Showing papers in "Psychology & Marketing in 2011"

Multisensory design: Reaching out to touch the consumer

Abstract: Touch plays an important, if often underacknowledged, role in our evaluation/appreciation of many different products. It is unsurprising, therefore, that there has been such a recent growth of interest in “tactile branding” and tactile marketing. This article reviews the evidence from the fields of marketing, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience, demonstrating just how important the feel of a product, not to mention the feel of its packaging, can be in determining people's overall product evaluation. Problems for tactile design associated with the growth of the aging population, and the growth of Internet-based shopping, are highlighted. The critical role that touch can play in multisensory product design, appreciation, and marketing is also discussed, as is the increasingly frequent use by marketers of synesthetic correspondences to evoke tactile sensations via the visual and auditory modalities. We put forward the argument that tactile stimulation may influence multisensory product evaluation by means of affective ventriloquism: Our suggestion is that the hedonic attributes of a product perceived via one modality (such as touch) can “pull” (or bias) a person's estimates of the quality and pleasantness of the product derived from other sensory modalities into alignment, and by so doing, modulate a person's overall (multisensory) product experience. What is more, powerful mathematical modeling approaches now exist to predict the magnitude of this kind of intersensory (or crossmodal) interaction effect, hence offering the promise of a more scientific approach to tactile design/marketing in the coming years. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Influence of Personality on Active and Passive Use of Social Networking Sites

Abstract: Managers are more and more interested in social networking sites because they provide opportunities for strengthening relationships with customers as well as site content and service. Using social networking sites effectively, however, depends on understanding both the psychological attributes and social interactions of participants. This paper addresses these topics by presenting the results of a twostudy inquiry into the importance of two personality traits (consumer innovativeness and expressiveness) to active and passive use of social networks among Italian consumers. In Study 1 (n 753) it was found that innovativeness is positively related to active and passive use. Study 2 (n 277) revealed that self-identity expressiveness and social identity expressiveness positively influence only active use. These results suggest that managers need to distinguish between, and differentially encourage, joining and browsing such sites on the one hand and actively contributing to them on the other. Managers can also enhance the impact of their social networking sites by taking into account social and self-identity expressiveness to increase affiliation and market share and by encouraging consumers to use these sites actively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Generativity and self-enhancement values in eco-friendly behavioral intentions and environmentally responsible consumption behavior

Abstract: During the past 35 years, academic researchers have been examining the relationship between environmentally responsible consumption behavior and numerous antecedent variables. Because sustainability requires a long-term perspective, the study included generativity, a construct developed by Erikson (1950) and self-enhancement values (Schwartz, 1994) as antecedent variables for environmentally responsible consumption behavior. Generativity refers to individuals' beliefs that their current behavior has consequences that extend into future generations, while self-enhancement refers to values relating to power, wealth, and influence. These variables are related in that generativity requires consideration of others while self-enhancement generally refers to considering only one's self. This suggests that individuals high on generativity ought to be more aware of and concerned about the environment and should modify their behavior accordingly, and those who are high on self-enhancement should be less concerned or willing to change behavior. The results of the study, including French and American respondents, indicate that individuals who score high on generativity are more likely to have eco-friendly intentions and more environmentally responsible consumption behaviors, but generativity interacts with self-enhancement, resulting in an interpretation that is different from that typically found in environmentally related studies. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Further insights into perceived value and consumer loyalty: A "Green" perspective

Abstract: “Green consumption” is an increasingly important topic in today's society. The effect of the ecological value provided by traditionally non-green products, such as automobiles, on their consumer's post-purchase behavior, such as brand or model loyalty, requires further clarification. The present study provides qualitative and quantitative insights from car users on how the ecological aspect of consumption integrates into the link between perceived value and consumer loyalty intentions (value–loyalty link). In general, car usage is accompanied by perceived functional, economic, emotional, and social value. Perceived ecological value is shown to have a significant impact on these four value dimensions. The relevance of “green to have quality,” “green to save money,” “green to feel good,” and “green to be seen” in relation to loyalty intention is discussed. Results of a structural equation model and multigroup analysis provide the opportunity to derive both theoretical and applied implications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Retail therapy: A strategic effort to improve mood

