Associate Professor Alicia Kulczynski

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the importance of celebrity brands in influencing consumer perceptions of celebrity authenticity, which drives positive consumer attitudes and intentions. In addition, the notion of low-celebrity investment is investigated as a factor that diminishes the positive outcomes associated with celebrity brands. Design/methodology/approach: Study 1 examines the effect of brand situation (endorsement versus celebrity brand) on consumer attitudes and intentions. Studies 2 and 3 investigate the role of celebrity authenticity in explaining the effects observed in Study 1. Study 4 examines celebrity investment as a bound of the phenomenon. Findings: Study 1 demonstrates that consumers report heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands when compared to endorsements. Studies 2 and 3 provide evidence that authenticity explains the effects observed in Study 1. Results of Study 4 show that when consumers are aware of low-celebrity investment, the celebrity is viewed as inauthentic regardless of brand situation. Research limitations/implications: This research is limited as it focuses only on known celebrity endorsers who were matched with products that had a high level of fit. In addition, purchase intentions were measured as opposed to the study of actual purchase behaviour. Practical implications: This research has important implications for the development of endorsements and celebrity brands by demonstrating that consumers view celebrities as authentic when they are involved with brands for reasons other than monetary compensation. Originality/value: This research shows that consumers have heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands compared to endorsements. This research identifies celebrity authenticity as the process underlying the observed phenomenon. However, celebrity investment is identified as a boundary condition demonstrating that knowledge of low investment results in a celebrity being viewed as inauthentic.

We introduce co-branding authenticity (genuine and real) as a driver of consumer intentions to purchase cause-related products. We argue that celebrity social responsibility influences the perceived authenticity of triadic co-branding partnerships (celebrity, brand, and cause). Across three experiments, we demonstrate that celebrity social responsibility increases perceptions of co-branding authenticity, which, in turn, enhances purchase intentions of cause-related products. We demonstrate that co-branding authenticity is a stronger predictor of purchase intentions of cause-related products than co-branding fit. We also determine that the effect of co-branding authenticity on the purchase intention of cause-related products is influenced by consumer self-transcendence values. Consumers high in self-transcendence (i.e., concerned with the welfare of other people) possess greater intentions to purchase the cause-related product when the celebrity is perceived as socially responsible and the co-branding partnership is perceived as authentic. This research has important ramifications for brand managers in the selection of partners with which to form a triadic co-branding partnership for the purpose of enhancing corporate social responsibility.

Purpose: This research aims to examine the effect of spokesperson facial symmetry on advertisement attitude, brand attitude and purchase intention and the mediating role of source authenticity on attitudinal and behavioral judgments. Design/methodology/approach: Two studies were undertaken. Study 1 examined the effect of facial symmetry on source authenticity and endorsement effectiveness. Study 2 investigated the influence of the authentic facial cues of freckles and moles on source authenticity and advertisement attitude, brand attitude and purchase intention. Findings: Findings indicate that source authenticity is the mechanism that explains attitudinal and behavioral judgments toward advertisements featuring asymmetrical spokespeople. The phenomenon observed is due to a proposed source authenticity overgeneralization effect, whereby spokespeople with asymmetrical faces are perceived as more genuine and real which, subsequently, results in more positive attitude toward the advertisement, attitude toward the brand and greater purchase intention than advertisements featuring spokespeople with symmetrical faces. The addition of authentic (biological) facial cues (i.e. freckles and moles) on spokespeople with a symmetrical facial structure, however, can heighten perceptions of source authenticity and the manifestation of the source authenticity overgeneralization effect. Research limitations/implications: This research has implications for marketing managers in the selection and depiction of spokespeople in their advertisements. However, this research is limited, as it only examines the facial feature characteristics of symmetry, freckles, and moles. Originality/value: This research shows that an asymmetrical facial structure can positively influence source, attitudinal and behavioral judgments. This research also identifies that although symmetrical facial structures dilute source- and endorsement-based judgments, the addition of authentic facial cues, freckles and moles, can reverse the negative effects and enhance perceptions of source authenticity, attitude toward the advertisement, attitude toward the brand and purchase intentions.

Iconic brand color priming is introduced as a cue to consumer perceptions of brand personality. Although previous research has examined generic color meanings (e.g., purple is exciting, gray is passive and dull, and blue is competent), we demonstrate an iconic (widely recognized and well-established) brand color associative priming process. Through three experiments, we show that the personality tied to an iconic brand color can be created by brand managers, learned by consumers, and leveraged by other brands. Study 1 provides evidence that consumers perceived the iconic Cadbury purple, as opposed to a generic purple color, as sincere, aligning with consumer perceptions of the brand. Study 2 shows that exposure to a brand color prime (Apple gray), compared to a generic gray, influences brand personality perceptions (i.e., excitement) for an unknown brand. In Study 3, a schema congruity brand color priming effect is observed, whereby brand color priming enhancement occurs only when a brand color prime is placed in a product category that is congruent. When the brand color prime is incongruent with the product category schema, the priming effect weakens. This research provides evidence that brand personality can be primed, or leveraged, through embedding iconic brand colors within brand communications.

