Expressions of Gratitude in Disaster Management: An Economic, Social Marketing and Public Policy Perspective on Post-Katrina Campaigns

In this article, the authors argue that in the wake of a major disaster, it is not only appropriate but also beneficial for governments to spend public funds to support official gratitude campaigns in response to outside assistance. These assertions are based on results of multiple studies on gratitude from both psychology and marketing that show that expressions of gratitude can offer both economic and social marketing benefits. Evidence demonstrates increased consumer willingness to purchase products produced in the devastated area and intentions to continue prosocial support through volunteerism and financial donations after receiving expressions of gratitude. Evidence also shows that public expressions of gratitude encourage those who did not participate in prior relief/recovery activities to do so in the future. As such, the authors recommend the implementation of a disaster management policy that encourages and rewards private and public groups to partner in similar campaigns. Such a policy leads to both economic and social rewards for the devastated areas and its citizens—and, importantly, the broader society—that outweigh and outlast the expense of the campaign. Specifically, these benefits save those directly affected by a disaster from having to bear the full burden of disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts and could increase the amount of outside economic and social assistance provided

Gratitude Works: Its Impact and the Mediating Role of Affective Commitment in Driving Positive Outcomes

After studying the effects of Louisiana’s post-hurricane “thank you” campaigns, the researchers find expressions of gratitude significantly improve perceptions of Louisiana in the midst of its recovery. Through a national survey conducted November 2006, they find that those who saw or heard a thank you advertisement have more positive attitudes toward the state and its people, a greater willingness to pay a premium for its products, services and travel to the state, and spread positive word-of-mouth, thus justifying the use of public funds to support the campaign. The authors investigate the role of participation on the effectiveness of expressions of gratitude and identify the mediating role of affective commitment in driving the positive results attributed to expressions of gratitude

Enhancing the Influence of Distal Primes on Creativity: The Role of Contextual and Personal Variables – Study 1

Environmental primes promote both the quantity and quality of consumer creativity. More importantly, primes interact with mood and gender. Study 1 revealed an interaction between prime type and mood where distal primes enhanced the quantity but not the quality of creative solutions for those in a negative mood. Additionally, there was a gender and mood interaction

A theory of multiformat communication: mechanisms, dynamics, and strategies

Extant communication theories predate the explosion of digital formats and technological advances such as virtual reality, which likely explains their predominant focus on traditional and format-level (e.g., face-to-face, email) rather than digital or characteristic-level (e.g., visual cues, synchronicity) design decisions. Firms thus lack insights into how to create and use emerging digital formats, individually or synergistically. To establish a holistic framework of bilateral multiformat communication for relationship marketing, this article reviews communication theory to establish a foundation for understanding multiformat communication and to identify any gaps (e.g., AI agents, simulated cues). The authors then review bilateral communication research in light of the identified theoretical gaps, to inform their framework. Finally, by decomposing these formats according to six fundamental characteristics, they predict how each characteristic might promote effective, efficient, and experiential communication goals, in light of distinct message, temporal, and dyadic factors. Ultimately, these combined insights reveal an overarching framework, with characteristic-level propositions grouped into five key themes, that can serve as a platform for academics and managers to develop multiformat communication theory and relationship strategies

Gratitude in Relationship Marketing: Theoretical Development and Directions for Future Research

Purpose – For centuries, gratitude has represented an integral component of social relationships, yet it remains relatively overlooked by marketing scholars in the study of commercial relationships. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how gratitude helps to build, maintain and transform commercial relationships and to suggest noteworthy areas of investigation for those researchers seeking to help companies understand the role of gratitude in relationship marketing. Design/methodology/approach – Gratitude\u27s role in relational exchange is explored by a review of relevant literature and two qualitative studies. Questions developed from the literature and exploratory interviews are then investigated in a main study through in-depth interviews with buyers and sellers of goods and services in both B2B and B2C contexts, leading to a grounded theoretical foundation. Generalizations and directions for future research are presented. Findings – Gratitude is a fundamental component of buyer-seller relationships and is critical for advancing relationship marketing theory and practice. Gratitude\u27s changing role as relationship stages advance is described. Research limitations/implications – The research is of an exploratory nature. Confirmation of the generalizations by other studies is suggested. This research is largely consistent with that from a markets-as-networks perspective and moves relationship marketing research toward a more extended view. Practical implications – Gratitude should be included along with other relational mediators in discussions and investigations of relationship success, and practiced by those that seek to build, develop and enhance their buyer-seller relationships. Originality/value – This paper provides a much needed exploration of a new and important topic in relationship marketing and a call for gratitude to be studied and implemented in a variety of relational exchange contexts. Specifically, it is the first to address the importance of gratitude to both buyers and sellers in B2B and B2C goods and services markets. It also is the first to document the changing role of gratitude through relationship stages

The role of contextual factors in eliciting creativity: primes, cognitive load and expectation of performance feedback

Purpose – Managers are increasingly faced with situations that call for creative ways to engage consumers and employees. With online and offline options available for creative problem solving, consumers are constantly engaging with brands to provide different solutions to everyday problems. There are numerous contextual factors that influence creative output, external primes (distal vs proximal) being one of them. This research attempts to find the boundary conditions such as cognitive load, expectations of performance feedback and optimism that interact with environmental primes to influence quality and quantity of creativity. Doing so would help managers create conditions that can enhance creative output. Design/methodology/approach – Three experiments were conducted; the first tests the interactive effect of primes and cognitive load, and the second involves the enhancing effect of expectation of performance feedback. Given that cognitive load depresses creativity and expectation of performance feedback enhances creativity, the third study finds whether optimism enhances the effects of distal primes under high cognitive load condition. Findings – Study 1 demonstrates that the boundary factor of cognitive load moderates the relative difference between proximal and distal primes: cognitive load depresses the enhancing effects of distal primes. Study 2 demonstrates that expectation of performance feedback can enhance the effectiveness of distal primes to a greater extent than proximal primes. Study 3 suggests that highly optimistic individuals can overcome the depressing effects of cognitive load when exposed to distal primes and expectation of performance feedback. Practical implications – The research demonstrates the environmental conditions that influence creative output in problem solving. Originality/value – This research attempts to highlight the importance of contextual factors in influencing creativity. In the process, this research highlights the interactive forces that deter or enhance creativity so that managers can provide optimal conditions that enhance creative output for their employees and consumers

\u27My Fifty Shoes Are All Different!\u27: Exploring, Defining, and Characterizing Acquisitive Buying

Why does someone buy the tenth pair of black shoes or the fourteenth white t-shirt? Typically, extreme buying is associated with negative feelings and consequences: issues of self-control, guilt, and financial problems are common among compulsive, impulsive, excessive buying, fixated buying, and hoarding. However, through two studies, the authors describe “acquisitive buyers,” who exhibit an extreme yet controlled acquisition process for items in a chosen product category. In his/her mind, these items are minutely differentiated and enrich the inventory, and there is logical justification that every purchase enhances his/her preparedness for anticipated specific product use occasions. Materialism, positive perfectionism and variety-seeking in a particular product category are some of the characteristics of these buyers. The studies also help distinguish acquisitive buying from other types of extreme buying and mainstream buying