How Do Consumers Respond to Ads that Mix Black and White Actors?

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Summary

Many companies and brands increasingly incorporate racially diverse actors, often mixing Blacks and Caucasians in their advertising, yet not much is known about its effectiveness. New research explores how actor race and social tie strength—essentially the potency of the bond between the two actors—translate into consumer responses, with indirect effects on purchase intention.

Authors’ bios:

Enping (Shirley) Mai (maie@ecu.edu) is an associate professor of marketing at East Carolina University. Her research focuses primarily on digital marketing, word of mouth, the online community and the sharing economy.

Diana L. Haytko (haytkod18@ecu.edu) is professor and chair of East Carolina University’s Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Before her academic career, she worked in account services at several large advertising agencies. Her research spans consumer behavior, international marketing, retailing and interorganizational relationships.

Brian J. Taillon (taillonb17@ecu.edu) is an assistant professor of marketing at East Carolina University. He specializes in marketing communications, digital and social media marketing, health behaviors and social issues as they relate to marketing.