Glenna L. Read

To address challenges with traditional ad breaks in sports broadcasting, split-screen ads - which show ads alongside live game content - have gained popularity. However, research on their impact, particularly across varying emotional engagement levels, is limited. This study used a biometric and eye-tracking lab experiment with 41 undergraduate students, employing a 2 × 2 incomplete block design during an international soccer match to investigate how emotional context (pleasant vs. unpleasant) and timing (at low-to-moderate vs. moderate-to-high emotionally intense moments) affect processing of split-screen ads during replays. This is one of the first studies on split-screen ads in sports broadcasts, showing that positive emotional moments enhance ad attitudes and reduce perceived intrusiveness. While self-reported attention data show that unpleasant moments trigger avoidance of replays but promote coping strategies for viewing ads, eye-tracking data contradict them, particularly in attentional resource allocation and visual focus, offering new insights for future research in sport marketing and advertising.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of media type (2D vs. VR) and signage location (center vs. periphery) on the cognitive processing of signage advertising during sporting events. The rapid growth of the virtual reality (VR) sports market has led to widespread integration of sports content into virtual reality services. Despite this, academic exploration of such services remains in its early stages. Using the framework of the dynamic human-centered communication systems theory (DHCCST), this research examines the effects of media type (2D vs. VR) and signage advertising location (center vs. periphery) on cognitive processing of advertising during sporting events. In an experiment, participants viewed a sports game in either 2D or VR format. Real-time biometric measures assessed attentional resources and visual attention, while memory tests evaluated brand memory performance. VR, compared to 2-D, sports viewing trended toward eliciting greater cognitive resource allocation during the periods when signage advertising was presented during the game but significantly decreased visual attention and impaired brand memory for ads. Further, advertising placed centrally received better visual attention and facilitated brand memory compared to advertising in the periphery, regardless of media type. The interaction effect between media type and signage location on attentional outcomes was minimal. Results are discussed in light of the DHCCST and to offer practical insights for designing content to enhance sponsor effectiveness in VR sports programming.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts by established legacy brands are often seen as inauthentic. What can brands do to genuinely engage in CSR efforts? This study investigates internal CSR as a potential solution. CSR type (internal and external) and extrinsic cues (brand size and age) interact to affect congruence, authenticity, and subsequent purchase intention for companies that communicate these efforts on social media. Through a series of three experiments, we compare the effectiveness of internal and external CSR in influencing consumer perceptions. Results confirm that CSR is not a one-size-fits-all solution for brands. We find that Internal CSR is more effective for legacy (older, larger) brands, while external CSR is more effective for novel (newer, smaller) brands. This paper is among the first to conceptualize internal CSR as a potential strategy for legacy brands that often struggle for authentic ways to get involved with social issues. Results indicate that consumers want to see larger, older brands try to "fix" themselves before they attempt to fix the world.

The purpose of current study was to examine (1) the emotion transfer effect from sport programs and (2) program-ad congruity effects on the effectiveness of ads. A 2 (program-induced valence: pleasant, unpleasant) × 2 (program-induced arousal: arousing, calm) × 2 (advertising theme: sport, non-sport) within-subjects design, along with real-time psychophysiological measures, was employed to test the hypotheses. As predicted, an ad placed after a pleasant situation (favored team’s victory) was more effective than an ad placed after an unpleasant situation (favored team’s defeat). Also, an ad played after an arousing situation (close game) was more effective than an ad played after a non-arousing situation (lopsided game). Further, advertising effectiveness was greater for sport-themed ads (congruent) than non-sport-themed (non-congruent) ads. The findings suggest that the same ad can result in different persuasive impacts depending upon the emotional and cognitive context of the preceding sports program. The study offers new insights to existing sport marketing communication literature by examining emotional and cognitive priming effects in the context of sport media programing.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how influencers' visual content affects consumer attitudinal and behavioral responses to influencer advertising. The proposed model includes smile intensity of influencers as the independent variable, warmth and admiration as the mediators and product category (Study 1) and orientation of advertising messages (self vs social, Study 2) as the moderators. Design/methodology/approach: Two experimental studies (Study 1 and 2) were conducted. A total of 337 online panelists were collected via Qualtrics in Study 1 and responses from 409 online panelists were collected via Qualtrics in Study 2. Findings: The results of two experimental studies showed that smiling influencers increased perceptions of warmth and feelings of admiration, thereby evoking positive consumer attitudes and behavioral intention. The strong positive impact of smiling on responses to influencer advertising was present regardless of product categories (Study 1) and the orientation of advertising messages (Study 2). Originality/value: This study empirically examined the role of visual content on consumers' attitudinal, emotional and behavioral responses to influencer advertising by adopting theoretical models in social psychology. This paper also provides strong managerial implications for marketers who seek the most effective strategies for leading consumers to evaluate influencers positively and ultimately, accepting marketing messages favorably.

The current global pandemic has presented an opportunity to rethink how universities implement sexual assault prevention programs. The advantages and capabilities presented by technology such as digital gaming have not been fully utilized in sexual assault prevention programming. A user-centered design approach gives developers the opportunity to truly engage students in a learning process; a critical thinking required to explore sexual assault and contributing factors in a meaningful way. Digital gaming presents an active learning experience that engages students in a method of learning they may be more familiar with, and may actually prefer. By using digital gaming, sexual assault prevention can remain effective and accessible no matter the social and environmental circumstances.

The technology maintenance framework argues that digital access is unreliable and thus consequential for individual/social welfare. However, no one has demonstrated a causal effect of cell phone access on health and well-being. Using a 7-month longitudinal field experiment we investigated how stable cellphone access impacts health and quality of life of people experiencing poverty (N = 45, median annual income = $7,216). Participants received phone cards providing unlimited talk, text, and data (n = 23) or were given grocery store gift cards of the equivalent amount (n = 22). Over the course of the experiment, participants in the treatment group reported better health and quality of life compared to those in the control group. Emotional social support moderated this relationship in such a way that those with the least social support benefited the most from stable cellphone access (supporting a ‘poor-get-richer’ hypothesis). We present practical and theoretical implications in the discussion.