Digital Commons Network^™

Social Media Is Bananas: The Effect Social Media Has On Rebranding And Customer Attraction And Retention, Kara Heater

Honors College Theses

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate whether social media had an impact on the rebranding of the Savannah Bananas baseball team. The study also focuses on the impact social media has had on the attraction and retention of customers. Interviews were conducted with full time staff members and customers of the Savannah Bananas. An online survey was distributed through social media to learn more about the connection between customers and the Bananas social media. The results of the study suggest that social media has had a positive affect on both the rebranding of the Savannah Bananas and …

Content Analysis Of A Collegiate Athletic Twitter Account: Practical Applications For Promotion And Attendance Increase, Steve Shih-Chia Chen

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Twitter global usage has increased as a source of information during the past decade. This study explores different types of Twitter messages sent by a collegiate athletic department and analyzes the impact of these messages on attendance at home athletic events during the NCAA football season. The data examines five message categories: interactivity, content, promotional, information sharing, and noise. Noise accounts for any message that is not related to the studied sport season. Results suggest that while noise is prevalent, messages pertaining to the studied sport are impactful. The types of messages sent by a college athletic department can impact …

Digital Tipping Intimidation At The Counter, Jennifer Bechkoff

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Although tipping for counter service at fast casual restaurants/cafes is not expected etiquette, it seems to be headed in the direction of becoming a social norm as tip jars next to registers are now a common sighting. However, as cash becomes less prevalent of a payment method, businesses are turning to mobile digital point of sale (POS) technologies with preset tipping options for customers. Oftentimes, businesses using digital POS systems will utilize touch-based tablets for sales that the counter staff can swing around for customers to add tips and sign with their fingers. If there are other customers standing behind …

Use Of Ethnic/Culturally Based Incongruent Cues In Informational Versus Transformational Advertising, Neleen Leslie

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

This study compares the relative effectiveness in the use of culturally incongruent cues in informational and transformational advertising. A case study was done to explore the extent to which ethnic/ culturally incongruent cues are used in advertising in informational and transformational advertising and to compare the effectiveness of these ads between the two advertising forms. The study sought to address two questions: (1) To what extent are ethnic/culturally incongruent cues used in informational or transformational advertising? and (2): Is the use of culturally incongruent cues more effective for informational or transformational ads?

A content analysis approach was used to extract …

Global Awareness Of Marketing Students, Michael Latta

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Undergraduate and MBA Marketing programs typically include education goals such as:

“To prepare students for a changing domestic and global business environment characterized by organizational and cultural values, diversity, opportunity, and growth.”

They also include learning objectives such as:

“Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to think strategically about the global business environment.”

Presumably this approach to educating undergraduate and MBA students will prepare them to become ‘global citizens.’ The question may be asked about what undergraduate and MBA marketing students know about changes in global extreme poverty, education access for women around the world, and number of …

An Investigation Into How The Modes Of Persuasion And Valence Affect Perceptions Of Online Reviews, Clinton Amos, Skyler King, Anthony Allred

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Consumers ubiquitously rely on assessments provided by strangers when seeking knowledge or making consumption decisions. Whether buying a car or a toaster, or choosing a restaurant, most consumers would feel lost if they attempted to make these decisions without first seeking verification via an online review. Despite the importance of online reviews in consumers’ daily lives, research on the effectiveness of online reviews is still in elementary stages and questions remain regarding how online review content style affects consumer judgments. Correspondingly, little is known about how message construction (e.g., rhetorical strategies) affects consumer judgments. Using an experimental design, this paper …

Best Of Both Worlds: Blending Logic To Expand The Customer Value Model, Adam Merkle

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

The goods-dominant model of customer value involves a ratio of benefits received in exchange for sacrifices given. Service-dominant logic suggests a different view with the idea that all value is co-created by the customer. But value measurement challenges persist, and definitions of co-creation vary. These problems arise, in part, because goods-dominant thinking about value is largely set aside in the application of SD logic. Yet, the classic goods-dominant customer value model can be blended, joined, and advanced with theoretical principles from SD logic such as co-creation.

Firms no longer rely on simple product quality improvements or additional service benefits to …

Investigating The Effects Of Personalization On Brand Love: A Study Of Facebook, Trang P. Tran

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

This paper investigates how personalized advertising affects customer brand relationship in social media. In particular, this paper develops and tests a conceptual model that captures the impact of perceived personalization on customer brand relationship through an online survey where respondents are free to describe a personalized ad they see on their Facebook.

