Journal of Marketing

Policies to combat nutritional inequality—such as increasing the availability of affordable, healthy food and taxing unhealthy options—often fail to change the dietary habits of low-socioeconomic status consumers. Why? 👇 A new Journal of Marketing study finds that nutritional inequality isn’t just about access or cost—it’s about perception. Low-socioeconomic status (SES) consumers prioritize different attributes in their food choices, such as fillingness and taste, over healthiness. These preferences and perceptions are shaped by their socioeconomic realities, creating unique obstacles to adopting healthier diets. Considering these findings, policymakers can focus on: 🔸Expanding the availability of filling, healthy foods by increasing access to options like whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins, which are both nutritious and satiating. 🔸Subsidizing filling, healthy foods to make them more affordable and attractive to low-SES consumers. For marketers, this research offers actionable strategies to encourage healthier eating habits: 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: Highlight the filling and tasty qualities of healthy foods through advertising and packaging. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Design healthy food options that cater to low-SES consumers' preferences for satiety and flavor. 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬: Promote healthy, filling meals in stores, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, to align with consumer priorities. By promoting filling, healthy foods and reframing marketing messages to focus on satiety and flavor, marketers and policymakers can make healthier options more appealing to low-SES consumers and help to reduce nutritional inequality. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dtZnKwNT Study authors: Bernardo Andretti, Yan Vieites, Larissa Elmor, and Eduardo B. Andrade #food #marketing #socioeconomicstatus #consumerhealth #nutrition #marketingresearch

How can influencers make genuine consumer connections? In a Journal of Marketing study, researchers conducted in-depth interviews with consumers, influencers and managers, finding five key ingredients for authenticity: 1️⃣𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞: Influencers’ ability to demonstrate deep understanding and experience in their niche. 2️⃣𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: The emotional bond between influencers and their audience, fostered through genuine interactions. 3️⃣𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: The uniqueness of storytelling and creative content that resonates with followers. 4️⃣𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: Open communication about brand partnerships, including the use of AI in content creation. 5️⃣𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: The perceived motivations of influencers in endorsing brands, emphasizing passion over financial incentives. Check out the full study, "Authenticity in Influencer Marketing: How Can Influencers and Brands Work Together to Build and Maintain Influencer Authenticity?" by Barbara Duffek, Andreas Benedikt Eisingerich, Omar Merlo, and Guan Lee here: https://lnkd.in/gev5Mcpu #influencermarketing #marketing #marketingresearch #authenticity

A recent Journal of Marketing study explores how consumers are increasingly taking on ambassador roles to support sustainable causes. Key behaviors include: - Personal commitment to prosocial behavior (e.g., using reusable shopping bags) - Interpersonal promotion by encouraging others to adopt these habits How do ambassador programs shape sustainability marketing? Dive into the research to learn more about these prosocial roles and their impact on consumer behavior ➡ https://bit.ly/4eB8UOe #AMAJournals #JournalofMarketing #AmbassadorPrograms #SustainableMarketing

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲? 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 If your company is struggling to build stronger #customerrelationships while driving long-term financial growth, the answer might not be in new strategies—but in who is leading them.   In their Journal of Marketing study, Chandra Srivastava, PhD, Saim Kashmiri and Vijay Mahajan show that firms with greater female influence in #topmanagementteams (TMTs) don’t just perform better—they prioritize #customers more effectively, creating win-win situations for customers and companies.   Yet, despite these benefits, #women remain underrepresented in #leadership and #ceo roles:   According to the Women Business Collaborative's 2024 Women CEOs in America Report, as of July 2024, only 52 women led Fortune 500 companies (10.4%), while only 39 women (7.8%) were CEOs of S&P 500 companies.   𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐌𝐓𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫?   Firms with higher female influence in the TMT (i.e., proportion, hierarchical level, responsibilities) demonstrate greater #customerorientation and #financialperformance.   Importantly, this positive influence varies by industry and governance factors.   The positive effect is strongest in industries with high strategic discretion (i.e., high degree to which the environment in which a firm operates allows strategic variety and change), firms with high female board representation, and those with board members experienced in marketing.   For family-owned firms and in highly dynamic industries, the positive influence is weaker, suggesting that leadership dynamics and external pressures moderate the effect.   𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐄𝐎𝐬, 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬?   Boards should actively seek female executives and marketing-experienced directors to strengthen customer focus and drive sustained financial growth.   Investors should look at female leadership representation as a potential signal of firms’ ability to create value through customer-centric strategies.   CEOs can’t just hire more women—they need to empower them with decision-making authority, ensuring that influence, not just representation, shapes corporate strategy.   In sum, #gender diversity (and equality) is not just a social imperative—it’s a strategic asset that shapes how firms compete and grow in today’s markets.   Study link in the first comment (#openaccess). #InternationalWomensDay

Peer review shapes the trajectory of ideas, careers, and the field itself. But are we helping authors improve or merely pointing out flaws? Check out Shrihari (Hari) Sridhar's presentation from #AMAWinter for an overview of the EMPATHY framework—a structured, teachable approach to fostering constructive, developmental, and rigorous peer reviews. The goal? To shift our field from a culture of critique to a culture of contribution—one where reviewers act as coaches, not gatekeepers. The framework offers practical guidance for: ✅ Writing clear, actionable, and supportive reviews ✅ Providing meaningful feedback that strengthens manuscripts ✅ Cultivating a new generation of constructive reviewers Join Journal of Marketing as we strive to make constructive peer review the norm. Let’s build a culture where research flourishes, scholars thrive, and our field progresses together. 👉For more information, read the full editorial here: https://lnkd.in/g4fWVV-u #AcademicPublishing #MarketingResearch #AcademicResearch #AcademicJournals #PeerReview

