Categorization by Groups

Categorization is a core psychological process central to consumer and managerial decision-making. While a substantial amount of research has been conducted to examine individual categorization behaviors, relatively little is known about the group categorization process. In two experiments, we demonstrate that group categorization differs systematically from that of individuals: groups created a larger number of categories with fewer items in each category. This effect is mediated by groups’ larger knowledge base and moderated by groups’ ease in achieving consensus. While neither broader nor narrower categories are normatively superior, more integration or distinction among concepts may be desirable for a given objective. Thus, it is important for those relying on the outputs of categorization tasks, such as web site designers, store managers, product development teams, and product marketing managers, to understand and consider the systematic differences between group and individual categorization.Decision-making;Categorization;Group and Individual Categorization

Polysemy in Advertising

The article reviews the conceptual foundations of advertising polysemy – the occurrence of different interpretations for the same advertising message. We discuss how disciplines as diverse as psychology, semiotics and literary theory have dealt with the issue of polysemy, and provide translations and integration among these multiple perspectives. From such review we draw recurrent themes to foster future research in the area and to show how seemingly opposed methodological and theoretical perspectives complement and extend each other. Implications for advertising research and practice are discussed.Advertising;Polysemy;Semiotics

Gender identity and breast cancer campaigns

Concerning itself with understanding how marketing methods and tools can be of benefit to healthcare professionals, health marketing is an area of research that has grown substantially in recent years. Of much interest to the sector is whether awareness campaigns are effective in increasing the public’s perceived vulnerability to any given disease

The Color Pink Is Bad for Fighting Breast Cancer

The article presents an interview with researcher Stefano Puntoni, who conducted experiments indicating that the color pink makes women think they have a reduced susceptibility to getting cancer, and also disinclines them toward donating to cancer research. Topics discussed include why pink doesn't inspire an aggressive attitude in women towards cancer, the role of gender cues in triggering certain responses, and how organizations fighting cancer can retain pink as a marketing tool without enduring its negative impact.

“Emotional†versus “Emotioneelâ€: Advertising Language and Emotional Appraisal

The article contributes to current understanding of language effects in advertising by uncovering a previously ignored mechanism shaping consumer response to an increasingly globalized marketplace. Extending recent psycholinguistic research on the emotions of bilinguals, a series of experiments shows that bilingual consumers report greater perceived emotional intensity for stimuli (e.g. ads) presented in their native language than in their second language.Advertising;Bilinguals;Psycholinguistic research

Customer empowerment in the digital age

The Internet and advances in digital technologies fundamentally are transforming marketing. Armed with an abundance of information and opportunities, consumers no longer accept the role of passive recipients of marketing communication. This is turning traditional communication approaches upside down and forcing brands to interact with individual customers quickly, openly, and continuously. In the digital age, customer engagement is more important than ever. The Marketing Science Institute, for example, has identified understanding how marketing activities create engagement as one of its top research priorities for 2014–2016. More and more brands are using social-media platforms to connect with their customers by creating engaging content so that consumers can interact (e.g., sharing an interesting and current Tweet) and/or by initiating dialog with them (e.g., responding to a customer comment or complaint). These steps undoubtedly are very important in connecting with customers, but they are not sufficient. Most visionary brands not only interact with customers but also empower them. Consider Lego, which enables its customers to create and vote for new product designs on a “Lego Ideas” platform. The designs that receive considerable votes from other customers (i.e., 10,000 “supports”) are then reviewed formally. Those that pass the review are transformed into products to be sold all over the world. The initiative of Lego not only involves the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagement of customers—characteristics of a successful customer engagement initiative—but also shifts the power and control of the company's product development to its customers

Gender identity and breast cancer campaigns

Concerning itself with understanding how marketing methods and tools can be of benefit to healthcare professionals, health marketing is an area of research that has grown substantially in recent years. Of much interest to the sector is whether awareness campaigns are effective in increasing the public’s perceived vulnerability to any given disease

Categorization by Groups

Categorization is a core psychological process central to consumer and managerial decision-making. While a substantial amount of research has been conducted to examine individual categorization behaviors, relatively little is known about the group categorization process. In two experiments, we demonstrate that group categorization differs systematically from that of individuals: groups created a larger number of categories with fewer items in each category. This effect is mediated by groups’ larger knowledge base and moderated by groups’ ease in achieving consensus. While neither broader nor narrower categories are normatively superior, more integration or distinction among concepts may be desirable for a given objective. Thus, it is important for those relying on the outputs of categorization tasks, su

Consumer responses to ethnic targeted marketing

__Abstract__ Marketing is impacted more than ever by demographic change, to the extent that practitioners targeting ethnic groups should re-think their approach depending upon the strength with which different generations identify with their cultural heritage