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Food marketing has long been recognized to influence food preferences, consumption and health, yet little is known about the nature and extent of food marketing to young adults – especially with respect to their real-world encounters with food marketing and the appeals they find persuasive. This study aims to engage young adults to explore the persuasive power of food marketing and its platforms of exposure.

Participatory research with 45 young adults, who used a specially designed mobile app to capture the food marketing they encountered for seven days, including information on brand, product, platform and “power” (i.e. the specific techniques that made the advertisement persuasive).

A total of 618 ads were captured for analysis. Results revealed the dominance of digital platforms (especially Instagram, comprising 43% of ads), fast food and beverage brands (48% of ads) and the top persuasive techniques of visual style, special offer and theme.

This study uniquely draws from framing theory to advance the notions of selection and salience to understand food marketing power. It is the first study of its kind to provide a comprehensive look at the platforms and persuasive techniques of food marketing to adults as selected, captured and tagged by participants. It provides timely insights into young adults and food marketing to adults, including where it is encountered, the (generally unhealthy) brands and products promoted and how it is made meaningful.

Framed by nostalgia marketing, this research draws upon lessons from ParticipACTION, a Canadian non-profit health promotion organization, to examine one of their most well-known campaigns, Body Break with ParticipACTION, in order to assess the potential role for nostalgia-based marketing campaigns in sport participation across generational cohorts.

Exploratory sequential mixed methods involving two studies were completed on behalf of ParticipACTION, with the authors developing the research instruments and the collection of the data undertaken by research agencies. Study 1 was the secondary analysis of qualitative data from five focus groups with different demographic compositions that followed a common question guide. Study 2 was a secondary data analysis of a pan-Canadian online survey with a sample (n = 1,475) representative of the overall adult population that assessed awareness of, and attitudes toward, ParticipACTION, Body Break, physical activity and sport participation. Path analysis tested a proposed model that was based on previous research on attitudes, brand and loyalty. Further, multi-group path analyses were conducted to compare younger generations with older ones.

The results provide direction and understanding of the importance of nostalgia in marketing sport participation programs across generational cohorts. For instance, in the four parent-adult focus groups, unaided references as well as frequent and detailed comments regarding Body Break were observed. Similarly, Millennials reported that Body Break was memorable, Canadian and nostalgic, with a mix of positive and negative comments. The importance of nostalgia was supported sequentially via results from the national survey. For example, while 54.1% of the 40–54 age-group associated ParticipACTION positively with Body Break, so did 49.8% of the 25–39-year age group, most of whom were not born when the promotion ran. Further, brand resonance was found to explain 4% more variance in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), the proxy for sport participation, for younger people compared to older people.

Results provide direction to brands, properties and agencies around the use of nostalgia in sport marketing campaigns and sponsorship efforts. For brands seeking to sponsor sport properties to alter their image with potential consumers in a new market, associating with a sport property that many view as nostalgic could improve the impact of the campaign. On the sport property side, event managers and marketers should both identify existing assets that members or fans are nostalgic about, as well as consider building nostalgia into current and new properties they develop.

This research is valuable to the sport marketing and sponsorship literature through several contributions. First, the use of nostalgia marketing, and nostalgia in general, is novel in the sport marketing and sponsorship literature, with future research in nostalgia and sponsorship recommended. Second, the potential to adopt or adapt Body Break to other sport participation and physical activity properties is empirically supported. Finally, the finding that very effective promotions can have a long-lasting effect, both on those who experienced the campaigns as well as younger populations who only heard about it, is notable.

Video game streaming (VGS) is emerging as an extremely popular, highly interactive, inordinately subscribed and very dynamic form of digital media. Incorporated environmental elements, gratifications and user pre-existing attitudes in VGS, this paper presents the development of an extended model of uses and gratification theory (EUGT) for predicting users' behavior in novel technological context.

The proposed model was empirically tested in VGS context due to its popularity, interactivity and relevance. Data collected from 308 VGS users and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the hypotheses. Multi-model comparison technique was used to assess the explanatory power of EUGT.