Abstract: “Retail therapy” is often applied to the notion of trying to cheer oneself up through the purchase of self-treats. The negative moods that lead to retail therapy, however, have also been associated with greater impulsivity and a lack of behavioral control. Does this lead to mindless shopping when consumers are “down” and regret later? The current work documents that a bad mood does lead to greater purchase and consumption of unplanned treats for the self. However, it also provides evidence that the consumption of self-treats can be strategically motivated. Those individuals who do indulge can also exercise restraint if the goal of restraint also leads to improved mood. Finally, retail therapy has lasting positive impacts on mood. Feelings of regret and guilt are not associated with the unplanned purchases made to repair a bad mood. The implications of the research are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Consumer loyalty in sport spectatorship services: The relationships with consumer satisfaction and team identification

Abstract: This research aimed to investigate the possible relationships between the concepts of consumer loyalty (attitudinal and behavioral), satisfaction, and team identification in the context of sport spectatorship. Specifically, several models were tested to investigate (1) the direct influence of team identification, consumer behavioral loyalty, and consumer satisfaction on consumer attitudinal loyalty, and (2) the mediating or moderating role of team identification in the relationship between consumer satisfaction, behavioral loyalty, and attitudinal loyalty. Results from a sample of 395 spectators of French ice hockey first division clubs revealed that consumer transaction–specific satisfaction was found to be the stronger predictor for consumer attitudinal loyalty alongside team identification and the average number of home games attended per year. A second indirect route is possible because team identification was also found to play a mediating role between consumer transaction–specific satisfaction, home and away games attended per year, and some dimensions of consumer attitudinal loyalty. Finally, team identification was also found to moderate the impact of consumer satisfaction and the number of away games attended on different facets of attitudinal loyalty. Marketing and theoretical implications are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anarchy of effects? Exploring attention to online advertising and multiple outcomes

Abstract: This research examines the relationship between attention to online advertising and brand attitude, aided recall, and purchase intention. Results indicate that attention to an ad is affected by ad type (pictorial vs. text) and the interaction between ad location (left vs. right) and page (image-oriented vs. textual), suggesting a range of factors that impact attention. Furthermore, under the online conditions of this study, attention is positively related to aided recall and to purchase intention, but negatively associated with brand attitude. Re-sults are interpreted in the framework of dual attitude theory (Wilson, Lindsey, & Schooler, 2000) and other effects models. Although a clear “hierarchy of effects” appears to be elusive, the results suggest that marketers must fully evaluate advertising goals prior to creative development. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging in consumer research: A review and application

Abstract: Although the field of psychology is undergoing an immense shift toward the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the application of this methodology to consumer research is relatively new. To assist consumer researchers in understanding fMRI, this paper elaborates on the findings of prior fMRI research related to consumer behavior and highlights the features that make fMRI an attractive method for consumer and marketing research. The authors discuss advantages and limitations and illustrate the proposed procedures with an applied study, which investigates loss aversion when buying and selling a common product. Results reveal a significantly stronger activation in the amygdala while consumers estimate selling prices versus buying prices, suggesting that loss aversion is associated with the processing of negative emotion. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Does involvement matter in online shopping satisfaction and trust

Abstract: Consumer involvement in online shopping can play a moderating role when explaining Web site effect on satisfaction and trust. This study proposes a set of hypotheses based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of persuasion, a conceptual model that explains the formation of individual attitudes that are prompted by central and peripheral cues. The model proposes the use of central signals when the buyer is highly involved and peripheral signals when the buyer is less involved. Nevertheless, the results of this study would suggest that these relationships are not so clearly defined in the case of online buying, which implies that certain assumptions associated with the ELM need to be revised to take the particularities of the online context into account. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Older consumers' Tv home shopping: Loneliness, parasocial interaction, and perceived convenience

Abstract: This study examined factors that affect consumer satisfaction with TV shopping by investigating both convenience- and emotion-related variables. Data were obtained from 295 online surveys with TV home shoppers who were 60 years and older. The structural model revealed (1) a positive effect of lack of shopping mobility on loneliness and perceived convenience of TV shopping, (2) a positive effect of loneliness on parasocial interaction, and (3) positive effects of parasocial interaction and perceived convenience on satisfaction with TV shopping. Results provide implications for TV shopping networks and producers. Parasocial interaction can be utilized to enhance the consumer experience by alleviating older consumers' loneliness, which ultimately leads to their satisfaction. Furthermore, convenience benefits of TV shopping can be emphasized to attract older consumers who have limited shopping mobility. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The long‐term effects of sales promotions on brand attitude across monetary and non‐monetary promotions

