Advertising Division

Graduate and Undergraduate Student Research
Exploring the Effect of Control on Playable Ad Effectiveness • Xiaohan Hu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • The playable ad is a new type of digital advertising that combines interactivity with gamification in brand communication. This study explores the psychological processes and effects of playable ads. Guided by psychological reactance theory, I examine how playable ads influence consumers’ perceptions of control, product attitude and psychological reactance. Findings from an experimental study show that playable ads, compared to video ads, increased consumers’ perceived control, which led to more positive attitudes toward the advertised products. This study also supports psychological reactance theory by revealing that increased perceptions of control diminished perceived freedom threat, and subsequently alleviated consumers’ psychological reactance (both anger and negative cognitions) toward advertising messages. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

Words Can Tell More than Pictures: Investigating the Role of Presentation Format and Motivation on Consumer Responses to Online Product Information • Xiaohan Hu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Chen Chen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • We describe the results of a study exploring the effect of presentation format and motivation on consumer responses to online product information. We compared the effects of visual and textual online product presentation formats, controlling for the message content participants were exposed to in each condition. We also investigated the effect of consumer motivation (utilitarian and hedonic) in this process. Dependent measures included affective, cognitive, and conative (i.e. search and purchase intention) responses toward the product. Results showed that textual presentation led to increased cognitive and affective responses. We also found that cognitive and affective responses mediated the effect of presentation format on consumers’ search and purchase intentions. These results are discussed in the context of online search advertising and consumers’ product information-seeking behavior.

Effectiveness of Social Media Influencer Advertising: Attachment to Social Media as a Key to Positive Consumer Engagement • Haseon Park, University of Alabama • A growing body of advertising research has revealed that sponsoring social media influencers is effective in generating positive consumer attitudes toward advertising and behavioral intentions. In line with the previous influencer advertising research, this study aims to investigate engagement via social media influencers by taking psychological and behavioral aspects into account. Specifically, psychological attachment to social media (ASM) was examined as a predictor of social media influencer advertising effectiveness. An online experiment was conducted among college student samples by measuring attachment to social media, attachment to influencer, attitudes toward the brand and the influencer. Results indicated that attachment to social media, as a psychological personality trait, had significant, positive influence on behavioral intentions to comment on influencer’s sponsored post and purchase the promoted product. In addition, attachment to social media significantly enhanced attachment to influencer as well as brand trust. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

* Extended Abstract * The Illusion of Gender Diversity Among Advertising Practitioners: A Textual Analysis of Award-Winning Agency Websites • Teresa Tackett, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill • Gender disparity continues to permeate the advertising industry, with only 29 percent of women comprising the role of creative directors in advertising agencies. This research in progress used textual analysis to examine how award-winning agency websites are encoded with messages of deep-level diversity ¬– despite visually exemplifying surface-level diversity – by exploring the rhetorical and emblematic meaning-making processes creative agency practitioners use to position their teams on their websites.

Employee Engagement: How Female Advertising Agency Practitioners Avoid Burnout and Maintain Creativity • Teresa Tackett, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill • This study analyzes women’s creativity and job satisfaction in an advertising agency setting as it relates to the agency’s leadership, culture and workplace processes. Exploring Employee Engagement Theory through 10 semi-structured interviews with female advertising practitioners, the results demonstrate the key role communication plays in determining levels of engagement in the workplace, which is imperative for the recruitment and retention of talent in an industry riddled with burnout.

Product qualities perceptions in online an context: An exploratory study of package design elements’ influence • Jacqui Villarreal • Living in the 21st century is synonymous with living in a digital world, including purchasing goods online, with 79% of Americans reporting doing so (Smith & Anderson, 2016). One of the growing online retailing industries is skincare, an industry in which shoppers tend to evaluate their options online before making a purchase either in store or online (Mintel Academic, 2017). An online experiment was deployed to test the perceptions of skincare products, specifically a moisturizer. Participants were exposed to one of three experimental conditions (a seafoam jar, a glass bottom jar, or a silver capped jar) each compared to a control (an all white plastic jar), and the study measured product perceptions including effectiveness, luxuriousness, quality, attractiveness, price, and purchase intent. Results show that there are significant differences between the glass bottom stimulus and the control condition in terms of all outcomes (p=.018 for effectiveness, and p=.000 for all other outcomes), with the mean scores being higher for the glass jar by >1 point for multiple outcomes. The findings from this study implicate that the packaging of a product may influence consumer perceptions of the qualities of that product.

How Skeptical Are You About This Sponsor? Comparing the Effects of Alcohol Industry Sponsored and Nonprofit Organization Sponsored Anti-Drunk Driving Advertisements on Attitude Toward Drunk Driving • Chung In Yun, Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Texas at Austin • This study compared the effects of industry-sponsored and nonprofit organization-sponsored anti-drunk driving advertisements on consumers’ skepticism level and their attitude toward drunk driving. The results showed that the alcohol industry’s advertisement engenders higher consumers’ skepticism than the nonprofit organization’s advertisement. Moreover, among the participants who watched the industry’s advertisement, people with a high level of skepticism are more likely to have negative attitude toward drunk driving behavior than those who have a low skepticism level.