Eight hypotheses are developed and tested using PLS-SEM. The results show that all hypotheses are accepted except for Hypothesis 7 (the effect of self-expressive brands on brand love). More specifically, the findings confirm that personalized advertising has an impact on consumer perceptions of a brand. Stated differently, as …

Is Marketing Science Really Scientific?, Michael Latta, Ismet Anitsal, Michael Mccall, Stephen A. Lemay

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Thirty-five years ago, there was a special issue of the Journal of Marketing in Fall, 1983 concerning whether marketing is a science and what role theory plays in a marketing science. In that issue the following articles concerned with the definition of Marketing and its role in business appeared:

• Shelby Hunt asked the question of whether a general theory of marketing is even possible and what such a theory would be like if such a theory existed.
• Robert Bartels noted that marketing has been defined as having theory and practice, specialization and generalization, as well as established interests and global …

The Social Media Magnet: A New Paradigm In Inbound Marketing Instruction, Kyle A. Huggins, J. Elliot Cunningham

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Social media has changed the marketing environment in ways that traditional marketers could have never imagined just a decade ago. It has rapidly provided a mechanism to communicate on a one-to-one level, allowing marketers to tailor specific messages and content towards a fine-tuned segment of customers. Multiple philosophies on best practices in this digital landscape have provided various methodologies for targeting these customers. During this time of change, these practices have led to the refinement of digital services, including behavioral advertising, search engine optimization, pay per click, content marketing, social media marketing, and organic inbound marketing, among specialized others. In …

Firms Beware! Your Response Matters, Nicole Dilg Beachum

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

On April 9, 2017, security personnel dragged a doctor off United Airlines Flight #3411 when he refused to give up his seat on an overbooked flight. Another passenger videotaped the entire incident, sharing it on social media. The video went viral on Twitter with over 87,000 shares and more than 6.8 million views in less than 24 hours. The following day, the CEO of the company responded to the public’s criticism in a statement and internal email to the company (that later went public). His remarks included an apology, but he also attempted to justify how the encounter was handled, …

The Dual-Mediation Effect Of Perceived Accuracy And Perceived Connectedness On Consumer Attitude Toward Social Network Advertising, Tao-Sheng Chiu, Kai-Yu Wang, Wen-Hai Chih, Jaime Ortiz, Xiu-Hua Yang

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, this paper investigates the dual mediation effect of perceived accuracy and perceived connectedness in the effect of endorsement from satisfied customers, review credibility, and social influence on consumers’ social media advertising attitudes. A study was conducted and received 1597 returned surveys with 1031 valid surveys. The results show that endorsement from satisfied customers, review credibility, and social influence are antecedents of perceived accuracy and perceived connectedness. These five variables are also antecedents of consumer attitude toward social network advertising. Furthermore, perceived accuracy and connectedness are partially mediating these relationships between endorsement from satisfied customers/review …

Does Media Mirror Reality? A Content Analysis Of Family Portrayal In Children's Advertising And Programming, Elise Johansen Harvey

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the extent to which the portrayal of family in children's advertising and programming reflects changes in family structure in the U.S. Just as realistic representations of gender roles in advertising and the media have slowly become more common as gender roles have changed in society, so too should realistic representations of families become more mainstream in advertising and the media as the definition of family changes in society. The issue is especially important in the realm of children's advertising given children’s extensive television viewing. Children’s high exposure to media and advertising exposes …

Customer Service In The It/Social Media Marketing Era: Reverting To A Zero-Sum Game, Martin

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

During the past 10-15 years marketers and consumers have increasingly pondered and discussed if customer service has improved or declined. During this time we’ve experienced the great marketing power of IT and social media but have also heard and/or shared many “horror stories” of poor customer service in a changing marketplace. Which is true? Has customer service declined, improved, and/or merely changed? The answer is simply, “YES - all of the above”. However, the key challenge, for both consumers and marketers, is not so much a “yea vs. nay” determination, but to better examine the what, why, and how of …

Bridging The Gap Between Public Opinion Research And Consumer Marketing Research: Insights Into U.S. Shoppers Of Organic Foods, Marilena O. Vilceanu, Olivia Grasso, Kristine Johnson

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

The primary goal of this study embraces Hughner and team’s (2007) directive to focus new research on the growing segment of occasional consumers of organic and natural foods, rather than limit the search for consumer insights to the small, elitist groups of deeply committed consumers. Research questions address the demographics, attitudinal, and behavioral characteristics that identify organic foods as a premium product. Primary recommendations for marketing practitioners include focusing on higher income consumers, especially married individuals, who live in highly populated areas; creating a pleasant shopping experience; promoting non-food related organic items, and investing in brand presence and salience.

