Marketing Commons^™

What Drives Solar Energy Adoption? An Exploratory Study, Can Trinh

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Environmental pollution and its detrimental impact on people around the world have received significant attention in the past decades. As concerns for the environment grow, there have been increasing calls to adopt more environmentally-friendly practices in all aspects of life, including the adoption of green energy (Siddiqua et al., 2022). Green energy has become a hot topic in political debates (Schipani, 2023) because it can shape the future of global trade (Joselow, 2023) and the utility industry landscape (Waldholz, 2023). Recent polls showed that up to 80% of Americans were in favor of green energy in place of non-renewable energy …

Cute, Collectible, And Contagious: Understanding The Starbucks Bear Cup Phenomenon, Natalya Vodopyanova

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This study examines the Starbucks Bear Cup phenomenon to understand how identity expression, scarcity perceptions, and fear of missing out (FOMO) shaped consumer engagement during a highly publicized limited-edition product drop. Using Consumer Culture Theory and scarcity/FOMO frameworks, the research investigates how consumers constructed meaning around the Bear Cup through social media displays, community rituals, and symbolic participation. A qualitative content analysis of Instagram posts revealed five dominant patterns: celebratory acquisition posts, expressions of scarcity frustration, curated identity displays, community interaction, and creative substitution using bear-shaped alternatives. Findings show that consumers used the cup as a vehicle for identity signaling …

From Eye Rolls To Exploitation: Differentiating Consumer Incivility From Jay Customer Behavior, Scott M. Widmier, Prachi B. Gala, Nikolaos Iason Koufodontis

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Problematic customer behavior in service settings ranges from mild rudeness to deliberate exploitation, yet research often treats such actions as a single construct. Drawing on the General Aggression Model, this study differentiates customer incivility (reactive, stress‑driven misconduct) from Jay Customer behavior (calculated, strategic exploitation) and examines their distinct antecedents. Survey data from 820 U.S. adults show that Dark Triad personality traits strongly predict both behaviors, with a substantially stronger effect on Jay Customer behavior. Perceived stress predicts both outcomes but is particularly salient for incivility. In contrast, Light Triad traits negatively predict both forms of misbehavior and moderate the stress–incivility …

A Case Study On Building Core Curriculum With Purpose And Perspective, Christopher A. Wilkey, Austin Hostetter

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Business schools face pressure to deliver career-ready, ethically grounded graduates. This interpretive case study examines a Midwestern university's two-year redesign of its business core curriculum. Using interviews with nine task-force members and three external stakeholders, reflexive memos, and review of meeting notes, draft proposals, curriculum maps, and stakeholder communications, we trace how collaboration and strategic planning shaped key choices. Findings highlight three design moves: making professional selling a required competency, introducing a sustainability-focused "Beneficence in Business" course aligned with institutional mission, and creating a problem-solving course that emphasizes critical thinking and growth mindset. External signals (enrollment shifts, employer feedback, and …

Marketing Mindsets Abroad: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study Of Reflective Learning, Brand Meaning-Making, And Career Readiness In An Oxford-Based Study Abroad Program, Kari Wood, Kelly La Venture

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Marketing education faces a persistent transfer challenge; students may master concepts yet struggle to apply them in judgment, ethics, and persuasive communication in ambiguous contexts. This study reports early findings from a longitudinal qualitative case study of EuroSpring, an Oxford-based study abroad program that integrates cultural heritage learning with progressively stronger marketing experiences. Data include weekly reflections and course artifacts from two cohorts: 2024 (n = 15; heritage emphasis) and 2025 (n = 13; marketing-integrated commerce experiences including Harrods, Cadbury World, Borough Market, and an Indian Motorcycle heritage brand experience at Krazy Horse). Using reflexive thematic analysis, students framed place …

Selling The Self: Personal Branding And Impression Management On Linkedin, Matthew A. Gilbert

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Drawing on Erving Goffman's self-presentation theory, this study examines how professionals construct personal brands on LinkedIn through strategic identity performance. Using qualitative content analysis, the research analyzes 250 publicly available posts from 50 professionals across five occupational categories. The analysis employs deductive coding guided by Goffman's concepts of front-stage performance and impression management, examining visual elements, linguistic strategies, content themes, and engagement tactics. Data is analyzed using NVivo software. This study contributes to marketing theory by conceptualizing personal branding as both a communication practice and economic behavior, illuminating how professionals balance authenticity, visibility, and strategic positioning on career-focused platforms where …