Open Research
Superiority, Comfort and Responsiveness: U.S. Car Ads Take on Japanese Competition, 1965-1977 • Khalid Alharbi, University of South Carolina; Jackson Carter, University of South Carolina; Kenneth Campbell, University of South Carolina • This study explores frames used by U.S. automobile companies in advertisements when Japanese cars entered the U.S. market on a full scale in the mid-1960s to late 1970s. Using a grounded theory approach, an analysis of 200 print advertisements suggests that U.S. auto companies used a frames of superiority at home and abroad, which were direct reflections of the political and cultural changes occurring in the country.

Effects of Brand Feedback to Negative eWOM and Moderating Roles of Product Price • Manu Bhandari, Arkansas State University; Kyung Jung Han, California State University – Bakersfield; Po-Lin Pan, Arkansas State University • This 2 X 2 experiment examined effects of brand feedback (a business’ written response to online reviews/eWOM) and product price (monetary cost) on brand attitudes and purchase intentions. Brand feedback improved brand attitudes and indirectly increased purchase intentions. Higher prices, however, led to brand feedback decreasing purchase intentions. Findings further establish brands’ role in eWOM theory, and, consistent with some past research, suggest brand feedback may not be without its risks.

FoMO and Happiness on Instagram: A serial mediation of social media influencer-related activities and the role of authenticity • Jung Ah Lee; Laura Bright, University of Texas at Austin; Matthew Eastin, University of Texas at Austin • Mounting research shows negative psychological effects for social media and recognizes Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) as a key driver of social media use. This article focuses on social media influencers (SMIs) and investigates potentially positive forms of usage on psychological well-being. A serial mediation model using survey data (N = 617) indicates SMI-related activities are positively associated with subjective happiness. Furthermore, SMI-related activities jointly and positively mediate the relationship between FoMO and subjective happiness.

Time, Space and Convergence in Advertising and Public Relations: Contemporary Analysis of Job Market Trends • Andrew Brown, University of Tennessee; Sally McMillan, University of Tennessee; Alexander Carter, University of Tennessee; Nicholas Sarafolean, University of Tennessee • “The purpose of this research is to explore the influence of time, space and convergence on modern advertising and public relations. Using a media ecology lens, this study explored how technology shifts have impacted traditional advertising and public relations disciplines: are the disciplines converging or moving apart? By employing digital scraping and analysis technologies, researchers pulled 2,609 advertising listings and 2,855 public relations job listings in the fall of 2019 and analyzed the full text of those listings for evidence of convergence and/or divergence. Consideration of five research questions revealed a job market that seeks essential communication skills, digital marketing and social media mastery; while also championing traditional and discipline-specific advertising and public relations core competencies.”

The Short- and Long-term Memory of Brands Co-appearing in Television Programs • Fanny Fong Yee Chan, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong • The proliferation of brand integrations has led to a phenomenon of brand co-appearance which appeared to be an increasingly prevalent trend in television programs. However, the cognitive impact of brand co-appearance has yet to be explored. Three experimental studies were conducted to examine the short-term and long-term recall and recognition of brands co-appeared. The results have important theoretical implications to the field and provide practical insights to brand owners and marketers.

Social Media Influencers’ Disclosures of Brand Relationships on Instagram: Characteristics and Engagement Outcomes • Su Yeon Cho; Shiyun Tian, University of Miami; Xiaofeng Jia; Wanhsiu Tsai • This content analysis presents one of the earliest systemic examinations of social media influencers’ brand-related posts on Instagram by assessing the message characteristics and engagement outcomes of posts with and without disclosures of material connections. Additionally, this study compares posts for endorsed, co-branded, and self-branded products, and evaluates to what extent SMIs comply with the FTC disclosure guidelines. Based on the findings, theoretical and strategic implications were provided for marketers, SMIs, and policymakers.

Brand Message Strategies on Instagram • Jung Hwa Choi • The primary goals of this research are to provide an exploratory analysis investigating how global brands currently use social media, especially Instagram, to share brand messages and build relationships with consumers. Specifically, this study analyzes corporate account marketing messages posted by global brands on Instagram to understand how global brands are using Instagram for purposes of interacting with and building relationships with consumers using a content analysis based on the brand associations by Aarker. Consumers’ reactions to each strategy used in photos and captions – “likes” and comments – were analyzed as indicators of consumer engagement. The overall findings of the study indicated that Instagram marketers often are not using the strategies that generate the highest consumer engagement. Practical guidance on how to tap into the brand potential of marketing communication tools, such as Instagram is provided.

Unbranded and Branded Direct-to-Consumer Advertising (DTCA) Using Social Media Influencers and Effects of Disclosure • Ida Darmawan, University of Minnesota; Jisu Huh, University of Minnesota • “This study examined effects of unbranded and branded DTC social media influencer advertising by pharmaceutical companies on attitude toward the ad and behavioral intentions, and the impact of ad disclosure on the ad outcomes. The underlying mechanism was evaluated by applying the Persuasion Knowledge Model. The unbranded message with ad disclosure resulted in higher persuasion knowledge activation, leading to more positive attitude toward the ad and higher behavioral intentions. Additionally, significant interaction effect was found.”

