The impact of music pleasantness and fit on advertising attitudes for low and high involvement consumers

Research in advertising suggests that music produces a substantial impact on a consumer’s attitude (e.g. Alpert and Alpert, 1989; Kellaris and Cox, 1989; North, MacKenzie, Law & Hargreaves, 2004; and Zander, 2006). However, there has been relatively little work on the mechanisms affecting low vs high involvement consumers. This study applies two dominant models on the impact of music in persuasion, classical conditioning and musical fit, to investigate the influence on low and high involvement consumers. Classical conditioning theory suggests that when a positive stimulus (i.e., the music) is associated with a neutral stimulus (the advertised product), the positive reaction to the music becomes associated with the product, leading to a favourable attitude (Gorn, 1982). Musical fit theory suggests that music activates information and evoked associations based on previous knowledge/familiarity, and when these fit the advertised product, the message becomes more persuasive (MacInnis and Park, 1991). Using an experimental design, 188 respondents saw advertisements paired with music that was pre-tested to be either pleasant/unpleasant (classical conditioning context) or congruent/incongruent with the product category (musical fit). Respondent’s involvement with the product category was also measured. The study found that ‘pleasant’ music significantly increased attitudes/purchase intention for low-involvement respondents (regardless of fit), while congruent music positively affected attitudes under high involvement conditions. Managerial implications and future research are discussed

Online and store patronage : a typology of grocery shoppers

Purpose Grounded on approach/avoidance behaviour theory, the purpose of this paper is to develop a typology of grocery shoppers based on the concomitant perceived advantages and disadvantages of shopping online and in store for a single cohort of consumers who buy groceries in both channels. Design/methodology/approach A survey design was employed using a sample of 871 UK shoppers who had purchased groceries online and offline. The survey instrument contained items that measured the perceived advantages and disadvantages of grocery shopping online, and items relating to the perceived advantages and disadvantages of grocery shopping in traditional supermarkets. Items were selected from the extant literature and subjected to content and face validity checks. Cluster analysis was used to develop typologies of online and offline grocery shoppers. The inter-relation between the two typology sets was then examined. Findings The results of the research provide several insights into the characteristics, perceptions and channel patronage preferences of grocery shoppers. In particular, profiling e-grocery shoppers on the basis of their concomitant perceptions of shopping online and in store suggests that the choice of whether to shop online or in store may be driven not by the perceived advantages of one channel vs the other, but by the desire to avoid the greater disadvantages of the alternative. These perceptions differ somewhat between different consumer groups. Originality/value This study makes a noteworthy contribution to the internet and general shopping literature by providing a profile of grocery shoppers based on their concomitant and often conflicting perceived advantages and disadvantages of shopping online and their perceived advantages and disadvantages of shopping in traditional supermarkets. The use of a single cohort of consumers overcomes the bias in previous studies that employ separate cohorts of online and offline shoppers and reveal important insights into the complex perceptions and behaviours of multichannel grocery shoppers. </jats:sec

Choice of standards as a competitive strategy in high tech markets: a cross sectional study of UK businesses creation

In high technology markets, standards represent a source of competitive advantage for firms, influencing both business performance and technological development. Although previous approaches have suggested characterising standards along dimensions such as performance levels or functionality, the concept of a standard has not received much formal attention. In this thesis, I construct a typology to delineate product standards based on the interrelationships between: (i) components within the product, (ii) the product and other products, and/or (iii) the product and the user (Dhebar 1995). Drawing from marketing, business strategy and industrial organisation economics literature, I develop a framework linking firm, demand and industry characteristics to a firm's choice of standard to pursue. I argue that various antecedent factors may have opposing influences on the choice of standard, with implications for the positional advantage achieved by the firm. Survey data were collected from 234 marketing or technology managers from a representative sample of over 1700 high technology companies. The results supported the hypotheses that specific antecedent factors (reputation, learning costs, consumer heterogeneity, a radical innovation and appropriability) influence the type of standard pursued by a firm

