We’re happy to partner with our colleagues at MASSIG on the special session “Celebrating 30 years of The PhD Project” at this year’s Summer AMA! Here are the details:
Celebrating 30 Years of the PhD Project: Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Consumer Research
AMA Summer Conference, Boston, MA
Regis, 3rd floor
Friday, August 16 @ 1pm
Understanding the Impact of Inauthentic Brand Activism on Consumer Identity: A ZMET Study
*Pricilla Pena (pena2274@stthomas.edu), Opus College of Business, The University of St. Thomas – Minnesota
Lauren Labrecque (lauren33@uri.edu), University of Rhode Island
Kunal Swani (kunal.swani@wright.edu), Wright State University
This research examines the repercussions of inauthentic brand activism on consumer perceptions and explores its effects on individuals’ identities, coping mechanisms, and potential brand remedies. Data from six participants in a ZMET study, guided by social identity theory, reveal five key themes: (1) Inauthentic brand activism as a stigmatized-identity threat, negatively affecting the identities of stigmatized groups; (2) Coping humor as an empowerment tool for stigmatized groups; (3) Use of safety signals by stigmatized groups to protect themselves; (4) Concerns that inauthentic activism can damage socio-political causes; and (5) The need for consumer inter-group solidarity.
Is This for Me? Differential Responses to Skin Tone Inclusivity Initiatives by Underrepresented Consumers and Represented Consumers
*Jennifer K. D’Angelo (jennifer.dangelo@tcu.edu), Neeley School of Business, Texas Christian University
Lea Dunn (lea.dunn@brooksrunning.com), Brooks Running
Francesca Valsesia (valsesia@uw.edu), Foster School of Business, University of Washington
Brands are extending skin tone product lines to be more inclusive of a diverse consumer base. This work explores how consumers’ feelings of representation (the feeling they, and consumers they identify with, are seen, heard, or taken into consideration when product decisions are being made) affect responses to these line extensions. We show those who feel underrepresented (vs. represented) in skin tone products have less favorable responses due to greater product fit skepticism – doubt that the products in the line extension will meet one’s skin tone needs. We identify how brands can respect consumer needs to improve underrepresented consumers’ responses.
Improving Income Elicitation Methods to Increase Income Reporting: Evidence from Two Large-Scale Field Experiments Among Government Benefit Applicants
*Wendy De La Rosa (wendyde@wharton.upenn.edu), The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Christopher J. Bechler, Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame
Hal E. Hershfield, Anderson School of Management, University of California Los Angeles
Gwen Rino, Code for America
Ryan Hatch, Code for America
Chris Chan, Code for America
Eric Giannella, Code for America
A series of preregistered experiments, including two field experiments among food assistance applicants (N=58,507), demonstrate that a common income elicitation method (in the last 30 days, how much did you get paid?) is incongruent with people’s mental representations of their income and may be harmful to benefit applicants. This common elicitation method increases abandonment of the application, the likelihood of requesting help, and time spent reporting income relative to a congruent intervention that elicits income based on how individuals earn and think about their income (hourly or annually).
“The Places Where I Exist”: The Role of Servicescapes in Structuring Consumer Experiences of Stigmatization and Recognition
*Abigail Nappier Cherup (anappiercher@csusm.edu), California State University, San Marcos
André Maciel (af24o@fsu.edu), Florida State University
Consumers with stigmatized identities often face mistreatment, discomfort, and exclusion in servicescapes. While extant research has focused on stable stigma management strategies, it has overlooked the high heterogeneity of servicescapes regarding their inclusiveness. This study, based on an ethnography of bi+ consumers, shows that consumers contextually adapt their stigma management practices based on the perceived inclusiveness of servicescapes, trying to balance their desire for greater respect with the looming fear of feeling harmed. This work provides an understanding of stigma management as a dynamic process and considers the role of servicescapes in structuring consumer experiences of stigmatization and recognition.
Moderators: Stacey Finkelstein and Aaron J. Barnes