New Faculty Spotlight: Jhih-Syuan (Elaine) Lin

Jhih-Syuan (Elaine) Lin

What is your new position at Grady? Assistant professor of advertising. 

What classes (if any) are you teaching this year? JRMC 8130 Special Topics in Consumer Psychology.

Past academic positions: I earned my doctorate degree from the University of Texas at Austin in August 2012.

What are your research interests and why? I have developed keen interest in areas of interactive advertising, media management, and consumer psychology.

As advertisers and marketers nowadays have tried to bond various media to carry/emphasize the same message throughout the integrated marketing plans, a cross-platform marketing communication needs to be further investigated and developed to engage consumers and optimize branding efforts. Thus, I have done studies about brand placement on TV program websites, food-related advergames that target children, and branded mobile applications that aim to enhance brand experiences.

For media management, I have studied how TV networks utilize SNSs to leverage branding opportunities and to improve communication with fans. Also, from the media psychology standpoint, I am interested in knowing what forms and to what extent audience feel engaged with media content. And, how social media can help optimize multichannel brand communications for both conventional and media brands.

As for the area of consumer psychology, I found it fascinating to study consumer self-concept and identity and the role of consumers’ psychological disposition (i.e., commitment) in determining branding outcomes, especially in the context of consumer-brand relationships. And, I am also interested in understanding the scope and challenges of international advertising and marketing through a cross-cultural lens.

Are there any projects/publications you're working on that you can share a little about at this time? While existing literature describes strong brand relationships along several dimensions, my recent research sheds light on the identity perspective of brand relationships through the lens of identity fusion, aiming to understand the extent to which consumers incorporate brands into their self-perceptions. Specifically, this ongoing project investigates the nature and effects of consumer identity fusion and its motivational consequences following brand transgressions.

What are you most looking forward to while you're at Grady/UGA? I believe Grady is a wonderful environment for me to grow and further develop my research. I am looking forward to working with the faculty members and students here at Grady.

ADPR Distinguished Visiting Scholar discusses effects of violent humor

Professor Marc Weinberger, AdPR Distinguished Visiting Scholar, described his research that explores the effects of violent humor in advertising. Dr. Weinberger delivered his talk Tuesday, February 14, at the Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Weinberger, an emeritus professor of marketing at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, is the foremost academic expert on humor in advertising. In 2006, Weinberger coauthored Humor in Advertising: A Comprehensive Analysis, and has published many humor articles in the academic literature.

Dr. Weinberger described how the presence of violent humor in advertising has increased during the last few years. He then detailed two studies he recently conducted that assess the effects of violent humor. Interestingly, women respond more positively to low levels of violent humor compared to men. Men's responses were the same regardless of the level of violence. Dr. Weinberger discussed these findings and their implications for advertisers.

AdPR Intern Spotlight: Shandrea Evans

This summer, Advertising major Shandrea Evans is interning at Archer>Malmo.

What is Archer>Malmo?

Founded in 1952, Archer>Malmo is the largest full-service agency in the Mid South. With its core service in advertising and digital, there are also five other brands or branches within the agency that specialize in other areas of communications. These branches include Archer>Malmo Public Relations, Lifesize Interactive, Tangerine Direct Marketing, Smash Experiential Marketing, and TMB Marketing. With successful projects for clients including Elvis Presley Enterprises, Verizon, AutoZone, and Kraft Food Ingredients, there are many reasons why this mid-sized agency can live up to its reputation as the best in its region.

What are your responsibilities at Archer>Malmo this summer?

I am an intern in the client services department of Archer>Malmo. This branch is known as account management in advertising. I am responsible for helping to determine and execute the needs of the clients. This is achieved through various means such as market research, conducting competitive analyses, preparing strategy and product briefs, and working with creative departments to execute projects.

What valuable information or skills have you learned thus far at your internship?

So far, I have learned the process of how to edit and produce a final copy of a fashion catalog. I have also learned how to create and present a competitive analysis for a client so that they will better understand the business environment at hand, how our services have benefitted them, and what we must do to move forward and remain in the top percentage of market share. One of the most important things I have learned is the structure and dynamics of an advertising agency and how each of the departments works cohesively to gain and keep new business.

How has the knowledge you gained from your Advertising classes aided you in your internship?

Yes, in particular my marketing and advertising research classes, alone with my media planning class. The interns at Archer>Malmo have been assigned a project of new business that we must present at the culmination of the summer. Starting from scratch, it was imperative that we begin with market research and analysis. Luckily, I had just taken marketing and advertising research, so I knew the proper way to begin as well as how to use different research databases the agency employed. After we had determined our target market, we needed to verify the best methods to reach our audience. This is where media planning came in handy. I was able to use MRI among other databases to discover which media outlets would be most efficient. Grady has definitely prepared me in the classroom for real world applications outside of the classroom.

AdPR Faculty Profile: Advertising Professor, Dr. JooYoung Kim

Dr. Kim is an Associate Professor of Advertising at University of Georgia in the Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication.

What classes do you teach?

Advertising Campaigns (Undergrad/Grad), Global and Multicultural Advertising (Undergrad/Grad), Advertising Research (Grad), Quantitative Research Methods in Mass Communication (Grad), Advertising Management (Undergrad)

What is the focus of your research?

Advertising integration effectiveness, brand extension, brand loyalty, and consumer emotion

What is your relationship with your students (undergrad and grad)?

I am connected with many undergraduate students through social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. My relationship with graduate students is not only for research but also about making long-term friendships in academic life. Sometimes it feels that we are like a family.

What do you do in your spare time?

Golf! Still struggling but an avid golfer. My goal this year is to break 90 consistently.

How do your experiences in advertising in South Korea effect or translate to your work here?

My experience in advertising in Korea is a unique one that can contribute to my research and teaching. I have used many Korean ads in my Global and Multicultural Advertising class. Persuasion styles between Korea and the U.S. are often very different. Students can really take on new perspectives in terms of creative and message strategy from watching Korean ads.

This past semester, what account did your Advertising Campaigns class work on?

My campaigns class participated in Direct Marketing Education Foundation's (DMEF) Collegiate ECHO Challenge. Each year, the sponsoring client is different and this past year it was charity:water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Five teams in my class submitted their projects to DMEF and we should know the results of the competition in July. I am excited to see how charity:water evaluates the ideas from my student teams.

Find out more about Dr. Kim here.