Abstract: This study compares the influence of sales promotions on brand attitude across promotion types over time. An experiment is conducted with 154 subjects, who are exposed to test materials for 12 weeks. Evidence shows that the long-term effects of sales promotions on brand attitude vary across deal types. Non-monetary promotions seem to work better in eliciting consumers' favorable brand attitude than monetary promotions over time. However, such effects are moderated by consumers' deal proneness. Although monetary promotions may induce more negative effects than non-monetary promotions, these effects are weaker for high deal-prone consumers than for low deal-prone consumers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Consumer uncertainty: revisited

Abstract: Uncertainty is an important concept within consumer behavior which to date is under-theorized, especially in relation to important downstream variables such as information search intention and purchase intention, and can therefore lead to a loss of utility. The authors propose a new multidimensional conceptualization of consumer uncertainty and develop a theoretical model of uncertainty within two consumer behavior contexts, namely avoidance of sweatshop apparel and avoidance of food additives. Drawing on literature-based insights as well as qualitative research and Expected Utility Theory, the authors develop hypotheses that offer insight into the potential antecedents (ambiguity and credibility) and consequences (search intention and purchase intention) of uncertainty. Using survey data, the authors test the hypotheses, finding strong support for many relationships hypothesized. Research and managerial implications are discussed.

Consumer response to online apparel stockouts

Abstract: In two online experiments this research investigated the process by which consumers respond to online apparel stock outages (or stockouts) and examined the effectiveness of managerial responses in mitigating the adverse impact of stockouts. Results of Experiment 1 demonstrated that negative emotions evoked by stockouts depressed perception of store image, lowered decision satisfaction, and reduced behavioral intent. In addition, the effect of negative emotion on behavioral intent was mediated by perception of store image and decision satisfaction. The results of Experiment 2 showed that financial compensation was most effective in mitigating the negative impact of out-of-stock occurrences on consumer responses. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Real or relevant beauty? Body shape and endorser effects on brand attitude and body image

Abstract: Endorsements play an important role in marketing communications. For international marketing communications, marketers must be cognizant of how the portrayal of body ideals and cultural background of endorsers can affect marketing communications. Two experimental studies showed that body image comparisons and the effectiveness of endorsers varies according to the type of body shapes portrayed and the body mass index (BMI) of the respondents. In the first experiment, the success or failure of endorsements was found to be influenced by their body shape and to some extent the cultural background with respect to the type of product or service promoted. In a second experiment where more realistic or medium-thin and medium-fat body shapes were used, source attractiveness was not influenced by body shape, while interest in the advertised brand increased for a thinner model. This may have occurred because body image comparisons were more obtainable for those in the second study, where more realistic body shapes were viewed in advertisements. Body mass index (BMI) was also found to influence the results, particularly if a poor body shape comparison triggers a poor body image. Counterfactually, this seems to occur with women with lower BMIs who view advertisements for fatter women. It appears that the use of body image and ethnic type of models should be carefully considered by marketers so that they are relevant for their target audience. The use of more obtainable and ethnically relevant models may provide more effective advertising copy and be more socially responsible. In order to create interest in advertised brands, marketers may not need to use ultra-thin models. Marketers must also balance the promotional effectiveness of the use of body shapes that may too thin or more realistic with the social outcomes and consider carefully the BMI of their target market.

Autotelic need for touch, haptics, and persuasion: The role of involvement

Abstract: Previous research has shown that a touch or haptic element attached to a persuasive appeal can increase persuasion, particularly for individuals who have a clear preference for touch to enjoy its sensory feedback (high autotelics). This research extends previous work by including involvement in the context of an appeal by a nonprofit. We find, in an experiment where we manipulate involvement, that when a haptic element is present, high autotelics are more persuaded regardless of their involvement with the message. However, for low autotelics, a haptic element increases persuasion under conditions of low versus high involvement with the message. A second experiment measures involvement and finds that again, under low involvement conditions, both high and low autotelics are persuaded by a touch element. Finally, a field study with a local symphony orchestra is conducted in which involvement with the message is low but involvement with the company is high. In this case, a touch element is only persuasive for high autotelics. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Happiness as a predictor of service quality and commitment for utilitarian and hedonic services

