Knowledge is Profits
Written by Galia Myron 04 February 2010
Consumer reactions to product presentation depends on if they are novices or experts.
The best way to attract customers depends on how knowledgeable they are about the product, new research from a joint study by the University of Pittsburgh and the University of South Carolina (USC) reveals. Novice consumers—those who know little about the product—desire product presentations that offer a sense of familiarity, while expert customers, who know a lot about the item, prefer surprises and creativity in product presentation. Cait Poynor, PhD, assistant professor of business administration at Pitt University, and Stacy Wood, professor of marketing at USC collected data from 123 undergraduate college students who had seen product presentations online. Web sites could easily be re-organized to create new product presentations, say the researchers.
Why I Took a Slum Tour
Written by Derek McIver 04 February 2010
A demo dirt reader explains why it is important to visit the favelas of Brazil.
I recently returned from a trip to Brazil and one of the last things I did there was a tour of Rocinha, Latin America's largest favela (shantytown), in Rio, where more than 200,000 people live.
Slumming It
Written by Galia Myron 03 February 2010
Is ‘slum tourism’ educational or exploitative?
As increasing numbers of wealthy travelers explore the world’s poorest areas—the slums of Mumbia, the favelas, or shantytowns, of Brazil for example—is this growing trend offering educational opportunities for tourists, a mere exploitation of native peoples, or both?
Cement Shoes
Written by Galia Myron 29 January 2010
Abstract versus concrete language can make a brand sink or swim.
When consumers describe a product or customer experience using abstract, rather than concrete language, listeners perceive the item more positively, a study from Erasmus University, The Netherlands, reveals. When examining consumer attitudes and language, researchers Gaby A. C. Schellekens, Peeter W. J. Verlegh, and Ale Smidts found that consumers were more likely to use concrete language when describing a positive experience with a product or brand that they don’t like. Consumers who had a good experience with a product by a brand that they already liked, used abstract language to describe the item, and perception of experiences were deemed more positive when the descriptive language was abstract.
Management consultant Rosemarie Truman, managing partner at RHT Consulting, says that abstract messages “hit home” more than specific ones.
Watch Your Language
Written by Galia Myron 29 January 2010
Caucasians and Asians read faces differently; the eyes don’t always have it.
A Canadian study has found that Asians and Caucasians tend to read faces differently, leading to variations in emotion and face recognition, and may help explain cross-cultural miscommunications. Study author Caroline Blais, PhD candidate from the Université de Montréal, contended in a public statement that previous studies—which stated that people collect information by studying mainly the eyes—always used Caucasian test subjects.
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