Lauren Labrecque | University of Rhode Island (original) (raw)

Papers by Lauren Labrecque

Journal of Consumer Affairs

This research undertakes two related studies to investigate the difficulties faced and costs incu... more This research undertakes two related studies to investigate the difficulties faced and costs incurred by consumers in order to remove information about themselves from online white page directories. These directories contain an aggregate of personal information and create threats to consumers by allotting easy access. A survey study examines consumer awareness of these online directories and expectations of opt-out procedures. A field study tracks attempts at actual information removal for twenty volunteers to provide a real-world assessment of the effectiveness of current opt-out mechanisms. The results reveal a dramatic misalignment between consumer expectations and the reality of current opt-out practices. The results highlight the costs and difficulties associated with opt-outs and bring the validity of these mechanisms into question.

Journal of Marketing Education

Services marketing and retailing courses place service quality at the heart of the curriculum, pa... more Services marketing and retailing courses place service quality at the heart of the curriculum, painting service providers as defenders of their customers’ welfare and thwarters of service failures by ushering in recovery solutions. Yet academic literature and the popular press provide evidence that in some cases, service providers act as discriminatory agents toward their own customers. Likewise, other customers in the servicescape can negatively influence a customer’s service quality experience. This article attempts to address shortcomings in services marketing textbooks and classroom discussions by providing educators with a multicultural service sensitivity exercise that they can employ in undergraduate, graduate, and executive MBA courses. The article offers educators an easy-to-implement, active learning exercise that shows students how many consumers fail to obtain quality service in the marketplace. The goal of the exercise is to help students develop an appreciation for div...

The role of retailers in the practice of social responsible initiatives has been overlooked in th... more The role of retailers in the practice of social responsible initiatives has been overlooked in the literature. This paper develops a framework for analysis of Social Responsible Retailing (SRR) by focusing on retailing business practices across the supply chain to the end consumer and among the internal and external stakeholders of the retail landscape. The framework is presented as a starting point to develop the concept of SRR and focuses on the potential role retailers can play in developing and coordinating social responsible business practices.

Marketing Letters

Building a strong brand identity is central for increasing brand equity. As a result, oftentimes,... more Building a strong brand identity is central for increasing brand equity. As a result, oftentimes, brands develop differentiation strategies in order to stand out from competitors. Yet, is value always gained through differentiation, or is it possible that some value could be forfeited by straying too far from established product category associations? This research examines color norms within product categories and addresses the question of whether visual differentiation is always helpful. With data for 281 top brands, the authors calculate product category color homogeneity scores for 15 product categories and 40 subcategories to empirically explore color norms. Then, these calculations are used in conjunction with brand equity scores to examine the relationship between color differentiation and brand performance. The results show that while color differentiation is helpful for some product categories, it can also be harmful for others. Specifically, the investigation reveals that ...

Journal of Interactive Marketing

As brands solidify their place in social media environments, consumers' expectations have amp... more As brands solidify their place in social media environments, consumers' expectations have amplified, thus spurring the development of technologies to assist with the engagement process. Understanding the ways in which brands can preserve the one-to-one characteristics and intimate relationship qualities offered by social media while still meeting consumer expectations amidst the escalating volume of interactions has become essential. Drawing on the communications literature, this research proposes that parasocial interaction (PSI) theory may be used as a theoretical lens for designing successful social media strategies. Three studies, using a multi-method approach, provide evidence of PSI's role in the development of positive relationship outcomes. Mediation analysis reveals that this sense of feeling connected with the brand goes beyond the interaction itself and drives increased feelings of loyalty intentions and willingness to provide information to the brand. Evidence fr...

Journal of Brand Management

We posit and show that some consumers may remain brand loyal because of their motivation to confo... more We posit and show that some consumers may remain brand loyal because of their motivation to conform; in contrast, others may do so because of their motivation to break away. Furthermore, we identify two central moderating variables – product knowledge and self-image congruence – that determine how conformity or escapism motivation affects brand loyalty. We show that these common communication goals play an asymmetric role for each motive. In particular, self-image congruence is found to enhance brand loyalty for consumers who are motivated to conform, but not for those who are driven to escape. Alternatively, product knowledge is found to enhance brand loyalty for escapism-motivated consumers, but inhibits brand loyalty for consumers who are bound to conform. Given that both moderators are central to most brand-related marketing communication, the insights of this study will help brand managers better understand the impact of communication goals on brand loyalty and ultimately marke...

Psychology & Marketing, 2013

ABSTRACT Color carries meaning and can influence consumers’ thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Man... more ABSTRACT Color carries meaning and can influence consumers’ thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Many disciplines, such as neuroscience, psychophysics, visual cognition, and biology have used new technologies to gain insights in understanding the complexities of color perception, yet there exists relatively little research in the field of marketing. This paper aims to reestablish the importance of color research in marketing, draw attention to the complex nature of this research and to fuel further investigation and the development of new insights about color as it relates to marketing. The authors offer an integrated conceptual framework centered on the embodied and referential meanings of color, and highlight the complexities and nuances that researchers must consider in order to develop this area. Insights from and gaps in the extant literature are highlighted to present a set of questions and propositions for future research in this area of investigation.