The findings confirmed three significant types elements in determining VGS viewers' engagement, including gratifications (e.g. involvement), environmental cues (e.g. medium appeal) and user predispositions (e.g. pre-existing attitudes). The results revealed that emerging technologies provide potential opportunities for new motives and gratifications, and highlighted the significant of pre-existing attitudes as a mediator in the gratification-uses link.

This study is one of its kind in tackling the criticism on UGT of considering media users too rational or active. The study achieved this objective by considering environmental impacts on user behavior which is largely ignored in recent UGT studies. Also, by incorporating users pre-existing attitudes into UGT framework, this study conceptualized and empirically verified the higher explanatory power of EUGT through a novel multi-modal approach in VGS. Compared to other rival models, EUGS provides a more robust explanation of users' behavior. The findings contribute to the literature of UGT, VGS and users' engagement.

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) on vlog marketing. The focus was to analyse the major themes in this field and provide insights for future research directions.

The authors reviewed a total of 49 peer-reviewed publications that include the search terms “vlog” or “video blog” in their titles, keywords and abstracts, retrieved from digital databases Scopus and Web of Science, up to the end of July 2023. Thematic analysis was used to examine and synthesise the articles.

The authors found 19 sub-themes and identified four major themes that emerged from the literature: (1) endorsement outcomes, (2) vlogger characteristics, (3) consumer credibility and (4) vlog content crafting.

There are many unanswered questions in the literature, suggesting that vlog marketing research is still in its infancy, and that in-depth further studies are required for a more comprehensive understanding of the field. This study has identified potential avenues for future research that may contribute to the existing body of knowledge and valuable insights on vlog marketing.

The purpose of this study is to use the grounded theory to summarize the types of celebrity persona and to construct a theoretical model for celebrity persona on consumer purchase intention. Based on the study results, it provides better suggestions for merchants and live streamers and is an expansion of previous research on live-streaming e-commerce.

The grounded theory is recognized as the most scientific qualitative research method and is the ideal explorative method for generating theory. First, the participants were interviewed, and interview data were collected. Then the interview data were organized and analyzed. Finally, this paper summarizes the types of celebrity persona and constructes a theoretical model framework of celebrity persona on consumers' purchase intention.

The results show that the celebrity live streamer persona can be divided into two types: personalized persona and professional persona. Through emotional attachment, the celebrity's persona affects the consumer's purchase intentions. As well as, product type plays a moderating role between celebrity persona and consumer purchase intentions.

The contribution of this research is to start from the celebrity persona, link the celebrity persona with the consumer purchase intentions and expand the research scope of the celebrity persona. It opens the “black box” of the heterogeneity of celebrity live streamers' characteristics on consumer purchase intentions.

Dark triad (DT) personality traits, that is, Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy, are socially unenthusiastic and predict a range of antisocial behaviors. Academic entitlement, similarly, demonstrates the students’ rising temptation of higher grades without putting corresponding efforts. Based on coercion theory, this research investigated power distance as mediator between DT and academic entitlement (externalized responsibility and entitled expectations). Further, this study examined DT model of personality as a predictor of academic entitlement in Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs).

Chinese HEIs were ascertained for data collection. Students (with bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees) responded to 719 questionnaires for data analysis. Hypothesized relationships were examined through partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM).

This study established positive and significant direct link between DT and academic entitlement. The indirect effect through power distance was found insignificant between the relationship of DT and academic entitlement.

Based on coercion theory, this study extends the prevailing literature through unexplored effects of DT on academic entitlement and role of power distance in Chinese HEIs. This study validated the effect of DT on academic entitlement; however, direct-only no-mediation of power distance between the relationships is novel in Chinese HEIs. Moreover, power distance as mediator is novel between the relationships. Hence, this study provides an understanding of mentioned associations and contributes to the literature.