Convening an Emerging Technologies Working Group in an Academic Library

The Instructional Services Department at University of Kansas Libraries is a leader in combining technology literacy and information literacy into a cohesive skill set. Because emerging information technologies represent one of the fastest moving targets in the profession, librarians\u27 understandings and utilization of these technologies to enhance library instruction requires intentional, concerted and coordinated effort. How best to identify and recommend specific emerging technologies to library administration and other potential stakeholders? The presenters will discuss how to convene an emerging technologies working group, with consideration for participants\u27 skill levels and interest areas, as well as the size of the group. They will review current research methods and tools for identifying technologies that are applicable to library instruction in classroom, distance, and courseware environments. With emphasis on discovery, they will suggest opportunities for testing and creatively expanding upon the usefulness of new technologies. Finally, the speakers will describe how to create an in-house proposal that garnishes administrative support and discuss the factors that affect the implementation of technologies into instruction, including realistic timelines, delivery methods, staff training, and course content enhancement. Attendees at this presentation will leave the session understanding how to convene a task group and how to research, test, and recommend emerging information technologies that can then be incorporated into their library instruction programs

The impact of packaging design on health product perceptions

Packaging design has been studied in a variety of contexts but findings remain inconsistent, particularly on the impact of individual elements (e.g. Mitchell & Papvassiliou, 1999; Becker, Rompay, Schifferstein and Galetzka, 2011; Siloyoi & Speece, 2007). Although several studies have found visual cues (picture, typography, colour) to be the most impactful on consumer attention and attitude (e.g. Folkes & Matta, 2004; Silayoi & Speece, 2004), most studies have focused on other elements such as size and shape, (e.g. Ares & Deliza, 2010) and verbal cues (e.g. Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2013). Responding to recent calls for more research (Orth, Campana & Malkewitz 2010), this study investigates the impact of both visual elements and verbal elements on consumer perceptions, specifically looking at product ‘healthiness’. To date, there is relatively little research looking at health product perceptions in the marketing literature, despite recognition that health is ‘the most significant trend and innovation driver in the global and foods drink market’ (Meziane, 2007). This paper applies conjoint analysis to examine the relative importance of four product attributes representing visual and verbal cues: level of information provided on the label (low vs high); presence of an organic ‘kite’ mark (yes/no); colour (green/orange) and the product image on the label (transparent window vs product photo). It is worth noting that despite being widely found on health food packaging, transparent windows have been considered in only one paper to date (Sioutis, 2011). Three product categories were tested (baby food, soup and coffee) across 288 UK participants. The results find verbal cues to be most important, with the amount of information provided being the key driver

Improving health and education outcomes for children in remote communities: A cross-sector and developmental evaluation approach

Early childhood is one of the most influential developmental life stages. Attainments at this stage will have implications for the quality of life children experience as they transition to adulthood. Children residing in remote Australia are exposed to socioeconomic disadvantage that can contribute to developmental delays and resultant poorer education and health outcomes. Complex contributing factors in far west New South Wales have resulted in children with speech and fine motor skill delays experiencing no to limited access to allied health services for a number of decades. More recently, growing awareness that no single policy, government agency, or program could effectively respond to these complexities or ensure appropriate allied health service access for children in these communities has led to the development of the Allied Health in Outback Schools Program, which has been operational since 2009. The program is underpinned by cross-sector partnerships and a shared aspirational aim to improve the developmental outcomes of children to enhance their later life opportunities. It was identified early that the initiative had the potential to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes for communities and participating partner organisations.Over the last five years the program has been the catalyst for partnership consolidation, expansion and diversification. The developmental evaluation approach to continuous program adaptation and refinement has provided valuable insights that have informed health and education policy and enabled the program to be responsive to changing community needs, emerging policy and funding reforms.This article explores the evolution of the program partnerships, their contribution to program success and longevity, and their capacity to respond to an emergent and dynamic environment. The authors propose that a community-centred and developmental approach to program innovation and implementation in remote locations is required. This is based on the premise that contemporary linear, logic-based policy development and funding allocations, with predetermined program deliverables and outcomes, are no longer capable of responding appropriately to the complexities experienced by remote communities.Keywords: allied health, remote communities, cross-sectoral partnerships, service learnin

Aberrant developmental titin splicing and dysregulated sarcomere length in Thymosin β4 knockout mice

