DISSERTATION The Role of Homophily in Serving or Suppressing Firm Reputation in Relationship Marketing

Transcription

1 Amber Marie Chenevert Ph.D. Candidate in Advertising 4600 Elmont Drive #3313 * Austin, TX * amber.chenevert@austin.utexas.edu EDUCATION Ph.D. in Advertising Expected May 2013, Austin, TX M.A. Advertising July 2003 Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY B.S. Marketing May 2002 Hampton University, Hampton, VA RESEARCH INTERESTS Understanding marketers, advertisers, and other media decision makers informs consumption under both B2B and B2C conditions. Managers beliefs and perceptions influence customer and consumer research, relationships, and marketplace inclusion. Topic areas include: Marketing Management Relationship Marketing Homophily In-group/Out-group dynamics New Business Development Marketplace Diversity TEACHING INTERESTS I m particularly skilled at both online and offline teaching. Multicultural Marketing Management Consumer Insight Business-to-business Marketing Integrated Marketing Communications Advertising Campaigns DISSERTATION The Role of Homophily in Serving or Suppressing Firm Reputation in Relationship Marketing I study adverting agencies and their relationships with their clients; particularly agencies with a specialized focus that seek to have broader appeal. Abstract Business services firms (such as advertising agencies) are only as good as the reputation that precedes them. This credibility is based on their perceived expertise, trustworthiness, 1

2 and other identity-related factors such as homophily. Homophily is the tendency of individuals or networks to associate and bond with similar others. In this research, I posit that homophily is manifest in the context of the relationship marketing efforts of niche advertising agencies through client relationships, workers, suppliers, mentors, and protégés. In particular, I study black advertising agency owners and their perceptions of homophily s impact on the successful selling of their expertise and/or their ability to branch into general market work. In-depth interviews are being conducted with the owners of niche (black) advertising agencies to understand their perspectives. This approach is valuable especially since the research objectives involve understanding personal opinions, beliefs, and values. RESEARCH Submitted Ekpo, Akon. E.; Amber Chenevert; Geraldine Rosa Henderson (under 1 st review) Clicks over Bricks: A phenomenological inquiry into online and offline culture of marginalized consumers. Journal of Business Research. This study explores a broad range of discrimination practices that considers gender, age, physical appearance, sexuality, and religion, in order to illuminate modern day consumer shopping and service-oriented experiences. With the growing ubiquity of Information Technology (IT) and wide acceptance of its use, consumers have a broader range of options in dealing with marginalizing experiences in the marketplace. How do consumers evaluate marginalizing shopping experiences? And, how does their evaluation shape the coping strategies they perceive to be available to them? This study explores consumers lived experiences of marginalization in the marketplace and their incorporation of IT in dealing with those experiences. Working Paper Chenevert, Amber. It s not me it s them: The effects of cultivation theory and thirdperson effect on ad agency workplace bias. Scholars suggest that stereotypes are diffused in society through immediate social networks, but also on a larger scale through the media. Third-person effect suggests that people generally feel the media s influence is stronger on the distant other than themselves. However, according to Cultivation Theory, the more people are exposed to the media, the more it begins to shape their reality. These tested and retested theories prove that media s influence is much more than people perceive. Media professionals, and more specifically for the purposes of this paper Advertising professionals, likely engage in the media more than average person. However, little research exists regarding media effects and media professionals. Considering the general lack of ethnic inclusion in the Advertising industry workforce, this paper questions whether or not Advertising professionals are victims of their own exposure. I hypothesize that Advertising professionals media consumption is positively correlated with stereotypical beliefs and therefore influences Ad Agency workplace bias. 2

3 Works In Progress Chenevert, Amber; Geraldine Rosa Henderson. What were they thinking? The power relationship between media producers and African-American stereotypes. Empirical media research primarily concerns itself with media outcomes as they relate to end consumers. Success or failures of advertising, news stories, movies, film, radio and a host 21 st century social media tools currently depends on the end consumers response. Further, studied communications failures that may include stereotypes or other derogatory sentiments primarily focus on the different characteristics that make-up that failure rather than the producer. In this research we focus on the portrayal of African- Americans in the media. Media portrayals of African-Americans as violent criminals far out way the reality of African-American criminality in the United States. We sought production managers from various media fields to consider their most memorable positive and negative media human portrayals, if or where African-Americans fit in to these portrayals, and what power they feel they have to improve any negative media portrayals of African-Americans. We are targeting The Journal of Communication for this work. Henderson, Geraldine Rosa and Amber Chenevert (draft preparation), Consumer Insight, New York, NY: Business Experts Press Publishing. A consumer insight is the epiphany found in consumer data that helps brands stay relevant to consumers. It s the sweet spot where consumer and brand values meet. The concept and the importance of extracting key consumer insights from traditional primary and secondary data is old hat to marketers. However, mining for consumer insights on the web is seen as an overwhelming task. With consumer lives literally being lived online, open consumer generated content is ripe for exploration. It s unique in that it intertwines both secondary and primary data from a consumer source. Consumer Insight will take a 21 st century look at the evolution of consumer research gathering techniques considering web and mobile based technologies like social bookmarking (Pintrest), microblogging (Twitter), content communities (YouTube), virtual social worlds (Second Life), and picture-sharing blogs (Flickr). This book will offer insights, tools and techniques on how to cut through the clutter and discover the consumer insight gems marketers desire. Invited Conference Presentation Ekpo, Akon, Amber Chenevert, and Geraldine Rosa Henderson (2012), Clicks over Bricks: A Phenomenological Inquiry into Online and Offline Culture of Marginalized Consumers, Chicago Consumer Culture Community, DePaul University, May. HONORS AND AWARDS Competitive Teaching Assistantship Winner- 2010, 2011, 2012 Star Plus Graduate Research Assistant Award Winner-2010 Diversity Fellowship, 2009 DRAFTFCB Leadership Academy, DRAFTFCB Chicago