Narratives underscoring the necessity of innovation for success are pervasive. Yet, many new products fail or fail to produce their intended impacts. Conventional views typically promote the functional view of innovation, which focuses on identifying and meeting customer needs. The authors argue, however, that culture is an overlooked explanation of innovation success.

This study uses a conceptual approach, grounded in cultural sociology, to illustrate the ways in which innovation success is influenced by cultural beliefs. Accordingly, this study develops a cultural view of innovation and compare it with the functional view.

This study shows that novel products are successful to the extent their meanings and value resonate with relevant stakeholders. Not only does culture matter, but customers’ needs are often shaped by cultural values in the first place.

More systematic qualitative and quantitative research is needed to better understand the best processes for incorporating cultural beliefs into product features.

In addition to customer needs, innovators should include cultural beliefs as design requirements to ensure the product resonates with the values and everyday practices of users. One way to do this is by implementing the productive method, which provides the resources for the relevant potential users to design the product themselves.

It is not always enough to learn and solicit feedback from potential users. To fully understand the obstacles that may inhibit innovation, this study advocates for providing potential users, local engineers and other relevant stakeholders the autonomy to design, manufacture, market and distribute the product.

The current study aims to examine the joint impact of consumers' need for status (NFS), celebrity's star power and consumer-celebrity image match on consumers' attitudes toward the celebrity endorsement.

A factorial design was employed to test the research model. Consumer-celebrity image match was manipulated, and consumers' NFS and celebrity's star power was captured using existing measurement scales. A total of 365 responses were collected via Qualtrics. Hayes's (2013) PROCESS procedure was used to analyze the data and test hypotheses.

Results indicate that consumers with high (vs low) NFS have more favorable attitudes toward the endorsed brand. More importantly, consumers high in NFS, in an endorsement where celebrity-consumer image matches, have more favorable attitudes toward the brand endorsed by a celebrity with more (vs less) star power. In contrast, in an endorsement where celebrity-consumer image mismatches, they react the same regardless of the endorser's star power.

This study offers suggestions to hospitality marketing professionals in strategically using celebrity endorsers in their marketing campaigns and strategies that allows firms to further formulate positive and enduring brand images while encouraging favorable consumer behaviors.

While most hospitality studies have focused on the traits of celebrity endorsers, little attention has been paid to the impact of consumers' characteristics on celebrity endorsement. This study advances the growing literature on hospitality celebrity endorsement by providing empirical evidence to delineate the relationship among celebrities, endorsed brands and consumers.

A daily vlog is a new type of film tourism that has been underexplored in the literature. This study aims to explore the key elements of daily vlogs that trigger a followers’ travel intention within the framework of enduring involvement. The study will highlight the affect-inspiring role of para-social relationships (PSR), extending the scope of film tourism research.

In Study 1, the objective was to investigate the essential components of enduring involvement in destination-life scenarios. This was accomplished through the analysis of qualitative data, including interview data collected from 15 participants and more than 20,000 words extracted from online blogs, barrages and comments. Additionally, Study 2 used 376 questionnaires to test the proposed structural model.

Within daily vlog-induced tourism, PSR assumes a pivotal role as a catalyst for evoking emotions. This phenomenon is interwoven with enduring involvement and has a direct impact on the determination of travel intention. Within the contextual framework of enduring involvement, constituents such as destination-life self-disclosure, situational resonance and affective belonging converge synergistically. These elements collectively underpin the process through which followers harness PSR as a driving force for nurturing travel intentions within the realm of daily vlog-induced tourism.

This study proposes the concept of daily vlog-induced tourism and emphasizes the emotion-inspiring role of PSR, to extend film tourism research to include daily vlogs. The study then explores the influencing factors of daily vlog-induced tourism under the framework of enduring involvement, providing a new understanding of enduring involvement in daily vlog-induced tourism.

