In a groundbreaking new study, a Florida State University marketing researcher and her colleagues revealed a complex moral landscape underlying everyday consumption practices, particularly relating to self-care, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

The study, published this fall in the Journal of Consumer Research, shows that consumers navigate moral judgments in seemingly mundane choices about personal care and well-being, says Colleen Harmeling, the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood associate professor of marketing in the FSU College of Business.

“What makes this research so compelling is that we weren’t initially searching for a moral narrative,” Harmeling said. “We were studying how people care for themselves, and suddenly, morality emerged in unexpected spaces.”

The study builds on Harmeling’s growing emphasis on morality, digital environments, intricate social systems and consumers’ health decision-making.

In the study, Harmeling and co-authors Rachel E. Hochstein from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Ela Veresiu from York University discovered that people, often unknowingly, hold different meanings for concepts central to their consumption such as “self” and “care.”

Often, vulnerable life transitions such as becoming a parent, when individuals get bombarded with opposing advice about care for themselves and their families, can bring these conflicting meanings to the forefront and trigger deep introspection. The conflicting meanings thus can be a source of imagined or realized confrontations with others that lead consumers to moralize, or categorize as right or wrong, their consumption practices.

The study identified four primary strategies consumers use to justify their self-care choices: denouncing (asserting moral righteousness), positioning (indicating moral inclusivity), balancing (employing moral licensing) and ritualizing (expressing moral autonomy).

“We find that nearly every choice can be moralized by someone. Thus, the process we uncover has implications for how consumers see themselves, the world and their roles in it.”

– Colleen Harmeling, Dr. Persis E. Rockwood associate professor of marketing

The research drew data from various sources, including news media, social media advertisements, consumer-generated content, interviews and personal diaries.

To illustrate the study, Harmeling used a historical debate about breakfast: “Consumers must reconcile perspectives about reported health benefits of intermittent fasting and suggestions to skip breakfast entirely amid cultural forces that trumpet breakfast as the most important meal of the day,” she said.

“We discovered that how you decide to care for yourself largely depends on what you find is morally good,” Harmeling said. “We often get advice that’s completely counter to that, and so we have to make a choice.”

She added: “Some might balance the conflicting perspectives by eating a nutritious breakfast four days a week and fasting three days while others might position their choice as just one valid approach among many.”

The holiday season adds another layer to the moral complexity of care.

“Gift-giving is an occasion where you’re often suggesting ways for others to care for themselves,” Harmeling said. “So, you are inflicting a moral position in many ways implicitly, sometimes very explicitly, and so morality comes into play for not only the gift giver but the gift receiver.”

Harmeling and her co-authors observed the moralization process they identify in their research relates to how consumers see themselves and their roles in society.

“We find that nearly every choice can be moralized by someone,” Harmeling said. “Thus, the process we uncover has implications for how consumers see themselves, the world and their roles in it.”

“Ultimately, understanding this deeply imbedded moral system can profoundly shape our ability to nurture a compassionate world,” Harmeling said.

For more information about the FSU College of Business, visit business.fsu.edu.

The post FSU researcher: Moral judgments shape everyday consumption practices appeared first on Florida State University News.

It used to be a single day. Now it’s an entire month.

Changing consumer habits have allowed retailers to kick off the holiday shopping season earlier, rolling out deals throughout the month of November or even before, instead of waiting for the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, to showcase “doorbuster” sales.

According to the National Retail Federation, consumer spending for the 2024 holiday season is expected to reach a record $902 per person based on its latest consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics.

The expected per-person spending on gifts, foods, decorations and other seasonal items would top last year’s $875 mark. A strong majority of shoppers (57%) plan to make their purchases online according to the survey.

Nearly half (45%) of holiday shoppers already planned to browse and buy items before November, up from 40% a decade ago. Most consumers said the biggest reason for early shopping is related to spreading out their shopping budgets.

In total, shoppers are expected to spend a record $241 billion online from Nov. 1 through the end of 2024 according to a recent report by Adobe Analytics.

Luke Hopkins is assistant director and senior lecturer in the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing at Florida State University’s College of Business. His research interests focus on the management of customer relationships, specifically in situations that require delivering bad news to the customer. Hopkins has published articles in Journal of Service Research, European Business Review, Journal of Public Affairs and Journal of Family Business Strategy.

Hopkins is available to speak with reporters on emerging consumer shopping trends as well as the significance of Black Friday on the U.S. economy.

