Elyria Kemp

Marketers are taking note by using music and sound to reinforce a brand's identity. Sonic branding involves designing an auditory equivalent of a graphic representation of a brand that embodies the brand's essence, attributes and values. This research examines how the use of sonic logos in advertising can aid in inducing positive emotions in consumers in affect-rich decision contexts. Findings demonstrate that sonic logos have the ability to evoke positive emotions, stimulate engagement and enrich the brand experience, especially for those individuals high in emotion-based decision-making. Implications for how sonic branding can aid in enhancing marketing communications are discussed.

In the United States, during the early outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, African Americans experienced disproportionately high rates of infection and mortality relative to their share of the United States population. New Orleans, Louisiana was one of the places most heavily affected by the coronavirus during its early outbreak. The study that follows explores the attitudes of African Americans in New Orleans toward the virus, social and normative conditions which affected individual behaviors, as well as access to healthcare services and COVID-19 testing. In part one of the study, qualitative responses were collected from a sample of African Americans in the New Orleans area to garner perspective about their attitudes and behaviors related to the coronavirus outbreak. Part two of the study builds on findings from Study 1 with parameter estimates from a Logit regression to examine how social, economic and physical conditions determine vulnerability to COVID-19 infection among African Americans. Implications for how healthcare organizations can address the needs of vulnerable populations during a health-related crisis are discussed.

Social media and the Web have empowered consumers to share a myriad of information online about companies with reduced physical and psychological costs, rendering businesses responsible for acknowledging customer demands in order to obtain approval. In the face of such perceived scrutiny, this research investigates in two studies how proactive webcare can foster positive online interactions with customers as well as improve a firm’s presence on the web. Using
a mixed method approach to explore these phenomena, findings indicate that small businesses believe that socially prescribed perfectionism has manifested in the online environment; however, the effective use of webcare is positively associated with the promotion of consumer-generated content sharing which positively influences engagement and online reputation management.

A number of U.S. healthcare organizations are taking steps to implement online review programs for physicians. However, physicians may harbor concerns about being evaluated by their patients. This research investigates both the attitudes and concerns of physicians regarding a star rating system that was implemented in an actual healthcare system in the United States. A survey regarding the implementation of a rating system was sent to physicians at a major nonprofit healthcare system. Findings demonstrate that physicians express risk perceptions about patient rating systems, which in turn influence their attitude toward the rating system, rendering them reticent about adopting such a system. Results also suggest that level of involvement, trust of the rating system, and organizational support are negatively related to physicians’ risk perceptions toward the online rating system, whereas organizational support and physician engagement are positively related to transparency. Thus, this research submits that increasing physician level of involvement in transparency initiatives, inculcating trust in online review systems, and consistently offering organizational support might help to foster physician adoption of online review systems.

This research investigates stories about buyer-seller experiences in B2B advertising. In two studies, the authors explore the impact of stories and narrative transportation in advertising on decision makers' attitudinal responses. In Study 1, findings from a Fortune 100 company's buyer panel indicate that stories told using narrative advertising were positively related to the decision maker's trust in the supplier, ability to form personal connections with the supplier and the tendency to advocate for the supplier. Moreover, the organizational status of the decision maker (C-suite versus non-C-suite executives) was examined. Results demonstrate that the effect of these relationships were stronger for C-level decision makers than non-C-level decision makers. In Study 2, depth interviews were conducted with C-level decision makers. Findings reinforce results from Study 1 and provide additional insight into C-level decision makers' perspectives on stories and narrative transportation. Implications for how stories about buyer-seller relationships can benefit organizational decision making are discussed.

