In this episode, Wei-Fen Chen (Lecturer in Marketing, University of Leicester School of Business) joins me to discuss her Journal of Advertising Research article, “When to Appeal to Cultural Capital in Advertisements: Cultural Capital Appeals Increase Purchase Intentions for High- but Not Low-Priced Products,” coauthored with Xue Wang (Assistant Professor, Business School, Beijing Normal University) and Chenyang Shao (Doctoral Student, Business School, Beijing Normal University).

Wei-Fen and I explore how invoking cultural sophistication in ads—through references to art, heritage, or refined taste—can strengthen purchase intent, but only for higher-priced products. Across three studies spanning categories from wine and bottled water to face masks, the team finds that when cultural capital cues align with economic signals, consumers process the ad more fluently and respond more positively. For low-priced products, though, these appeals backfire or fail to move the needle.

We also discuss how this research clarifies when marketers should use cultural capital storytelling, why pricing strategy matters more than demographic targeting, and how brand tiers can selectively apply these cues to premium lines.

Read the full paper here:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464291

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Do consumers respond differently to AI avatars that look human versus those that look cartoon-like? In this episode, June-Ho Chung (Inha University) and Sungjun “Steven” Park (Queen Mary University of London; National Chengchi University) join me to discuss their Journal of Advertising Research article, Designing AI Agents for New Product Endorsement: Do Human-Like or Cartoon-Like AI-Generated Endorsers Evoke More Positive Ad Engagement from Consumers? The article is co-authored with Yiting (Tami) Chu (National Chengchi University).

We talk about why human-like AI avatars tend to generate stronger engagement and positive emotions, especially when promoting new or unfamiliar products. June-Ho and Steven walk through controlled experiments that compare human-like and cartoon-style endorsers across preference, emotions, and ad engagement. We discuss why familiarity with faces can shape reactions and when a simpler, cartoon style may still fit the brief. Finally, we translate the findings into practical guidance for creative teams choosing avatar style for new product ads.

Read the full paper here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218499.2025.2497615

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Do big life changes make people more open to seeing the same ad again and again? In this episode, Ben Borenstein and Luke Nowlan join me to share insights from their Journal of Advertising Research article, “Life Transitions Influence Response to Ad Repetition: When Times of Change Increase Preference for Repeat Advertising Experiences,” coauthored with Tyler Milfeld.

Ben, Luke, and I talk through how moments like moving, changing jobs, or becoming a parent shift the way people respond to repeated ads. Across four experiments, they find that consumers in a life transition actually sustain enjoyment of repeated ads and form more positive brand attitudes — rather than tuning out. We also discuss why predictability feels comforting in times of change, how advertisers can spot these moments using behavioral signals, and what this means for ad frequency and targeting strategies.

Read the full paper here:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464306

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