Marketing Commons^™

Ai-Eva: Evaluating The Value Of Overhauling Hotel Infrastructure For Artificial Intelligence Integration In Guest Experience, Pearllana Prioleau

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Luxury hotels are adopting artificial intelligence-enabled voice assistants (AI-EVA) to enhance guest experience and maintain competitive advantage. This study examines strategic implications of AI-EVA integration, focusing on consumer acceptance and organizational performance. Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Resource-Based View (RBV), the research uses a mixed-method approach: qualitative analysis of guest attitudes, quantitative testing of adoption drivers via structural equation modeling, and executive interviews on ROI and infrastructure challenges. Findings will inform strategies for balancing personalization with operational efficiency while addressing privacy concerns. The study contributes to theory by extending UTAUT and RBV …

What It Means To Be Latino: Exploring Identity Among U.S.-Born Gen Z Youth, Santiago Reyes, Alessandra Noli Peschiera, Melany Sarcevic, Tatiana Garcia, Leen Tlanepantla

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This study explores how U.S.-born Hispanics and Latinos define their identity within a rapidly growing and increasingly diverse demographic group. As the Hispanic population expands, traditional labels such as Hispanic and Latino often fall short of capturing the community’s cultural, linguistic, and generational complexity. With most growth now coming from U.S.-born generations, identity is shaped by a blend of American influences and heritage traditions, making it more fluid and context-dependent. Guided by Social Identity Theory and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, this research uses focus groups with Gen Z participants to examine how they describe themselves, what characteristics they associate with being …

Navigating The Ai Classroom: Integrating Ai In Education For Enhanced Learning And Career Readiness, Katryna M. Johnson

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This study employs an innovative approach by integrating AI and human endeavors in the research process. The examination provides a literature review and theoretical frameworks for integrating AI in education, focusing on three key stakeholder groups: students, faculty, and institutions. The analysis explores the benefits and challenges of AI in the classroom from each group’s perspective. The paper emphasizes hands-on AI experience for marketing students to remain competitive. The paper provides practical tips and suggestions for using AI in marketing classes and creating an institutional environment to support long-term AI growth. Additionally, the study presents widely used AI tools in …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Marketing Education: A Conceptual Framework For Curriculum Enhancement, Aisha Ghimire, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This paper introduces a Constructivist–Experiential GenAI Integration Framework to embed Generative AI (GenAI) across undergraduate marketing curricula. Grounded in constructivist and experiential learning theories, the framework positions GenAI as a learning partner, through hands-on, reflective, and ethically informed learning. Discipline-specific vignettes illustrate how GenAI can enhance marketing courses through accessible and scalable activities that align with diverse class sizes, institutional resources, and delivery modes. By leveraging freely available GenAI platforms, the model promotes inclusivity while cultivating AI literacy, ethical reasoning, and strategic agility. The paper concludes with recommendations for empirical validation and cross-institutional collaboration to ensure that GenAI-driven marketing education …

Clusters Of Student Perceptions Of Ai-Assisted Grading: Implications For Fair And Transparent Assessment Practice In Higher Education, Roberto Bello

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly embedded in assessment and feedback systems, understanding how students perceive these technologies is vital for maintaining trust and fairness in higher education. This study investigates how students experience AI-assisted grading through an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that incorporates fairness, transparency, and trust as pedagogically relevant constructs. Survey data from undergraduate marketing students (N = 142) were analyzed using cluster analysis, revealing three distinct perception profiles: Enthusiasts, Pragmatists, and Skeptics. These clusters differ significantly in their willingness to rely on AI feedback, perceived fairness of algorithmic grading, and expectations of …

The Robin Hood Effect In Transgressions Against Firms: How Political Ideology Shapes Consumer Justifications, Jason D. Lin, Anat Keinan, Hannah H. Chang, Donald R. Lehmann

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Consumer transgressions against firms involve moral violations in which consumers take advantage of loopholes in companies’ return and satisfaction-guaranteed policies or the lack of strict enforcement against password sharing, piracy, shoplifting, wardrobing, coupon stacking, promotion abuse, and fraud. Drawing on the timeless tale of Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw who stands up against injustice, the authors demonstrate that consumers use a Robin Hood justification to legitimize their transgressions against firms. Building on moral foundations theory, this research demonstrates that political ideology impacts consumers’ transgression behavior and the perceived morality of these practices. Six studies show that under certain conditions in …