Abstract: In services research, little attention has been devoted to long-term intrinsic personality traits. Long-term personality traits predict short-term affective states and thus understanding them is important from a service standpoint. Further, identifying long-term personality traits facilitates the targeting of customers who are predisposed to evaluate services in a positive manner. This study focuses on one long-term affective trait, happiness, and examines its impact on service evaluation and commitment, as it has been shown that the level of happiness affects whether people perceive life events, both great and small, in a positive or negative manner. Three studies were conducted to research the issue. The first study shows that customers who are happier evaluate service quality in utilitarian services in a more positive manner than do customers who are less happy. The second study shows that for hedonic services, involvement serves as an antecedent to perceived service quality; happier customers are also more involved in hedonic services, and thus perceive service quality in a more positive manner. Study 3 examines the link between happiness and commitment and shows that customers who are happier are also more prone to be committed to hedonic services. These results contribute to the marketing literature by showing that customers are predisposed to evaluate service quality in line with their level of happiness in the case of both utilitarian and hedonic services. Thus, marketing scholars and practitioners ought to recognize that service quality and commitment are partially predetermined by the personality of the customer and that some customers are more difficult to please than others. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Integrating emotions in the analysis of retail price images

Abstract: Most studies on retail price images do not capture the complete domain of this construct because they predominantly measure the cognitive dimensions of price perception. The current paper extends this research by integrating emotions in the analysis of retail price images. Results from an empirical study demonstrate that several price-related emotions mediate the impact of cognitive price image dimensions on intentions to shop in retail stores. Such effects exist for distress, anger, contempt, shame, and guilt. Furthermore, these emotions have an incremental effect on shopping intentions beyond the mere cognitive price image dimensions. Hence, integrating these emotions in the analysis of retail price images improves the prediction of such intentions considerably. An analysis of direct, indirect, and total effects shows that price-level perception influences shopping intentions negatively via increased contempt, shame, and guilt, but positively via value for money. Value proves to be a central dimension of a retailer's price image as value influences shopping intentions directly, but also via reduced distress, anger, contempt, shame, and guilt. The results yield important research and management implications, as integrating emotions in the analysis of retail price images extends the understanding of customer reactions to retailers' pricing activities.

Understanding unethical retail disposition practice and restraint from the consumer perspective

Abstract: This research expands marketing's knowledge regarding unethical retail disposition (URD). URD is a type of consumer fraud, whereby consumers purchase an item of merchandise with the intent of using it and returning it to a retailer for a refund. The authors first employ grounded theory methodology to develop an original framework illustrating why consumers engage in either URD participation or restraint; next, they demonstrate empirical support for the framework. The authors support and augment previous URD research by reporting that URD offenders employ eight neutralization techniques to remedy personal guilt associated with committing the fraudulent behavior. This research also takes a novel approach by illustrating that consumers describe six motivations underlying URD restraint. Most concerning for retailers is that four of the six reasons for restraint are tenuous. Thus, consumers who refrain from URD may be easily swayed to participate in this illicit behavior. The authors posit that URD may represent a means by which consumers express disdain and mistrust for contemporary retailers, contributing to the societal discrimination that retail organizations owned by “middlemen minorities” engaged in trade and commerce often experience. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

To Think or Not to Think:The Effect of Cognitive Deliberation on the Influence of Injunctive Versus Descriptive Social Norms

Abstract: Consumers can process information containing social norms at different cognitive deliberation levels. This paper investigates the effect of cognitive deliberation for both descriptive and injunctive norms. The experimental study examines the consequences for attitudes and behavioral intentions of these two norm formulations under different levels of deliberation. Results show that (1) cognitive load limits the influence of both norm formulations, and (2) cognitive deliberation increases the effect of descriptive and decreases the effect of injunctive norms. The positive and negative thoughts made salient by the information are shown to lead to these consequences. Marketers therefore need to consider the context and channels in which social norms are communicated, as this can affect the motivation, ability, and/or opportunity of consumers to process the information. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Does attractiveness sell? Women's attitude toward a product as a function of model attractiveness, gender priming, and social comparison orientation