Journal of Marketing, 2014

ABSTRACT Marketers are increasingly allowing consumers to sample sensory-rich experiential produc... more ABSTRACT Marketers are increasingly allowing consumers to sample sensory-rich experiential products before making purchase decisions. The results of seven experimental studies (two conducted in field settings, three conducted in a laboratory, and two conducted online) demonstrate that the order in which consumers sample products and the level of (dis)similarity between the sensory cues of the products influence choices. In the absence of any moderators, when sampling a sequence of sensory-rich experiential products (e.g., fragrances, chocolates, flavored beverages, music) with similar sensory cues (e.g., smell, taste, color, sound), consumers prefer the first product in the sequence. However, when sampling a sequence of products with dissimilar sensory cues, consumers prefer the last product. These findings (1) contribute to a better understanding of the role of sequential sensory cues on consumer choice formation, (2) have implications for effects related to sensory habituation and sensory trace fading, and (3) help resolve apparent inconsistencies in prior research on order effects in the context of choices for sequentially sampled experiential products.

Journal of Interactive Marketing, 2013

ABSTRACT The predictions of growing consumer power in the digital age that predated the turn of t... more ABSTRACT The predictions of growing consumer power in the digital age that predated the turn of the century were fueled by the rise of the Internet, then reignited by social media. This article explores the intersection of consumer behavior and digital media by clearly defining consumer power and empowerment in Internet and social media contexts and by presenting a theoretical framework of four distinct consumer power sources: demand-, information-, network-, and crowd-based power. Furthermore, we highlight technology's evolutionary role in the development of these power sources and discuss the nature of shifts in power from marketers to consumers in terms of each source. The framework organizes prior marketing literature on Internet-enabled consumer empowerment and highlights gaps in current research. Specific research questions are elaborated for each source of power outlining the agenda for future research areas.

Session Overview: This special session focuses on the role of fit in sponsorships and event marke... more Session Overview: This special session focuses on the role of fit in sponsorships and event marketing, from a consumer behavior perspective. Congruity theories are applicable to extent and to test in this area. Sometimes, conflicting results are due to fit concerns. So, three synergistic papers that capture the role of fit are included here.

International Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications, May 2013

Marketers are being inundated with social media metrics, but there is little consensus on what on... more Marketers are being inundated with social media metrics, but there is little consensus on what one should be measuring, let alone how these measures inform marketing strategy. This article attempts to bring clarity to the situation by adopting an integrated marketing communications perspective. By screening extant metrics for alignment with social media communications objectives, seven key social media metrics are identified. These metrics are then described and their application to social media marketing from an integrated marketing communications perspective is discussed. Finally, limitations of the metrics are considered to arrive at suggestions for future research.

Journal of Retailing, 2011

Journal of Interactive Marketing, 2011

Marketing Letters, 2011

In two studies, we show that features shared by products (common features) do not cancel out duri... more In two studies, we show that features shared by products (common features) do not cancel out during the decision-making process but in fact are consequential as they decrease desire for delay in decision making. In study 1, we show that as the amount of available information about product features increases, decision delay decreases in spite of the additional information being identical across the products. Further, we also find that this effect is partially mediated by information adequacy. In study 2, we show that despite the overall difficulty of making decisions under avoidance–avoidance versus approach–approach conflict, an increase in common features decreases decision delay under both conflict conditions.

Journal of Consumer Affairs, 2009

This research draws upon protection motivation theory and social cognitive theory to investigate ... more This research draws upon protection motivation theory and social cognitive theory to investigate the extent to which the level of perceived threat and likelihood of threat along with online self-efficacy affect online behaviors. This article contributes to the literature by investigating a wide range of risky and protective behaviors and examining the role of online self-efficacy with a national online survey of 449 nonstudent respondents. Results show that both self-efficacy and demographic factors such as age have a differential impact on the type of behaviors taken online.

Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science

From beverages to consumer electronics, marketers are using color in innovative ways. Despite thi... more From beverages to consumer electronics, marketers are using color in innovative ways. Despite this, little academic research has investigated the role that color plays in marketing. This paper examines how color affects consumer perceptions through a series of four studies. The authors provide a framework and empirical evidence that draws on research in aesthetics, color psychology, and associative learning to map hues onto brand personality dimensions (Study 1), as well as examine the roles of saturation and value for amplifying brand personality traits (Study 2). The authors also demonstrate how marketers can strategically use color to alter brand personality and purchase intent (Study 3), and how color influences the likability and familiarity of a brand (Study 4). The results underscore the importance of recognizing the impact of color in forming consumer brand perceptions.