Trade shows are typically second only to personal selling in business-to-business promotional expen
ditures. As a result, trade show attendees are often inundated with product offerings by competing
firms. In order to successfully vie for attention, firms must find ways to engage attendees and poten
tial consumers. A key component of engaging with a brand is considering how consumers experience
the brand. This research examines the dynamics which enhance brand engagement by understanding
the factors which contribute to the brand experience of attendees at trade shows. Both qualitative
and quantitative data collected from actual trade show attendees highlight the dimensions of brand
experience and indicate that a positive brand experience is related to product adoption, which in turn
is related to advocacy for the brand. Considering how to shape the brand experience of consumers
in trade show settings enables a brand to successfully compete for attention with other offerings
as well as helps to foster engagement levels that eventually lead to positive outcomes for the firm.
Implications for considering brand experience as a key element of trade show marketing strategy are
discussed.

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Purpose-Researchers and practitioners have traditionally maintained that organizational buying requires rational decision-making. However, individuals at organizations make decisions daily applying a confluence of rationalizations and emotions. This study aims to address the roles of personal feelings, facts and emotional advertising content in the organizational decision-making process. Design/methodology/approach-In two studies, the authors apply both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore emotional and cognitive reactions to advertising. In Study 1, depth interviews were conducted with marketing and advertising content developers from a Fortune 100 technology company. In Study 2, a web-based survey was sent out to a Fortune 100 company's buyer panel. Findings-Results suggest that advertising using emotion-based themes helps to foster brand engagement tendencies and advocacy for a brand. Findings also demonstrate that organizational status (C-level executive's vs non-C-level employees) moderates the relationship between buyers' reliance on facts and their receptivity to advertising using emotion-based themes, such that reliance on facts increases the appeal of emotional advertising. Research limitations/implications-This research contributes to the organizational buying literature by addressing the dearth of research on the role of emotions in organizational decision-making and providing insight into the role of advertising in business-to-business (B2B) decision-making. Practical implications-These results imply that advertising incorporating emotion-based themes provide meaningful information to B2B buyers and is especially effective when targeted at buyers at higher levels in an organization. Originality/value-B2B buying behavior has traditionally been considered a rational undertaking. This research explores how decision-making orientation and the presence of advertising using emotion-based themes help to foster engagement and advocacy for the brand.

Efforts are being made to examine how the arts help people reach their full potential and contribute to subjective well‐being. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between artistic consumption and consumer well‐being. Specifically, consumer motives, represented as emotion regulation, and arts engagement are examined to assess the relationship between arts participation and life satisfaction. This assessment is carried out in 2 countries, the United States and Croatia. Findings from both countries indicate that emotion regulation is positively related to arts engagement. In turn, arts engagement is positively related to arts participation for consumers in both countries. Results, however, diverge for both countries with respect to the influence that artistic consumption has on global life satisfaction. For U.S. consumers, arts participation is positively related to life satisfaction; yet arts participation is not related to satisfaction for Croatian consumers. Implications for the role the arts play in contributing to consumer well‐being are discussed.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the stages involved in occupational dream pursuit (ODP). In this study, dreams are studied in
the context of life-changing, occupational endeavors. The judgment and decision-making that fuels the process and the consumption motives that
appear throughout the various stages of the journey are examined through the narratives of individuals living out their career-related dreams.
Design/methodology/approach – Open-ended interviews were conducted with individuals who were embarking on a life-changing career
attainment experience. The narratives of these informants uncovered psychological, social and behavioral aspects of the dream pursuit process.
Findings – Through the informants’ narratives, common themes emerged with respect to the ODP journey, and these themes offered a fluid
interpretation of the stages involved in the dream pursuit process: revelation, inciting action, development, maintenance and evolution. At each
stage, specific consumption motives and behaviors predominate. These themes, including the consumption, psychological and developmental
processes that take place at each stage, are discussed through the narratives of the informants.
Research limitations/implications – This study highlights the role of positive emotions, personal growth, consumption motives and behaviors in
ODP.
Originality/value – Dreams give individuals a sense of purpose and being. Although conventional wisdom acknowledges the importance of dream
actualization, limited behavioral research has explored the nuances of ODP with regard to decision-making and consumption.

