Consumer Audience Research Articles

Media Representation of Male Protagonists in Thai Boy Love Commercials: A Visual Discourse Analysis

The media portrayal of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community may impact public understanding and attitudes towards this community, which has not been extensively studied. This article explores the media representation of gay men in commercials by presenting a visual discourse analysis of three Thai Boy Love commercials. Combining the visual representation framework of social actors and genre and functionality analysis, it examines (a) how the male protagonists are visually represented in relation to the audience from three symbolic dimensions and (b) how the salient patterns of presenting boy love commercials are integrated with the story’s narrative stages and genre functions. The findings suggest that the boys are primarily portrayed positively as inclusive, close, agentive and ordinary social members who feature soft masculinity. Nevertheless, such a generic and idealised representation romanticises gay relationships, diminishes the individuality of gay people and obscures the diversity within the gay community. The portrayal also prioritises the female gaze to cater to the core audience of heterosexual young women consumers. This article provides insights into the reciprocal relationship between public receptivity towards the LGBTQ community and their favourable visual representations in commercials.

Who buys fakes in Russia and why?

The recent departure of international brands from the Russian markets is unprecedentedly; its consequences require thoroughly study, especially in the context of consumer behavior towards non-original goods. This paper analyzes the dynamics of counterfeit purchases in Russia in 2021—2023 and socio-economic factors that explain the purchase of fakes, given that the latter differ from standard economic goods with high symbolic value. Quantitative data representing the Russian Internet audience aged 18 years and older is used. Three waves of the online survey were conducted: in 2021 (N = 4978 people), 2022 (N = 6000 people) and 2023 (N = 6000 people). According to the results, the purchase of counterfeits is a widespread phenomenon in Russia. Russians purchase non-original goods mostly unintentionally, although in the last two years of the survey there have been structural shifts towards their knowingly buying. With the help of multinomial regression, factors for purchasing counterfeits were revealed. The availability of counterfeits on the Internet and the financial limitations of Russian households contribute to expanding the audience of consumers of non-original goods, whereas a focus on high quality when choosing goods reduces the number of buyers of counterfeits. The role of well-known brands in the consumption of counterfeit products remains ambivalent

The Role of Social Media Engagement in Customer Service: A Study on the Brazilian Financial Sector

This article investigates the importance of social media in customer service and relationships, causing engagement with the brand. For this, this research's corpus delimited the actions on social media of the five largest banks in Brazil in terms of customer volume. The data were collected and analyzed in two moments: first, through a structured questionnaire to test the use and importance of social media in the service and relationship of banks; second, through the collection of interaction and conversation data on the social media of each bank studied. The quantitative and descriptive research uses correlation and engagement analysis based on social media metrics. The results indicate the banks' different strategies to provoke engagement and relationship with their consumer audiences in each media, but the data reveal low engagement. However, consumers pointed out social media's relevance in seeking services and relationships with their banks, citing the convenience, speed, and accessibility it provides. The study concludes that consumers value banks' social media, especially looking for customer service and relationships. In contrast, interaction and conversation data showed that banks have a routine of working in this category, combining others with their products' promotion and sponsorships and events. However, it became clear that the engagement that the banks' social media actions generate is minimal, in proportion to the volume of their followers.

Semiomical Analysis of 8 March World Women's Day Advertisements

Communication dates back to the beginning of human history, as far back as human history. Human beings have always sought ways to communicate with the people they live with and have developed various communication strategies. Signs, symbols and body language are as important and necessary as human verbal communication. Indicators try to make sense of what is intended to be explained by making it meaningful and concretizing it. Any sign embodies linguistic situations, thoughts, ideas and feelings. In this context, semiotics is used for analysis purposes in cases where any product, service or communication study is involved. Today, as a means of communication, indicators are used when companies want to create various/purposeful thoughts about the product or service in advertisements developed as a way of conveying messages to the consumer audience. The idea, subject, situation and/or event that is intended to be explained is tried to be concretized in people's minds by creating indicators. In this study, "What Would the World Be Like Without Women?" prepared by Gratis for March 8 International Women's Day. In order to understand what kind of messages Kılıoğlu wanted to send to the audience with the signs used in the "If There Were No Women" commercials made by Megaron companies for March 8, International Women's Day, an analysis was made with the semiotic analysis method and an evaluation was made based on the findings obtained. Commercial films express the place and importance of women in social life with strong visual and auditory indicators. Through semiotic analysis, an attempt has been made to analyze how these messages are created and transmitted.