Consumer Responses to Sponsored Posts on Instagram: The Roles of Selfie, Account Verification, and Valence of Caption • Yang Feng, San Diego State University; Chen Lou, Nanyang Technological University • Marketers continually seek ways to enhance social media users’ empathetic reactions toward a brand endorser who uploads a sponsored post. Given this background, this research examines how three elements (i.e., selfie-posting, account verification, and valence of post caption) affect consumers’ empathetic reactions to sponsored posts on Instagram (operationalized as the number of “likes” a sponsored post receives) using social media data. Our results indicate that the negative valence of a caption impairs the two-way interaction effect between account verification and selfie on users’ empathetic responses. However, the positive valence of the caption does not play a significant role. Implications and future research directions are provided.

Visual Cues in Direct-to-Consumer Advertisements for Healthcare Services • Kylie Hill, University of Nevada, Reno; Sung-Ywon Park, University of Nevada, RENO • The visual cues on healthcare service advertisements can influence consumers’ expectations and attitudes towards healthcare services and providers. In this study, a visual content analysis of digital direct-to-consumer healthcare service advertisements was carried out in order to examine identity characteristics of patients and providers, healthcare interactions, and patient motivators depicted in the advertisements. Subsequently, the content analysis results were compared with the actual preferences of healthcare users identified through interviews.

The Moderating Role of Media Multitasking in the Effects of Message Consistency across Multiple Ads • Se-Hoon Jeong • Using two experiments, the present study examined how message consistency (vs. variation) across multiple ads affects cognitive and attitudinal outcomes and whether media multitasking moderate the effect. Results of Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 showed that the effect of message consistency on cognitive outcomes (brand memory) was moderated by media multitasking such that the positive impact of message consistency on brand memory was found when multitasking, but not when single-tasking. In addition, Experiment 2 showed a significant main effect of message consistency on attitudinal outcomes such that the varied message (vs. consistent message) condition induced more favorable attitudes toward the ad and the brand. The results suggest that the message consistency strategy can be effective in the multi-media environment where media users frequently multitask, yet the strategy needs to be used with caution.

Should Stigmatized Companies Use a high-fit or low-fit Cause in Cause-Related Marketing? • Mengtian Jiang, University of Kentucky; Hyun Ju Jeong • This study investigated the effects of organizational core stigma and company-cause fit on consumer responses to the cause-related marketing campaigns. 272 Mturk workers participated in 2 (stigmatized industry: casino vs amusement park) x 2 (company-cause parings) online experiment. Results showed that socially stigmatized companies should use a high-fit cause in CRM to reduce the negative effects of stigma on perceived social responsibility and company attitudes, which increased purchase intention. Contributions, limitations and future research directions are discussed.

The Determinants of Pre-Roll Ad Skipping and Viewership: Evidence from Big Data • Mi Hyun Lee, Northwestern University; Su Jung Kim, University of Southern California; Sungho Park, SNU Business School, Seoul National University; Sang-Hyeak Yoon • Skippable ads are known to provide a better ad experience by giving viewers sense of control with the ability to skip an ad after watching it for a short period of time. Despite the growing interest, few studies have investigated factors that influence skipping or viewership of pre-roll skippable ads. This study examines the determinants of pre-roll ad skipping and viewing behaviors by using clickstream data of 2,078,090 users’ ad and content viewing behaviors on a popular online video content platform in South Korea. We found that ad skipping and viewing behaviors are influenced by ad viewing habit, age, contextual factors such as when and how they watch online video content, and the congruence between program genre and ad brand category. We conclude with the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.

Do Viewers Really Talk about Ads during Commercial Breaks? Findings from a South Korean Social TV Platform • Kyongseok Kim, Towson University; Hyang-Sook Kim, Towson University; Mun-Young Chung; Yeuseung Kim • As live TV has lost viewers to streaming services and digital videos, live TV producers have strived to bring viewers back to TV screens by integrating social features in programming. Meanwhile, social TV has become a prevalent TV viewing pattern. While previous findings indicate that social TV can help increase engagement with TV programs, whether advertisers can benefit from social TV is uncertain. The aim of this study was to shed more light on this idea by investigating what live TV viewers talk about during commercial breaks. A content analysis was conducted using 4,792 live comments posted on a major social TV platform during the commercial breaks in five episodes of a popular South Korean TV drama. Results indicate (a) that a majority of the live comments pertained to the drama episodes (79.7%) rather than commercials (8.9%) and (b) that the comments related to commercials tended to be negative (50.1%). Overall, the findings suggest that social TV viewers might be program-oriented and, thus, either neglect or unfavorably perceive program-irrelevant tasks (e.g., attending to and processing commercials). Theoretical and practical implications for social TV advertising are discussed.