Purpose – The dynamic landscape of healthcare has seen significant changes in marketing by the various types of healthcare providers. This
research aims to explore the impact of emotions in healthcare advertising.
Design/methodology/approach – Two consumer panel experiments investigate the role of hope and empathy appeals in fostering positive
evaluations toward healthcare providers (medical centers for serious illnesses).
Findings – Study 1 shows that two types of emotion-based healthcare appeals are more effective than non-emotional appeals. Study 2 compares
the relative effectiveness of hope versus empathy appeals with medical expert or typical person (patient) testimonials.
Research limitations/implications – Findings demonstrate that in a healthcare context, an expert testimonial enhanced the persuasiveness of a
hope-based appeal, whereas testimonials from unknown patients were not effective.
Originality/value – Understanding the role of emotions in healthcare advertising is increasingly important as healthcare providers compete on care
and quality outcomes and advertising agencies vie for the attention of consumers.

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Substantial concern about the wide variety of carbohydrate-related claims appearing on consumer packaged food products have been expressed by members of both the marketing and public policy communities. As a result, a number of petitions requesting the establishment of carbohydrate levels required for a low-carbohydrate nutrient content claim have been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration, and the agency is considering the establishment of criteria for such a claim. This research examines the potential effects of a “low-carbohydrate” claim, relative to the effects of a “low-fat” claim, across selected product fat and carbohydrate levels. The study also considers whether consumers’ motivation to process nutrition information serves as a potential moderator of the effects of the nutrient content claims and nutrient levels on the dependent measures. As predicted, the results show key differences across consumer motivation levels. The policy implications of our findings are discussed.

Consumers with serious illnesses may especially be attentive to and susceptible to the marketing
communications of health care providers who offer hope and solutions. The purpose of this research
is to examine the role of emotions in consumer health care decision making. Specifically, three
studies investigate whether advertisements that induce hope engender trust and foster higher
utilization intentions in consumers. Additionally, the effectiveness of testimonials, which often
pervade health care advertising, is examined for its role in eliciting favorable evaluations toward the
health care provider. Health care consumers, especially those with serious health conditions, may be
considered vulnerable consumers. Implications for marketing to vulnerable health care consumers
are discussed.

This research explored how individuals regulate their emotions by consuming products of a hedonic nature. We introduce a new construct to the consumer research literature, emotion regulation consumption (ERC), which involves the consumption or purchase of a good or service for the purposes of alleviating, repairing, or managing an emotion in the short term. Specifically, ERC processes were examined for four discrete emotions – sadness, amusement, contentment, and fear/anxiety. Additionally, this research demonstrates how an individual’s ability to use internal cognitive control processes, or ‘‘emotion regulation strategies,’’ to manage emotions may differentially moderate the effects of emotions on hedonic consumption. Important theoretical and managerial
implications are offered.

Rising US medical costs as well as more competition in the health care industry have led
many Americans to pursue health care in foreign destinations. As a result, leading
countries in medical tourism have begun launching international advertising campaigns.
A growing trend in much of this advertising is the use of emotional appeals. The
purpose of this research is to examine whether the use of emotional appeals by nondomestic
health care providers contributes to more favourable evaluations of the target
health care provider than rational appeals. Specifically, two experimental studies
investigate the efficacy of advertisements that induce the emotion of hope to determine
whether these advertisements increase trust perceptions and reduce perceived risk, given an individual’s level of risk propensity. Implications for public policy makers and
marketing managers who work in health care are discussed.

Professional truck drivers experience many challenges in the course of performing their jobs. Drivers must meet the needs of their company,
shippers, and receivers as well as comply with safety regulations. It is well documented that truck drivers are prone to physical exhaustion;
however, they may also be subject to emotional exhaustion, which can impact their decision to remain with a company. This research examines
the influence of job stressors, such as role conflict and role ambiguity and their relationship to emotional exhaustion in professional truck drivers.  Furthermore, the effect that job stressors and emotional exhaustion have on the efforts of a firm to build corporate identification, collective mind, and commitment among truck drivers is examined. Using qualitative and quantitative data from 435 professional truck drivers, a conceptual model is developed and tested using structural equation modeling. Findings are discussed and implications for managers in improving driver retention rates are offered.