ЕКОНОМІЧНИЙ АНАЛІЗ РІВНЯ ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ ЗАКЛАДІВ КУЛЬТУРИ АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНУ

Existing management mechanisms, such as planning and programming for the development of the cultural sector, despite their complexity and widespread use in the practice of managing the sociocultural sphere, do not provide sustainable results that can be achieved in the cultural sector in the context of the implementation of reforms in the budgetary sector and the use of programmatic financing of culture . It is absolutely necessary to develop and apply innovative technologies in the management process, taking into account the complexity of the tasks facing cultural subjects in connection with the adaptation of self-justifying management mechanisms, as well as taking into account the needs of a post-industrial (information) society, as well as updating the consumer audience of cultural products and services. The use of an integrated approach to the formation of innovative management mechanisms will improve management efficiency, as well as ensure the development of innovative processes both in the sphere of culture in general and in its individual subjects.The purpose of the article is to develop scientific and methodological recommendations for innovation models based on the use of integrated approaches in managing cultural enterprises and supporting development, as well as to study theoretical and methodological problems in the systematization of these methods. The methodological basis of the research in the article is the scientific work of the authors in the field of economics of culture, innovation management, management in the field of culture, as well as social partnership. The research was carried out on the basis of general scientific methods of research - a systematic approach, analysis and synthesis, methods of typological and comparative analysis, empirical methods.The object of the study is the sphere of culture, which needs conditions in which organizational and financial reforms are carried out, as well as the development and application of innovative management methods.The hypothesis of the study. In general, there is a great practical demand for research activities aimed at the relevance of the dissertation research topic, the development of the main directions and strategic priorities of the national economy of the cultural sphere of the region. The same can be said about the priorities of strategic management and the main directions of the regional industrial component, that those priorities and directions that we mentioned determine the goal, objectives, subject and object of this research work, presented on the basis of an assessment of the increased effectiveness of the management system for the development of the cultural sector municipal districts of the region. Presentation of the main material.The scientific novelty of the results of the research carried out by the authors is as follows: the essence of strategic management of the cultural sphere is determined as a targeted activity to create socio-economic and legal conditions for the regular and balanced development of the cultural space and meeting the needs of the population for cultural services; Methodological recommendations have been developed to improve the effectiveness of the process of strategic management of the regional cultural sector based on the implementation of promising management effects in the process of industry development.The originality and practical significance of thestudy.The practical significance of the article lies in the fact that the developed software-design method and the multidimensional assessment method can be applied in order to increase the innovative effects obtained from project activities in the sociocultural sphere. The practical significance of the article is also determined by the use of theoretical and methodological works proposed by state bodies and local governments, as well as the possibility of their use by the heads of economic entities of the specified region in the process of forming measures that can ensure the sustainable development of the cultural sphere of the region.Conclusions.The scientific novelty of the research results lies in the fact that scientific and methodological recommendations have been developed for improving and applying models of innovative management in the field of culture, and the use of an appropriate mechanism has been proposed to increase the innovative effect of the project program.Recommendations are given for optimizing management strategies in the field of culture for its further development.