Luke Hopkins, assistant director and senior lecturer in the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing at Florida State University’s College of Business.

Email: lhopkins@business.fsu.edu

Quote from Luke Hopkins:

This holiday shopping season, what are you seeing as some of the biggest consumer shopping trends?
“Given the shortened holiday season, consumers are expected to begin their shopping earlier than in previous years. Experts predict that consumer spending will be up slightly compared to previous years but deals and discounts are expected to be more important than ever. Most research suggests gift cards will be the most popular gift this year. While gift cards aren’t necessarily exciting, they tend to be more rational. Especially considering consumers continue to prioritize price, quality, return policy and a seamless shopping experience over other characteristics.”

The post The evolution of Black Friday: FSU expert available to comment on consumer shopping trends this holiday season appeared first on Florida State University News.

Colleen Harmeling, a Florida State University College of Business researcher, points to photo filters, overly edited photos and other distortions of user-generated content as impediments to consumer trust. In turn, they are potential barriers to the performance of products that users present and discuss online.

Harmeling, FSU’s Dr. Persis E. Rockwood associate professor of marketing and the co-director of the doctoral program’s major in marketing, argues that consumers who rely on blog posts, online reviews, testimonials and other user-generated content to inform their purchase decisions require digital platforms that minimize suspicion of missing or misrepresented content.

“The availability of certain features, including photo filters or the ability to delete content once you’ve posted it, dramatically impacts whether user-generated content affects brand performance or firm performance,” Harmeling said. “Those features don’t even have to be used to affect product performance. The mere presence of such features in a digital space affects consumer trust in that content for their purchase decision.”

Harmeling’s new study with Rachel Hochstein, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Taylor Perko, who served as an FSU research assistant while earning her MBA from the College of Business, appears in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

The authors assert that their findings reinforce the notion that digital platforms “serve as custodians of trust in modern society.”

Harmeling credits the study largely to Hochstein, who studied under her as a marketing doctoral student at FSU before landing her faculty post. Hochstein compiled a database of nearly 20 years of digital platform innovations, recording the timing of changes in user features such as photo filters across online platforms, including Facebook, Amazon and Twitter, now known as X. She combined the database with data from 77 published studies on the effects of consumer-generated content on company performance.

Harmeling called it “a very significant study” that, “I think has profound implications for how and what we trust as consumers, for how marketers engage with their consumers and how to increase the trustworthiness of the information that’s being circulated about the brand.”

“We’re very proud of Colleen, Rachel and Taylor’s work to develop strategies that promote trust and offset consumers’ concerns in a setting where it’s needed most,” said Michael Brady, director of Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing and the Bob Sasser Professor of Marketing in the FSU College of Business. “Their study exemplifies our world-renowned faculty’s cutting-edge research, which asks crucial questions and seeks achievable solutions for the benefit of students, consumers and industries.”

The results of the study showcased how those features influenced trust, distrust and purchasing decisions.

“We found that trust can be violated if people believe that their digitally presented content isn’t what unfolds in reality—that’s where the photo filters come into play—or if there is missing data from their observable example,” Harmeling said. “If we suspect missing data, then we start to call into question whether the online user’s experience with a product is reflective of the population.”

The researchers wrote that their findings also carry implications for social media influencers, who might want to avoid using photo filters or overly edited photos and videos. “Focusing instead on live videos or real-time ‘story’ posts may be perceived as more trustworthy,” they wrote.

More importantly, the researchers urged marketers to help consumers distinguish real from fake and missing from complete content.” Such judgments “require the ability to identify patterns in a body of user-generated content, recognize anomalies in the pattern and estimate the impact of truth-altering features on each online platform,” they wrote.

They added: “Helping consumers make these judgments should be a priority of marketers because suspicion of even single posts can erode trust in the entire body of user-generated content and sow uncertainty in consumers’ purchase decisions.”

Harmeling also emphasized policy implications, especially amid the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence. The European Union’s AI Act, scheduled to take effect this year, will require labeling deepfake AI-generated photos, videos or audio of existing people and places as artificially manipulated.

“We think of photo filtering as one of the first movers in AI, changing reality to something slightly enhanced,” Harmeling said. “Now we have AI that’s much more advanced—replicating people’s voices, for example. I think there are numerous implications for this research and for further research down this path.”

The post FSU researcher: Digital tools including AI, alter consumer trust, purchasing decisions appeared first on Florida State University News.