Consumer’S Acceptance Of In-Store Retail Ai Powered Technology: Use Of Digital Tools And New Product Trial, Dale A. Cake, Wooyang Kim

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This study examines consumer acceptance of in-store AI-powered retail technologies and their influence on digital tool usage and new product trial in grocery shopping. As retailers increasingly deploy personalized, AI-enabled tools such as kiosks, mobile prompts, digital displays, QR codes, shopping assistants, and augmented reality, consumer trust, privacy concerns, and perceived usefulness may shape adoption. Building on technology acceptance and response models, this research extends prior work by testing how technology readiness, innovativeness, optimism, insecurity, and customization affect acceptance of in-store AI tools. It also explores whether these technologies encourage trial of new products and increase purchase intention. Using an …

Consumer Willingness To Pay In The Metaverse: A Case Of Digital Vs Phygital, Shivam Agarwal, Jaehoon Lee, Umair Usman

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This research examines how brand strategy influences consumer willingness to pay for digital fashion in the Metaverse, focusing on differences between digital-only and physical-first (phygital) brands. Grounded in the Theory of Consumption Values, the study investigates the role of emotional value in shaping consumer behavior. Across five experimental studies (N > 800), results consistently show that consumers exhibit higher willingness to pay for phygital brands compared to digital-only brands. This effect is driven by enhanced emotional value, as phygital offerings connect virtual consumption with consumers’ real-world self-concept, increasing perceived authenticity. Mediation analyses confirm emotional value as a key underlying mechanism. Furthermore, …

Digital Fashion For The Avatar Or Digital Fashion For The Self? Understanding Gen Z’S Willingness To Spend On Digital Fashion In The Metaverse, Shivam Agarwal

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This research examines Generation Z’s (Gen Z) willingness to spend on digital fashion in the metaverse, comparing preferences for avatar-based consumption versus physical consumption for the self. Drawing on generational cohort theory and identity-based consumption, the study proposes that Gen Z consumers—who are deeply embedded in digital environments—place greater value on avatar identity and self-expression in virtual spaces. Using a between-subjects experimental design, participants from Gen Z and older cohorts evaluate their willingness to purchase digital fashion for their avatars versus identical physical items for themselves. We predict that Gen Z will exhibit a significantly higher willingness to spend on …

Promoting Inclusive Tourism Via Metaverse, Shivam Agarwal

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This research explores how metaverse-based virtual tourism can be leveraged to promote inclusive tourism and enhance place branding. Drawing on emerging literature in virtual experiences and destination marketing, the study examines how immersive environments enable tourism marketers to project inclusive destination identities. In metaverse settings, users engage through customizable avatars, allowing for representation of diverse identities and accessible experiences for vulnerable populations, including older adults, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ communities. We propose that inclusive cues embedded within virtual environments—such as diverse avatars and accessible design—enhance perceptions of destination inclusivity, which in turn increase motivation to visit the physical destination. …

Consumer Protest In A Hyperconnected World, Cara Lewis Levin, T. Andrew Poehlman, Angeline Scheinbaum

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Consumer protest in various forms—boycotts, negative word-of-mouth, brand sabotage—has largely been theorized within an “old” broadcast model of marketing, where firms spoke one-to-many and controlled most brand-related discourse. In contrast, today’s “hyperconnected” model embeds brands in dense human–technology networks, where social media, microtargeting, and always-on feeds shape how brands enter people’s lives and how protest unfolds. This paper argues that the informational substrate shift from broadcast to hyperconnectivity requires a fundamental rethinking of consumer protest. We first contrast the broadcast and hyperconnected models, then outline hyperconnectivity’s implications at the firm, consumer, and societal levels. We then revisit canonical constructs (e.g., …

Price Endings Of Online And Offline Retailers: Round And Just-Below Pricing, Kwanho Suk, Gaeun Kim, Dongwon Lee, Xuanting Jin

Asia Marketing Journal

This study investigates and compares price-ending strategies employed by online and offline retailers. Analyzing 210,456 prices from retailers in US, South Korea, and China reveals significant differences in price-ending between online and offline retail formats. Online retailers exhibit a lower propensity to utilize round prices (e.g., ending in 0) and just-below prices (e.g., ending in 9) than offline retailers. This research discusses potential explanations for these observed discrepancies, focusing on the distinct price-setting environments and consumer purchasing behaviors of online and offline retail.