4 DRAFTFCB Leadership Award-New Business-2007, 2008 Wunder Award-New Business, Wunderman Chicago-2005 NBHS Business Management Scholarship-1998 COURSE WORK Advertising Theory & Practice Marketing Communications Strategy Advertising Media Interactive Advertising/e-Branding Advertising Practice & Management Advertising Theories Issues in Advertising Theory and Research I Issues in Advertising Theory and Research II Methods Qualitative Research Methods Fundamental Statistics Quantitative & Qualitative Methods Advanced Advertising Research Advertising Research Methods Advertising Agency Organizational Behavior Managing People and Organizations Gender and the Workplace Current Issues in Advertising Agency Management & Strategy Integrated Marketing Communications Black Entrepreneurship and Advertising Race, Identity and Culture Identity and Self Race and Ethnicity in American Society Immigrants in American Society Critical Analysis of Race and Representation Race, Class and the Media TEACHING EXPERIENCE-Average Evaluation Score: 4.1 out of 5 Assistant Instructor-Undergraduate Course-Advertising and the Internet- Spring Lead Instructor under the Dean supervision -Developed syllabus and evaluation methods - Course covers a range of topics from the different types of Internet adverting, to its measurement and effectiveness, and to the theoretical underpinnings that help us understand how individuals process online content. Non- traditional concepts of Internet advertising will also be covered. Finally, the latter half of the class will be dedicated to the social issues and effects of Internet advertising. 4

5 Completed Assistant Instructor Course Studied advanced issues in college level teaching including online course instruction, course preparation, discussion vs. lecture, assessment, ethics and diversity. -Completed all requirements to be eligible to lead my own course. Teaching Assistant- Undergraduate Course- Advertising Research-The College of Communications-Spring 2012, Fall Served as first point of contact for students regarding course questions -Worked with lead professor to develop syllabus, class projects, rubrics and learning outcomes. -Managed grading and attendance of 100+ students -Taught four labs independently online -Educated lead professor on online teaching tools and techniques Teaching Assistant-Undergraduate Course-Advertising Theories-The College of Communications (online)-summer 2012, Summer Educated senior faculty on online teaching tools and techniques -Managed online team collaborations Teaching Assistant-Undergraduate Course- Advertising Campaigns (online)-summer Educated lead professor on online teaching tools and techniques -Managed online education tools including assignment submission, grading, and online lectures Teaching Assistant-Environmental Communication-The College of Communications Fall Lead 3 independent offline labs -Assisted in syllabus development and assignment design -Educated lead professor on online assignment management -Teaching Assistant-Undergraduate/Graduate Course-Consumer Insight-The College of Communications, Summer 2011 (online) -Managed online education tools including assignment submission, grading, and online lectures -Guest Lectured-Consumer Insights -Trained Guest lecturers on online classroom software Teaching Assistant-Undergraduate Course-Consumer Discrimination-The College of Communications, Spring Managed grading, attendance of 100+ students -Served as first point of contact for students regarding course questions -Selected key readings and help construct course syllabus 5

6 Teaching Assistant-Graduate Course-Advanced Issues in Multicultural Marketing Theory and Practice-The College of Communications, Spring Served as first point of contact for students regarding course questions -Managed online education tools including assignment submission, grading, and online lectures Graduate Research Assistant-Fall 2009, Spring Served as qualitative research coder for the What were they thinking? project -Analyzed data using the qualitative research data tool, Atlas.ti SERVICE Black Graduate Student Association-President Black Media Council-Member Graduate Student Assembly-Member Diversity Retention and Recruitment Committee-Member Conceived and Authored: Inside-Out A Thematic Faculty & Graduate Recruitment Initiative A division of DDCE-Division of Diversity and Community Engagement Black Graduate Student Association-Vice President Black Media Council-Member Graduate Student Assembly-Member Black Graduate Student Association-Member Black Media Council Member (2010-inagural year) Graduate Student Assembly-Member Professional American Marketing Association-Member PhD Project Marketing DSA-Member Community Service Strategy Mentor-E4 Youth Academy Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.-Member Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church-Epiphany Dance Ministry Member PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Freelance Strategist/New Business Austin, TX 8/2009-current Strategist, various roster clients/new Business DRAFTFCB, Chicago- 4/2007-8/2009 6

7 Certificate-Account Planning (Advertising Strategy)-March 2007 Miami Ad School, Miami, FL Project Manager, Various Roster Clients/New Business Wunderman, Chicago-7/ /2006 New Business Intern Ketchum Public Relations, Chicago-5/2004-7/2004 Marketing and Public Relations Intern SalonSense Magazine, Chicago 9/2003-5/2004 REFERENCES Minette (Meme) Drumwright Associate Professor Department of Advertising The College of Communication (512) Geraldine Rosa Henderson Associate Professor of Marketing Rutgers Business School Rutgers University (973) ; (512) (cell) Jerome D. Williams Professor II Rutgers Business School Rutgers University Management & Global Business (973) John S. Butler Professor Department of Management, Red McCombs School of Business Director-IC2 Institute (512)