The influence of global and local iconic brand positioning on advertising persuasion in an emerging market setting

This study explores how positioning a brand as global and/or local iconic can moderate the impact of advertising frequency (AF) on brand attitudes in an emerging market context. We argue that brands may be seen as the source of an advertisement and that the positioning of a brand can thus enhance source attractiveness, and/or source credibility, which in turn facilitate the impact of AF on brand attitudes. Our results support that both a global and a local iconic positioning enhance the AF – brand image relationship, but they do not have an effect on the AF – brand quality relationship. Additionally, we examine whether source attractiveness and source credibility mediate these moderation effects and find that only source attractiveness is a significant mediator. Additionally, we investigate whether a hybrid positioning strategy (i.e., positioning as both global and local iconic) is beneficial. Results indicate that a separate positioning (i.e., global or local iconic) is a better strategy to increase the attractiveness of the advertising source and in turn to facilitate the effect of advertising frequency to create brand image

How nostalgic brand positioning shapes brand equity: differences between emerging and developed markets

Extant research has established the effects of nostalgic brand positioning on brand equity, but studies have only examined individual nostalgic brand relationship dimensions separately. Combining these strands, we offer a holistic perspective of the mediating processes and identify contextual and firm-related moderators that affect the individual linkages. We draw on construal level theory and develop a multilevel model in which emotional attachment, brand local iconness, and brand authenticity explain how nostalgic brand positioning creates brand equity. We posit that country differences between emerging and developed markets and brand innovativeness moderate these mediating effects. The results from large consumer samples suggest that emotional attachment and brand local iconness play a weaker role in mediating the connection of nostalgic brand positioning and brand equity in emerging markets. However, this disadvantage in creating brand equity through nostalgic brand positioning in emerging markets can be attenuated with increasing levels of brand innovativeness

Time savings and accuracy of a simulated flexible and conditional administration of the MMPI-2-RF in presurgical psychological evaluations of bariatric surgery candidates

Background: The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2- RF) has empirically validated utility in presurgical psychological evaluations of bariatric surgery patients. However, clinicians may prefer shorter, symptom-focused measures. Objectives: The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility and potential administration time savings of a proposed flexible and conditional (FCA) administration of the MMPI-2-RF in presurgical evaluations of bariatric surgery candidates. Setting: Bariatric surgery candidates evaluated at a large hospital as well as a private practice in the Midwest. Methods: MMPI-2-RF scores were available for a total of 4099 adult bariatric surgery candidates from 2 separate samples. The hospital sample included 911 males and 2430 females. The average BMI was 49.3 kg/m2 (SD=11.0). The private practice sample included 105 males, 640 females, and 13 individuals who did not report gender. The average BMI was 48.8 kg/m2 (SD=8.4). The authors used a simulation design in which existing MMPI-2-RF responses were used to simulate an FCA administration. Results: The findings indicated that an FCA of the MMPI-2-RF closely approximates the amount of information typically gained from a full administration of the test in the 2 samples of bariatric surgery candidates. Items savings and estimated time savings ranged from 44% to 88% in both samples, depending on the number of conditionally administered scales. Conclusions: The present study supports the feasibility of an FCA of the MMPI-2-RF, potentially shortening administration time and reducing patient burden. However, the findings are limited because the accuracy and time savings are based on a simulation, not actual FCA administration

Using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form Cutoffs to Predict Lack of Pre-surgical Exercise

Previous studies suggest the importance of understanding what factors increase risk of lack of physical activity (PA) prior to bariatric surgery, which may increase risk of suboptimal postoperative outcomes. Therefore, the current study sought to explore which Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) scales were associated with lack of pre-surgical PA. The mean age of the sample (N=1170) was 45.97 years [standard deviation (SD)=11.59]. Bivariate correlations and relative risk ratios were utilized to examine associations between MMPI-2-RF scale scores and regular preoperative PA. Of the ten hypothesized associations, seven MMPI-2-RF scales in the internalizing and somatic domains were associated with increased risk of preoperative lack of PA. Interventions designed to increase levels of preoperative PA are especially important because individuals with higher levels of preoperative cardiorespiratory fitness experience less complications in surgery and greater weight loss postoperativel