An Innovative Approach to the Organization of the Company's Activities Based on the Use of Digital Technologies for Brand Promotion

The relevance of the research is determined by the need to adapt the activities of enterprises to the rapidly developing digital environment, which requires regular revision of the promotion strategy and adaptation to the new changing conditions shaping the business landscape. The purpose of the study is to develop an innovative approach to the organization of the company's activities based on the use of digital technologies for brand promotion in the face of changes, as well as to determine the directions of their practical implementation.The objectives of the research are to determine the theoretical and methodological foundations for the formation and implementation of a brand promotion strategy in the company's activities; substantiate the role of digital technologies in the brand promotion strategy of a modern enterprise; develop an innovative approach to the organization of the company's activities based on the use of digital brand promotion technologies.Methodology. The paper uses the method of theoretical analysis, the method of classification, synthesis, deduction and induction. The following practical research methods are used: observation method, analysis of collected data, description, economic analysis, comparison method, systematic approach. The applied empirical research methods include: choosing a platform for posting content, ways and channels of influencing the consumer audience of an Internet resource. The results. The elements of an innovative approach to the organization of an enterprise's activities based on the use of digital brand promotion technologies are revealed: the procedure for analyzing content and determining its compliance with the target audience; segments of the target audience for interaction in the process of brand promotion; main and additional promotion channels; options for creating a communication strategy; metrics used to assess the effectiveness of a brand promotion strategy. The stages of digital content creation are highlighted and the author's recommendations for their improvement are proposed.Conclusions. An innovative approach to brand promotion using digital promotion technologies is presented, the uniqueness of which consists in the use of updated basic elements and digital tools at each stage of the strategy, allowing to increase the adaptability of the enterprise to changing environmental conditions.

The cultural and philosophical foundations of the correlation of the phenomena of «artistry» and «creativity»

The object of this research is artistry and creativity as sociocultural phenomena. The subject of this research is the cultural and philosophical foundations of the correlation of the desired phenomena. The developed foundations represent the criterion foundation for differentiating artistry and creativity from the point of view of ontological, epistemological, axiological, sociocultural, anthropological, praxiological, ethical and aesthetic approaches. The phenomenon of «artistry» is justified as the creation of a previously non-existent or original, meaningful and qualitative transformation of existing being, which manifests itself in the establishment of a work of art that is valuable to the subject itself, society and culture due to its actual exclusivity. In turn, creativity is defined as a combinatorial and plagiarized comparison or formal and quantitative redistribution of heterogeneous fragments of being, which manifests itself in the emergence of an artistic work that has a certain price for a mass consumer audience due to its superficial «elitism». The methodological foundation of this research is a systematic approach, comparative-historical and analytical-interpretative methods, as well as hermeneutic and phenomenological approaches. The scientific novelty of the conducted research lies in a holistic, systematic and poly-aspect substantiation of the essence of the phenomena of artistry and creativity and the disclosure of the features of their sources, process, subject and orientation. On the basis of the developed cultural and philosophical foundations, multidimensional definitions of artistry and creativity are formulated, including the designated critical features. The research also outlines the contours of a special philosophical discipline – the philosophy of creativity and its separate subsections. The main conclusion of the research is the position on the inadmissibility of replacing artistry with creativity in order to avoid the dangers of depersonalization of the creative subject, dehumanization of social relations and degradation of cultural traditions.

Innovative Marketing Strategies in the Digital Era: Systematic Literature Review Analysis