The Impact Of Genai Guidance Strategies On Employee Ai Acceptance: A Field Experiment Based On Private Domain Marketing, Mai Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As a novel technological instrument for content production and customer communication, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has garnered significant attention for its value in private domain marketing. However, enterprises frequentlyencounter a paradox of high initial introduction rates coupled with a lackof substantive application. Employee apprehensions regarding the qualityof AI-generated content (AIGC) and organizational guidance strategies are critical factors impeding the realization of technological value. Drawing upon the technologyacceptance model (TAM), the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology(UTAUT), and the task-technology fit (TTF), the study constructs a theoretical model positioning corporate AI guidance strategies as the independent variable andemployee AI …

Pitch Perfect: From Neural Perspective To Behavioural Outcomes—Live, Online, And Brochure, Randy Sison De Guzman

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Business presentations have long been a cornerstone of persuasion in business-to-business (B2B) markets. Yet, the rapid shift to virtual communication in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has left managers to grapple with a pressing question: Do online presentations measure up to traditional in-person meetings, or can asynchronous formats like brochure-only communication truly take the place of real-time pitching? While this question has clear relevance for everyday business practice, there is still relatively little empirical research to guide these decisions.

This dissertation draws on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to suggest that the way information is delivered shapes how people …

Ai-Assisted Thematic Analysis On Consumer Acceptance Of Upcycled Food In Asia, Oon Ling Lee

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Food waste overuses natural resources and is responsible for a considerable share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Coupled with the growing global food insecurity, food wastage appears even more irresponsible and showcases the inefficiencies of the current food system. These escalating global environmental concerns and strained planetary resources have necessitated sustainable food innovation (James & Sheena, 2025; Upadhyay, 2025), particularly the production of upcycled food (UF), a novel food product category transformed from production byproducts such as Okara, barley grain, and beer spent grain (Zhang et al., 2023). This upcycling process supports waste reduction, achieves a circular bioeconomy (Ribeiro et …

The Impact Of Brand Authenticity And Innovation On Stakeholder Behaviours, Jacky Xu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study employs a dual-perspective questionnaire survey, collecting data separately from corporate employees and brand consumers, and uses multiple regression analysis to test the hypotheses. The findings reveal the following: (1) both brand authenticity and innovation have significant positive effects on employee brand citizenship behaviour and consumer purchase intention; (2) brand commitment plays a negatively moderating role in these relationships, such that when stakeholders’ commitment levels are relatively low, the positive effects of brand authenticity and brand innovation on behaviour are stronger, whereas under conditions of high commitment, these effects are weakened, reflecting a substitution effect between emotional attachment and …

Enhancing Market Acceptance Of Sports Rehabilitation Services: A Perspective Of Public Health Literacy And Information Acquisition, Na Li

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This article takes public health literacy as its point of departure, constructs a theoretical model of “Health Literacy–Health Information Acquisition–Market Acceptance”, and introduces rehabilitation experience and service accessibility as moderating variables, in order to systematically examine the formation pathways and underlying mechanisms of market acceptance in the sports rehabilitation service sector.

This study adopts a combination of questionnaire survey and empirical analysis, collecting data from public samples across multiple regions and conducting statistical tests. The findings indicate that, Firstly, public health literacy has a statistically significant positive influence on the market acceptance of sports rehabilitation services. As the level of …

The Acquisition, Consumption, And Disposal Of Clothing: A Qualitative Analysis, Omar H. Alqudsi, Trang Phuc Tran

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Using 22 semi-structured interviews on apparel acquisition, use, and disposal, we find that practical value dominates choice while identity cues matter at the margin. Price and comfort consistently outrank brand and trend. Disposal is purposeful: donation is favored when garments retain utility, with resale and recycling rising alongside sustainability awareness. Consumers often justify purchases as extensions of self yet report lower satisfaction when items lack durability or clear ethical provenance. These patterns align with utilitarian value frameworks and signal clear levers for marketers: durable basics, transparent sourcing, and simple channels for responsible end of life. Overall, everyday clothing decisions follow …

Beyond The Launch: Designing Integrated Marketing Communications Across The Publishing Lifecycle, Philip J. Boutin Jr.

