Papers by Courtney Childers
Journal of current issues and research in advertising, Dec 11, 2020
Influencer marketing has upended traditional notions of endorsement, as advertisers partner with ... more Influencer marketing has upended traditional notions of endorsement, as advertisers partner with social media users with diverse followings but higher levels of engagement to reach key audiences. Twenty-five personal interviews were conducted with adults between the ages of 18 and 51 years to unearth shared experiences with and perceptions of influencer marketing efforts. Three key themes of difference between generational cohorts' perceptions of social media advertising and influencers (SMIs) were found: (1) digital natives and digital influence of social media advertising overall, (2) challenges associated with defining influencer marketing and understanding its impact, and (3) transparency and trust with influencers. The importance of community and connection in was a theme that emerged among all participants. This study broadens the framework for examining influencers' utility by providing implications for the advertising industry as well as for multidisciplinary research and practice. Within the last decade, the use of influencer marketing has become a widely adopted social media strategy among advertisers and marketers. According to a survey of advertisers by the Association of National Advertisers (2018), 75 percent of companies had influencer programs, and 43 percent were planning to increase their spending on influencer programs within the next 12 months. Since 2015, the number of influencer marketing agencies and platforms grew from 190 to 740 in 2018 (Influencer Marketing Hub 2019), and recent estimates suggest that influencer marketing may account for upwards of $8 billion in earned media value by 2020 (InfluencerDB 2018). Influencer marketing is especially prevalent in the fashion, food, and entertainment industries (InfluencerDB 2018). Marketers and advertisers have widely adopted influencer marketing strategies across multiple social media platforms. Instagram, however, is by far the most popular platform for influencer marketing, followed by YouTube, Facebook, blogs, and Twitter (MediaKix 2019). With its rapid growth, influencer marketing has upended traditional notions of celebrity endorsement, as advertisers and marketers have begun to partner with social media users with smaller followings but higher levels of engagement among key audiences. Quesenberry (2018) identified three levels of social media influencers (SMIs), organized by a user's following size: (1) macro-influencers have more than 100,000 followers (i.e., mainstream celebrities), (2) mid-level influencers have between 25,000 and 100,000 followers, and (3) micro-influencers can have as few as 50 to 25,000 followers. Advertisers are increasingly turning to micro-influencers as they account for 60 percent higher engagement rates and approximately 22 times more conversions CONTACT Courtney Childers
This study focuses on the events surrounding the rise and fall of the infamous pop culture event ... more This study focuses on the events surrounding the rise and fall of the infamous pop culture event known as "Fyre Festival." The festival, which was hosted by a team of first-time festival organizers and promoted by a large number of social media influencers, ended in disaster when festival goers were stranded on an island in the Bahamas without proper access to food, water and shelter. The event was widely discussed on social media and resulted in the Fyre company to close. The results can be used to apply a new perspective on marketing, public relations, technology, the tourism industry and more. A timeline, background information, evaluation and key takeaways are included in this study. The use of Salesforce's Marketing Cloud Social Studio social listening technology was deployed to analyze the level of social buzz surrounding this event from start to finish. Information was pooled from more than 624,000 social media postings to analyze Fyre Festival's timeline with social media mentions, engagements, influences and crisis response effectiveness. All internal information surrounding processes and intent was gathered from the documentary, "Fyre: the greatest party that never happened," which was released on Netflix in early 2019. Primary tweets and social posts were used to construct a timeline and reaction following the festival. The findings from this report show Fyre Festival shouldn't change the influencer marketing industry because of its inability to turn impressions into purchases. Background 1
Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, 2020
Influencer marketing has upended traditional notions of endorsement, as advertisers partner with ... more Influencer marketing has upended traditional notions of endorsement, as advertisers partner with social media users with diverse followings but higher levels of engagement to reach key audiences. Twenty-five personal interviews were conducted with adults between the ages of 18 and 51 years to unearth shared experiences with and perceptions of influencer marketing efforts. Three key themes of difference between generational cohorts' perceptions of social media advertising and influencers (SMIs) were found: (1) digital natives and digital influence of social media advertising overall, (2) challenges associated with defining influencer marketing and understanding its impact, and (3) transparency and trust with influencers. The importance of community and connection in was a theme that emerged among all participants. This study broadens the framework for examining influencers' utility by providing implications for the advertising industry as well as for multidisciplinary research and practice. Within the last decade, the use of influencer marketing has become a widely adopted social media strategy among advertisers and marketers. According to a survey of advertisers by the Association of National Advertisers (2018), 75 percent of companies had influencer programs, and 43 percent were planning to increase their spending on influencer programs within the next 12 months. Since 2015, the number of influencer marketing agencies and platforms grew from 190 to 740 in 2018 (Influencer Marketing Hub 2019), and recent estimates suggest that influencer marketing may account for upwards of $8 billion in earned media