In the pressure cooker that is March Madness, some teams collapse and others thrive.

Players and coaches who compete every year for that one shining moment strive to understand what makes that important difference.

The first round of the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments begin later this month. Florida State University faculty are available to comment on coaching, sports psychology, analytics and marketing.

COACHING

Timothy Baghurst, professor and director, Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching (FSU COACH), College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
(501) 613-8913; tbaghurst@fsu.edu

Baghurst’s research focuses on coaching education and development, with specific interests in coaching ethics, coach/athlete health and well-being and variables that affect elite performance. He has worked with sports organizations affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and International Olympic Committee.

“Although seedings suggest who should win March Madness each year, it rarely happens. March Madness creates a unique environment for coaches and athletes in which a team might create momentum and overcome what might be considered disadvantages on paper. The mental pressure of a one-and-done format for college basketball’s biggest prize affects players and coaches. How well they cope with the intensity of such a format plays a big role in who might be going home early and who might be a Cinderella. Understanding the multifaceted nature of competition is paramount to appreciating why some teams thrive and some fold.”

Megan M. Buning, teaching faculty, Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching (FSU COACH), College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
m.buning@fsu.edu

Buning is an expert on athletic coaching, athlete experiences and mental performance for coaches, athletes and game officials. She is a certified mental performance consultant and is listed on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry.

“Mental resilience is crucial in sports. Through my research at FSU COACH and practical application as a consultant for athletes and teams, I have seen firsthand how the ability to focus, regroup after mistakes and regulate emotions affects mental performance and outcomes. These mental skills can be developed and even specialized according to sport, giving players and coaches a critical advantage in high-stakes games such as the NCAA tournament.”

ANALYTICS

N. David Pifer, assistant professor, Department of Sport Management, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
david.pifer@fsu.edu

Pifer researches sports analytics, the use of data and statistical methods to help sport organizations and individuals make better decisions. He is primarily concerned with variables related to on-field/on-court team, player and coach performance, and how analytics can help these parties enhance their decision-making by overcoming errant traditions, biases and heuristics.

“Athletes and coaches make hundreds of decisions every game. They can use sports analytics to examine those outcomes on a wide scale, helping them to improve their decision-making processes and performance. Persistent biases in analyzing crucial game decisions keep teams from achieving their potential. Data and predictive models give us insight that allows teams to break away from old conventions and find new ways to separate themselves from their competition.”

Lance Kerwin, teaching faculty, Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain, College of Business
lkerwin@business.fsu.edu, (850) 322-3001

Kerwin is an expert in business analytics, systems design, business intelligence and telecommunications. He was recognized for his teaching excellence in 2020 with a College of Business Undergraduate Teaching Award for Specialized Faculty. He also serves as an adviser to the Sports Analytic Club at FSU.

“March Madness is a special time for dreamers and those who want to be inspired. When thinking of analytics and picking a bracket, ask how you want to define success as a fan. I personally think success is defined as having fun, so don’t take your picks too seriously, but apply common sense. For some, success is promoting a favorite team and looking brilliant if they advance. Others want to analyze data and make smart decisions. The bottom line — develop your approach and methodology so that you can speak to how you came to your decisions, make your picks and root like your life depends on it.”

MARKETING AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Colleen M. Harmeling, Dr. Persis E. Rockwood Associate Professor of Marketing, Rockwood School of Marketing, College of Business
charmeling@fsu.edu

Harmeling is an expert in marketing and consumer behavior, with specific focus on human brands (influencers and endorsers) as well as morality and how it shapes consumption, health decision-making and marketing strategy.

“For marketers, March Madness represents an effective vehicle for imbuing brands with desirable human qualities through endorsements and brand-player collaborations. This comes with greater responsibility to the players as their private lives become part of brand stories and subject to greater scrutiny. ‘Player performance’ now includes actions beyond what unfolds on the court.

For consumers, March Madness represents human accomplishment tested through extreme competition with unpredictable outcomes — prime conditions for gambling. While gambling laws vary by state, brackets are a ubiquitous and iconic element of the fan experience. Moral judgments are inevitable as fans debate the appropriateness of these behaviors, the allowable size of wagers and the impact of these decision on their broader lives.”

The post Method to the Madness: FSU faculty available to comment on sports psychology, team dynamics for NCAA basketball tournament appeared first on Florida State University News.