Internet Users Respond to Relevant and Irrelevant Ads Within Online Paginated Stories Differently When the Ads are Presented at Different Proportions: Application to Programmatic Buying and Contextual Advertising • Anastasia Kononova, Michigan State University; Wonkyung Kim, BNU-HKBU United International College; Eunsin Joo, BNU-HKBU United International College; Kristen Lynch, Michigan State University • Applying the ad-context congruence framework, priming theory, and associative network of memory model, an online experimental study (N = 449) investigated the effects of displaying different proportions of thematically relevant and irrelevant ads in online paginated stories on cognitive load, brand recognition memory (sensitivity and criterion bias), ad and brand evaluations, ad clicking intentions, and brand purchase intentions. The results of the study indicated that the brands advertised in context-irrelevant ads were recognized better than the brands advertised in context-relevant ads. Encoding of irrelevant ads was associated with a conservative criterion bias, especially when these ads were presented in the condition with the high proportion of relevant ads. Ratio of relevant to irrelevant ads affected recognition of these ad types differently. Attitudes and behavioral intentions were more positive toward relevant ads than toward irrelevant ads. Theoretical implications of the study are connected to the advancement of the two-dimensional construct of thematic ad-context congruence. Practical implications are discussed in relation to contextual advertising and programmatic buying.

Associations between Tourist Profiles, Destinations, and Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) Communications: A Study on TripAdvisor • Say Wah Lee; Ke Xue • Despite abundant research on tourists’ eWOM communications, studies on factors related to their actual eWOM communications remain limited. This research investigates associations between tourist profiles, destinations, and eWOM communications. Review data regarding ten destinations in two Chinese cities were mined from TripAdvisor. One-way and two-way analyses of variance were conducted. Results showed significant differences in ratings and numbers of words in reviews across various tourist profiles and destinations. Implications and future research suggestions were provided.

Traditional Ads versus Host-Read Sponsor Ads: Examining Consumer Response to Advertising in Podcasts • Annika Fetzer Graham, The University of Alabama; Nancy Brinson, The University of Alabama; Laura Lemon, The University of Alabama; Coral Bender, The University of Alabama • The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of traditional ads vs. host-read sponsor ads for the same brand in various podcasts. Specifically examined were respondents’ persuasion knowledge, ad skepticism, and parasocial interaction. This 2 (familiar vs. unfamiliar) x 2 (host-read ad vs. traditional ad) online experiment (n=212) found that familiarity with the podcast and its host increased parasocial interaction, leading to higher perceived ad credibility, and a more favorable attitude toward the brand. The ad type impacted ad credibility and attitude toward the brand when controlling for parasocial interaction.

Irritating or enjoyable? Exploring the effects of soft-text native advertising and social-media engagement level • Kang Li; Fuyuan Shen • Given the proliferation of native advertising, and the limited existing research regarding the persuasion path of native advertisements on social media, the present research aimed to compare the effectiveness of native advertising with that of regular social-media advertising. Specifically, this research focused on one type of native advertising, soft-text native advertising, which has rarely been explored in existing research. In addition, we also examined the effects of engagement levels of social-media native advertising. The results showed that, compared to regular social-media advertising, soft-text native advertising is more effective for inducing favorable attitudes toward ads and products, as well as greater purchase intention. This is achieved through inducing higher perceived entertainment, flow experience, ad value as well as lower perceived irritation. In addition, the existing engagement level (e.g., number of views and comments at the time the user views the ad) can significantly affect viewers’ purchase intentions through influencing perceived ad entertainment. Based on these findings, suggestions regarding means of creating more effective social-media advertising are presented.

Choosing Appropriate Colors for Green Advertising: Perceived Greenwashing through Color Choices • Dongjae (Jay) Lim, University of Georgia; Nah Ray Han, University of Georgia • Many studies found that color delivers meaning and influence consumers’ minds and feelings, yet relatively little empirical findings exist on the topic of green advertising. By drawing on the match-up hypothesis, we aimed to shed light on how different types of color affect consumers’ evaluation of green ads. The study involves a 2 (Environmental performance: fit vs. unfit) × 4 (colors: green vs. blue vs. red vs. gray) experiment and reveals that colors associated with nature imagery lead favorable attitudinal outcome through color appropriateness. Moreover, we found that the role of color appropriateness is moderated when consumers perceive a mismatch between color and the brand’s actual environmental performance. When consumers perceived color that is not associated with the actual environmental performance of the brand, even colors associated with nature (green) was deemed to be a less appropriate choice, which further perceived as greenwashing.

Excellence in Ad Agency Leadership: A Mixed Method Multi-Country Study of Attributes and Styles • Padmini Patwardhan; Sabrina Habib, University of South Carolina; Hemant Patwardhan; Gayle Kerr; Louise Kelly; Kathleen Mortimer; Sally Laurie • “Unlike the extensive body of leadership research in related disciplines, research on advertising leadership is almost non-existent. Effective leadership is central to negotiating changes and stimulating creativity in new and different ways. The study examines agency leadership in global contexts. It fills a gap by examining leadership styles and qualities from the perspective of practitioners in the US, UK and Australia. Using GLOBE’s Culturally Endorsed Leadership Theory framework and adopting a mixed method approach – survey and in-depth interviews – data were collected from advertising executives and leaders in the three regions. In all three regions, perceptions of excellent leadership were fairly similar with some nuanced differences. Findings suggest that top desired qualities for agency leadership were integrity, vision, inspiration and collaboration. Overall, Collaborative, Performance oriented and Humane styles were viewed as most effective. Ideal leaders for today’s agencies should be future-focused with the vision and knowledge to re-imagine the nature of the agency business, present-focused and collaborative in implementation and action, and people-focused and empathetic in times of change and churn.”

