Dr. Alexander Pfeuffer

Assistant Professor of Advertising, Advertising and Public Relations

About: Dr. Pfeuffer teaches strategic communication research and management. His research interests include the psychology of advertising effects and native advertising regulation.

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Education

Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of Minnesota
M.C.M., Communication Management, University of Southern California
B.A., Communication, George Mason University

Research Interests and Activities

Dr. Pfeuffer’s research takes a social psychological approach to the examination of advertising effects. His work is at the nexus of online advertising, consumer behavior, and consumer protection and explores the effects and mechanisms of native and covert online advertising formats. Recently, he has focused on the effects of sponsorship disclosure in electronic word-of-mouth communication. He has presented his research at national and international conferences.

Unique… like everyone else: effects and mechanisms of personalization appeals in recruitment advertising Alexander Pfeuffer

Pfiffelmann, J., Alexander Pfeuffer, Dens, N., Soulez, S. (2023). Unique… like everyone else: effects and mechanisms of personalization appeals in recruitment advertising. International Journal of Advertising. Abstract: Recruiters are faced with the […]

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Will Brands Make it if They Fake it? Exploring the Effects of CGI Influencer Disclosures in Sponsored Social Media Posts Alexander Pfeuffer and Jooyoung Kim

Alex Pfeuffer, Haley Hatfield (Ph.D. student), & Jooyoung Kim. “Will Brands Make it if They Fake it? Exploring the Effects of CGI Influencer Disclosures in Sponsored Social Media Posts.” Paper […]

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Understanding Personalized Recruitment Ads’ Effectiveness: The Role of Personalization Type and Message Involvement Alexander Pfeuffer

J. Pfiffelmann & Alexander Pfeuffer.(Forthcoming). Understanding Personalized Recruitment Ads’ Effectiveness: The Role of Personalization Type and Message Involvement. Journal of Interactive Advertising. Abstract: In response to the challenge of replacing retiring […]

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Fuzzy Boundaries: Journalists telling branded stories Karin Assmann and Alexander Pfeuffer

Abstract: Brand Studios have become ubiquitous in news outlets across the United States. Situated in news organizations with the attention of audiences that brands hope to reach, these in-house creative studios […]

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AAA Research Fellowship Award Alexander Pfeuffer and Joe Phua

Alex Pfeuffer, assistant professor of advertising, and Joe Phua, associate professor of advertising, were awarded a AAA Research Fellowship Award for a 3-year research project studying vlogs and trust cues […]

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Pushing Fuzzy Boundaries: Advertising, Journalism Ethics and Professional Identities in Branded Newsrooms Karin Assmann and Alexander Pfeuffer

Panel proposal accepted for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference, August 2022. Panelists: Alexander Pfeuffer, Ava Sirrah, Columbia University (PhD candidate).

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Reaching the Vaccine-Averse: The Role of Cue-based Trust in COVID-19 Vaccination Social Media Vlogs Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy Joe Phua and Alexander Pfeuffer

A multi-method study (Study 1: Focus groups; Study 2: Survey; Study 3: Online experiment) will examine user-generated COVID-19 vaccine information in social media-based vlogs to (1) identify eWOM content attributes […]

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Getting to Yes: Vaccinating the Hesitant and Resistant Among Populations who Experience Health Disparities and Lower Vaccination Rates Glen Nowak and Alexander Pfeuffer

Abstract:  Getting to Yes is a collaboration with The Tri-County Rural Health Network, UMAS, GSU, and UGA. The overall goal of this work will be to understand the drivers of the […]

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Stranger Danger? Cue-based Trust in Online Consumer Product Review Videos Joe Phua and Alexander Pfeuffer

Abstract: Trust is a significant factor in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) effects. Consumers often need to form judgments about others using heuristic cues when they cannot rely on previous cumulative experiences with […]

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Trusting on a Whim? A Multi-method Inquiry of Cue-based Trust in Online Consumer Product Reviews Alexander Pfeuffer, Joe Phua & Marilyn Primovic

Abstract: Online, consumers often cannot develop trust through cumulative experiences with another party but must instead rely on heuristic cues for their trust formation. Drawing on the theoretical construct of […]

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The Portrayal of Forest Certification in National and State Newspapers of the United States Alexander Pfeuffer

Abstract: Forest certification has emerged as a market-based tool to safeguard the sustainability of the world’s forests. Since media can shape public opinion, this study examines media treatment of forest […]

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Stranger Danger? Cue-based Trust in Online Consumer Product Review Videos. Alexander Pfeuffer and Joe Phua

Abstract: Trust is a significant factor in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) effects. Online, consumers often need to form judgments about others using heuristic cues when they cannot rely on previous cumulative […]

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The Effect of Sponsorship Disclosure in YouTube Product Reviews. Alexander Pfeuffer

Abstract: Facing the rising trend of sponsored product reviews posted on social media, government regulatory agencies have published industry guidelines requiring disclosure of sponsorship in social media product reviews. However, […]

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Effects of Different Sponsorship Disclosure Message Types on Consumers’ Trust and Attitudes Alexander Pfeuffer

Abstract: Addressing the problem of increasing sponsored eWOM and diverse and confusing disclosure practices, this study examined the effects of different types of sponsorship disclosure messages on (1) consumers’ trust […]

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Effects of Different Sponsorship Disclosure Message Types on Consumers’ Trust and Attitudes toward Sponsored eWOM Alexander Pfeuffer

Abstract: Addressing the problem of increasing and diversifying sponsored eWOM on social media, this study examined the effects of different types of sponsorship arrangements and disclosure messages, with focus on […]

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Teaching Specialties

His primary teaching interests include research methodology, mass communication theory, and communication management.

Awards and Fellowships

• He was the recipient of the 2017 Ralph D. Casey Dissertation Award (University of Minnesota.)

In the News

Podcast: Personalization and disclosures in digital advertising, with Dr. Alexander Pfeuffer

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Grady College names 2021-22 Teachers of the Year

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Students benefit from class redesign

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Brands gain or lose trust from consumers based on transparency and type of sponsorship agreement with online reviewers

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