Running a business in the modern era is different from business in the past. Business today is greatly influenced by technological advances, for those who master the touch of technology in marketing, they are the ones who can market products, especially in the current digital era. This research aims to gain an understanding of marketing strategies in the digital era. For this reason, we reviewed several studies that we obtained with evidence that we examined from various sources, including scientific papers, especially marketing strategies. Based on the analyzed data and discussion, it can be concluded that online marketing is successful by following the right steps for digital media, mapping marketing, choosing appropriate digital media, and implementing all internet-based marketing activities. Consumers are adopting an increasingly active role in co-creating marketing with their respective companies and brands. In turn, companies and organizations are looking to online social marketing programs and campaigns in an effort to reach consumers where they 'live' online. However, the challenge many companies face is that although they recognize the need to be active on social media, they do not really understand how to do it effectively, what performance indicators they should measure, and how they should measure it. Furthermore, as companies develop social media strategies, platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are too often treated as stand-alone elements rather than as part of an integrated system. This article offers a systematic way to understand and conceptualize online social media, as an ecosystem of related elements involving digital and traditional media. We highlight best practice case studies from organizations' successful efforts to leverage social media to reach important young consumer audiences. Then, we conclude with some insights and lessons related to the strategic integration of social media into a company's marketing communications strategy. The internet has brought disruptive changes to the business landscape through the creation of a number of digital marketing tactics. However, with these new tactical options, marketing managers need to (1) prioritize what they want to achieve and (2) determine which digital marketing tactics to invest in. In this article, we consider these issues from the perspective of four business strategies: explorer, analyzer, low-cost defender, and differentiated defender. In this article, we provide marketing managers with insight into how businesses pursuing various strategies approach these digital marketing issues, with the ultimate goal of assisting managers in the efficient and effective implementation of their corporate strategies.

Designing for the Land of Affluence: The Postwar American Dream through Synthetic Fabrics

After World War II, overproduction and overconsumption overshadowed the ascetic period 1940-1945, as new commodities such as houses, new technological house equipment, cars and other vehicles, travel, frozen food, fast food, but also plastics realized the dreams and expectations of middle class Americans, fulfilling their purchasing desires. Synthetic fabrics constituted a great part of this new socioeconomic and cultural phenomenon and symbolized the US’s emergence from years of deprivation, austerity, depression and war. In the 1950s and 1960s the American market was flooded with man-made materials such as nylon, acrylic and polyester, the ‘miracles of Du Pont’s chemistry laboratories’ which replaced traditional natural fibers such as silk, cotton and wool, suggesting a, new, colorful, modern clothing. This article aims at exploring the effect of man-made fabrics mainly invented during the 1940s or before, on the social and cultural theater of the US as new technological achievements in the fields of fashion and home interior design. The article also aims to shed light on their historical background and unprecedented behavioral qualities which fascinated the postwar American consumer audience by altering their sense of taste and purchasing choices.

Social media “stars” vs “the ordinary” me: influencer marketing and the role of self-discrepancies, perceived homophily, authenticity, self-acceptance and mindfulness

PurposeSocial media influencers have become constant companions of a large audience of young consumers, but a crucial yet underexplored area of examination relates to the implications of exposure to influencers for an individual’s self-concept. This study aims to examine if and how individuals experience self-discrepancies when exposed to influencers and the impact of such discrepancies on their affect, cognition and behaviors toward the influencers and the brands they endorse.Design/methodology/approachThe authors thematically analyze 17 semistructured interviews, develop a conceptual model and present a set of hypotheses. The hypotheses are tested by analyzing survey data from 503 respondents using structural equation modeling.FindingsIndividuals actively engage in comparisons with influencers’ virtual self-presentation and treat them as emblematic of an ideal self. The associated self-discrepancy can lead to both negative and positive affect, but while the latter has a positive impact on e-word of mouth (WOM) and purchase intent, the former has a negative impact. Perceived homophily dampens the impact of exposure to influencer content on discrepancy and strengthens the link between discrepancy and positive affect. Self-acceptance and mindfulness positively moderate the impact of discrepancy on positive affect and negatively on negative affect. Perceived authenticity strengthens the impact of positive affect on e-WOM and dampens the impact of negative affect on purchase intention.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors contribute to the literature on self-discrepancies by identifying a consumer context where, in addition to the theoretically predicted negative affect, an individual may experience more positive emotions like feeling motivated or inspired because of the perceived attainability of an influencer as an ideal self. The authors contribute to the influencer marketing literature by examining the influencer–follower relationship and its implications for an individual’s self-concept, including the role played by perceived homophily and authenticity. The authors also contribute to the literature on consumer well-being and identify the role of self-acceptance and mindfulness in shaping consumer experiences.Practical implicationsThe authors provide a nuanced analysis of the impact of influencer marketing on consumer behavior with a focus on its impact on an individual’s self-concept. The authors argue for the role of perceived homophily and authenticity in shaping favorable consumer behavior outcomes and offer evidence for more inclusive approaches to marketing.Originality/valueThe authors identify the influencer–follower relationship as a unique social exchange where the source of self-discrepancy is also a homophilic solution provider for achieving one’s ideal self and report both positive and negative effects as outcomes of experiencing a self-discrepancy induced by a target perceived as more attainable. The authors situate understandings of perceived homophily and authenticity along these relationships and identify self-acceptance and mindfulness as mechanisms used by individuals to deal with discrepancies.