A History of Content Marketing: The Ancient Origins of Marketing Communication’s Newest Discipline • Brian Petrotta, University of Oklahoma; Fred Beard, University of Oklahoma; Ludwig Dischner, University of Oklahoma • Much like advertising’s practitioners, practitioners of content marketing suggest their discipline is an ancient one, although most trace its origins to custom-published magazines of the late 1800s. This paper reports a systematic synthesis of the many definitions of content marketing and the first scholarly history of its development and practice. Findings support two conclusions: content marketing (1) existed much earlier than previously recognized and (2) objectives, strategies, and tactics have been consistent across the millennia.

* Extended Abstract * Comparing Expectancy Violations Committed by Influencer Advertising Sources on Social Media • Marilyn Primovic, University of Georgia; Joe Phua, University of Georgia • Advertisers select influencer sources to promote brands on widely followed social media accounts. This sponsored content is integrated into the content already being posted by an influencer source, which advertisers do not have control over. This study applies parasocial theory and the source credibility model to examine expectancy violation theory for two types of influencer sources, traditional influencers and celebrities. This study may inform advertisers in the process of selecting an influencer source.

Effects of placing a front-of-pack label on print food advertisements on consumer attitudes • Sumin Shin, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; SangHee Park, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater • A typical front-of-package nutrition label shows one serving size, calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. This study applies a front-of-package label to the advertising context. The results indicate that the presence of the label increases the ad effectiveness, and healthier nutrient content listed on the label negatively affects the ad effectiveness. The degree of nutrient content influences purchase intention directly and indirectly via perceived healthfulness, ad attitude, brand attitude, and healthy brand image sequentially.

How multitasking during video content decreases ad effectiveness: The roles of task relevance, video involvement, and visual attention • Shuoya Sun; Bartosz Wojdynski, University of Georgia; Matthew Binford, University of Georgia; Charan Ramachandran, University of Georgia • In a 3 (secondary task: none, related, unrelated) x 2 (ad-video congruence: high/low) between-subjects eye-tracking experiment, participants (N = 151) watched a 9-minute video documentary segment containing one mid-roll video ad while their visual attention to the screen was recorded. Participants in two-thirds of the conditions also read two online articles on a mobile device during the video. Results show effects for both multitasking and task relatedness on attention to the ad and attitudes toward the ad, through distinct pathways.

* Extended Abstract * Engagement Effects and Recall: A Multi-Year Analysis of Brand Communication in Social Media • Kristen Sussman, The University of Texas at Austin; Laura Bright, University of Texas at Austin; Gary Wilcox • This study examines single and multimodal effects of social media engagement on recall. Using longitudinal data associated with 46 businesses and over 21,000 ads, the analysis provides empirical findings revealing how various factors associated with online behavioral engagement lead to recall on a social networking site. Through initial modeling, comments and post shares explain about 36% of the variance associated with a person’s ad recall while impressions and engagement explain about 80% of the variance.

* Extended Abstract * Do Graphic Cues on Food Packaging and the Flavor of a Food Product Influence Perceptions of Product Characteristics? Results from an Experiment • Chan Thai, Santa Clara University; Hayley Trillo, Santa Clara University; Jacqui Villarreal • Most regulations on food packaging are focused on text-based package elements (explicit cues) that make claims about the product, while non-verbal package elements (subtle cues) have largely been ignored. This study hypothesizes that subtle cues on food packaging, such as graphics and flavor, influence perceptions of the food product. Utilizing a 4×4 online experiment, we test the influence of two types of subtle cues on the front of food packages, graphics (drawing, photograph, farmland scene, control) and flavor (kale, strawberry, orange, snap pea) of the product, on perceptions of taste, healthfulness, eating intentions, and purchase intentions. Data were gathered from two convenience samples: University students (n=100) and Amazon MTurk workers (n=200). One-way ANOVA tests showed no significant differences for graphic type. For the flavor, kale flavored products scored significantly higher on the perceived healthfulness outcome (5.51) compared to the snap pea (4.85), strawberry (4.81), and orange (4.49) products (p<.001). For eating/purchasing intention, kale flavored products scored significantly lower (3.07/3.39) compared to snap pea (3.83/3.94), strawberry (4.65/4.74), and orange (4.44/4.67; p<.001). For taste, kale flavored items scored lower (2.53) than the other flavors (3.83, 3.88, 3.17, p=0.19). Our results suggest that the flavor of a food product can exert influences on people’s perceptions of how healthy the product is, what the product might taste like, and intentions to eat or purchase these products.

Meaning Transfer in Celebrity Endorsement: Meaning Valence, Association Types, and Brand Awareness • Shiyun Tian, University of Miami; Wanhsiu Tsai; Weiting Tao; Cheng Hong, California State University, Sacramento • This study examined how meaning transfer influences brand image beliefs and brand attitudes. The moderating roles of association types and brand awareness were also investigated. The results confirmed the transfer of meanings. The change in attitudes was consistent with the valence of the celebrity’s meanings, as a function of the post-conditioning brand image belief. Furthermore, the effects increase when less-known brands were associated with celebrities via co-branding. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

