scholarly journals Does Sex Really Sell? Paradoxical Effects of Sexualization in Advertising on Product Attractiveness and Purchase Intentions

Sex Roles ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Gramazio ◽  
Mara Cadinu ◽  
Francesca Guizzo ◽  
Andrea Carnaghi
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Paradoxical Effects ◽  
Product Attractiveness ◽  
Practical Implications

Abstract To test the “sex sells” assumption, we examined how Italian men and women react to sexualized advertising. Women showed lower product attractiveness and purchase intentions toward products presented with sexualized female models than with neutral ads, whereas men were unaffected by ads’ sexualization (Study 1, n = 251). Study 2 (n = 197) replicated the overall results. Study 3 (n = 198) tested hostile sexism as a moderator as well as negative emotions as a mediator of consumers’ responses. Especially men with higher hostile sexism showed more purchase intentions after viewing female sexualized ads than neutral ads. Moreover, women’s lower consumer responses toward sexualized female ads were due to higher negative emotions. Study 4 (n = 207) included ads with both female and male models, replicating responses to female sexualization and showing that both women and men had lower product attractiveness and purchase intentions toward male sexualized ads than neutral ads. Replicating and extending Study 3’s results, women’s negative emotions was the mediator. The present study has practical implications for marketers because it suggests that “sex does not sell.” In addition, considering both the psychological damage and practical inefficacy of sexualized ads, our findings have important implications for public policy.

Can brands deviate from their brand aesthetic? Brand luxury status as a moderator

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-192
Author(s):  
Christin Seifert ◽  
Tianyu Cui ◽  
Veena Chattaraman
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Aesthetic Judgment ◽  
Luxury Brands ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Design Consistency ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of brand design consistency (BDC) on consumers’ aesthetic judgment and purchase intention; and whether this effect of BDC is moderated by a brand’s luxury status.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-factorial experimental design that manipulated the BDC of handbags (prototypical/high/low) and brand luxury status (luxury/non-luxury) was conducted among 311 female participants to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsResults obtained fromt-tests and repeated measures ANCOVA demonstrate that prototypical brand designs, followed by high, and then low BDC products, evoked the most positive consumer responses. Additionally, brand luxury status moderated the effect of BDC on consumer response, such that the effect was more salient for non-luxury than luxury brands.Practical implicationsLuxury brands are able to leverage the halo effect, as perceived brand design inconsistency has a lesser impact on consumers’ purchase intentions than for non-luxury brands. Non-luxury brands have less latitude to deviate from their brand aesthetic, and maintaining BDC in new products is imperative for these brands.Originality/valueDesigners constantly navigate the thresholds of their brand’s aesthetic in design decisions; however, few studies have investigated consumer responses to deviations from brand aesthetics. To the authors’ knowledge, no studies have examined this phenomenon in relation to a brand’s luxury status, a factor that critically impacts consumers’ design expectations.

The Expression of Anger Enhances Perceived Competence Following Corporate Social Irresponsibility

2021 ◽  
pp. 183933492199888
Author(s):  
Felix Septianto
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Condition ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Perceived Competence ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Corporate Social Irresponsibility ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Practical Implications

Although prior research acknowledges the significant role of emotions in response to corporate social irresponsibility (CSI), such research typically examines emotions as mediators that explain how consumers respond to CSI. The present research tests a novel perspective by examining how the expression of anger (vs. sadness) in a company’s apology can influence consumer responses following CSI. Across two experimental studies in different CSI contexts, this research demonstrates that a company’s expression of anger (vs. sadness) enhances consumers’ perceived competence of the company, leading to higher purchase intentions. Furthermore, consumers’ mindset acts as a boundary condition such that the effect is attenuated among consumers with a growth (but not fixed) mindset. Thus, the findings of these studies have important theoretical and practical implications for the CSI literature.

Consumer Response to Brand Gender Bending: An Integrated Review and Future Research Agenda

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namrata Sandhu
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Consumer Response ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Multidisciplinary Perspective ◽  
Opposite Gender ◽  
Practical Implications

In the postmodern era, many marketers have disturbed the strict gender discipline traditionally associated with gendered brands. Marketers are redoing their gender work by blurring the stark distinction between masculine and feminine brands. New consumption ideologies are developing that transcend the gendered meanings of brands and encourage men and women to infiltrate brands traditionally associated with the opposite gender. “Unisex” is emerging as the byword. This review convenes the phenomenological consumer responses to brand gender bending. It specifically highlights the contrast between the ways in which men and women react to dilution/revision of the gender identity meanings of their brands. This article also underscores the ethnographic, sociological, psychological, and anthropological reasons that justify these reactions. Based on the review and scientific understanding of the long-standing research, this article proposes a conceptual framework that exhibits the determinants that govern consumer responses to brand gender bending. Future researchers may empirically examine the validity of the framework. The practical implications of the article focus on providing suggestions to marketers engaged in the design of cross-gender brand extension strategies. It is believed that this article adds a fresh multidisciplinary perspective to the exiting literature on brand gender bending.

