Mark Kay | Montclair State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Mark Kay

Communication and sport, Jan 30, 2019

It is important for brands to appropriately respond when their athlete endorsers are involved in ... more It is important for brands to appropriately respond when their athlete endorsers are involved in a scandal. The present study examines how consumer evaluations of endorsed brands are influenced by a brand's response to an endorser scandal. A 2 (brand response strategy type: maintenance vs. termination) Â 2 (endorser scandal type: competence-relevant vs. competence-irrelevant) between-subjects experiment is conducted. Specifically, the authors focus on the perceived appropriateness of the response strategy and consumer attitudes toward an endorsed brand. Subjects were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (N ¼ 111). Consumers perceive that terminating an endorsement contract with a scandalized endorser is more appropriate than maintaining the relationship. This is particularly true when celebrity endorsers are involved in competence-relevant scandals. A further analysis provided support for the idea that perceived "appropriateness" mediates the relationship between competence-relevant scandal and consumer attitude toward an endorsed brand. A termination strategy was considered appropriate when scandalized endorsers engaged in competence-relevant scandals, which eventually lead to more favorable consumer evaluations toward an endorsed brand.

Developments in marketing science: proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2016

Effective relationship marketing has been conceived to be both "defi ned by" and "dependent upon"... more Effective relationship marketing has been conceived to be both "defi ned by" and "dependent upon" trusted customer relationships. Developing trust appears imperative and central, yet the organizational problems of managing relationships in health services can easily become quite problematic among those with different perspectives of health services. There is both a profound asymmetry of knowledge between patients and physicians, and relationship communication problems that need to be considered by marketers of healthcare products and services. Effective health services are highly dependent upon the centrality of patient-physician relationships (PPRs). However these cannot be considered simply as explicit "relationship marketing" transactions which, as defi ned by Palmatier (2008, p. ix), are primarily intended "to improve customer loyalty and the seller's profi ts." This paper examines the PPR as central to effective healthcare. It then reconsiders the contexts of specifi c type of marketing relationships of health organizations to contribute a new perspective to the marketing literature. The hypothesis that humans differentiate their relationships into different kinds has been called relational models theory (Fiske 1991, 1992) or, alternatively, relationship-specifi c social psychology (Wilson and Daly 1997). The goal is of the paper is to contribute to the literature on the development of effective relationship marketing programs in a manner that is better attuned to the specifi c demands of the healthcare context. Relational theory is useful to relationship marketing concerns in that it aids in describing the basic structures and operations in terms that are socially constructed as meaningful. The four fundamental models for organizing relationships are defi ned by Fiske (1991, 1992) as Communal Sharing, Authority Ranking, Equality Matching, and Market Pricing. These models function to construct, coordinate, and contest social actions, as well as providing the means to interpret, plan, and remember their signifi cance.

Building upon the thesis of Baden and Harwood (2013) that "terminology matters" in describing sus... more Building upon the thesis of Baden and Harwood (2013) that "terminology matters" in describing sustainability programs and corporate social responsibility reporting efforts, this chapter examines how an organization rhetorically self-defines its specific degree or level of "responsibility" in a particular industry or within an industry sector in its actions as well as its non-financial reporting efforts. Starbucks's evolution in developing sustainability programs and their sustainability reporting over a 12-year period are examined as a case example. Being both praised and criticized, Starbucks provides an instructive example of the evolution of corporate responsibility in a customer-facing enterprise. A model of both internal and external drivers of corporate social responsibility and sustainability progress is proposed and applied to the Starbucks case.

Social Science Research Network, Sep 1, 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a perspective on what is “salient” or critical to ... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a perspective on what is “salient” or critical to the discipline of healthcare marketing by analyzing and contrasting the consumer (or patient) perspective with the institutional (or organizational) perspective. This “salience issue” is complicated by the structural problems in healthcare such as societal service systems, advances in medical technology, and the escalating costs of care. Reviewing selected studies, the paper examines how consumers face increasingly difficult health choices.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines the different priorities and goals for marketing that are implied by both patient and organizational perspectives in healthcare, focusing primarily on the excesses of the more “market‐based” US healthcare system.FindingsHealthcare organizations need to better utilize marketing tools to inform consumers and assist their healthcare decisions. This effort needs to be balanced by healthcare organizations that can support the demand to improve quality and increase accessibility of care.Originality/valueThe perspective on the consumer (or patient) often becomes clouded amid the operation of increasingly complex and convoluted healthcare systems. A new perspective on healthcare marketing needs to be considered. Greater consumer access to healthcare information could improve patient decision making. To accomplish this, greater institutional diffusion of evidence‐based healthcare practices is needed to improve organizational performance.

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Sep 11, 2007

Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, Apr 1, 2023

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Sep 4, 2009

Journal of Cleaner Production, Mar 1, 2018

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service... more This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Highlights  The article describes an internship program of paid interdisciplinary teams of undergraduate students that green businesses for a ten-week summer program to spur business action on sustainability.  A team-based student/business collaborative training model was developed through the study of the program, its operation, and outcomes.  Motivation, team selection, team formation, training, and feedback are cited as critical components to develop effective teams of college interns.  The program benefitted multiple stakeholders, boosting and broadening engagement among businesses, providing students with a meaningful team-based experience, and linking managers to their communities.