The Role of Guilt, Shame, and Social Distance in Bystander-Focused Prevention of Campus Sexual Violence: A Construal Level Theory Approach • Shiyun Tian, University of Miami; Queenie Li, University of Miami • Guided by the Appraisal-Tendency Framework and Construal Level Theory, this study investigates how emotional appeals (guilt vs. shame) and social distance frames (distant vs. proximal) influence college students’ attitudes toward bystander action campaign and behavioral intention. The findings indicated a two-way interaction effect between these two message factors on campaign attitude and behavior intention. Additionally, self-efficacy was found to be the mediator that underlying the match-based effects. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Spreading the Tingles: An Investigation into the Use of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) Triggers in Advertising • Tianjiao Wang, Bradley University; Quan Xie; Rachelle Pavelko • Through the lens of embodied cognition and mental simulation theories, this study examined the use of ASMR triggers in advertising and the mechanism underlying the impact of ASMR experience on ad attitudes. The study conducted an online experiment of 539 participants and adopted an ASMR trigger (3: host-focused, object/task-focused, control) x ASMR trait (2: ASMR group vs non-ASMR group) x brand repetition (4) between-subjects factorial design. Results suggest that ads with ASMR triggers generated more tingling sensations compared to those without ASMR triggers. It also reveals that the tingling experience can directly improve ad attitudes, as well as via increased levels of mental simulation. Moreover, the ASMR group reported more positive ad attitudes compared to the non-ASMR group, regardless of the type of ads watched. Theoretical and marketing implications for ASMR advertising and directions for future research are discussed.

Competent and Warm? Examining Asian Stereotypes in Advertising • Buduo Wang, The University of Texas at Austin; Lucy Atkinson, The University of Texas at Austin; Angeline Scheinbaum; Siyan Li, The University of Texas at Austin • “According to the stereotype content model (SCM), competence and warmth are the two key dimensions of stereotype content (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002). Intelligent but nerdy, Asians and Asian Americans have been stereotyped as high in competence but low in warmth. The purpose of this study is to examine whether consumers perceive Asian endorsers in advertising as more competent but less warm than white endorsers and how endorser’s race interacts with perceived warmth/competence to impact advertising effectiveness. Hypotheses are tested with a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment (n=136). The findings reveal that Asian endorsers are perceived as both more competent and warmer, regardless of product category. The interaction between endorser’s race and perceived competence/warmth is also observed and discussed. Ads featuring white endorsers are more likely to be affected by perceived warmth/competence than ads with Asian endorsers. Both theoretical implications and managerial implications are provided.”

Carousel Advertising for Public Health: Effects of Narrative and Involvement • Lewen Wei, Pennsylvania State University; Guolan Yang; Heather Shoenberger, The Pennsylvania State University; Fuyuan Shen • An online experiment was conducted to examine the effectiveness of carousel advertising for public health on social media. We found when communicating about health issues, carousel advertising conditionally increased message engagement among highly involved individuals when the content was composed as a narrative instead of statistics. This in turn, fostered more favorable responses towards the advertising practice. Implications for interactive advertising in the carousel format are discussed.

Building Brand Authenticity on Social Media: The Impact of Instagram Ad Model Genuineness and Trustworthiness on Perceived Brand Authenticity and Consumer Responses • jing yang, Loyola University Chicago; Camila Teran, Loyola University Chicago; Ava Francesca Battocchio, Loyola University Chicago; Shannon Wrzesinski, Loyola University Chicago; Ebbe Bertellotti, Loyola University Chicago • This study explores the impact of expressive facial and visual aesthetics of Instagram images on consumers’ evaluation of the source and the brand, using computational image analysis method. Following the theoretical rationale of meaning transfer model, our findings revealed positive effect of perceived source genuineness on the endorsed brands’ perceived authenticity, through the mediation of the perceived source trustworthiness. Moreover, the positive effect of model genuineness also carried over to brand attitude and behavioral intention.

Effects of Transparent Brand Communication on Perceived Brand Authenticity and Consumer Responses • jing yang, Loyola University Chicago; Ava Francesca Battocchio, Loyola University Chicago • This study explores the influence of transparent brand communication on consumers’ perception of brand authenticity, and its further impact on consumers’ attitude, trust, and behavioral intention towards the brand. Through a 2×2 online experiment design, this study examined the variation in consumers’ perception and responses, while connecting the literature of brand transparency and authenticity. Individuals’ difference in moral identity centrality was examined as a moderator in the study.

Why People Watch TikTok Influencer Videos and How They Are Influenced by Social Media Influencers: A National Survey of Chinese College Students • Yang Yang; Louisa Ha, Bowling Green State University • The purpose of this study was to explore TikTok (Douyin) influencers’ persuasion power over their followers. A national survey of 382 college students in China showed that entertainment gratification is the most common motivation in using Douyin. Those who have high parasocial relationship with the influencer have higher purchase intention of the recommended products when they have high persuasion knowledge of the influencers than those who have low persuasion knowledge. Implications on influencer marketing are discussed.