Consumer responses to shopper solutions in service settings

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley M. Thomas ◽  
Christopher L. Newman ◽  
Stacey R. Finkelstein ◽  
Yoon-Na Cho ◽  
Allyn Cascio
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Marketing Tactic ◽  
Shopping Experience ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Retailers are continuously seeking to improve upon the in-store shopping experience for their customers. The present research aims to examine consumers’ responses to one such initiative – the shopper solution – that, despite its growing marketplace prominence, remains largely unexamined in academic literature. Design/methodology/approach Two studies employed a 2(shopper solution: present vs. absent) between-subjects design. MANOVA and regression analyses were used to test hypothesized relationships. Findings Findings across two studies reveal that the presence (vs absence) of solutions positively influenced shoppers’ perceptions of shopping convenience, as well as their purchase intentions. These favorable effects also extended to the provider in higher word-of-mouth and loyalty intentions. Shopping convenience was identified as the mechanism underlying the impact of solutions, while “smart shopper” self-perceptions were shown to moderate these mediating effects. Practical implications Shopper solutions represent a low-cost, in-store marketing tactic that enhances shopping convenience. They are easy to implement, result in little to no overhead costs and can benefit both shoppers and retailers. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research represents the first academic examination of the impact of shopper solutions. The authors identify key mediating and moderating influences of the effects of solutions.

Corporate acceleration process: a systems psychodynamics perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1163-1180
Author(s):  
Piotr Wójcik ◽  
Krzysztof Obłój ◽  
Aleksandra Wąsowska ◽  
Szymon Wierciński
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Acceleration Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Social Defenses ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the emotional dynamics of the corporate acceleration process, using the systems psychodynamics perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies inductive multiple case study of embedded 10 cases of corporate acceleration, covering both incumbent and startup perspectives, occurring in the context of a corporate accelerator.FindingsWe find that (1) the process of corporate acceleration involves three phases, each of them is dominated by a different emotional state (hope, anxiety and acceptance), triggering different behavioral responses; (2) as a means to deal with negative emotions, entrepreneurs and corporate acceleration program's team members develop different mechanisms of dealing with contradictories in subsequent acceleration phases (defense and copying mechanisms), which are reflected in their behaviors. Coping mechanisms with goal reformulation (i.e. refocus from the officially declared “open innovation” goals toward mainly symbolic ones) is an effective strategy to manage negative emotions in third phase of the acceleration.Research limitations/implicationsOur sample is limited to two relatively similar accelerators established by telecom companies, and therefore, our theoretical and practical conclusions cannot be generalized.Practical implicationsWe supplement the studies of corporate accelerators that imply how to design them better and improve decision-making rules with recommendation that in order to improve their effectiveness in terms of learning and innovations, their managers need not only to learn how to manage structural and procedural differences but also how to overcome social defenses triggered by corporate–startups cooperation.Originality/valueBy documenting a multidimensional impact of acceleration process, and especially shedding light on psychodynamic aspects behind such liaisons, this paper contributes to richer understanding of corporate–startup relationships, typically examined through a rationalistic lens of strategy literature. The study contributes to interorganizational research and open innovation literature, by showing that corporate acceleration process is marked by phases based on the type of emotions intertwined with the nature and dynamism of its life cycle. It indicates how these emotions are managed depending on their type.

scholarly journals Psychometric properties of the polish updated Illinois rape myth acceptance scale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Ewa Łyś ◽  
Kamilla Bargiel-Matusiewicz ◽  
Tomasz Krasuski ◽  
Anna Studzińska
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Myth Acceptance

AbstractStereotyped beliefs concerning rape, called rape myths, are a global problem. The aim of the studies was to assess the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale which is used to assess rape myth acceptance. The tool has a high internal consistency (α = .92) and an overly good test-retest reliability (the It Wasn’t Really Rape subscale being one exception), The five-factor model fits the data better than the four-factor one. Both in the case of the four-factor and the five-factor models the brief version fits the data better than the full one. The study also demonstrated positive correlations of rape myth acceptance with right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, system justification, cultural conservatism, hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, beliefs in biological origins of the differences between men and women and unjust world beliefs. The correlation between rape myth acceptance and beliefs in cultural origins of the differences between men and women was negative. The analyses suggest that the Polish Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale is a reliable and valid tool and can be useful for further studies of rape myth acceptance.