Abstract: In the present experiment, 85 female undergraduate students were presented with an advertisement for chewing gum, featuring an attractive or a moderately attractive same-sex model. Participants were either primed on their gender or not. Results showed that gender-primed women were willing to pay more for the product when it was promoted by an attractive model, and, with increasing levels of social comparison orientation, women showed a more positive attitude toward the product when it was promoted by an attractive as opposed to a moderately attractive model. In contrast, when they were primed on being a female, women were willing to pay less when the product was promoted by an attractive model, and, with increasing levels of social comparison orientation, they had a less positive attitude when the product was promoted by an attractive as opposed to a moderately attractive model. Implications for advertising are discussed. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effects of cognitive thinking style and ambient scent on online consumer approach behavior, experience approach behavior, and search motivation

Abstract: This study evaluates the effect of the interaction between cognitive variables and the presence of scent on online search motivation, purchase characteristics, and telepresence. An interaction between consumers' type of thought process and the presence of scent was identified as influencing search motivation (attention focus and challenge) and telepresence experience. Ambient scent influenced the search motivation of consumers possessing systematic cognitive thinking style (SCTS) and the telepresence experience of consumers with intuitive cognitive thinking style (ICTS). In addition, much in the same way that ambient scent affects consumer behavior in traditional stores, in online settings consumers exposed to scent were found to demonstrate a higher degree of approach behavior. The results suggest extending the S-O-R model by emphasizing cognitive thinking style as a mediator of environmental stimuli. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of outdoor advertising: Does location matter?

Abstract: The growth and success of outdoor advertising is in large part due to the medium's ability to reach an increasingly elusive and mobile consumer. However, this success has come with a price. Public pressure and regulation have begun to eliminate or curtail many outdoor advertising locations, leading practitioners to question the effectiveness of the remaining outdoor advertising sites. Using associative learning techniques, these studies investigate what effect, if any, the environment in which outdoor advertising appears has on the attitudes, beliefs, and purchase intent of the advertised brand. The results of four experiments presented here suggest that the background environment does not impact advertising effectiveness, and practitioner concern of such may be unfounded. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

To touch or not to touch; that is the question. Should consumers always be encouraged to touch products, and does it always alter product perception?

Abstract: It has previously been suggested that consumers' product evaluations are positively affected by tactile interaction. However, it is not known if it is applicable to products that people usually touch for brief periods of time. This study sets out to explore whether it is possible to influence consumers' tactile perception of fast-moving consumer goods by altering the surface texture. In this study individual tactile sensing and visual appreciation were compared with the combined visual and tactile sensing of surface textures for two types of products (soap and biscuits). Three types of textures on the outside of either a soap or biscuit box and three separate sample swatches of the textures used on the boxes were used in the study. The three soap or biscuit boxes were visually presented to the participants. This was followed by a blind haptic evaluation of the three textures, and then by a combined visual and tactile evaluation of three differently textured boxes (either soap or biscuit boxes). The results suggest that a consumer's perception of the packaging of fast-moving consumer goods is affected more by vision than by touch, which raises some questions with regard to when marketers should encourage consumers to engage in extensive tactile interaction prior to purchase.

Mixed messages in brand names: Separating the impacts of letter shape from sound symbolism

Abstract: Recent work suggests that sound symbolism in brand names conveys marketing-relevant messages. However, if the customer sees a brand name rather than hears it, visual characteristics of the letters may convey messages of their own. These may conflict with or reinforce the message conveyed by sound symbolism of the name. Study 1 replicates the essence of the sound symbolism effect claimed in recent work. Study 2 shows that the visual characteristics of letters provide a plausible alternative explanation of these findings. Study 3 manipulates the visual characteristics in the brand name letters and reverses the previously found direction of sound symbolism effects. The findings suggest that powerful visual messages are present in brand names and that because of confounding, the contribution sound symbolism makes to the brand name may not always act as thought.