Crafting the perfect pitch can make or break a startup's chances of securing funding. A new Journal of Marketing study shows how startups can balance tangible achievements and communication style to win over investors ⬇️ 🔹"Costly signals," like financial backing, intellectual property, and social connections, demonstrate substance. But more isn’t always better—too much can signal overvaluation or a lack of flexibility. 🔹"Costless signals," intangible, verbal elements of a pitch such as passion and concreteness, also matter but require finesse. Excessive passion can backfire if it feels like "cheap talk," while overly detailed pitches may seem rigid or lacking vision. The study reveals that startups must tailor their pitches to their unique strengths. Those with fewer achievements should focus on clarity and specifics, while those with strong credentials can lean into passion but avoid micromanaging the narrative. For investors, the study offers a blueprint for decoding pitches by assessing the balance of these signals to identify high-potential ventures. 👉Get more details here: https://lnkd.in/gRRjM7YM Study authors: Greg Nyilasy, PhD, GAICD, Shangwen Yi, Dennis Herhausen, Stephan Ludwig, and Darren Dahl #startups #pitching #funding #venturecapital #B2I #investing #marketingresearch

Only 4 months to go, then the term of the new Journal of Marketing editorial (leadership) team around Jan-Benedict Steenkamp begins.   To further promote the dissemination of knowledge about real-world #marketing questions to all relevant #stakeholders, we are pleased to announce JM’s new 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 series, which a) sheds light on JM’s remarkable #research and, importantly, b) aims to show how research findings can be put into #practice. The new 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 series will cover research related to:   𝐀dvanced Strategy and Leadership: marketing strategy and leadership   𝐃igital Frontiers: digital and technological developments incl. (Gen)AI   𝐕alue-Driven Marketing: CSR, sustainability, social marketing   𝐈nstruments: marketing actions/tactics/mix instruments   𝐂larifying Complexities: nuanced research findings and meta-analyses   𝐄nduring Wisdom and Evolutions: Seminal (still valid) and changing paradigms   Further information will follow in the coming months. Stay tuned and spread the word. American Marketing Association

#Foodwaste is a staggering global issue. A new Journal of Marketing study reveals a surprising bias: 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬. This misconception leads to: 🥗 More discarded healthy food 🛒 Hesitation to buy discounted nutritious items 📉 Negative financial and environmental impacts The issue is compounded by vague or absent expiration labels, leaving consumers to rely on their flawed instincts. Ambiguous terms like “best before” or “sell by” don’t provide clear guidance, encouraging people to act on the misconception that healthy equals more perishable. For marketers, the study suggests that promotions for healthy, soon-to-expire foods should prioritize price discounts over quantity-based deals like “buy one, get one free.” Consumers are more receptive to savings that reduce financial risk for perishable items. For policymakers, the findings reinforce the need for clear and standardized labeling. Terms like “consume by” or “use by” reduce ambiguity, helping consumers make informed decisions. Education campaigns are equally crucial. The study found that individuals with greater knowledge about food expiration were less likely to act on the “healthy foods spoil faster” myth. In categories where consumers are already well-informed, such as dairy, this misconception is less prevalent. Check out the full study by Jeehye Christine Kim, Young Eun Huh, and Brent McFerran here: https://lnkd.in/guKjDPf8 #food #sustainableconsumption #waste #expirationdates #marketingresearch Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University

Who's more likely to embrace AI: those who know more or less about it? A new Journal of Marketing study shows that people with lower AI literacy are actually more open to using AI in their daily lives. Why? 👇 🔹Those with less AI understanding see it as magical and awe inspiring, which makes them more willing to experiment with AI tools. 🔹People with higher AI literacy see AI for what it is—powerful, but also just a set of algorithms and models. This knowledge can make AI feel more functional than fascinating, leading to a more pragmatic (and sometimes skeptical) approach. Understanding this "lower literacy–higher receptivity" link can help shape how marketers introduce AI to different audiences—ensuring that as people learn more, they stay open to AI’s possibilities while also appreciating its limitations. #AI #AIadoption #marketing The Conversation U.S.

In response to Europe's GDPR policy, a Journal of Marketing study shows that nearly 50% of firms use some level of persuasion to get users to opt into data collection. While effective, this can also backfire—just ask Meta, which was recently fined €490 million for using a "nudge" approach to obtain consent. The study shows that: ✅ Persuasive cues work—they significantly increase data opt-ins. ⚠️ But they come at a cost—brands with high visibility or a history of data breaches face greater backlash when these tactics are exposed. 🏬 Brick-and-mortar retailers are actually more likely than online retailers to use persuasion. For policymakers, the study suggests revisiting GDPR implementation to address unintended consequences, such as overreliance on persuasion. Encouraging more transparent practices while allowing for creative opt-in approaches, like incentives, can create a healthier data ecosystem. Study authors: Caterina D'Assergio, Puneet Manchanda, Elisa Montaguti, and Sara Valentini #GDPR #data #optins #marketing #marketingresearch