Greener than Others? Exploring Generational Differences in Green Purchase Intent

2021 ◽  
pp. 147078532110341
Author(s):  
Chang-Dae Ham ◽  
Un Chae Chung ◽  
Woo Jin Kim ◽  
Seo Yoon Lee ◽  
Sang-Hwa Oh
Keyword(s):  
Generational Differences ◽  
Social Intelligence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Generation Gap ◽  
Purchase Intent ◽  
Consumer Socialization ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Practical Implications

This study explored the generation gap in American consumers’ green perceptions and purchase intentions across four generations (Gen Z, Y, X, and Baby Boomers) from the perspectives of consumer socialization and social intelligence. Analyzing a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States ( N = 19,450), the survey results revealed that the American consumer’s green norms and beliefs varied by generation. A series of multiple regression analyses showed that each generation had similar but idiosyncratic beliefs in purchasing products from green companies. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Evaluating a bereavement support group

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy C. Maruyama ◽  
Clarisa V. Atencio
Keyword(s):  
General Hospital ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Bereavement Support ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Bereavement Support Group

ABSTRACTObjective:To assess the feasibility of an 8-week bereavement support group in a general hospital setting.Methods:We assessed grief and mood before and after an 8-week bereavement support group and compared dropouts to completers. Forty-seven participants filled out mood and grief questionnaires. Scores were compared with norms, then baseline and follow-up scores were analyzed by paired t tests. Fifteen dropouts' scores were compared with completers' baseline scores.Results:Participants' grief improved, as did depression in women but not men. Women dropouts scored significantly higher on Anger, Tension/Anxiety.Significance of results:Findings suggest men and women respond differently to bereavement groups. Bereaved individuals with high anger and tension may require interventions addressing their particular needs, with a focus on acceptance of negative emotions.

Promoting authenticity through celebrity brands

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Kennedy ◽  
Stacey M. Baxter ◽  
Alicia Kulczynski
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Consumer Perceptions ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Monetary Compensation ◽  
High Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the importance of celebrity brands in influencing consumer perceptions of celebrity authenticity, which drives positive consumer attitudes and intentions. In addition, the notion of low-celebrity investment is investigated as a factor that diminishes the positive outcomes associated with celebrity brands. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 examines the effect of brand situation (endorsement versus celebrity brand) on consumer attitudes and intentions. Studies 2 and 3 investigate the role of celebrity authenticity in explaining the effects observed in Study 1. Study 4 examines celebrity investment as a bound of the phenomenon. Findings Study 1 demonstrates that consumers report heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands when compared to endorsements. Studies 2 and 3 provide evidence that authenticity explains the effects observed in Study 1. Results of Study 4 show that when consumers are aware of low-celebrity investment, the celebrity is viewed as inauthentic regardless of brand situation. Research limitations/implications This research is limited as it focuses only on known celebrity endorsers who were matched with products that had a high level of fit. In addition, purchase intentions were measured as opposed to the study of actual purchase behaviour. Practical implications This research has important implications for the development of endorsements and celebrity brands by demonstrating that consumers view celebrities as authentic when they are involved with brands for reasons other than monetary compensation. Originality/value This research shows that consumers have heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands compared to endorsements. This research identifies celebrity authenticity as the process underlying the observed phenomenon. However, celebrity investment is identified as a boundary condition demonstrating that knowledge of low investment results in a celebrity being viewed as inauthentic.

An evaluation of public policy student placements: outcomes of a Malta-based study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Marie Thake
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Mandatory Requirement ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate short-term, unpaid placements offered to students reading for a degree in public policy. They provide added value to their tertiary education experience. Elective placements were offered in 2012 and became a mandatory requirement for students reading for a three-year bachelor of commerce degree in public policy in 2018. To date, no research has been carried out on these placements and this may serve as a model for a post-evaluation assessment.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from students who undertook placements, embedded in the public policy undergraduate programme. A document analysis of selected student and placement provider's reports was carried out to complement the students' responses to an online questionnaire.FindingsPlacements are of value to students as they served as an introduction to the working world. They enable students to establish connections with the course content and carry out research. They were exposed to real-life situations, developing their knowledge, acquiring soft skills and learning new tools, sought after by employers. These placements were valued as a route to graduate employment tailor-made to the degree's requirements. Students were able to embark on a soul-searching, introspective discovery and journey which made them mature and shed light in the direction of future work prospects.Research limitations/implicationsPlacements give students the opportunity to gain insights into real-work environments and are able to link theories learnt in the class-room with real-life situations. Placements have positive implications on students adjusting to their work life easily after graduation. The limitations are that the sample size was small and that the reflective reports which were randomly selected may not have necessarily been representative of the full complement.Practical implicationsThe practical implications are that the placements system and process can easily be implemented and replicated in other academic disciplines and universities as a compulsory component of their studies.Social implicationsPlacements gave students the opportunity to reflect on their learning, develop non-technical skills and enhance their confidence levels. They were also able to network and communicate with different employees.Originality/valuePlacements provided exposure to relevant organisations and personal enrichment in terms of acquiring skills, autonomy and independence. Students with placement experience are also more likely to secure future employment, relevant to their undergraduate degree.

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