newcomer networks is important to devising appropriate strategies that will maximize the productivity of the incoming workforce. Nevertheless, there are limited empirical contributions on newcomer networks with a handful of studies examining newcomer networks in international environments. In this study, we focus on national homophily defined as the “tendency for people to associate with others similar to them in terms of attributes (e.g., race, gender) and values” (Mollica et al. 2003, p. 123). Studies have not examined ethnic or national homophily in newcomer networks. Understanding this issue is important as global companies recruit significant numbers of postgraduate students from countries such as China, India, and Brazil and spend a lot of money in trying to enhance interpersonal relationships among employees to boost effectiveness and efficiency. To better understand national homophily, we use a multicultural student sample drawn from newly formed networks, to examine how identity salience, academic self-efficacy, individualism, and ethnocentrism are associated with the occurrence of national homophily in newcomer networks. A questionnaire was devised based on prior research and distributed to students enrolled in postgraduate management programs in two British universities. The final sample comprises of 182 usable responses which were analyzed using Smart PLS 2.0 (Ringle et al. 2005). The study results show that in a multicultural newcomer context individuals who have strong identity salience tend to forge close ties with others of the same national identity and this manifests in national homophily. The study also shows that individuals high in academic self-efficacy are likely to form ties with individuals from other cultures and show less national homophilic tendencies, compared to those who are low in academic self-efficacy. The findings also reveal that individualism is not conducive to the formation of homophily, while ethnocentrism was found to be significantly but negatively related to homophily. This study provides an incremental contribution in understanding how homophily emerges in newcomer networks. Managers interested in promoting greater collaboration between group members in their companies will need to pay particular attention on individual characteristics (e.g., self-efficacy, identify salience) when forming teams, organizing groups, and allocating projects in the workplace. In this way, the full potential of multicultural relationships could be effectively unfolded. Future researchers can broaden and deepen knowledge on national homophily by investigating other variables as factors influencing homophily (e.g., personality, demographic characteristics), or even explore the consequences of homophily in terms of individual and group performance.References available upon request.

An Investigation of Consumers’ Perceptions of Counterfeit Branded Products, Original Branded Products and Purchase Intention

This research investigates consumers’ perceptions of counterfeit branded products (CBP) vs. their counterparts the original branded products (BP), and whether or not there is a relationship between consumers’ perceptions of CBP and behavioural intention. A quantitative survey of over 300 adults in Glasgow, UK was conducted measuring consumers’ perceptions of CBP and BP, CBP non-deceptive ownership, and purchase intention of CBP. Consumers were found to have more favourable perceptions of BP than CBP, with exceptions of financial risk and security concern. There were no significant perception differences of BP between CBP owners and non-owners. In contrast, significant perception differences concerning CBP were identified between these two groups of respondents. Several dimensions of perceptions of CBP (competence brand personality, satisfaction benefit, functional attribute, and psychological risk) appeared to be significantly influential on behavioural intention. Finally, evidence of interactions between perceptions and ownership of CBP did not exist.

An examination of determinants of likelihood of consideration of counterfeit luxury branded products

This study examines the determinants of likelihood of consideration of counterfeit branded luxury handbags in the context of nondeceptive counterfeiting. The effects of consumer-perceived brand personality, benefits, product attributes, perceived risks, and consumer demographic variables are anticipated and explored. Focus groups are used to generate criteria which consumers used to evaluate studied brands, and an interview survey is used to collect data for the main study. SPSS and R software are used to analyze data. Generalised linear model analyses reveal that the brand personality is the dominant factor in determining the likelihood of the consideration of the counterfeit branded luxury products. In general, the perceived risks and the demographic variables do not appear to be significantly influential on the formation of the consideration set in the context of nondeceptive counterfeiting. In addition, factor analysis results provide empirical evidence on Plummers (2000, 1985). Brand image components notion and further suggest that the perceived risks shall not be regarded as part of the benefit/consequence component of brand image concept.