Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising

Matthes, Jörg; Wirth, Werner; Schemer, Christian; Pachoud, Nadine

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700625pmid: N/A

Based on the mere exposure effect (Zajonc 1968), the mere unreinforced presentation of product placements can increase brand liking. In an experiment, we manipulated visual placement prominence and placement frequency for an externally and internally valid stimulus. As results indicate, a mere exposure effect can only be observed for frequently presented subtle placements that are embedded in a program that is watched with moderate or high involvement. No such effects could be observed for prominent placements. The results are discussed in their importance for placement effects research and marketing practice.

Nyilasy, Gergely; Kreshel, Peggy J.; Reid, Leonard N.

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700626pmid: N/A

This study investigates, in the context of professionalization theory, advertising agency practitioners' attempts to cope with what they perceive as legitimation problems of advertising work. While practitioners may not think of the sociological concept of professionalization frequently, the in-depth interviews reported in this article uncover agency practitioners' acknowledgment of the existence of professionalization tensions in their everyday work culture. These tensions arise in practitioners' dismissal of academic theoretical knowledge in advertising and clients' need for certainty and the problem of theoretical knowledge in advertising. Their reactions to these tensions, what we call “pseudo-professionalization tactics,” are discussed in detail. Pseudo-professionalization tactics vary in their underlying mechanisms and can be classified as rhetorical, relationship management, and knowledge autonomy tools. Implications for the professionalization of the advertising occupation and the academician–practitioner gap are offered.

Tian, Song; Pasadeos, Yorgo

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700627pmid: N/A

This study tests a revised model of animosity for analyzing the impact of anti-Japanese sentiment on consumer behavior in China. The findings show (1) that four antecedents (traditionalism, patriotism, nationalism, and internationalism) affect consumer animosity; (2) that both war animosity and economic animosity have inverse effects on purchase intentions; and (3) that only war animosity negatively predicts Japanese product quality judgments. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Lee, Yoon-Joo; Haley, Eric; Mark, Aimee Y.

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700792pmid: N/A

The study examines whether consumers' corporate social responsibility orientation (CSRO) can affect the perceptions of the sponsor's intention in advocating social causes as altruistic or self-serving in the context of values advocacy advertising. A quasi-experimental design with two ad stimuli sponsored by Miller Brewing Company and McDonald's was conducted. The study suggests that those who have high levels of expectations for business to perform both business (e.g., maximization of profits) and social roles (e.g., philanthropic efforts) are most likely to relate to values advocacy advertising messages and attribute to the sponsor altruistic motives in sponsoring social causes. It was noteworthy that the findings emerged differently depending on the types of sponsor's industry and the prior perception toward the sponsor.

LaTour, Kathryn A.; LaTour, Michael S.

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700794pmid: N/A

There has been some debate between marketing researchers regarding the role postexperience advertising can play on influencing consumer memory. Our investigation looks at whether paradigm differences can account for these different findings or whether advertising's influence on altering sensory memory is indeed limited. We also investigate a potential mediator of the advertising misinformation effect: strength of encoding the original experience. Paradigms are important for scientific progress, but they are not infallible. It is important for advertising researchers that the methodology is precise and controlled enough in order to identify the mechanism theoretically proposed for inducing the memory change while at the same time being externally valid for understanding consumers' marketplace behavior. We discuss the implications of our findings for practice and academic research.

Cheong, Yunjae; Kim, Kihan

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700796pmid: N/A

This study examined the status and citations of the scholarly literature in media planning from 1992 to 2007. The analyses of the publication patterns, topical concentrations, methodological trends, and author backgrounds indicated that media planning research remains an important topic. Among notable findings were an increased research on qualitative and a decreased research on quantitative media selection issues when compared to the 30-year period prior to 1992. Nevertheless, the most influential authors and articles were directly related to the quantitative media selection issues (e.g., exposure distribution models), indicating continued perceptions of importance.

Kowalczyk, Christine M.; Royne, Marla B.

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700797pmid: N/A

The integration of products and brands into movies and television has been around since the early days of these media; however, to date limited research has examined product placement in reality shows. The purpose of this exploratory study is to empirically assess attitudes and behaviors toward a product placement in a reality program, as well as to examine the concepts of perceived realism and skepticism. Using an example of unique product placement featured in the reality show The Biggest Loser, we propose and test a series of nine hypotheses through structural equation modeling. Full or partial support was found for seven of the nine hypotheses advancing the concept of product placements in reality shows. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Wilson, Rick T.; Till, Brian D.

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700800pmid: N/A

The marketing and advertising of alcoholic beverages is socially and ethically sensitive and subject to particular interest of regulators, public interest groups, and societal watchdogs because of its potential impact on vulnerable populations such as low-income consumers, certain ethnicities, adolescents, and alcoholics. While alcohol advertising is pervasive across a variety of media, outdoor advertising facilitates the targeting of specific neighborhoods that, in a sense, represent a captive audience of people who live and/or work in those neighborhoods. In a study of outdoor advertising in New York City across multiple ethnic and income neighborhoods, we examine the proportion of alcohol advertising found in each neighborhood and the variation of advertising appeals used. The results suggest that marketers of alcoholic beverages do not selectively target their products based on income, but evidence was found that targeting based upon ethnicity is occurring. Black and Hispanic neighborhoods receive a greater percentage of alcoholic beverage advertising than do white and Asian neighborhoods, and Hispanic neighborhoods also receive more influential advertising appeals such as celebrity endorsements, affiliation, and status appeals.

Lien, Nai-Hwa; Chou, Hsuan-Yi; Chang, Chia-Hsin

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700809pmid: N/A

As the women's consumption century arrives, more and more male celebrities endorse feminine products. This paper investigates the match-up effect between a spokesperson's attractiveness type and a product's image, and the effect of the spokesperson's sex. Results indicate that for feminine-gendered products, the advertising effect is more positive with a female spokesperson than with a male spokesperson. However, ads with male spokespersons selling cute-image products can create more favorable reactions that those with male spokespersons selling sexy-image products. Additionally, there exists a match-up effect between the spokesperson's attractiveness type and the product's image. The implications of these and other findings are discussed.

Sego, Trina; Lee, Jee-Young

doi: 10.1080/10641734.2012.700811pmid: N/A

Cross-cultural comparisons of information content in advertising have yielded inconsistent results, and cross-cultural comparisons of emotion content in advertising have been limited. Inconsistent findings are likely due to the impact of culture on coding itself. In particular, analysis of emotion content is problematic, given that emotion terms do not have universal meaning. As an alternative to traditional coding procedures, this study explores executional elements that can be objectively measured. Bio-informational theory suggests that certain stimulus properties (motion, color) produce visceral emotional responses. As antecedents of emotional response, these properties represent emotion content in advertising. Compared to banner ads from a Western culture, banner ads from an Eastern culture are found to use more animation, to have a higher mean number of frames in animation, and to use colors with higher levels of value and chroma. Future research is needed to explore cultural and other factors that predict the presence of stimulus properties such as animation and color, as well as the effects of those factors.