value by 2020 (InfluencerDB 2018). Influencer marketing is especially prevalent in the fashion, food, and entertainment industries (InfluencerDB 2018). Marketers and advertisers have widely adopted influencer marketing strategies across multiple social media platforms. Instagram, however, is by far the most popular platform for influencer marketing, followed by YouTube, Facebook, blogs, and Twitter (MediaKix 2019). With its rapid growth, influencer marketing has upended traditional notions of celebrity endorsement, as advertisers and marketers have begun to partner with social media users with smaller followings but higher levels of engagement among key audiences. Quesenberry (2018) identified three levels of social media influencers (SMIs), organized by a user's following size: (1) macro-influencers have more than 100,000 followers (i.e., mainstream celebrities), (2) mid-level influencers have between 25,000 and 100,000 followers, and (3) micro-influencers can have as few as 50 to 25,000 followers. Advertisers are increasingly turning to micro-influencers as they account for 60 percent higher engagement rates and approximately 22 times more conversions CONTACT Courtney Childers
A Decade of Social Media Education: Student Expectations and Reactions From Alumni Professionals
Journal of Advertising Education, Sep 14, 2022
The increased emphasis on targeting audiences via digital and social media channels necessitates ... more The increased emphasis on targeting audiences via digital and social media channels necessitates the updating of traditional advertising curriculum. Academic courses specializing in social media strategy, analytics, and campaigns are vital to the advertising educational landscape as we strive to best prepare students for future employment. Phase 1 of this research draws upon key insights associated with a random sample of enrolled student surveys from a Social Media course taught from spring 2011 to fall 2019 ( n = 230). Phase 2 added 12 in-depth interviews with alumni of the course and current U.S. advertising professionals who identify social media as a core function of client business. Implications for how to best prepare future advertising students for a career in social media via advertising curricula are provided.
GIFT: Service Learning at its Best: Creating a Social Media Plan for Local Nonprofit Organization
“I thought they’d do more”: conflicting expectations of crowdfunding communication
Journal of Communication Management, 2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the comprehensive, ongoing role of communication ... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the comprehensive, ongoing role of communication in an enterprise crowdfunding context, which has been largely overlooked. Design/methodology/approach A large public higher education institution in the Southeastern USA was chosen as the case study unit to illuminate an enterprise-wide crowdfunding program using a proprietary, in-house platform, compared to commercial sites like Kickstarter that do not let organizational leaders strategically plan and manage the platform and its communication functions. Such autonomy provides a richer landscape for studying organizational members’ communication and communication management related to an enterprise crowdfunding program. Findings The case study identified communication-related challenges to the fundraising program’s success such as limited project leader and funding recipients’ commitment to communicate with their social networks about the projects. Internal communication and conflicting ...
Parenting “YouTube Natives”: The Impact of Pre-Roll Advertising and Text Disclosures on Parental Responses to Sponsored Child Influencer Videos
Journal of Advertising, 2018
The Children's Advertising Review Unit's recent press releases involving child influencer... more The Children's Advertising Review Unit's recent press releases involving child influencer unboxing videos expressed concern that they did not appropriately disclose sponsorship. Placement of pre-roll advertising was also cited as contributing to the blurring between content and advertising. This study investigated parents’ understanding of and responses to sponsored child influencer unboxing videos. We conducted a 2 × 3 online experiment among 418 parents that examined the influence of sponsorship text disclosure (present or absent) and sponsor pre-roll (sponsor pre-roll, nonsponsor pre-roll, and no pre-roll) on conceptual persuasion knowledge, perceptions of sponsorship transparency, and several outcome measures. We also tested the potential moderating variable of parental mediation. We found that sponsor pre-roll advertising positively impacted parents’ perceptions of sponsorship transparency, which in turn mediated attitudinal and perceptual outcomes. In addition, high levels of parental mediation conditionally impacted the indirect effect of a sponsor pre-roll advertisement via sponsorship transparency on perceptions of the unboxing video and attitudes toward the sponsor. Based on the findings, we discuss theoretical, managerial, and public policy implications.
Current students as university donors?: determinants in college students’ intentions to donate and share information about university crowdfunding efforts
International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 2019
Crowdfunding has gained popularity as a fundraising strategy for reaching an online “crowd” of co... more Crowdfunding has gained popularity as a fundraising strategy for reaching an online “crowd” of contributors, with many making small donations and promoting the project online to social networks. Universities are exploring crowdfunding as a strategy to connect with non-traditional donors beyond alumni – including students. While higher education institutions may hope to include students given their perceived comfort with online giving and crowdfunding’s focus on small gifts, scholars have not examined students’ perceptions about such activities. Adopting the Existence Relatedness Growth (ERG) theory, this study uses a survey to explore factors that motivate or hinder students’ supportive behavior intentions through a crowdfunding mechanism, specifically donation intention and word-of-mouth (WOM) intention. Suggestions are made for universities to develop communication that creates a philanthropy culture and engages students as potential donors.