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This paper advances a lifecycle view of integrated marketing communications for book publishing and specifies a practical model beyond launch. We present the Lifecycle IMC in Publishing (L-IMC) framework with four layers—strategic capability, orchestration, phased execution (pre-launch, launch, post-publication), and measurement/learning—grounded in evidence on carryover, cross-media complementarity, discoverability, and the creator economy. Seven propositions predict that lifecycle consistency, coordinated post-publication activity, metadata priming, creator–title fit with clear disclosures, network-aware seeding, continuous testing, and reserved reinforcement budgets improve visibility, conversion, and returns. Design principles include codified message architecture and governance, a vetted creator bench, managed discoverability, sequencing high-trust signals before conversion …

Experiential Learning In Marketing Education: Student Reflections In A Client Based Project, Samit Chakravorti

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This paper explores student experience with a client based project in an upper division marketing class and its impact on development of work readiness skills, learning and satisfaction with the course. The client was a local small business food cooperative. Student reflection papers submitted at the end of the project were content analyzed based on preset categories to understand the impact of the project on the outcome variables. Analysis shows that for most students the project was interesting, relevant but challenging, increased their satisfaction and enjoyment of the course, and positively impacted learning of profession specific and foundational work ready …

Fashion, Function, And Identity: Generation Z College Students’ Athletic Merchandise Preferences, Michelle L. Childs, Robin Hardin

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Generation Z consumers use apparel to communicate both group affiliation and individuality, yet limited research has examined whether preferences for university athletic merchandise differ by gender. This study investigates how Generation Z college students evaluate official branding, fashion, and uniqueness in athletic apparel. Survey data were collected from 777 students at a large NCAA Division I university. Exploratory factor analysis identified three reliable dimensions: official merchandise style, fashion, and uniqueness. ANOVA results indicated no significant gender differences in preferences for official merchandise or uniqueness. However, male students reported significantly stronger interest in fashionable and trend-forward merchandise than female students, challenging …

Influencer Effect? An Examination Of Dunkin’ And Tarte’S Use Of Influencers, Amanda D. Damiano Ph.D., Wenjing Xie Ph.D.

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The purpose of this project was to understand public perceptions of brands using influencers. The brands Dunkin’ and Tarte Cosmetics served as case studies for this study. A mixed-methods approach was undertaken. Specifically, social media listening in the form of a content analysis was conducted. That was then followed by an online survey of students from a medium-sized university in the northeast. A number of factors were measured related to participants’ stated brand and influencer effectiveness on social media in general, as well as specific to Dunkin’ and Tarte. Additionally, participant demographic factors were measured in accordance with their stated …

Customer-Centricity In The Financial Services Sector: A Preliminary Look, Rhea Ingram, Katie H. Whetstone

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Financial institutions are under scrutiny as they work to rebuild consumer trust following the financial crisis. One effective approach for these organizations is to adopt a customer-centric strategy. Research indicates that businesses with a strong focus on customer-centricity tend to earn, on average, 60% higher profits than their competitors (Deloitte, 2017). While genuinely customer-centric companies are relatively rare, many organizations are in the process of transforming into a customer-centric model. This paper offers a preliminary examination of the rhetoric used by financial institutions, suggesting some progress in their customer-centric approach.

Understanding The Life Satisfaction Gap In Political Consumerism: Buycotting Vs. Boycotting, Neleen S. Leslie-Piper, La Toya M. Russell

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Drawing on approach–avoidance motivation, regulatory focus, warm-glow reward, and self-determination theory, this study examines whether political consumerism, specifically boycotting and buycotting, is associated with life satisfaction in environmental and social issue contexts. Using survey data from Prosper Insights, we compare life satisfaction across buycotters, boycotters, and indifferent consumers and examine how Big Five personality traits and demographics moderate these relationships. We predict higher life satisfaction among buycotters than boycotters, and anticipate a moderating effect of personality traits. Our findings advance marketing theory and practice by linking political consumerism to consumer well-being.