Sarcomere assembly is a highly orchestrated and dynamic process which adapts, during perinatal development, to accommodate growth of the heart. Sarcomeric components, including titin, undergo an isoform transition to adjust ventricular filling. Many sarcomeric genes have been implicated in congenital cardiomyopathies, such that understanding developmental sarcomere transitions will inform the aetiology and treatment. We sought to determine whether Thymosin β4 (Tβ4), a peptide that regulates the availability of actin monomers for polymerization in non-muscle cells, plays a role in sarcomere assembly during cardiac morphogenesis and influences adult cardiac function. In Tβ4 null mice, immunofluorescence-based sarcomere analyses revealed shortened thin filament, sarcomere and titin spring length in cardiomyocytes, associated with precocious up-regulation of the short titin isoforms during the postnatal splicing transition. By magnetic resonance imaging, this manifested as diminished stroke volume and limited contractile reserve in adult mice. Extrapolating to an in vitro cardiomyocyte model, the altered postnatal splicing was corrected with addition of synthetic Tβ4, whereby normal sarcomere length was restored. Our data suggest that Tβ4 is required for setting correct sarcomere length and for appropriate splicing of titin, not only in the heart but also in skeletal muscle. Distinguishing between thin filament extension and titin splicing as the primary defect is challenging, as these events are intimately linked. The regulation of titin splicing is a previously unrecognised role of Tβ4 and gives preliminary insight into a mechanism by which titin isoforms may be manipulated to correct cardiac dysfunction

Analysis of graft survival in a trial of stem cell transplant in ALS

Objective The first US Food and Drug Administration–approved clinical trial to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( ALS ) with neural stem cell–based therapy is in progress. The goal of the current study was to identify and assess the survival of human spinal cord–derived neural stem cells ( HSSC s) transplanted into the spinal cord in patients with ALS . Methods Spinal cords transplanted with HSSCs were examined from six autopsy cases. Homogenized tissues were interrogated for the presence of donor versus recipient DNA using real‐time PCR methods ( qPCR ). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed using DNA probes for XY chromosomes to identify male donor HSSCs in one female case, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to characterize the identified donor cells. Results Genomic DNA from donor HSSC s was identified in all cases, comprising 0.67–5.4% of total tissue DNA in patients surviving 196 to 921 days after transplantation. In the one female patient a “nest” of cells identified on H&E staining were XY ‐positive by FISH , confirming donor origin. A subset of XY ‐positive cells labeled for the neuronal marker NeuN and stem cell marker SOX 2. Interpretation This is the first study to identify human neural stem cells transplanted into a human spinal cord. Transplanted HSSC s survived up to 2.5 years posttransplant. Some cells differentiated into neurons, while others maintained their stem cell phenotype. This work is a proof of concept of the survival and differentiation of human stems cell transplanted into the spinal cord of ALS patients.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109593/1/acn3134.pd

Pan-viral serology implicates enteroviruses in acute flaccid myelitis.

Since 2012, the United States of America has experienced a biennial spike in pediatric acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)1-6. Epidemiologic evidence suggests non-polio enteroviruses (EVs) are a potential etiology, yet EV RNA is rarely detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)2. CSF from children with AFM (n = 42) and other pediatric neurologic disease controls (n = 58) were investigated for intrathecal antiviral antibodies, using a phage display library expressing 481,966 overlapping peptides derived from all known vertebrate and arboviruses (VirScan). Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of AFM CSF RNA (n = 20 cases) was also performed, both unbiased sequencing and with targeted enrichment for EVs. Using VirScan, the viral family significantly enriched by the CSF of AFM cases relative to controls was Picornaviridae, with the most enriched Picornaviridae peptides belonging to the genus Enterovirus (n = 29/42 cases versus 4/58 controls). EV VP1 ELISA confirmed this finding (n = 22/26 cases versus 7/50 controls). mNGS did not detect additional EV RNA. Despite rare detection of EV RNA, pan-viral serology frequently identified high levels of CSF EV-specific antibodies in AFM compared with controls, providing further evidence for a causal role of non-polio EVs in AFM