Bringing the digital world to students: partnering with the university communications office to provide social media experiential learning projects
Communication Teacher, 2016
Courses: Semester-long activities involved a Social Media course and PR Writing course; recommend... more Courses: Semester-long activities involved a Social Media course and PR Writing course; recommendations offered for other communication courses. Objectives: To provide students in advertising, public relations and related majors the opportunity to participate in a social media experiential learning project via partnership with the university communications office.
An Exploration of Trends in Food Attitudes and Behaviors Among Adults with 6-11 Year Old Children: An Agenda Setting Theory Perspective
You Are What You Eat! An Investigation of CARU Cases Involving Nutritional Complaints from 2000-2006
Partnering with Parents: Suggestions for Food Marketers and Retailers in the Ongoing Childhood Obesity Debate
Journal of Food Products Marketing, 2012
Few scholarly research studies and governmental reports have focused on parents&#... more Few scholarly research studies and governmental reports have focused on parents' opinions regarding food and beverage marketing toward children and their thoughts as to what can be done to empower them in the childhood obesity debate. The current study represents a missing link in traditional childhood obesity research by identifying the possible contribution of food retailers in helping struggling parents
The evolution of self-regulation in food advertising: an analysis of CARU cases from 2000-2010
International Journal of Advertising, 2012
ABSTRACT The FTC envisions the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) and the Children... more ABSTRACT The FTC envisions the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) and the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative playing lead roles in self-regulatory efforts to address advertising's contribution to childhood obesity Peeler (2009) notes that CARU's decisions provide comprehensive guidance to advertisers. Limited research has investigated those decisions. Using thematic analysis, this study examines CARU case reports from 2000 to 2010 involving food marketers from a longitudinal perspective. This study found that CARU has been responsive to the emergence of childhood obesity as evidenced in its increased pursuit of nutrition-related complaints, case language and Guidelines revisions. Suggestions for strengthening CARU, the CFBAI and media clearance are offered.
A Decade of Change and the Emergence of Digital Media: Analysis of Trade Press Coverage of the Advertising Industry, 2005–2014
Journal of Interactive Advertising, 2017
ABSTRACT This study uses Harold Innis's concepts of space- and time-biased media to examine d... more ABSTRACT This study uses Harold Innis's concepts of space- and time-biased media to examine digital media for 10 years beginning in 2005. Both syndicated spending data and industry trade press were used to assess trends and changes. After the recession of 2008, spending for online media surpassed spending on print for the first time. Digital was the dominant medium covered in most years of trade articles; however, the coverage of the rise (and fall) of media types was not as linear as was the actual change in spending. Additional analysis showed that trade press coverage focused mostly on the advertising agency business and that digital media were more central to core topics than were other media types. Concepts of time and space (Innis 1951, 2007) were also explored as overarching themes within the sample. Implications for theory, practice, and pedagogy are discussed.
This study focuses on the events surrounding the rise and fall of the infamous pop culture event ... more This study focuses on the events surrounding the rise and fall of the infamous pop culture event known as “Fyre Festival.” The festival, which was hosted by a team of first-time festival organizers and promoted by a large number of social media influencers, ended in disaster when festival goers were stranded on an island in the Bahamas without proper access to food, water and shelter. The event was widely discussed on social media and resulted in the Fyre company to close. The results can be used to apply a new perspective on marketing, public relations, technology, the tourism industry and more. A timeline, background information, evaluation and key takeaways are included in this study. The use of Salesforce's Marketing Cloud Social Studio social listening technology was deployed to analyze the level of social buzz surrounding this event from start to finish. Information was pooled from more than 624,000 social media postings to analyze Fyre Festival’s timeline with social medi...
Achieving Strategic Digital Integration: Views From Experienced New York City Advertising Agency Professionals
Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising
#Sponsored #Ad: Agency Perspective on Influencer Marketing Campaigns
Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising
How Sex in Advertising Varies by Product Category: An Analysis of Three Decades of Visual Sexual Imagery in Magazine Advertising
Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, 2012
This study documents the presence and prevalence of visual sexual imagery in advertising for diff... more This study documents the presence and prevalence of visual sexual imagery in advertising for different product categories through an analysis of 3,232 ads in six mainstream magazines from the years 1983, 1993, and 2003. Ads were coded for sexual imagery on two visual dimensions, model dress and physical contact, and for product category using the Rossiter–Percy Planning Grid (RPPG) as
An Update on Sex in Magazine Advertising: 1983 to 2003
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 2004
Page 1. AN UPDATE ON SEX IN MAGAZINE ADVERTISING: 1983 TO 2003 By Tom Reichert and Courtney Carpe... more Page 1. AN UPDATE ON SEX IN MAGAZINE ADVERTISING: 1983 TO 2003 By Tom Reichert and Courtney Carpenter Magazine advertisements from 2003 were content analyzed as an extension of a study reported in Journalism ...
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Papers by Courtney Childers