Does brand image or taste have more influence on consumer preference for energy drinks?

In the past, numerous studies have been completed comparing brand image to product performance. In these studies it has been shown that brand image does have an effect on preferences and observers evaluate product performance differently when brand image is part of the equation. However, Generation Y is often cited as being skeptical of advertising, because they have been bombarded with media their entire lives. Therefore, this study examined a product targeted towards Generation Y, energy drinks, and compared stated brand preferences to actual product performance. The sample was 68 college students from Bryant University varying in age from 18 to 23 years old. In the study, participants were asked to complete an online survey about energy drinks and within the survey they were asked to rank five energy drinks (Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle, Amp, and Rockstar) in order from favorite to least favorite. Several days later, the participants then came to the Applied Psychology Research Center on campus and participated in a blind taste test where they again ranked the energy drinks favorite to least favorite. Results showed that Generation Y is not immune to advertising. In the survey, Red Bull was clearly the most preferred brand with 47% of respondents selecting it as their favorite. In the blind taste tests, Monster was most preferred with 28% of respondents choosing it as their favorite. When comparing favorites using mean ranks, Red Bull was also most preferred in stated preferences (mean rank = 2.2) and Amp was most preferred in taste tests (mean rank = 2.7). Thus, Generation Y may be more skeptical about advertising, but they are still influenced by marketing efforts as shown by the discrepancy between stated preferences and the taste test preferences. These results provide important information for marketers because they show that advertising dollars aimed at Generation Y are effective

In Re Bilski and the “Machine-or-Transformation” Test: Receding Boundaries for Patent Eligible Subject Matter

In order for a hopeful applicant to be granted a patent over his invention, his application must satisfy several procedural and substantive requirements. Among the substantive hurdles that an applicant must clear is the mandate that patents only be issued to applications claiming statutory subject matter within the meaning of §101 of the Patent Act. However, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit) has not construed that Section consistently over the years. Since that court’s formation in 1982, it has espoused two tests for statutory subject matter, and each time has substantially abrogated, if not overruled, the prior formulation. Most recently, the Federal Circuit has handed down the machine-or-transformation test in an attempt to redraft the limits of patent eligibility based on subject matter. This iBrief will explore the significant changes that this new test has brought to the patentability doctrine

Conservation: From Voluntary Restraint to a Voluntary Price Premium

This paper investigates how concern for the environment translates into predictable patterns of consumer behavior. Two types of behavior are considered. First, individuals who care about environmental quality may voluntarily restrain their consumption of goods and services that generate a negative externality. Second, individuals may choose to pay a price premium for goods and services that are more environmentally benign. A theoretical model identifies a symmetry between such voluntary restraint and a voluntary price premium that mirrors the symmetry between environmental policies based on either quantities (quotas) or prices (taxes). We test predictions of the model in an empirical study of household electricity consumption with introduction of a price-premium, green-electricity program. We find evidence of voluntary restraint and its relation to a voluntary price premium. The empirical results are consistent with the theoretical model of voluntary conservation.

Creation of a New Domain and Evaluation of Comparison Generation in a Natural Language Generation System

We describe the creation of a new domain for the Methodius Natural Language Generation System, and an evaluation of Methodius ’ parameterized comparison generation algorithm. The new domain was based around music and performers, and texts about the domain were generated using Methodius. Our evaluation showed that test subjects learned more from texts that contained comparisons than from those that did not. We also established that the comparison generation algorithm could generalize to the music domain.

Estimating the historical distribution, abundance and ecological contribution of Modiolus modiolus in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland

Strangford Lough is a large sheltered marine inlet in Northern Ireland. It is also a designated Special Area of Conservation based partially on the presence of an extensive area of Modiolus modiolus (Linnaeus, 1758) biogenic reef. However, this feature is believed to have declined substantially over the last 40 years. The objective of the study was to estimate the size of this decline both in terms of extent and abundance. This study combined (i) new survey data (a dedicated multibeam echo-sounder survey of the Lough), (ii) a habitat suitability model for M. modiolus with (iii) historical diver surveys to estimate the extent and abundance before 1985 (before the suspected period of greatest decline), 2003 (during the introduction of a ban on mobile fishing gear in the Lough) and 2007 (the most recent diver survey available). Estimations indicate that the extent reduced from approximately 12.6km2 in 1986 to just 5.7km2 by 2007 and the abundance declined by 87% in the same period. The decline has implications both for the remaining population of M. modiolus and ecosystem functionality within the Lough, which are both discussed in detail

Conservation Behavior: From Voluntary Restraint to a Voluntary Price Premium

This paper provides a theoretical and empirical investigation of conservation behavior that is motivated by concern for the environment. Two types of behavior are considered. First, individuals who care about environmental quality may voluntarily restrain their consumption of goods and services that generate a negative externality. Second, individuals may choose to pay a voluntary price premium for goods and services that are more "environmentally friendly." A theoretical model highlights the relationship between such voluntary restraint and a voluntary price premium. We test predictions of the model in an empirical study of household electricity consumption with introduction of a price-premium, green-electricity program. We find evidence of voluntary restraint and its relation to a voluntary price premium. The empirical results are consistent with the model of conservation behavior, as none of the theoretical predictions can be rejected.Consumer, Electricity, Environment, Households, Individual