Analyzing True Loyalty In The Middle Eastern Market: Brand Preference And Brand Insistence, Larry P. Pleshko, Richard A. Heiens

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate loyalty profiles in among consumers of western-style coffee shops within the emerging market of Kuwait. The loyalty profiles were developed based on the typology presented by Dick & Basu (1994), where buyers can be truly loyal, spuriously loyal, latently loyal, or not loyal to a specific brand. Added to these four loyalty types are the inclusion of two specific true loyalty categories, preferent true loyalty and insistent true loyalty. The study presents evidence that a large proportion of customers fall into the true loyalty category. However, only about five percent of the …

Exploring Self-Efficacy With An Emphasis On Direct Selling, Robert A. Peterson, Gerald Albaum, Victoria L. Crittenden

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Self-efficacy, the confidence that one has in his or her capabilities to achieve a goal, is one of the most widely studied constructs in personal selling and sales management research. With few exceptions, self-efficacy has been studied as antecedent to sales performance. The present study differs from prior marketing-related studies of self-efficacy in that it explores whether a direct selling experience can enhance business/professional self-efficacy and personal life self-efficacy. In other words, in the present study self-efficacy is treated as consequent to a direct selling experience. An online survey was conducted in which a nationally representative sample of 495 current …

The Impact Of Brand Love, Brand Attachment, And Electronic Shopping Experience Satisfaction (Eses) On Consumer Willingness To Write Reviews, Michelle Le, Joanne T. Cao, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the willingness of a consumer to write an online review in relation to their love for a brand, their attachment to a brand, and their satisfaction with shopping online for that brand. There are limited empirical studies that investigate the impact of Brand Love, Brand Attachment, and Electronic Shopping Experience Satisfaction (eSES) on online reviews. Brand Love is the extent of emotional attachment that a content consumer feels for a certain brand or trade name whereas Brand Attachment measures the degree or strength to which consumers connects themselves with a brand. Lastly, …

Reverse And Questionable Responses Using The Kano Method In International Surveys, Michael Latta

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

New product development has become an international exercise. One method of designing products is the Kano Method. Although not as popular as discrete choice or conjoint, the Kano Method is being used internationally to design products and services. The question process is not as straight forward as discrete choice or conjoint, and that raises questions of utility of the Kano Method when used internationally. This study shows results vary across countries dramatically.

Dynamics Of Business Decision Making: Understanding The Role Of Emotions, Nikolina Koporcic, Miika Nietola

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

In recent years, there has been a need for deeper understanding of the cumulating knowledge in different science disciplines about human emotions in decision making. Indeed, many traditional economic theories operate with the preconception of utility maximization, which partly contradicts with the recent findings in behavioral economics and neurosciences. In other words, science has shown that we can make suboptimal business decisions under the influence of changing emotional states. Moreover, traditional economic literature has often highlighted the strict division between rational decision making and the effective dimensions of the human mind. This conceptual article therefore challenges these conceptions by exploring …

Social Media Listening: Revealing The Indirect Effects Of User Generated Content (Ugc) On Product Adoption, Nga Ho-Dac, Ian Clark Sinapuelas

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Industry studies suggest social media listening espouses several advantages. Evidence from academic research however is lacking and the need to investigate its impact especially in the context of product development is needed. This research explores how UGC influences market outcomes indirectly via its impact on product development. Building on current findings from empowerment-product demand and new product adoption research, we propose that product improvements building on consumer social media conversations are more likely to succeed. Using a system of equations modeling in the open source software context, we verify that increasing forum posts lead to a greater number of codes …

Can Fantasy Football Consumers Rely On Player Projections Found On Internet Websites?, David Bojanic, Joel Hillner, Michael Musante

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

The popularity of fantasy sports has continued to grow over the past two decades, becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry. While the traditional leagues utilize a one-time draft process with subsequent waivers, daily fantasy sports (DFS) involves picking a new team(s) every week. As a result, traditional leagues require participants to predict the long-term (season) value of a player, whereas DFS requires participants to optimize the team value of players on a weekly basis. Therefore, the average DFS participant places a high premium on weekly player projections by “so-called” experts found on fantasy football websites. The purpose of this paper is to …

The Fall Of Sears From Within: How Customer Sentiments Refuted Retail Capital And Authority, Michael D. Harris, Ismet Anitsal, Melek Meral Anitsal