Advances in business strategy and competitive advantage book series, 2015

Building upon the thesis of Baden and Harwood (2013) that “terminology matters” in describing sus... more Building upon the thesis of Baden and Harwood (2013) that “terminology matters” in describing sustainability programs and corporate social responsibility reporting efforts, this chapter examines how an organization rhetorically self-defines its specific degree or level of “responsibility” in a particular industry or within an industry sector in its actions as well as its non-financial reporting efforts. Starbucks's evolution in developing sustainability programs and their sustainability reporting over a 12-year period are examined as a case example. Being both praised and criticized, Starbucks provides an instructive example of the evolution of corporate responsibility in a customer-facing enterprise. A model of both internal and external drivers of corporate social responsibility and sustainability progress is proposed and applied to the Starbucks case.

Communication and sport, Jul 5, 2018

Despite some of the recent examinations of an athlete's reputational crisis (ARC), their negative... more Despite some of the recent examinations of an athlete's reputational crisis (ARC), their negative spillover effects on endorsed and competing brands have been overlooked. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between perceived severity, athlete endorser credibility (i.e., incompetence, untrustworthiness), and attitudes towards endorsed and competing brands. To enhance theoretical understanding of the phenomenon, the moderating role of consumer knowledge was also tested. Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (N ¼ 339). A multigroup structural equation model was employed to test the hypothesized model. Results indicated that the severity of an ARC is associated with the perceived incompetence and untrustworthiness of focal athletes. Perceived incompetence is associated with negative evaluation of an endorsed brand.

Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2015

The paper examines business-to-business applications of the Internet, reviewing marketing problem... more The paper examines business-to-business applications of the Internet, reviewing marketing problems in forming a collaborative industrial “virtual community.” It discusses an Internet start-up venture in the electronics industry and qualitative research undertaken at the annual industry trade show. The problems developing a community of competing industrial firms are analyzed.

European Journal of Marketing, Jul 1, 2006

PurposeThis paper aims to review the development of branding theory, particularly from the organi... more PurposeThis paper aims to review the development of branding theory, particularly from the organizational context of building an effective corporate brand.Design/methodology/approachThis paper examines the literature on “strong brands” and the experience of several established brands.FindingsThe study finds that no coherent theory defines brand management tasks. Instead, paradigmatic cases of successful brands have come to define branding processes – the logic of the “strong brand” has shaped management branding practices. “Difference” and “consistency” are identified as the primary means of bringing about strong brands, yet these can be difficult to apply, particularly to corporate brands.Originality/valueA new perspective of the social co‐production of brands as meaningful representations, each with its own logic, is proposed as a managerially useful framework to research and frame brand development tasks. Given the development of anti‐branding attacks, managers need to pay close attention to the new risks of managing corporate brands, and how they tie brands to their corporate social responsibility practices.

Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 2016

This article provides a framework to guide the construction of transformative stories by social i... more This article provides a framework to guide the construction of transformative stories by social impact organizations (SIOs) including nonprofit organizations, public policy entities, and for-profit social benefit enterprises. This framework is built from the integration of the academic literature on narratives and narrative construction relevant to SIO story construction. This transformative story construction framework outlines how SIOs can assemble and craft authentic and effective stories that convey the organization's impact, engage audiences, and call those audiences to action as well as how SIOs can develop and manage a portfolio of such stories. The framework also provides recommendations to guide the marketplace practice of transformative story construction by SIOs. Finally, the authors pose questions to engage SIOs in collaborative research to refine the practice of constructing stories with the power to transform.

Welcome to the Transportation Research Forum's 1998 Annual Meeting These proceedings contain thos... more Welcome to the Transportation Research Forum's 1998 Annual Meeting These proceedings contain those papers presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Forum, held in Philadelphia from October 29-31, 1998, that were received by the deadline publishing date. All papers were reviewed by the Program Vice President to assess their suitability for inclusion in these volumes. Additional papers may be made available by some of the presenters at the time of the Conference. The Transportation Research Forum (TRF) is an independent organization of transportation professionals providing pertinent and timely information to those who conduct research and those who use and benefit from research. It functions as an impartial meeting ground for carriers, shippers, government officials, consultants, university researchers, suppliers, and others seeking an exchange of information and ideas related to both passenger and freight transportation. The Transportation Research Forum started with a small group of transportation researchers in New York in 1958 and the first national meeting was held in St. Louis in 1960. National meetings have been held annually since 1960 at various cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Communication & Sport, 2018

Despite some of the recent examinations of an athlete’s reputational crisis (ARC), their negative... more Despite some of the recent examinations of an athlete’s reputational crisis (ARC), their negative spillover effects on endorsed and competing brands have been overlooked. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between perceived severity, athlete endorser credibility (i.e., incompetence, untrustworthiness), and attitudes towards endorsed and competing brands. To enhance theoretical understanding of the phenomenon, the moderating role of consumer knowledge was also tested. Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk ( N = 339). A multigroup structural equation model was employed to test the hypothesized model. Results indicated that the severity of an ARC is associated with the perceived incompetence and untrustworthiness of focal athletes. Perceived incompetence is associated with negative evaluation of an endorsed brand. Furthermore, this impact is significantly stronger for consumers with greater knowledge of the athletes than those who are less k...

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, 2009