Comparing Internalization of Appearance Ideals and Appearance-Related Pressures Among Women from the United States, Italy, England, and Australia

Researchers have observed variation in levels of body image disturbance and eating pathology among women from different Western countries. Examination of cross-cultural differences in the established risk factors (i.e., thin-ideal internalization, muscular-ideal internalization, and appearance pressures from family, peers, and media) for negative outcomes may help to elucidate the prominence of specific risk factors within a given Western society and guide associated interventions. Women from the United States (US), Italy, England, and Australia completed the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4). Analysis of covariance controlling for age and BMI indicated significant cross-country differences for all SATAQ-4 subscales. Results typically indicated higher levels of appearance-ideal internalization and appearance pressures in the US and lower levels in Italy; however, associated effect sizes were generally small. A medium effect of country was observed for peer-appearance pressures, which were highest in the US compared with all other countries. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and paired samples t tests conducted within each country identified thin-ideal internalization and media appearance pressures as the predominant risk factors for all four countries. Overall, findings suggest more cross-country similarities than differences, and highlight the importance of delivering interventions to address thin-ideal internalization and media appearance pressures among women from Western backgrounds

A meta-analytic review of stand-alone interventions to improve body image

Objective Numerous stand-alone interventions to improve body image have been developed. The present review used meta-analysis to estimate the effectiveness of such interventions, and to identify the specific change techniques that lead to improvement in body image. Methods The inclusion criteria were that (a) the intervention was stand-alone (i.e., solely focused on improving body image), (b) a control group was used, (c) participants were randomly assigned to conditions, and (d) at least one pretest and one posttest measure of body image was taken. Effect sizes were meta-analysed and moderator analyses were conducted. A taxonomy of 48 change techniques used in interventions targeted at body image was developed; all interventions were coded using this taxonomy. Results The literature search identified 62 tests of interventions (N = 3,846). Interventions produced a small-to-medium improvement in body image (d+ = 0.38), a small-to-medium reduction in beauty ideal internalisation (d+ = -0.37), and a large reduction in social comparison tendencies (d+ = -0.72). However, the effect size for body image was inflated by bias both within and across studies, and was reliable but of small magnitude once corrections for bias were applied. Effect sizes for the other outcomes were no longer reliable once corrections for bias were applied. Several features of the sample, intervention, and methodology moderated intervention effects. Twelve change techniques were associated with improvements in body image, and three techniques were contra-indicated. Conclusions The findings show that interventions engender only small improvements in body image, and underline the need for large-scale, high-quality trials in this area. The review identifies effective techniques that could be deployed in future interventions

The English Riots of 2011: Misreading the signs on the road to the society of enemies

Most of the riots that occurred in England throughout modernity were associated with symbolic protests and fuelled by an underlying sense of injustice about specific, objective grievances related to the position of the agrarian or industrial working classes in the socioeconomic and political structure. In the period that stretched from the 1880s to the 1930s, however, it is possible to discern a significant shift in form. Perhaps the most important aspect of this shift was the gradual emergence and development of coherent, unifying political discourses amongst the popular classes (Thompson, 1991). To be specific, the motivation and symbolism that underpinned both protests and riots became increasingly shaped by the related but competing political visions of communism, socialism or Labourite social democracy. These discourses did not incorporate populations en masse, and indeed many individuals remained apolitical or conservative in outlook despite their continued economic exploitation and political marginalization. However, the influence exerted by these discourses was most certainly on the rise and, between the two World Wars, it could be seen at the forefront of most protests and riots

Nonrenewable Resources, Strategic Behavior and the Hotelling Rule: An Experiment

This study uses the methods of experimental economics to investigate possible causes for the failure of the Hotelling rule for nonrenewable resources. We argue that as long as resource stocks are large enough, producers may choose to (partially) ignore the dynamic component of their production decision, shifting production to the present and focusing more on strategic behavior. We experimentally vary stock size in a nonrenewable resource duopoly setting and find that producers with large stocks indeed pay significantly less attention to variables related to dynamic optimization,leading to a failure of the Hotelling rule