Do Salespeople Best Understand Market Orientation Of Their Company?, Thomas L. Powers

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The perspective of salespeople is important to consider in order to fully understand market orientation and how it influences company performance. Salespeople mediate the firm and its customers, and they are key to the successful implementation of a market orientation. A discrepancy in the perception of market orientation may exist as executives and managers may have an inherently higher assessment of market orientation than other members of the organization. In order to address this issue, the research presented in this paper examines the relationship between cultural and operational market orientation and performance from the perspective of salespeople, managers and customers.

Conversation Analysis Of Public-Servant And Persons-Of-Interest Face-To-Face Talk Via Llm‑Supported Ai Script Mapping Tools, Arch G. Woodside, Suresh Sood

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Professional public servants (PSs) including police officers, postal workers, and government tax office and DMV employees interact face-to-face with citizens/persons of interest (POIs), in encounters that are frequently recorded using mobile phones and publicized on platforms such as YouTube.com. Building on our observations about recurrent PS–POI scripts and LLM-supported analysis, we develop five grounded propositions linking enacted scripts to existing theory. The propositions focus on describing early turn-taking asymmetry, the importance of sequential detail beyond-shallow analysis, the predictive role of script recurrence, the value of rich, script-based role-play, and the potential of narrative-intelligence databases for institutional learning. Instead of treating …

Ai-Based Multi-Dimensional Coding Of Cancel Culture: Opportunities And Limits Of Llm-Based Categorization, Sairah Abraham, T. Andrew Poehlman

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Large-scale qualitative coding is a bottleneck in marketing research, especially for complex, multi-level phenomena like corporate cancel culture. This paper uses over 100 well-known cancellation events as a testbed to evaluate whether GPT can act as a reliable, low-cost “independent rater” for rich categorical schemes. We develop a multi-dimensional coding framework (trigger locus, controversy source, social issue, moral foundation, and target level) and implement a staged GPT pipeline: zero-shot prompts benchmarked against human “gold standard” coders, scaled to larger samples, then extended with few-shot prompting and fine-tuning for harder constructs such as moral foundations. We compare GPT variants and roles, …

Reexamining Consumer Memory In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Suwakitti Amornpan, Sasawan Heingraj, Manisha Mathur

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This conceptual paper reexamines consumer memory in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) by proposing a comparative framework of memory practices across three eras: pre-technological embodied memory, technologically mediated memory, and AI-mediated memory co-creation. We argue that generative AI transforms memory from a primarily archival practice into an interactive, generative, and sometimes synthetic process. Drawing on consumer research, psychology, and media studies, we develop a trichotomy of memory practices along key dimensions, including primary memory artifacts, mode of validation, emotional logic, friction in remembering, and identity implications. We theorize how AI’s participation in memory reconstruction reshapes consumer behavior in practice, …

From New Orleans To Orléans: How Perceived Connections Shape Destination Image, Hilmi A. Atadil, Helena F. Allman, Erol Pala, Qiulin Lu, Alison J. Green, Felicia N. Morgan

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Have you ever enjoyed a dish so much that it sparked an interest in experiencing the place where it was originally created? Culinary encounters may spark interest in distant destinations, but broader cultural, historical, and symbolic meanings often drive this interest through perceived connections. For example, exposure to French-influenced cuisine in New Orleans may draw individuals to France, driven not only by culinary authenticity but also by historical ties to Orléans. Grounded in social exchange theory, this study pursues two objectives: (1) to examine the underlying dimensions of perceived connections between destinations, and (2) to assess how these dimensions influence …

A Parsimonious Model Of Social Crm And Reciprocal Social Media Behaviors Among Colombian Consumers, Ainsworth Anthony Bailey Phd, Carolyn M. Bonifield Phd, Juliana Villegas Phd, Alejandro Arias Phd

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The current study explored Colombian consumers interactions and engagement with marketers on social media and the outcome of those interactions and engagement. In particular, the study explored the impact of marketers' support for social media interactions on perceived social customer relationship marketing (SCRM) commitment and consumer satisfaction, as well as their impact on eWOM and consumer social media engagement. The study's model had social exchange theory, commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing, and the S-O-R framework as theoretical underpinnings. Data to test the model's nine (9) hypotheses were collected by survey from among Colombian consumers. Analysis showed support for eight of …