Exploring The Relationship Between Esg Activities And Firm Performance: The Carrot And Stick Approach, Jeongbin Whang, Jong-Ho Lee, Jaeho Lee

Asia Marketing Journal

This study uses stakeholder theory to investigate the impact of firms' ESG activities on performance, paying particular attention to the moderating roles of executive ESG compensation (the ``carrot'') and external ESG audits (the ``stick''). Utilizing Thomson Reuters ESG data from 1,523 US firms over six years (2017–2022) and applying fixed-effects models, the analysis reveals that environmental and social activities are positively associated with firm performance. In contrast, governance activities are negatively related to financial performance but positively related to non-financial outcomes. Furthermore, executive ESG compensation and external audits positively moderate the relationship between ESG activities and firm performance. Executive compensation …

Internal Public Relations Influence On Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: Integrating Social Identity Perspectives In Organizational Contexts, Daewook Kim

Asia Marketing Journal

This study examined how internal public relations encourages employees to participate in organizational citizenship behaviors. Using a national survey of employees (N = 339), we tested a conceptual model that proposed linkages among dialogic internal communication, organizational social capital, communal relationships, and organizational citizenship behaviors. The results suggest dialogic internal communication can enhance organizational social capital and encourage internal publics to participate in organizational citizenship behaviors. Additionally, organizational social capital mediated the effects of dialogic internal communication on communal relationships and organizational citizenship behaviors. The findings highlight a critical connection between public relations and social identity perspectives within organizational …

Temporal Dynamics Of Online Shopping: A Multidimensional Clustering Approach For Optimizing Time-Specific Advertising Strategies, Hye Ra Oh, Yunjae Cheong

Asia Marketing Journal

This study clusters consumers according to their hourly online shopping consumption patterns and develops optimized advertising strategies that can be practically applied by companies. Specifically, we considered multidimensional variables related to consumers, including demographic characteristics, shopping frequency, information search and content consumption characteristics, and lifestyle traits. We explored consumer types by comparing various clustering algorithms and applying the optimal clustering method for each time period. The analysis results show significant differences in payment amounts according to payment time periods. Regarding consumer types, consumption tendencies are distinctly differentiated by payment time periods, with each cluster showing different characteristics. This study is …

Does Ai-Driven Empathy Work In Healthcare Marketing? The Impact Of Cognitive And Affective Empathy In Chatbots And The Moderating Role Of Illness Type, Jee Won Kim, Yeonsoo Kim, Jino Chung

Asia Marketing Journal

Recognizing the growing potential of AI-generated chatbots in healthcare and healthcare marketing, this study investigates how different types of chatbot-expressed empathy influence user responses in stigmatized versus non-stigmatized health contexts. Perceived authenticity is introduced as a key mediator. Drawing on Mind Perception Theory, a 3 (empathy: none, cognitive, affective) × 2 (illness type: stigmatized, non-stigmatized) online experiment was conducted. The findings show that affective empathy reduced perceived authenticity, which subsequently decreased user satisfaction, perceived understanding, reuse intention, and follow intention. These indirect effects varied by illness type: in stigmatized contexts, non-empathetic communication was viewed most favorably, whereas in non-stigmatized contexts, …

Unpacking Virtual Influencer Persuasiveness: Effects Of Social Attributes, Self-Congruence, And Attachment On Brand Attitude And Purchase Intention, You Jin Song, Sejung Marina Choi

Asia Marketing Journal

As virtual influencers (VIs) increasingly function as prominent intermediaries in brand–consumer interactions, there is a critical need for systematic investigation into their impact on consumer behavior. This study empirically explores how specific attributes of VIs—competence, warmth, and eeriness—shape consumer perceptions, attachment, and brand engagement. Results indicate that competence and warmth significantly enhance VI attractiveness, whereas eeriness diminishes attractiveness and weakens consumer responses. Furthermore, attractiveness emerges as a primary determinant of consumer attachment to VIs, with actual self-congruence acting as a moderator that reduces this attachment. Notably, stronger consumer attachment fosters more positive brand attitudes, which subsequently elevate purchase intention. These …

Are You Ready To Embrace Ai-Generated Art? Exploring The Differential Effects Of Ai Versus Human Agents On Consumer Response, Seojin Stacey Lee, Yaeri Kim, Kiwan Park

