Visiting scholars from the University of Amsterdam discuss advertising's effects on consumers

Dr. Sophie C. Boerman, assistant professor
of Persuasive Communication and postdoctoral
reseracher at the Amsterdam School of
Communication Research. 

The advertising and public relations department was pleased to welcome visiting scholars, Dr. Sophie C. Boerman and Eva A. van Reijmersdal, from the University of Amsterdam last week to discuss their research in the communication and advertising fields.

Grady College has been working with the communication program at the University of Amsterdam for several years to enhance collaborative research and educational opportunities.

Dr. Boerman’s lecture, “Consumer responses to new and embedded advertising formats,” focused on advertisers that are increasingly integrating their brands and products into media content that is traditionally not commercial. She presented several studies conducted with colleagues concerning brand placement in TV programs, sponsored Facebook posts, and promoted tweets. The studies examine consumers’ understanding of these advertising formats and their responses to it.

Dr. Boerman is an assistant professor of Persuasive Communication and postdoctoral researcher at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on the persuasive effects of embedded and personalized advertising, and how informing consumers about advertising may influence the use of persuasion knowledge and its persuasive outcomes.

Her work has appeared in the Journal of Communication, Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, and Psychology & Marketing, and has been recognized with awards from the International Communication Association (ICA), the European Advertising Academy, and the Dutch Foundation for Scientific Research on Commercial Communication (SWOCC). She is also member of the board of the European Advertising Academy.

Eva A. van Reijmersdal, assistant professor
of marketing communication at the
Amsterdam School of Communication
Research.

Reijmersdal discussed advertising’s integration in our world and the accompanying effects on younger audiences with her lecture, “Is this advertising? Toward a more transparent media environment for children.”

With the boundaries between advertising and entertaining content disappearing, resulting in embedded forms of advertising such as advergames, branded social network pages, sponsored tweets, and brand placements, Reijmersdal conducted several studies with colleagues on children’s understanding of various forms of embedded advertising and sponsored content.

Reijmersdal is an assistant professor of marketing communication in ASCoR, at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on the effects of sponsored content in various media on children and adults.  

She has published over 50 book chapters and articles in renowned journals such as Journal of Interactive Marketing, International Journal of Advertising, Computers in Human Behavior, Communication Theory, and Communication Research. Her research received several awards from ICA, NCA and the European Advertising Academy. Eva is Associate Editor of International Journal of Advertising and Editorial Review Board member of Journal of Advertising and Journal of Marketing Communications.