Focus: Consumer behavior

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 cue-based trust and signaling theory, we conducted an online experiment as the final study of a three-study multi-method research project aimed to identify content attributes […]

Abstract: A pseudo-review is a type of online user-generated review (“review”) posted on an e-commerce website that often resembles an authentic review on the surface, telling an exaggerated story about alleged product use. However, while authentic reviews often include humor as a stylistic device to convey a genuine product evaluation, pseudo-reviews use humor to mock […]

Abstract: Consumer-driven sharing and creation activities are valuable engagement activities as they help spread awareness and interaction for brands on social media. Loyal fans of brand pages are an important audience for brand-related social media engagement, as they are more likely to recommend and advocate for brands. However, little is known about what motivates loyal […]

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to revisit the Bud Light “Superstitions” campaign, for which we examined how superstitious fans’ inferences of manipulative intention might influence their responses to the sponsor’s persuasion attempt in the sponsorship-linked advertising (SLA). Given that team identification was robustly found to be a powerful predictor of a variety of […]

Abstract: At the same time the 1960s sitcom Bewitched aired in reruns next to drag queens on LOGOtv, a cable channel targeted to LGBTQ viewers, it also aired on the former National Christian Network channel (Familynet) immediately preceding a line-up of church programs featuring far-right, anti-gay activists. How can a TV text be supple enough […]

Abstract: Fans of brand pages are valuable as they help spread positive word-of-mouth on social media, and drive brand recommendations to other social media users. Companies, such as Nike and Coca-Cola, are focusing their social media strategies on identifying ways to motivate fans to share and create brand-related content. Whereas previous studies have shown that […]

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 experiences with an online entity. Drawing on the theoretical construct of cue-based trust and signaling theory, this study aimed to identify and examine the efficacy […]

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the relative effects of travel social influencers (TSI)’ total number of follower and engagement level on consumers’ intention to travel to advertised destination and purchase the advertised product as well as their perceived credibility, expertise, and attractiveness. The results suggest that engagement becomes an important characteristic […]

Abstract: This study examined the effects of chief executive officers’ (CEOs) self-disclosure on consumer–brand relationships and the moderating role of brand relationship norms. To test the proposed hypotheses, a 2 × 2 factorial design was implemented with self-disclosure (high vs. low) and relationship norms (exchange v. communal) as the between-subjects factors. The results showed the interplay between […]

Eun Sook Kwon (Grady PhD Alum)and Jooyoung Kim (Forthcoming). Exploring Brand Humanization on SNSs: Brand Personality and Its Influence on Brand Partner Quality, Brand Attitude, and Consumer Behavioral Engagement. International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising. Abstract: This study explored whether consumers interacting with brands on SNSs attribute human-like personalities to brands and further examined […]