Do masks matter? Consumer perceptions of social media influencers who wear face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic

The rapid spread of COVID-19 brought about an increased use of face masks among the general public. Focusing on disposable surgical masks in particular, this article examines consumer perceptions of and intentions toward social media influencers who wear such masks amid the pandemic. Drawing on the theory of product symbolism, this research experimentally demonstrates that masked (vs. unmasked) influencers remind consumers of highly competent healthcare professionals, leading in turn to greater competence inferences about and more favorable behavioral intentions toward these influencers. Additional analysis demonstrates that this effect might not hold for other groups of professionals who are considered relatively competent at the outset and/or whose profession is less reliant on external cues. Overall, this research suggests that apart from curtailing the spread of the pandemic, mask wearing might prove beneficial to certain groups of professionals, such as social media influencers, who have traditionally struggled to establish credibility. In a broader context, this research establishes mask wearing as a new form of nonverbal communication that war-rants further examination

The oversharenting paradox: when frequent parental sharing negatively affects observers’ desire to affiliate with parents

Modern-day parents increasingly engage in sharing of their children’s information and photos on social media. However, when parents post about their children on social media with high frequency, the phenomenon of “oversharenting” occurs. This research explores the impact of oversharenting on others’ desire to affiliate with parents. While parents post about their children to socialize with others, three experimental studies conducted with U.S. residents recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk demonstrate that parents who oversharent are viewed as less desirable acquaintances than parents who do not. This effect is mediated by observers’ perception that oversharenting constitutes a social norm violation (Study 1; N = 147). Specifically, observers assume that parents who oversharent try to become the center of attention through their children (Study 2; N = 168). The negative effect of oversharenting on affiliation is mitigated in the case of observers who themselves post frequently on social media (Study 3; N = 478). In summary, this research contributes to the understanding of parental sharing in social media environments by demonstrating that, paradoxically, parents’ oversharenting behavior may negatively affect the very goal that parents attempt to fulfill through social media sharing

The effects of political ideology and brand familiarity on conspicuous consumption of fashion products

From the lens of conspicuous consumption, this research examines the interactive effect of brand logo size and political ideology on consumers’ intentions toward fashion products. Specifically, in a series of four studies, we address how consumer political ideology influences intentions toward items displaying smaller, inconspicuous logos versus larger, conspicuous logos for unfamiliar and familiar brands. We show that liberal consumers are more likely to prefer a large (rather than small) logo when a brand is unfamiliar. We suggest that liberals’ greater desire for product uniqueness elevates their risk propensity, which in turn increases preference for conspicuous consumption when familiarity with a brand is low. We show that this effect occurs only for unfamiliar brands; when brand familiarity is high (i.e. a popular or well-known brand), consumer political ideology reverses consumer preference for conspicuous consumption, replicating prior work. Our results suggest that, by manipulating their logo size, new brands may effectively target consumers based on their political ideology

Consequences and Perceptions of Status Consumption

Consumption of certain products or services often brings status or prestige to the consumer. Such status consumption plays an essential role in the lives of many consumers and in today\u27s economy. In my two dissertation essays, I seek to examine the role of status consumption in consumer behavior context. In the first essay, I explore the connection between status consumption and charitable donation behavior. The results of nine studies demonstrate that status consumption, considered a self-centered behavior, leads to increased charitable donations, a prosocial outcome. This effect is driven by subjective feelings of empowerment that consumers derive from status consumption. My second essay investigates inferences made about consumers who share word of mouth about their status products. I demonstrate across 12 studies that word of mouth about status products decreases consumers\u27 perceived status in the eyes of other people. This is because word of mouth about their status products reduces the perceived cultural capital of status consumers, which in turn reduces the perception of status. This is paradoxical since consumers share word of mouth about their status products with the intention to elevate their status in the eyes of others. In the two essays, I use both lab and field experiments to test my hypotheses, employ both mediation and moderation methods to test the psychological processes, rule out an array of alternative explanations, and explore several boundary conditions. I conclude the two essays by outlining their contributions to both theory and marketing practice

Status consumption and charitable donations: The power of empowerment

Status consumption, the act of consuming market offerings aimed at conferring status on the consumer, has often been portrayed as the opposite of charitable donation behavior. In a departure from prior works, this study examines the connection between these two seemingly contradictory behaviors. The results of seven studies (including one in the Supporting Information Appendix) demonstrate that status consumption, considered a self-centered behavior, leads to increased charitable donations, a prosocial outcome. This effect is driven by a process of empowerment (i.e., increase in the sense of power that consumers derive from status consumption). The underlying mechanism of empowerment is examined using both mediation and moderation methods. Alternative explanations based on objective and perceived wealth, affect, guilt, static and objective power, and self-presentation concerns are ruled out. Further investigation demonstrates that mere ownership of a status good is not sufficient; the consumption of the said product needs to take place for the effect to occur. Moreover, the predicted effect is attenuated for consumers who only desire but do not have status consumption and for those who believe in high power distance. Taken together, this study advances our understanding of status consumption by demonstrating how and when it empowers consumers to donate

Should Donation Ads Include Happy Victim Images? The Moderating Role Of Regulatory Focus

We examine how victim imagery interacts with ad messaging’s regulatory focus to determine the effectiveness of donation appeals. We predict and show that ads that combine a happy victim image with a promotion-focused message uniquely increase donation intentions. We demonstrate that this occurs because the combination of promotion-focused messaging, which makes gain goals salient, and a happy victim image, which signals gains are occurring, increases consumers’ perceived response efficacy. Four studies test the interaction of victim imagery and regulatory focus showing the predicted effect. We also test the mediating role of perceived response efficacy and rule out several alternative explanations. Our findings extend prior work which has overlooked the interactive effects of victim imagery and ad messaging and the effects of victim imagery on perceived response efficacy. By exploring these dimensions, we offer marketers and consumers guidance on how to construct effective fundraising ads

The effects of political ideology and brand familiarity on conspicuous consumption of fashion products

From the lens of conspicuous consumption, this research examines the interactive effect of brand logo size and political ideology on consumers’ intentions toward fashion products. Specifically, in a series of four studies, we address how consumer political ideology influences intentions toward items displaying smaller, inconspicuous logos versus larger, conspicuous logos for unfamiliar and familiar brands. We show that liberal consumers are more likely to prefer a large (rather than small) logo when a brand is unfamiliar. We suggest that liberals’ greater desire for product uniqueness elevates their risk propensity, which in turn increases preference for conspicuous consumption when familiarity with a brand is low. We show that this effect occurs only for unfamiliar brands; when brand familiarity is high (i.e. a popular or well-known brand), consumer political ideology reverses consumer preference for conspicuous consumption, replicating prior work. Our results suggest that, by manipulating their logo size, new brands may effectively target consumers based on their political ideology