With hundreds of articles dedicated to investigating brand communities, there is now a need to consolidate the literature. This review addresses the need to reconcile the findings of brand community participation literature through undertaking a literature review. Over 1900 articles were examined, 41 in detail. Findings reveal that three forms of brand community participation have been studied: offline, online, and social-media-based, each uncovering the antecedents and consequences of brand community participation. Antecedents were grouped into five categories (self-related, social-related, information-related, entertainment-related and technology-related) and consequences into three categories (brand-related, brand community-related, and social-related). From the review, several future research directions are uncovered, including 16 specific research questions. By scrutinising the vast literature on brand community participation, and presenting multiple avenues for future research, this review presents findings useful for academics and practitioners alike.

Despite research on the influence of homophone priming on consumer judgments and behaviors in adults (e.g., the homophone bye primes purchase; target: buy), there is no research to date on the effectiveness of homophone priming on children¿s judgments and behaviors. We examine the priming effect of homophonous devices in advertising on children¿s (aged six to 13) judgments and behaviors (i.e., the use of the word meet in advertising primes children¿s desire to eat chicken; target: meat). Across three studies we provide evidence that homophonous priming effects decrease with age, whereby younger and less skilled child readers focus on the phonology of words, which results in homophone priming. We show that older and more skilled child readers are better able to process the orthography (spelling) of a word and the meaning of the prime, resulting in homophone priming suppression. We illustrate that facilitating, or prompting, spelling verification in younger children results in their ability to disambiguate the word¿s meaning and, subsequently, suppress the irrelevant homophone. This research has implications for advertisers in terms of the execution of their advertisements to influence young children¿s judgments and behaviors.

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce pseudohomophone phonological priming effects (non-words that sound like real words with a single semantic representation, such as Whyte primes white) on consumers¿ product attribute and benefit-based judgments. Design/methodology/approach: Four studies were conducted. Study 1 examines whether pseudohomophone brand names (e.g. Whyte) prime associative meaning (i.e. the perception of light bread; target: white). Study 2 investigates the pseudohomophone priming process. In Study 3, the authors examine the influence of brand knowledge of pseudohomophone priming effects. Findings: The findings indicate that pseudohomophone brand names prime associative meaning, due to retrieval of phonology (sound) of the word during processing. Pseudohomophone priming effects for a semantically (meaningful) incongruent brand name manifest only when consumers do not have knowledge of the brand, with cognitive capacity constraints rendering consumers with strong brand knowledge unable to mitigate the pseudohomophone priming effect. Research limitations/implications: This research has implications for brand managers considering the creation of a name for a new brand that connotes product attributes and benefits. However, this research is limited, as it only examines pseudohomophone brand names with a single semantic representation. Originality/value: This research shows that sounds activated by pseudohomophones in brand names can influence product judgments. This research also identifies limitations of the applicability of pseudohomophone brand names by identifying a condition under which priming effects are attenuated.

Employing gender role ideology theory, this research investigates Australian consumer attitudes towards current advertisements portraying males as caregivers. Results of an experiment demonstrate that consumers perceive in-ad gender role portrayals of males as caregivers as atypical of the current advertising environment. Consumers who, in particular, hold a non-traditional (egalitarian) gender role ideology report a more positive attitude towards advertising that challenges traditional gender role ideologies (i.e., advertising that depicts males as caregivers). We suggest that non-traditional advertising that challenges traditional gender roles provides advertisers with an opportunity to stand out; however, advertisers must ensure that their key product-related message components are not overshadowed.

Purpose ¿ The purpose of this paper is to investigate children¿s perception of a product¿s physical attribute (size) when presented with brand elements (brand name and brand logo) manipulated using sound and shape symbolism principles (brand name sounds and brand logo shape), across children of different developmental ages. Design/methodology/approach ¿ The relationship between sounds and shapes was examined in a pilot study. A 2 _ 2 experiment was then undertaken to examine the effect of brand name characteristics (front vowel sound versus back vowel sound) and brand logo design (angular versus curved) on children¿s (from 5 to 12 years) product-related judgments. Findings ¿ Older children use non-semantic brand stimuli as a means to infer physical product attributes. Specifically, only older children are able to perceive a product to be smaller (larger) when the product is paired with a brand name containing a front (back) vowel sound or an angular (curved) brand logo (single symbolic cue). We illustrate that brand logo-related shape symbolism effects are weaker and appear later in age when compared with brand name-related sound symbolism effects. Further, younger children are able to infer product attribute meaning when exposed to two symbolic cues (that is, brand name and brand logo). Practical implications ¿ When selecting an inventive brand element, consideration should be given to the relationship between the vowel sounds contained in a brand¿s name and product attributes, and also the shape of the brand¿s logo and product attributes. Originality/value ¿ This is the first experiment undertaken to examine the combination of brand name- and brand logo-related symbolism effects in the context of children. We demonstrate that age-based bounds may be overcome through the provision of multiple symbolic cues.

This research extends our understanding of the automaticity of phonetic symbolism judgments for adults and children. Replicating Study 2 from Yorkston and Menon (2004), we demonstrate that phonetic-based inferences are automatic and relatively effortless for adults, but not for children. Phonetic symbolism effects have a developmental grounding, with initial phonetic-based judgments not present in younger children (6 to 9. years). Older children (10 to 13. years), however, demonstrate phonetic-based effects only when cognitive constraints are not imposed.