Asia Marketing Journal

With a growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into creative domains, understanding its impact on consumer responses remains a critical area of inquiry. This research examines how agent type (AI vs. human) and art type (fine art vs. art-infused product) influences consumer purchase intention, along with the underlying psychological mechanism. Across three empirical studies, we find that consumers report higher purchase intention for art-infused products compared to fine art when created by AI. In contrast, this difference in purchase intention is diminished when the products are created by human artists. Perceived incompatibility functions as a moderated mediator in this process. …

Defying Conventions: The Marketing Alchemy Of Transforming 'Ugly' Into Iconic, Monisha Gupta, Rex Evans Mcclure

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Deinfluencers As Institutional Actors: Dramaturgical Work And The Embedded Contestation Of Consumerism, Gokcen Coskuner-Balli, Charlene Chu, Niklas Myhr, Cristina Nistor

Business Faculty Articles and Research

"In the sections that follow, we develop theoretical scaffolding for our analysis. We begin by reviewing the literature on institutional work, focusing on how embedded actors engage in purposive actions to disrupt taken-for-granted norms. Next, we examine theoretically how influencers operate, setting the stage for understanding how deinfluencers leverage and subvert these roles. We then review scholarship on anti- consumption and consumer resistance, highlighting how deinfluencers depart from conventional activist modes by adopting culturally embedded, everyday practices. Collectively, these literatures inform our conceptualization of deinfluencing as a dramaturgically enacted form of institutional work. Subsequently, we present our methodology, followed by …

Examining Factors Influencing Customer Loyalty In Omnichannel Retailing: The Mediating Role Of Customer Experience, Min Xiuxia

Student Works (2020-2029)

Research aims: This study aims to investigate factors that influence customer loyalty in omnichannel retailing and mediating role of customer experience. It also examining an impact of customer engagement on customer loyalty within the omnichannel context. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative research design was employed using a structured online questionnaire distributed to consumers in Malaysia who had purchased from the same retail brand through both online and offline channels. Data were analysed using Smart PLS (Partial Least Squares) Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesised relationships among omnichannel characteristics, individual characteristics, customer experience, customer engagement and customer loyalty. Research findings: The …

Unpacking Low Glycaemic Index (Gi) Food Purchase Intentions In An S-O-R Framework: The Multidimensional Moderating Roles Of Consumer Knowledge And Trust, Cao Henglei

Student Works (2020-2029)

Research aim: Examine Malaysian consumers’ decisions to purchase low-GI foods using the S–O–R framework, while considering how knowledge and trust shape these decisions. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative survey was conducted among 302 Malaysian consumers, with data analysed via confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, and moderation analysis. Research findings: Attitudes toward low-GI foods are shaped by health consciousness, environmental concern, and social influence, but not price perception. Purchase intention is directly influenced by trust, with moderation observed only for subjective knowledge. Theoretical contribution/Originality: Extends the S–O–R framework through differentiating knowledge type and clarifying the role of trust in low-GI food consumption. …

Educating For Responsible Ai Governance - Building Interdisciplinary Frameworks For The Management Of Artificial Intelligence, Grace Eboh

Southwestern Business Administration Journal

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prevalent across industries, there is a critical need for educational programs that teach effective AI governance and management. This article examines how educational institutions can develop comprehensive curricula to prepare professionals for the complex challenges of overseeing AI systems responsibly. It analyzes current gaps in AI governance education, proposes frameworks for curriculum design, and identifies key competencies required for effective AI stewardship. The findings suggest that successful AI governance education must adopt an interdisciplinary approach that integrates technical literacy, policy understanding, ethical reasoning, and organizational management.