The market of medical tourism: opportunities and perspectives

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and the complex geopolitical situation have considerably reduced international medical travel, which has had a significant impact on the medical tourism market. At the same time, these circumstances have acted as a trigger for expanding the range of opportunities in the domestic market and the emergence of new types of medical services, such as vaccine tourism.
 AIM: To study the current opportunities of the medical tourism market in Russia and to outline promising areas for its development and optimization in view of the existing limitations.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The article reviews current legislative and regulatory legal acts, publications of modern authors on the issue of medical tourism development in Russia and also studies the demand for and popularity of medical tourism among the consumer audience (through Google Trends service).
 RESULTS: Based on the analysis, it is established that the main difficulties of medical tourism sector development in our country at the present stage are weak transport infrastructure, low targeting of services and imperfections of the unified register.
 CONCLUSION: Such problems as weak transport infrastructure, low targeting and amateur private sector activities reduce the pace of development of domestic tourism. Given the current shortcomings, optimization of the domestic medical tourism market in Russia requires building new logistics solutions.

ОКО КАМЕРИ: ФОТОГРАФІЧНИЙ ПОГЛЯД І ПИТАННЯ ВІЗУАЛЬНОГО НАСИЛЬСТВА

Background. This article examines the structure and forms of functioning of photography as a visual practice. In particular, a comparative analysis is conducted with the specifics of the organization and transformation of the practice of gaze in the logic of firearms. Methods. In this context, the author examines the syntagmatic relations of lexical units that give rise to subsequent practices and common metaphorical connections. A special place is occupied by the differentiation of lexical units of the metaphor of death in the context of the functioning of the practice and discourse of photography. In the article, the units of textual and linguistic analysis in the context of semiotics and tropology of visual culture are singled out in the methodological perspective. The purpose of the article is to analyze the logic of the correlation between the poetics and ethics of the visual practice of photography, in particular, to clarify the grounds for responsibility and legitimization of the photographer's view. Results. As a result, the foundations of the anthropological model of the "split subject" formed by the visual practice of photography are substantiated not only in the context of the opposition between the photographer and the photographed as inoforms of subject-object opposition, but also the degree of violence of photography as a cultural product, the consumption of which shapes the dynamics of the consumer's gaze and the basis for communication of the community as a consumer audience in this regard. Conclusions. As a result, the author comes to the conclusion that the improvement of photographic equipment technology expands the social circle of its consumers and, accordingly, the forms of their communication. The geometric growth of photography practices transforms the forms of social control, in particular, it technologies the practice of panopticism. The social pressure of the stranger's gaze generates "the inevitability of the modality of what is seen" (D. Joyce) and the permanence of the presence of the Other.