Segmenting the market through the determinants of involvement: The case of fair trade

Abstract: The fair trade market includes several types of actors, ranging from world shops to supermarkets, and from restaurants to clothing stores, involving a heterogeneous clientele. An analysis of fair trade consumers must be sufficiently granular to capture their different expectations, attitudes, and motivations; hence the need to segment the market. Through the concept of involvement, the objective of this research is to analyze and compare by segments the determinants of behavior of fair trade consumers. The research consists of three phases: segment identification, behavioral analysis by segment, and synthesis of the managerial implications. Two out of four hypothesized criteria prove to be effective in segmenting the fair trade market, namely age and distribution channel preference (whereas gender and education are not significant criteria). The analysis shows that the drivers of the involvement in the decision to buy fair trade products vary by segment. Thus, the article concludes with the development of communication axes that can trigger or strengthen the desired behaviors in each segment. It provides fair trade marketers with an efficient communication content that can be used for fair trade advertising, product packaging, branding, or merchandising. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The games people play: How the entertainment value of online ads helps or harms persuasion

Abstract: This research examines consumer reactions to online ads varying in levels of entertainment value. Results show that more favorable brand attitudes and more positive purchase intentions are formed when consumers are exposed to an ad that generates a high (game ad), rather than a low (banner ad) level of entertainment value. However, such effects are qualified by consumers' shopping goals. When consumers have access to their goals to seek specific product information, affect transfer is impaired, such that the advantage of entertaining ads dissipates. This research also documents moderating roles of individual differences in need for cognitive closure and Internet usage versatility. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Consumer myths and the gay men and women who believe them: a qualitative look at movements and markets

Abstract: Using focus group data from six different conversations in two U.S. cities, this study examines how advertising, corporate policies toward sexual minority employees, and sponsorship of events and charities central to the gay and lesbian community affect the perceived “gay-friendly” status of brands and companies. This study also explores how gay and lesbian respondents understand their role as distinct consumers in relation to gay social movements. In contrast to cultural critiques that argue that constructions of gay consumer markets are antithetical to gay social movements, this study shows how actual gay and lesbian consumers not only understand this dialectic, but also use it as both self-validation and as leverage in achieving social gains. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The impact of product knowledge on consumer product memory and evaluation in the competitive ad context: The item‐specific‐relational perspective

Abstract: Research evidence to date suggests that the combined presence of item-specific and relational processing is necessary to induce higher memory performance of the target ad and proper evaluation of the target brand. This elaborative processing, however, requires cognitive capacity. In this paper, an item-specific-relational processing framework was employed to explain the roles of consumer product knowledge in the competitive and non-competitive ad contexts. Findings from an experimental study suggest that high- and low-knowledge consumers differed in product memory and evaluation in competitive and non-competitive ad contexts. Such differences could be explained by consumers' engaging in item-specific and/or relational processing depending on whether target brand information was presented with or without information on competing brands. It appears that competitive ad context would benefit low-knowledge consumers by serving as a reference. In contrast, high-knowledge consumers did not seem to be affected by ad context. Both theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Unveiling videos: Consumer‐generated ads as qualitative inquiry

Abstract: Companies spend millions of dollars researching consumers, consumer attitudes to brands, and consumer uses of products. Yet the irony is that consumers are now doing this research themselves and posting their material to video-sharing sites such as YouTube. In this paper we argue that the BASIC IDS framework (Cohen, 1999) for dimensional qualitative research can be used to deconstruct consumer-generated videos to yield valuable insights into the paradoxes of consumer–service interactions. One category of service that has gained huge media attention of late, and yet is poorly understood, is the phenomenon of online social networks. Using three consumer-generated ads about the social networking site Facebook, we explore the paradoxes of consumer–service interaction, namely consumers' ambivalent attitudes to the service, how the consumer uses and is used by the service, how the service both facilitates behavior and changes behavior, and how the service mediates social interactions yet drives social actors. Finally, we locate the findings in terms of the wider context of Gen Y and the digital revolution, specify limitations, and cite implications and avenues for future research. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Matching a cause with self-schema: The moderating effect on brand preferences

Abstract: The moderating roles of consumer brand involvement type and product type on the effect of a match between consumers' self-schema and the cause a brand supports on consumers' preference for the cause-supporting brand is investigated. The authors show that a schema–cause match enhances consumer preference for a brand engaging in cause-related marketing when (1) consumers' involvement with the brand is of the impression-relevant type (vs. outcome-relevant type) and (2) when the branded product is functional (vs. hedonic). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.