FSU-CCI at the 2012 Association of Marketing Theory & Practice Conference

by Antonieta Reyes
One of the perks of being a graduate student is the chance to get out-of-town to attend conferences. Thanks to them, I have been able to visit some great cities in the US, met incredible colleagues and professors, and received a great deal of feedback. But my latest trip to this year’s Association of Marketing Theory & Practice (AMTP) Conference is one to remember. Not only did my paper receive an award, but also I caught up with friends and former teachers and spent some deserving mother-daughter time.

My “little paper that could” was titled Brand Engagement: An Analysis on Motivation. In this paper, I try to explain brand engagement in self-concept (BESC) in terms of our motivation to fulfill certain needs.  Brand engagement in self-concept explains how brands merge into what defines us as individuals. It sheds light on questions on what makes us identify with certain brands and how our family and friends are able to describe us by referring to them.

For example, I’m a Diet Cherry Coke lover, a “just do it” kind of gal, and a lifetime member of the “Cult of Mac.”

As a student in the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication, my interest in motivation stems from aiming to understand cultural values, beliefs, and attitudes, which in turn provide insight into how different cultures act upon their needs. This is especially important in understanding consumer behavior in the United States.

I specifically explore Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and McClelland’s Theory of Needs and find insights that can explain consumer behavior. For example, when buying a car, a “new mom” may be looking to fulfill safety needs but once the car meets them, she may then be motivated by what the car says about her or how her friends see her in it.

Moreover, understanding cultural values can offer an added bonus. For instance, a recent immigrant may feel motivated to fulfill his or her need to belong and search for a way to feel closer to home, and forgo a novel brand over one that is typical in his or her home country.

There’s a lot more to this research, and a lot more to going to conferences. If you want to know about our papers and presentations, send me an email to ar07@my.fsu.edu.

PS. I want to thank The Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication for the support that allows me to attend conferences and to AMTP for recognizing my work. Also, congratulations to Andy Ellis and Dr. Felipe Korzenny for earning the “Best Paper in Track Award” for their paper “Black, White or Green: The Powerful Influence of Ethnicity on Pro-environmental Attitudes and Behaviors.”