Neuromarketing as a Mechanism of Communication with the Consumer: The Case for Small Business

Neuromarketing is a modern tool for researching consumer reactions to advertising stimuli and identifying relevant consumer behaviour patterns. Conducting neuromarketing research using eye tracking technology allows us to obtain objective data on consumer perceptions of advertising, websites, product packaging, etc. This article is devoted to studying the structural and content environment of the marketing category and neuromarketing research on advertised materials via the eye-tracking method. The analysis of publishing activity on the topic of neuromarketing carried out with the help of Scopus tools and the VOSviewer toolkit showed a trend of increasing interest from the scientific community in the use of neurotechniques and technologies in the study of consumer behaviour since 2004. The results of the analysis of the structural and content environment have shown the growing interest of scientists in the detailed study of consumer reactions to a product, brand, site, and advertisement, with further conclusions regarding their preferences and priorities. The work revealed that in the field of neuromarketing, there are methods that can be conditionally divided into those that register activity in the brain (neurological) and those that register activity outside the brain (biometric). The characteristics of these methods make it possible to choose the most appropriate method of eye tracking for evaluating consumers’ reactions to advertising posters. Pupil Labs Invisible mobile eyetracker was used as the main tool for neuromarketing research. According to the results of the two stages of the experiment, heatmaps were obtained, which are described by the key metrics of the study: fixations and points of view, heatmaps, areas of interest, and time spent. With the help of research, the most profitable designs of advertising posters for consumers were determined. The influence of different colors and their combinations on the brain activity of potential consumers was analysed. As a result, a conclusion was made regarding the optimal placement of such key elements on the poster as the logo, and the price, the colour range of the presented materials and the fonts that were used were determined. The application of the obtained results of marketing research made it possible to obtain information about how consumers perceive visual stimuli, which, in the future, will be the basis for perfecting marketing communication strategies with the target audience of consumers.

Financial Justification for the Use of Innovative Digital Marketing Tools

This article presents a comprehensive study aimed at analysing the impact of innovative digital marketing tools on the promotion of dairy products. This study is relevant because of the rapid dynamics of the digital environment and the need for enterprises to adapt to new marketing trends. The article investigates the feasibility of using innovative digital marketing tools in accordance with the segments of the target audience on the basis of the definition of their values. The main problem is the lack of scientific justification for the choice of innovative digital marketing tools for potential audiences, as well as the analysis of the feasibility of digital marketing costs. The hypothesis of the study is that, on the basis of the analysis of the values of consumer groups, as well as the analysis of the feasibility of marketing costs, it is possible to select the most relevant innovative digital marketing tools. The main purpose of the study is to justify the use of innovative digital marketing tools on the basis of consumer values, as well as to justify the feasibility of digital marketing costs on the basis of the analysis of financial statements. The methodology included cluster analysis of the target audience and analysis of financial ratios. One of the key stages of the study was the cluster analysis of the target audience, which allowed us to identify different consumer segments with different needs and values. Three clusters of consumer audiences in the dairy industry were identified, the corresponding values of customers in the clusters were substantiated, and recommendations for identifying innovative digital marketing tools were proposed, taking into account the feasibility of the marketing costs of the enterprise. The key coefficients for making informed management decisions on the feasibility of digital marketing costs are allocated. By analysing these coefficients, an enterprise can assess its financial capabilities and make a decision on how to invest in innovative digital marketing tools. This allows enterprises to make informed decisions about investing in digital marketing, minimizing financial risk and increasing the chances of successful implementation of marketing strategies. This study significantly adds to the body of knowledge in the field of digital marketing by offering a scientifically based approach to the selection of innovative marketing tools on the basis of the analysis of consumer value and the financial feasibility of costs. The practical application of the research results lies in the ability of dairy enterprises to promote their products online on the basis of a thorough selection of innovative digital marketing tools, reducing financial risk. This creates a basis for further research in the field of digital marketing, particularly in the context of the integration of innovative digital marketing tools and their impact on consumer behaviour.