Evaluating Marketing Decision Systems Under Experimental Constraints, Vatsal Modi

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Marketing organizations increasingly rely on algorithmic decision systems to guide targeting, budget allocation, and personalization. While these systems are widely deployed, evaluating their incremental impact remains challenging when traditional experimentation approaches, such as geo-based or large-scale randomized tests, are infeasible due to operational, regulatory, or interference constraints. This study examines how marketing decision systems can be rigorously evaluated under such conditions. Drawing on recent advances in causal inference and marketing analytics, we develop a decision-centric evaluation framework that integrates synthetic control methods, quasi-experimental designs, and incrementality diagnostics to approximate counterfactual performance. The framework emphasizes methodological transparency, robustness checks, and practical …

Everyone Works On The Sustainability Team: Power Structures And Brand Communication In Sustainable Consumption, Sofia Johansson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In response to growing concerns about the way in which consumption practices negatively degrade the environment and contribute to climate change, this thesis explores the role in which brands may counteract this. There are two significant issues pertaining to environmental marketing: (1) current efforts to promote green consumerism, through which consumer brands market products as “eco-friendly” with only marginal reductions in climate impact and misleading labels, are insufficient in mitigating climate change. (2) Additionally, this kind of consumption is unjust, whereby it is marked up in price, limiting access to merely individuals in higher income brackets. Given the insufficiencies of …

Human-Ai Collaboration In Marketing Brainstorming: A Meta-Analytic Investigation Of Implementation Approaches And Creative Outcomes, Michael Michaels

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marketing organizations face intensifying pressure to sustain creative output while managing constrained resources and accelerating digital content cycles. The integration of artificial intelligence into marketing brainstorming processes presents a promising response to this challenge; however, prior to this investigation, no comprehensive quantitative synthesis had established the overall effectiveness of human-AI collaboration in marketing creativity contexts or identified optimal implementation strategies.

This dissertation presents a systematic meta-analytic investigation of AI-enhanced brainstorming effectiveness in marketing contexts. Following PRISMA guidelines, 42 independent empirical studies (N = 2,166 participants) published between 2018 and 2025 were identified across four primary academic databases, coded for implementation …

Influence Of Digital Out-Of-Home Advertising On Intention To Purchase Green Products, Michael Humbani

The African Journal of Information Systems

This study investigates the impact of digital outdoor (out-of-home) advertising on environmental product knowledge and environmental concerns, aiming to promote green purchase intentions. The investigation is grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response model. Data were collected through a self-administered online questionnaire completed by 274 adult consumers. Using structural equation modelling, the findings indicate that informativeness, credibility and incentives have a positive effect on environmental product knowledge. Of these, only informativeness and credibility were significant predictors of environmental concern. Furthermore, environmental product knowledge was found to significantly influence green purchase intention, but environmental concern had no significant influence. From a theoretical perspective, this …

Applying Means–End Chain Theory To Online Buying And Understanding Consumers' Motivation To Disclose Private Information, Brikena Berisha, Maja Konečnik Ruzzier

Economic and Business Review

The purpose of this study is to define and understand the motives that influence consumers’ decisions to disclose personal data online. Using means–end chain theory as the main theoretical framework, 10 in-depth interviews conducted through soft laddering revealed how both utilitarian and hedonic motivations jointly shape disclosure behavior. The findings show that these motivations interact, demonstrating that data disclosure is driven not only by functional considerations but also by emotional and experiential factors embedded in consumers’ value systems. The study concludes that motivation plays a central and multifaceted role in online data disclosure decisions.

Reimagining The American Dream Of Aging: Filmic Portrayals And Implications For Transformative Advertising Research, Katherine C. Sredl, Julie Whiteman, Finola Kerrigan, Cagri Yalkin

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Transformative advertising research uses institutional theory to position advertising as a site for transformative well-being, highlighting the role of ideology in shaping industry practice and output. Our study into discourses of successful aging in three films addressing the lives of older women demonstrates how film uses cinematography, dialogue, and mise-en-scène to discursively create film templates of successful aging. Templates provide cultural ideological frameworks for film audiences in their materialized representations of subject positions, thereby creating consent for the conditions and consumption that symbolize those positions. Although film can offer advertising and its audiences potentially transformative ideological templates of aging and …

Leveraging Csr To Buffer Brand Challenges During Crises: A Saudi Arabian Perspective, Nouf Alrayes, Abdullah Alhidari

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Crises, such as economic downturns or global health pandemics, pose significant business challenges. Engaging in CSR initiatives that contribute to societal well-being can help mitigate the negative consequences of crises, reinforce customer gratitude, and minimize corporate hypocrisy. CSR is critical in shaping a company’s accountability and ethical responsibilities. Consequently, there is an opportunity for the firm to see the role of CSR and how it affects customers’ responses and attitudes during any difficult situation. Drawing upon attribution theory and the customer gratitude reciprocity cycle, a conceptual framework was developed to test the impact of CSR on the variables: corporate hypocrisy, …