Consumer marketing – article
summaries
Introduction
This file contains all articles from the consumer marketing course. Along with some article-specific
questions, as outlined in the course manual, each of the following points is discussed for each article:
Aim and goal
Conceptual model/framework
o Concepts used
o Theoretical reasoning for the expected direction of relationships between concepts
Results of the study
o Main findings (related to hypotheses)
o Interpretation and explanation of the figures and output tables presented in the articles
o Why each study has been conducted, and how it helps us to test the effects and
underlying mechanisms
Managerial implications
Limitations of the study
,Overview
Lecture articles
Articles marked by “skim article” are not contained in the literature list of the course summary.
Session 1 (skim article): Duhigg, C. (2012). How companies learn your secrets. The New York
Times, 16(2), 1-16.
Session 2: Bitterly, T. B., Mislavsky, R., Dai, H., & Milkman, K. L. (2014). Dueling with desire: a
synthesis of past research on want/should conflict. Should Conflict (February 28, 2014).
Session 3: Elsen, M., Pieters, R., & Wedel, M. (2016). Thin slice impressions: how advertising
evaluation depends on exposure duration. Journal of Marketing Research, 53(4), 563-579.
o What is interesting about this paper?
o What is (are) the main research question(s)?
o What is the theory? In other words, be able to explain the underlying reasons and
rationale for why the authors expect to find specific effects.
o What are the main findings of Studies 1, 2 and 3?
o How would you use the results and takeaways from this paper in the industry? In other
words, what is one managerial implication (e.g., a practical solution) of these results that
you can see being used in the industry?
Session 4: Verhellen, Y., Eelen, J., Dens, N., & De Pelsmacker, P. (2016). The short-and long-term
impact of brand placement in an advertiser-funded TV program on viewers' attitudes toward the
sponsor brand and its main competitor. International Journal of Advertising, 35(6), 932-948.
o What is interesting about this paper?
o What is (are) the main research question(s)?
o What is the theory? In other words, be able to explain the underlying reasons and
rationale for why the authors expect to find specific effects.
o What are the variables used in the studies (e.g., independent and dependent variables,
mediators and moderators, control variables, demographics)?
o What are the main findings?
o How would you use the results and takeaways from this paper in the industry? In other
words, what is one managerial implication (e.g., a practical solution) of these results that
you can see being used in the industry?
Session 4 (skim article): Anik, L., Hauser, R., & Gibson, M. (2020). To understand consumer
behavior, think like a marketplace scientist.” Darden Business Publishing.
Session 5: Madan, S., Nanakdewa, K., Savani, K., & Markus, H. R. (2020). The paradoxical
consequences of choice: Often good for the individual, perhaps less so for society? Current
Directions in Psychological Science, 29(1), 80-85.
Session 5 (skim article): Chernev, A., Böckenholt, U., & Goodman, J. (2015). Choice overload: A
conceptual review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(2),333-358.
Session 7: Shampanier, K., Mazar, N., & Ariely, D. (2007). Zero as a special price: The true value of
free products. Marketing Science, 26(6), 742-757.
Session 7: Palmeira, M. M., & Srivastava, J. (2013). Free offer≠ cheap product: A selective
accessibility account on the valuation of free offers. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(4), 644-
656. (read up to Study 1)
, Session 8: Levav, J., & Argo, J. J. (2010). Physical contact and financial risk taking. Psychological
Science, 21(6), 804-810.
o Feelings of security were found to be both the mediator and the moderator for the main
effect. How is this possible? How did the authors distinguish (both theoretically as well as
methodologically) the two roles of the same variable?
o What are the boundary conditions for the impact of physical contact on risk-taking
behaviors?
o What is one practical implication of these findings on consumer marketing?
Session 8: McFerran, B., Dahl, D. W., Fitzsimons, G. J., & Morales, A. C. (2010). I’ll have what she’s
having: Effects of social influence and body type on the food choices of others. Journal of
Consumer Research, 36(6), 915-929 (read to the end of Study 1).
o What is the main theoretical account for why the authors predict that social influence
and body type will influence food choices of others?
o What are the main IVs, DVs and other variables in Study 1? How did the authors measure
and/or manipulate them?
o What are the main findings of Study 1?
o If you are to work on a thesis topic building on these results, what is one research
question you would examine?
Session 9: Parker-Pope, T., & Peachman, R. R. (2016). EpiPen price rise sparks concern for allergy
sufferers. New York Times (accessed August 8, 2022).
https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/08/22/epipen-price-rise-sparks-
concern-for-allergy-sufferers/
o If you were the CEO of Mylan, what would you do with the price? Would you keep it the
same, increase it, or decrease it? Why?
Session 10: Eelen, J., Özturan, P., & Verlegh, P. W. (2017). The differential impact of brand loyalty
on traditional and online word of mouth: The moderating roles of self-brand connection and the
desire to help the brand. International journal of research in marketing, 34(4), 872-891.
o How does the article measure customer loyalty? Do you find these measures convincing?
o How would you evaluate the conceptualization of this paper? Are you convinced by the
variables studied? Do the relationships among them make sense?
o Given the results, what is one managerial application of this paper?
Session 10: Watson, G. F., Beck, J. T., Henderson, C. M., & Palmatier, R. W. (2015). Building,
measuring, and profiting from customer loyalty. Journal of the academy of marketing science,
43(6), 790-825.
o How does the article measure customer loyalty? Do you find these measures convincing?
o How would you evaluate the conceptualization of this paper? Are you convinced by the
variables studied? Do the relationships among them make sense?
o Given the results, what is one managerial application of this paper?
Session 11: Barasch, A., Zauberman, G., & Diehl, K. (2018). How the intention to share can
undermine enjoyment: Photo-taking goals and evaluation of experiences. Journal of Consumer
Research, 44(6), 1220-1237.
o Read pp. 1220-1224 (till the beginning of Study 1) and then just like we did in “Session 4:
Consumer Research Refresher” draw a conceptual (visual) model to depict the
relationship between independent and dependent variable(s) as well as mediator(s) and
, moderator(s), where applicable. In other words, using boxes, arrows and +/- signs,
indicate the relationship between the variables that were of interest to the researchers.
o Then read Study 1 and in your model, point in your conceptual model to the relationship
authors examined in this field study.
o Finally, read till the end of p. 1231 (and without looking at the top of p. 1232), draw an
updated conceptual model for Study 5.
Session 11 (skim article): Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., Aaker, J. L., & Garbinsky, E. N. (2013).
Some key differences between a happy life and a meaningful life. The Journal of Positive
Psychology, 8(6), 505-516.
Tutorial articles
Brick, D. J., Zhou, L., Chartrand, T. L., & Fitzsimons, G. J. (2022). Better to decide together: Shared
consumer decision making, perceived power, and relationship satisfaction. Journal of Consumer
Psychology, 32(3), 387-405.
Garcia-Rada, X., Sezer, O., & Norton, M. I. (2019). Rituals and nuptials: The emotional and
relational consequences of relationship rituals. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research,
4(2), 185-197.
Garcia-Rada, X., Steffel, M., Williams, E. F., & Norton, M. I. (2022). Consumers value effort over
ease when caring for close others. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(6), 970-990.
Li, Y. J., Haws, K. L., & Griskevicius, V. (2019). Parenting motivation and consumer decision-
making. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(5), 1117-1137.
MacInnis, D. J., Torelli, C. J., & Park, C. W. (2019). Creating cultural meaning in products and
brands: A psychological perspective. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 29(3), 555-562.