Millennials’ environmental involvement and their responses toward sustainable products and green advertising • Jason Yu • This article conceptualizes two types of environmental involvement, outcome-relevant (OREI) and value-relevant (VREI) environmental involvement, and presents two studies that use survey and experimental data to examine their effects on attitude toward green products and green purchase behavior as well as the two-dimensional Aad, Ab and purchase intention. In short, VREI, rather than OREI, dominates the effects of environmental involvement on green consumerism and consumer response toward green advertising. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

A Cross-Cultural Examination of CSR Advertising: The effects of negative moral emotions on information processing • Wen Zhao, Fairfield University • The goal of this study was to examine the persuasive influences of moral emotions on younger consumers’ judgments and decision-making, and the roles of culture and self-construal in processing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) advertising. This study employed a between-subjects online experiment where American and Chinese participants viewed one of the two CSR advertisement designed with ego-focused (e.g., an ad-elicited anger emotion), and other-focused appeals (e.g., an ad-elicited guilt emotion). The results indicated that negative moral emotions had significant positive influences on attitudes toward the ads and purchase intention through the peripheral route, for the negative affective responses showed simple cue effects on judgments without influencing validation of the thoughts. In addition, results revealed the interaction effects between guilt emotion and culture values (i.e., country) on attitudes. This study also examined the moderating role of self-construal in the relationship of guilt emotion and attitude formation.

Social and temporal distance and message concreteness: A study of Facebook advertising • Fei Xue; Lijie Zhou • The current study examined the effects of social distance, temporal distance, and message concreteness on Facebook users’ response to News Feed advertising. It was found that social distance moderated the congruency between temporal distance and message concreteness. When the ads were affiliated with close friends (low social distance condition), concrete messages lead to stronger purchase intention for a near future event, while abstract messages generated stronger purchase intention for a distant future event.

Special Topics in Advertising
Effects of Consumers’ Affective States on Ad Attention and Evaluation: A Hybrid Research Approach • Maral Abdollahi, University of Minnesota; Debarati Das, University of Minnesota Twin Cities; Xinyu Lu; Jisu Huh, University of Minnesota; Jaideep Srivastava, University of Minnesota Twin Cities • This study examined the effects of consumers’ affective states on selective attention to different types of ads and evaluation of the ads. Applying an innovative hybrid research approach using survey and computational methods, this study analyzed real-time affective states of TV viewers during the 2020 Super Bowl broadcast, ad-related tweets, and self-reported attention measures. The results demonstrate significant effects of consumers’ affective states on their selective attention to different ads and ad evaluation.

Consumers’ Perception on Artificial Intelligence Applications in Marketing Communication • Huan Chen, University of Florida; Sylvia Chan-Olmsted, University of Florida; Julia Kim; Irene Sanabria • A qualitative study was conducted to examine consumers’ perception of AI and AI marketing communication. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data. Findings suggest that 1) consumers’ interpretation of AI is multidimensional and relational focusing on functionality and emotion, as well as comparison and contrast between AI and human being; 2) consumers’ perception of voice assisted AI concentrates on different aspects including function, communication, adaptation, relationship, and privacy; and, 3) consumers consider AI marketing communication is unavoidable and acceptable but limited in its effect on influencing their evaluation of products and brands as well as shaping their consumptive behaviors.

Your Ad Here: The Influence of Mobile Advertising Type and Placement • Yunmi Choi, Indiana University Southeast; Todd Holmes, California State University Northridge • As the market for smartphones grows globally, studying how to utilize mobile pages as an advertising platform is becoming critical. This experimental study was conducted to examine the impact of different ad types (still-image, animated, and video ads) and ad placement (pre-text and mid-text) on smartphone users’ irritation, intrusiveness, attention, memory, and attitudes. The results of the research revealed that mid-text ads receive higher perceived intrusiveness compared to pre-text ads. Also, video ads produced more positive attitude toward the ad and brand than the still image or animated banner ads. In this study, the animated ad received significantly less positive attitude toward the brand compared to the video pre-text ad.

Exploring Factors Influencing Ad Recognition on Social Media • A-Reum Jung, Sejong University; Jun Heo, Louisiana State University • This study aims to examine native ad recognition by disclosure explicitness. Further, this study examined native ad effects in relation to personalization and ad clutter. In order to fulfill these purposes, an eye-tracking experiment with participants’ Facebook page was conducted. Findings indicated that consumers need longer time to figure out native ads, but disclosure has no influence on the ad recognition. Personalized native ads could be a promising solution to break ad clutter.

Investigating the Impact of Immersive Advertising on Attitude toward the Brand: The Mediating Roles of Perceived Novelty, Perceived Interactivity, and Attitude toward the Advertisement • Jihoon (Jay) Kim, University of Alabama; Joe Phua, University of Georgia; Nah Ray Han, University of Georgia; Taeyeon Kim • Although immersive advertising has emerged as a new persuasion tool in digital media environments, unanswered questions about its effectiveness remain. A between-subjects experiment (N = 127) with three levels of immersion (i.e., low, medium, high) tested whether greater levels of immersion led to more favorable attitude toward the advertisement and the brand. The results not only confirmed this hypothesis but also revealed the mediating roles of perceived novelty, perceived interactivity, and attitude toward the ad. Details about the effects of immersive advertising on consumer responses are presented, and theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Am I Being Watched? The Role of Perceived Surveillance and Privacy Cynicism in Synced Advertising Effects • Claire M. Segijn, Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota; Eunah Kim, University of Minnesota • Technological advancements have made it possible to personalize messages across media in real-time (i.e., synced advertising). Our online experiment (N = 527) showed that the more ads were synced, the higher consumers’ unaided recall became. Also, the more ads were synced, the more perceived surveillance, which led to less positive brand attitudes. However, consumers high in privacy cynicism had more positive brand attitudes. These results advance theories on the direct effects, underlying mechanisms, and boundary effects of synced advertising.