日常视频博客是一种新型的电影旅游, 但文献中对它的研究还不够。本研究旨在持久卷入的框架内探讨日常视频博客触发追随者旅游意向的关键因素。本研究将强调辅助准社会关系的情感激励作用, 从而扩展电影旅游研究的范围。

研究1的目的是调查目的地生活场景中持久参与的基本要素。为此, 研究人员分析了定性数据, 包括从15名参与者那里收集的访谈数据, 以及从在线博客、弹幕（即时更新的互动评论系统）和评论中提取的 20,000 多字的数据。此外, 研究2利用 376 份调查问卷对所提出的结构模型进行了检验。

在由日常博客引发的旅游中, 准社会关系作为唤起情感的催化剂发挥着举足轻重的作用。这一现象与持久参与交织在一起, 并对旅游意向的产生产生直接影响。在持久参与的情境框架内, 目的地生活的自我披露、情境共鸣和情感归属等要素协同作用。这些要素共同支撑着追随者利用准社会关系的过程, 准社会关系在日常视频博客引发的旅游领域中是培育旅游意愿的驱动力。

本研究提出了“日常视频博客诱导旅游” 的概念, 并强调了准社会关系的情感激励作用, 从而将电影旅游研究扩展至日常微博。随后, 研究在持久参与的框架下探讨了日常视频博客诱发旅游的影响因素, 为日常视频博客诱发旅游中的持久参与提供了新的理解。

Los “vlogs” diarios son un nuevo tipo de turismo cinematográfico poco explorado en la bibliografía. Este estudio pretende explorar los elementos clave de los vlogs diarios que desencadenan la intención de viaje de los seguidores en el marco de la implicación duradera. El estudio destacará el papel inspirador de afecto de las relaciones para-sociales (RPS), ampliando el alcance de la investigación sobre el turismo cinematográfico.

En el Estudio 1, el objetivo era investigar los componentes esenciales de la implicación duradera en escenarios de vida en destino. Para ello se analizaron datos cualitativos, incluidos datos de entrevistas realizadas a 15 participantes y más de 20.000 palabras extraídas de blogs, “barrages” (un sistema de comentarios interactivos actualizados al instante) y comentarios. Además, el Estudio 2 utilizó 376 cuestionarios para poner a prueba el modelo estructural propuesto.

Dentro del turismo cotidiano inducido por los “vlogs”, la RSP asume un papel fundamental como catalizador para evocar emociones. Este fenómeno se entrelaza con la implicación duradera y tiene un impacto directo en la determinación de la intención de viaje. En el marco contextual de la implicación duradera convergen sinérgicamente elementos como la autodivulgación de la vida en el destino (AD), la resonancia situacional y la pertenencia afectiva. Estos elementos apuntalan colectivamente el proceso a través del cual los seguidores aprovechan el PSR como fuerza motriz para alimentar las intenciones de viaje en el ámbito del turismo cotidiano inducido por los “vlogs”.

Este estudio propone el concepto de turismo diario inducido por “vlogs” y hace hincapié en el papel inspirador de emociones del PSR, para ampliar la investigación sobre el turismo cinematográfico e incluir los “vlogs” diarios. A continuación, el estudio explora los factores que influyen en el turismo diario inducido por “vlogs” bajo el marco de la implicación duradera, proporcionando una nueva comprensión de la implicación duradera en el turismo diario inducido por “vlogs”.

This paper investigates gender disparity in investment decisions within the popular American TV show Shark Tank.

The research uses a comprehensive dataset of 925 pitches from 14 seasons and 316 episodes, covering August 2009 to May 2023.

Contrary to previous studies, the findings indicate that female entrepreneurs do n'ot face discrimination in terms of their pitching success rates, regardless of their industry affiliation. However, the authors did observe that female entrepreneurs tend to receive lower valuations, both self-assessed and in final deals. This suggests a self-imposed gender gap in venture capital and angel investing, likely stemming from lower entrepreneurial aspirations among women.

To tackle this issue, the authors propose promoting female venture capital by increasing the representation of female entrepreneurs and business angels on Shark Tank. Such role models can inspire aspiring women in these fields. Additionally, the authors believe that mixed-gender founder teams, comprising both men and women, can play a significant role in developing promising startups with viable business models.