In this chapter, we develop a theoretical framework that explains how blogs can be categorized based on audiences’ perceptions and how bloggers use different strategies to shape or shift their audiences’ perceptions and increase the persuasiveness of their messages. We posit that bloggers...

This research examines the colors white and black and highlights the importance of automatic preference for the color white over black in product choice and advertising contexts. Across three studies, we incorporate multiple Implicit Association Tests to assess automatic preferences for colors,...

This four-part multi-method investigation into the under-researched yet increasingly prevalent phenomenon of consumer-generated advertising (CGA) confirms a performance advantage over traditional advertising and suggests a rationale for this differential. CGAs benefit from heightened consumer...

This research investigates how consumers’ electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) about consumption experiences is affected by whether the message is shared simultaneously during the experience or retrospectively, that is, after the experience has occurred. Building on the theories of synchrony, we...

We examine how and why bloggers and other influencers might share secrets online. Based on an exploratory survey of bloggers and the literature on secret sharing, we examine the use of secret sharing as a strategy for audience building. Our results suggest that online influencers disclose...

Although recent research has explored consumers’ reactions towards mass customization (MC) in general, these studies have considered aesthetic and functional MC as one and the same. In the present article, we focus specifically on consumer response to aesthetic MC because there are some unique...

This netnography of word-of-mouth (WOM) conversations in a popular motherhood online-community emphasizes the relational and communal nature of WOM. Based on an ethnomethodological analysis of WOM conversations, we show that word-of-moms conversations are social acts: collective achievements...

Although researchers and practitioners have access to a growing body of evidence on the effects of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) frequency and valence, a more detailed understanding of eWOM content is needed in order to better influence these social media-enabled conversations. Based on an...

This naturalistic inquiry probes WOM concerning online consumer-generated advertising (CGA). Through a content analysis of online conversations regarding fourteen CGAs posted to YouTube.com, we uncover that multiple engagement dimensions (i.e., ad, brand, brand community and community-at-large)...

As the sports industry has developed into a multi-billion dollar enterprise, cities are increasingly faced with the choice of funding expensive stadium projects to attract or keep franchises. These projects commonly include using public funds and the government's eminent domain power under the...