Case study: The paper and packaging board’s highly successful experiential activation

Sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity, and there is starting to be a shift in consciousness that is putting pressure on both individuals and organisations to share responsibilities and intervene. This paper will explore how the Paper and Packaging Board (P+PB) and its partner Stein IAS found the most successful strategies to educate as many consumers as possible on the best ways to recycle paper and paper-based packaging. They realised that in order to communicate with consumers effectively and economically, a traditional business-to-consumer framework would not suffice. Instead, P+PB and Stein IAS embarked on a mission to follow a B2B2C framework, focusing on engaging packaging manufacturers and their e-commerce clients to reach a broader consumer audience. They understood that they had to convince box manufacturers and e-commerce brands to join the programme, known as ‘Box to Nature’, which aimed to inspire consumers to recycle boxes correctly, emphasising the exponential effect of proper recycling. The strategy involved showing up where the majority of the target audience was engaged, creating a relevant and bold experience. The launch of the initiative at PACK EXPO, one of the industry’s largest trade shows, was a significant step in this direction. The team found a unique, powerful and relevant way to connect with the desired audience in unexpected ways, resulting in a big success that has led to a significant increase in the number of organisations wanting to join the programme.

The Impact of Sports Sponsorship on Brand Value in Major Sports Events -- The Case of Qatar World Cup

Sports sponsorship has steadily risen to the top of the list of marketing strategies used by companies, particularly sports and fashion brands. The most recent significant sporting event to draw a record-breaking number of spectators and attention is the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The main sponsors of the event have also attracted public attention. A study on the sports sponsorship of the Qatar World Cup can, on the one hand, examine more important factors, evaluate its marketing effectiveness, and offer examples for sponsor brands. On the other hand, it can also offer rationalization suggestions for the event organizers and sponsors to improve their sponsorship effectiveness and brand value, further promoting the joint development of both parties as well as the development of the sports industry and sponsor brands. The research perspective and theories around sponsorship marketing are further enhanced by this study. This study has sequentially suggested three elements in sponsorship activities that may affect the value of sponsoring brands, including audience involvement, media publicity, and co-sponsorship, using primarily quantitative analysis. Consumer audience participation, the success of media publicity, and the perception of co-sponsorship are all significant elements that have an impact on the brand value of sponsors in the modern sports sponsorship environment. This paper takes sports event consumers as the investigation target, builds a research model based on theoretical research and literature studies, and proposes research hypotheses in order to clarify the mechanism of audience involvement, media publicity, and co-sponsorship on the brand value of sponsors. In order to carefully study and develop conclusions on the effects of sponsoring significant athletic events on sponsor brand value in several dimensions, data were collected widely through surveys and analyzed using SPSS. Media publicity had a significant positive impact on brand value, and co-sponsorship and audience involvement had an indirect impact on brand value. It was discovered that the better the sponsorship image, the greater the impact on audience involvement and co-sponsorship, and the greater the impact on brand value. Finally, the paper offers pertinent countermeasures for brands to perform sponsorship activities and create brand value, in order to encourage the development of sports event sponsorship, based on the research findings and the present state of sports sponsorship.

Impact of Environmental Concern, Emotional Appeals, and Attitude toward the Advertisement on the Intention to Buy Green Products: The Case of Younger Consumer Audiences

The protection of our natural environment and the rational use of our natural resources are topics that have gained enormous attention the last years, with thousands of people changing their buying behaviors and making more environmentally conscious purchase decisions. Green consumer behavior is concerned with environmental issues or societal considerations that are reflected in purchase decisions. In this article, we study the factors influencing the intention of consumers to buy green products by proposing and validating a research model depicting the dependencies of green purchase intention from the selected factors. More specifically, the aim of the exploratory study is to investigate the impact of positive and negative emotions on individuals’ perceptions of environmentally friendly products and services, as well as the influence of attitudes toward green ads and of consumers’ environmental concerns on green purchasing behavior. The study was conducted with 75 participants who were shown six ads promoting a specific ecofriendly product, with each ad featuring a different emotional appeal both through its visual imagery and its textual information; three of the ads elicited negative emotions (fear, guilt, and disgust) and three positive emotions (joy, interest/curiosity, and inspiration). Findings indicate that ads that elicit negative emotions demonstrate a significant positive effect on consumers’ attitudes toward the green ad and on their intention to buy the promoted green product, but this does not apply to ads that elicit positive emotions. The statistical analysis also revealed that the attitudes toward the green ad are not a significant predictor of consumers’ buying intention. Moreover, as expected, consumers with high environmental concern demonstrate stronger intention to buy the promoted green product compared to consumers with low environmental concern.