Thirty-Five Years Of Positioning Research: A Bibliometric Review Of Master's And Doctoral Dissertations, Charles Blankson, Wendy Chen

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This paper presents a bibliometric review of 39 master's and doctoral dissertations on positioning, defended at various universities between 1989 and 2024. Using systematic searches and content analysis, the study identifies major theoretical, methodological, and content patterns and trends in positioning research. Findings indicate a sharp rise in the number of dissertations on the concept of positioning over the past 25 years, with most work concentrated in Western institutions and heavily oriented toward brand and product-based applications. Content analysis reveals that most dissertations focus on managerial or applied perspectives, while few engage with positioning theories and digital contexts. Methodologically, earlier …

A Multi-Country Examination Of The Consumption Of Credit Cards, Charles Blankson, Aditi Puri, Jhinuk Chowdhury

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The credit card industry is an incredibly interconnected service sector that continues to attract scholarly attention within marketing and consumer behavior research globally (Worthington, 1994; Worthington, 2005; Blankson & Kalafatis, 2007; Steffes, Murthi, and Rao, 2011; Chiang et al., 2020). To expand, as credit cards function not only as payment instruments but also as branded services, they offer context that is extremely useful for examining motivations behind brand choice and continued usage among consumers in the international marketplace. Additionally, over the past few decades, transaction volume and credit card ownership have substantially increased. For instance, Visa, commonly recognized as one …

A Model For Professional Organization Membership Support: Trust, Commitment, Membership Value, And Relationship Quality Commitment, Shawn F. Clouse, Nader H. Shooshtari, Simona Stan, Liz Kohl

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Members of professional associations join these organizations for reasons that include benefits and services to members, advocacy and lobbying on behalf of members and their interests, networking opportunities, and a sense of community and identification with fellow association members. Members are likely to commit to the association and remain as members to the extent they are satisfied with what the association provides and if they perceive the benefits to exceed the costs (not just monetary) of membership. This survey of members of a professional association investigates the relationship between trust, relationship quality commitment, membership dues value and commitment (normative, affective, …

The Impact Of Temporal Location On Persuasiveness, Ruiqi Dong, Yanliu Huang

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Driven by the popularity of online shopping and social media platforms, consumers’ purchase decisions are significantly influenced by reviews from other consumers. When sharing product experiences, reviewers may focus on the past or the future. However, it remains unclear how the temporal focus of reviews affects their persuasiveness. In this research, we propose that consumers are more likely to be persuaded by past-focused (vs. future-focused) reviews. This effect is explained by perceived expertise. Four studies provide convergent evidence supporting our hypotheses. This research contributes to the literature on word-of-mouth, consumer expertise, and temporal framing.

What Graduates See And What Employers Pay; Reconciling Salary Reporting And Total Compensation In Sales And Marketing, John Ertel, George Talbert Jr.

AMTP Proceedings 2026

College students frequently rely on university career centers for salary information when evaluating early-career opportunities. In sales, however, reported compensation figures often reflect base pay only and exclude performance-based earnings such as commissions and bonuses. This study uses a single-university case study to examine whether university-reported salary data for sales roles accurately represents total compensation. Institutional career center reports and national salary projections were compared with insights from employers, sales professionals, and recent graduates. Findings indicate that performance-based compensation constitutes a substantial portion of total earnings in sales roles but is frequently omitted from reported figures, leading to systematic understatement …

Pet Foodies: Trait Extension From People To Pets, Richard Flight, Cole Cline

AMTP Proceedings 2026

We propose and empirically examine a Pet Foodie trait—a measurable extension of human foodie identity into pet food consumption. Pet Foodies are theorized to show elevated enjoyment/interest, resource investment, and knowledge regarding pet nutrition and food features. Recognizing the accelerating humanization of pets, we examine whether Pet Foodies can be reliably assessed, how they relate to animal bonding and human foodie identity, and whether they respond differently to pet-food advertising.