Targets & Segments

The Impact of Live Streaming on Digital Engagement and Monetization

Live streaming creators rely on paying viewers, but not all subscriptions are used in the same way. When viewers subscribe for themselves, the community tends to engage more through commenting, reflecting greater commitment. In contrast, gift subscriptions from other viewers lead to increased tipping within the community.  Additionally, viewers tend to gift more than subscribe in response longer, happier, faster speaking and louder content. The findings suggest that live streaming can be a considerably lucrative avenue for content creators. It also examines the effectiveness of different performance quality strategies and their influence on customer-to-customer subscriptions (C2CSubs) and tips, providing valuable insights for marketers and digital strategists.

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Cause-Related Marketing Messages that are Customer-Centric have Greater Impact

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

This study explores the effectiveness of cause-related marketing and how brands can enhance consumer trust by attributing their charitable actions to customers rather than the brand itself. The research shows that when brands share the credit for good deeds with their customers, it reduces perceptions of bragging and increases brand trust. This beneficial effect is particularly significant for brands with high integrity.

The findings are based on three studies involving American adults, which demonstrate that attributing donations to customers (versus the brand) reduces perceived bragging and increases donation intentions and brand trust. The study highlights the importance of brand integrity in moderating these effects.

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How the Deliberate Use of Slurs Impacts Prosocial Advertising

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

When a slur is used, people hear it. Usually, it is either morally wrong or used in a negative way. However, certain nonprofit organizations have turned these words into tools to grab attention in provocative prosocial advertising campaigns. This study examines how such sexist and homophobic slurs can influence consumer engagement and cognitive elaboration. The findings suggest that advertisements containing offensive language can increase the perceived importance of the issue and motivate individuals to seek help or register for training sessions. However, the effectiveness of such advertisements depends on the audience's prior exposure to sexism or homophobia and their perception of the issue's importance.

The study also highlights the potential risks and benefits of using offensive language in social marketing. While offensive advertisements can capture attention and provoke thought, they may also alienate certain audiences. Social marketers should carefully consider their target audience and the context in which offensive language is used to maximize the positive impact of their campaigns.

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Lower AI Literacy Predicts Greater Receptivity to AI this Study Finds

  • MSI

The study explores the relationship between consumers' AI literacy and their receptivity to this emerging technology. What is AI literacy you ask? This refers to a person's degree of objective knowledge about AI, while receptivity refers to the extent to which a consumer is interested in having AI complete tasks. The study finds that contrary to popular belief, people with lower AI literacy exhibit greater receptivity towards AI-based products and services. What’s more, this relationship persists across a broad range of receptivity measures.

The research offers both theoretical and practical contributions. Theoretically, it contributes to the growing literature on psychological responses to AI, by focusing on understanding whether systematic differences across individuals predict differences in AI receptivity. Practically, the results suggest that attempts to increase the adoption of AI-based products and services through targeting consumers with greater AI literacy or increasing knowledge of AI may not be the most effective.

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How to Optimize Product Placement Interface Design for Mobile Food Delivery

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

This study explores the impact of Gestalt psychology on consumer behavior in mobile food delivery marketing. By analyzing brainwave activity, the research demonstrates how organizing visual elements in a Gestalt format can influence purchase decisions. The findings reveal that products placed in a Gestalt format led to higher purchase rates and lower cognitive conflict compared to non-Gestalt formats. The study also highlights the importance of complementary cross-selling products in enhancing the visual Gestalt effect. When main and cross-selling products are placed together in a Gestalt format, consumers experience a more positive emotional response and are more likely to make a purchase. These insights can help marketers optimize product placement interfaces to boost sales and improve user experience.

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How has Early Adoption of ChatGPT-4 Affected Subscriptions to Other Digital Services?

  • MSI

This study investigates how the adoption of GPT-4, the first paid GenAI service, influenced early adopters' payments to other digital services. The research provides insights into the payment behavior of early GPT-4 adopters and how it might help calibrate investor expectations of the GenAI market. The study uses a difference-in-differences approach to analyze payment data and offers a comprehensive view of the impact of GPT-4 on consumer payments for other digital services.

The findings suggest that early GPT-4 adopters were significantly more likely to pay for other AI tools like Github Copilot, which offers coding assistance. The study also highlights the potential of GenAI services to replace traditional web-based search tools and automate various service industries.

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How Accessible is Social Media to the Disabled?

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Social media has transformed how people communicate, access information and shop. Despite its widespread use, digital content remains inaccessible for blind and/or deaf consumers due to missing or inaccurate accessibility features like alt text and closed captioning. This study examines the utilization and accuracy of these features on social media platforms and highlights the challenges vulnerable consumers face.

The findings reveal that many social media posts lack proper accessibility features, resulting in lost opportunities for consumers and organizations. The study emphasizes the need for proactive interventions and changes in public policy to enhance digital accessibility for all users.

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Who is More Persuasive to an Audience, Micro-, Macro- or Mega- Influencers?

  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

This study investigates the impact of influencer follower size on brand responses. It examines whether micro-, macro- or mega-influencers are more effective in increasing brand awareness, positive brand attitudes and purchase intentions. The study finds that micro-influencers, with fewer than 100,000 followers, are more persuasive than larger influencers due to their higher perceived credibility and similarity to the audience. The research highlights the importance of choosing the right influencer size for marketing campaigns to achieve better brand outcomes.

The study also explores the underlying mechanisms that explain the effects of influencer size on brand responses. It identifies three key factors: wishful identification, perceived credibility and perceived similarity. The findings suggest that micro-influencers are more effective in enhancing brand awareness and positive brand attitudes because they are perceived as more credible and similar to the audience.

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