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

This research aims to understand the relationship between Sears Holdings Corporation and its customers, while exploiting feedback from customers to identify reasons for Sears’ decline. The problem statement is dependent on identifying aspects that affect consumer behavior most and linking a connection to the increased number of dissatisfied Sears’ customers. In order to analyze this phenomenon, customer attitudes were compiled over the key four years of Sears history using a customer sentiment analysis. This empirical method of research was chosen because of the large impact that consumer sentiments have on spending, allowing the development of both internal and external views …

Are Customer Reward Programs Really Rewarding?, Michael Mccall, Dave Mcmahon

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

The concept of a customer loyalty program can be traced back over 300 years when merchants would give customers wooden coins in return for their patronage. Two points are clear: Customer reward loyalty programs are prevalent and costly aspects of most hospitality firms’ marketing strategy. From an academic viewpoint our understanding of the theoretical drivers of these programs is muddled and confused. That is, despite many years of existence there is scant research suggesting the underlying theoretical logic of a program. In this paper, we briefly review the current reward program landscape suggesting that the overwhelming presence of reward programs …

How Customer Engagement And Customer Participation Translate Across High-Involvement Purchases (Like Higher Education), Wendy Gillis, Douglas Johansen, Shiri D. Vivek

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Previous research suggested that customer participation resulted in greater customer satisfaction for the service provider. Specifically, earlier research differentiated Service Customer Engagement (CE) from Service Customer Participation (CP), where the former was ideation and the latter was practical application/execution. In other words, CE was more psychological, where customers think, feel, and trust. Conversely, CP was more behavioral, or physical, where customers act and do.

The point of this research is to translate previous learning to other high-involvement purchases. Research indicates that services high in credence, high contact, as well as high-involvement (Sharma and Patterson 1999) seem to be particularly relevant …

Diversity In Emerging Markets: The Case Of Latin American & The Caribbean, Neleen S. Leslie, Celia Mckoy, Everett Hyatt

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Latin America and the Caribbean encompasses over 40 countries in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Cultural influences in this region include Africa, the native groups, India, as well as the former colonizers from Europe - the British, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Portuguese, making it one of the most diverse markets in the world. Country populations within the region are also varied and range from as small as St. Kitts & Nevis with a population of only 52,175 to as large as Brazil with a population of 207,353,391, according to the CIA World Factbook (2017).

Despite lower incomes, the …

Retailers’ Use Of Partially Comparative Pricing In A Usage Category Context: An Exploratory Study, Ellen Campos Sousa

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Partially comparative price (PCP) happens when some products have a comparison price and other products have only the featured retailer’s price (Barone et al., 2004). It is common retailers promote advertisements with products from different product categories, but within the same usage category (e.g., products for Christmas, Mother’s Day, and a barbecue party). However, it is still unexplored how consumers evaluate the non-comparatively priced (NCP) products that belong to the same usage category as a CP product in an advertisement.

This research aims to fill this gap, proposing that items that are not naturally within the same product category may …

Exploring Financial Literacy Of Independent Musicians In The Gig Economy, Benjamin O. Milam, Jamye Foster

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the elements of the career of independent musicians. Specifically, how they overcome, or fail to overcome, the challenges of a gig economy through knowledge and ability to properly allocate scarce financial resources. The research questions posed are as follows: Does higher financial literacy allow independent musicians to sustain and improve their career in the gig economy? How do independent musicians use financial literacy to sustain their career? How does industry experience affect ability of independent artists to effectively allocate financial resources? To answer these research questions, relevant literature is first …

The Role Of Brand Personality In Setting Expectations For Engagement On Social Media, Joanne T. Cao, Jamye Foster, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

In recent years, business has leapt on to the social media marketing bandwagon. However, many have learned that social media marketing is not equally beneficial for all brands, and that there is a difference between aiming for more followers versus aiming for more engagement and deeper relationships. Recently, the shift has been toward engagement as the ultimate social media goal, rather than mere followers. But just as all brands do not need to be on social media, do all brands have to aim toward high engagement? This study attempts to answer this question by considering communication based on brand personality …

Push And Pull Factors Influencing The Level Of Participation Of Leisure Skiing In China, Xinghua Wang, James J. Zhang

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2019

Traditionally, winter sports have very limited accessibility and popularity in China. In addition to the growing economy in China and increased affordability by Chinese consumers, obtaining the hosting rights for the 2022 Beijing/Zhangjiakou Winter Olympic Games has brought a heightened opportunity for China to build up facilities and related infrastructures, develop and provide programs, promote interests and participation, and advance business operations of winter sports. Although more people are participating in winter sports today, especially in skiing, many of the newly constructed facilities are often operated in financial deficit and relying on governmental subsidy. Understanding the reasons that cause and …