Skin tone representation in dermatologic direct-to-consumer advertisements: a cross-sectional analysis and call to action.

Direct-to-consumer advertisements (DTCAs) in medical marketing serve as a prominent modality to deliver information to an increasingly diverse audience of consumers and increase prescription sales. In dermatology, advertisements have the potential to shape the public's opinions, aid in the understanding of skin conditions, and raise awareness of available treatments. To investigate and characterize the representation of skin tones in DTCAs. Nielsen ratings were utilized to identify the networks most watched by Black viewers in 2022. Programming on NBCUniversal, ABC, CBS, and FOX that aired in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia from June 2022 to July 2022 was reviewed for DTCAs. DTCAs were then analyzed to determine the skin tones of models and skin conditions depicted on models with darkly pigmented skin. Of the 106 DTCAs related to dermatologic conditions, there were 13 unique advertisements featuring 32 unique models. Four advertisements depicted the skin condition on darkly pigmented skin tones. Using the Monk Skin Tone (MST) scale to assess the 32 unique individuals, only 25% (n = 8) were rated at an MST 7 or above, and 6.25% (n = 2) were rated at an MST 10. This study has the limitation of only sampling DTCAs from Washington, District of Columbia which does not fully represent all dermatology-related DTCAs in the United States. Results of this content analysis demonstrate that the number of persons of color within dermatologic DTCAs is 23%, whereas there are 13.6% Black individuals in the 2021 US census. This suggests that DTCAs are becoming more diverse since 2018. However, findings also show that the vast majority of DTCAs do not include models with darkly pigmented skin, and there remains a lack of advertisements depicting skin disease among people of color. Given the role of DTCAs in informing and aiding patients' requests for prescription drugs, representation of all skin tones is essential for this communication to be effective, especially in the field of dermatology.

In a Garden of Forking Maps

Abstract This article compares the cartographical representations of the Caspian region produced around 1560 in Goa and Venice, with references to other centers of mapmaking such as Lisbon, Seville, and Antwerp. It explores the scientific, cultural, technical, and commercial logics that led to profoundly dissimilar cartographies of the Caspian and its surroundings in different centers of map production around the same time. It asks questions about the contrasts between maritime and terrestrial cartography in the Renaissance, and the cartographical languages associated with each of these cartographical modes. The habitus of maritime cartographers in Goa, Lisbon, and Seville differed profoundly, it is argued, from that of mapmakers in Italy, and particularly Venice, who aimed for an integration of all available data as part of a tradition of commenting on Ptolemy, and produced highly desirable printed maps for a growing consumer audience. The article thus advocates a comparative approach to maps, and critiques the assumption that knowledge “flows” between regions. It proposes instead a “(dis)connected history” of knowledge production and consumption to throw new light on the origins of the cartographical printing revolution.

The Elements of Style: Aspiration and the Writing Life in the Early Years of Esquire

ABSTRACT Much of the scholarship on Esquire has focused on the magazine’s ideological fusion of masculinity and capitalism. Many scholars argue that Esquire’s chief accomplishment was to create what was, at the time of its founding in 1933, an entirely new audience of male consumers. Informed by recent research on the philosophy of aspiration, this article expands these readings by recovering the magazine’s 1930s-era interest in writing and authorship. Under the direction of editor Arnold Gingrich, Esquire was an agent of aspiration, promoting a romantic view of authorship that suggested that writing was an accessible pathway to stylish self-improvement.