* Extended Abstract * CSR Virtual Reality Campaigns by Alcohol Companies: The Role of Self-Value and Prior Drinking Experiences • Yoon-Joo Lee; Wen Zhao, Fairfield University; Huan Chen, University of Florida • This study’s goal is to explore factors influencing immersive experiences in the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR) virtual reality (VR) campaigns. The findings revealed that different types of self-value (social-CSRO) and prior experiences with alcohol products (alcohol consumption levels) interact in immersing into VR video contents and forming more positive attitude toward the video. This study implies that advertising practitioners may need to find important consumer values and prior experiences that are specifically relevant to a CSR VR as campaign.

Synced advertising and chilling effects: change in media diet as a result of corporate surveillance • Joanna Strycharz; Claire M. Segijn, Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota • Synced advertising is one of the most recent developments in the advertising practice and concerns personalizing messages based on people’s current offline media behavior. While this strategy promises to enhance advertising efforts, it comes with a number of threats as it raises ethical questions and may lead to unintended side-effects for consumers. In particular, data collection techniques used for synced advertising purposes require further attention since they extend the so-called corporate surveillance to consumers’ offline sphere. The current study investigates to what extent data collection for synced advertising causes so-called chilling effects, i.e. a change in consumers’ media diet. To explore the mechanisms behind such chilling effects, the current study builds on personalized advertising theories and psychological ownership theory and focuses on both advertiser- (data collection technique and location) and consumer-controlled (attitude towards personalization and need for self-presentation) factors. The findings show that indeed, data collection technique and need for self-presentation have an impact on chilling effects regarding consumers’ media diets. The findings carry implications for both the advertising industry and the regulators as chilling effects resulting from synced advertising can be seen a threat to consumer identity and autonomy.

Teaching and Pedagogy
* Extended Abstract * Curriculum drives everything: Advertising curriculum in ACEJMC programs • Sheri Broyles, University of North Texas • For those in advertising education the curriculum is the heart of each of our programs. This paper dives into the curricula across 50 advertising programs at U.S. universities and colleges accredited by ACEJMC, looking at both required courses and electives that might be of value to other programs. NOTE: Brief findings will be added here indicating big points made and a closing statement from discussion for why this is important.

* Extended Abstract * Best Practices in Online Course Development and Instruction: Targeting Advertising Students in a Post COVID-19 World • Betsy DeSimone, University of Tennessee; Courtney Carpenter Childers • The global COVID-19 pandemic led to dramatic shifts within higher education. None greater than the transition to remote instruction and online learning. Advertising courses are greatly impacted by this change as most require group work activities and creative challenges. This study highlights best practices for taking classes to an online delivery method via qualitative questionnaire exploring advertising student experiences. Phase 1 of data collection (N=61) took place late 2019, and phase 2 of data collection starts in late April 2020 for comparison.

Diversity and Inclusion in Advertising: What do Students Think? • Pamela Morris • The advertising industry has long been criticized for its lack of diversity. This exploratory investigation surveyed advertising and public relations students for perceptions of diversity in advertising. Students say they are confident in working with diverse teams, value inclusiveness, and want a wider meaning of diversity and for the industry to be more inclusive. Findings suggest incorporating diversity exercises into multiple parts of the advertising process can help motivate student to change the industry.

Incorporating Ethics into Introductory Advertising Courses: Student Perspectives • Pamela Morris • This introductory study reviewed how workshops and assignments built into introduction to advertising could impact students’ perceptions of ethics specific to advertising. The method of investigation was a survey at the semester’s beginning and end after structured engagement with ethics, including creating an ethics statement and incorporating ethics into the campaign process and pitch. Findings indicate that exposure and engagement of ethics made students more aware and articulate for the concept of ethics in advertising.

* Extended Abstract * Prepping (for) the Ad Industry: Understanding Personality and Career Adaptability of First- Generation College Students in Strategic Communication • Katie Olsen, Kansas State University; Alec Tefertiller, Baylor University; Danielle LaGree • Frequently coming from diverse and lower income backgrounds, first-generation college students (FGCS) may be a key demographic capable of improving the general lack of diversity that plagues the advertising industry. As such, understanding and supporting FGCS within collegiate strategic communication programs is increasingly important. Using a mixed method approach through two studies, the current investigation seeks to understand how personality differences, career adaptability, and diverse backgrounds influence career preparedness.

A Survey of Faculty Advisers at Student-Run Agencies • Brooke Borgognoni, University of Arkansas School of Journalism and Strategic Media; Jan Wicks, University of Arkansas School of Journalism and Strategic Media • This survey of faculty advisers examined major variables and findings of past research on student-run agencies using organizational theory. Larger agencies appeared to offer training in more formalized business procedures among a more diverse client base, found in previous research to be helpful to student-run agency graduates now on the job. Hopefully results will help future researchers identify which factors may best facilitate specific student performance outcomes at agencies of all types and sizes.

<2020 Abstracts

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