报告题目：Is Being Reliable Always Good? The Unexpected Consequences of Anthropomorphizing Digital Channels for Consumers and Brands

报告人：黄莉 副教授

邀请人：张闯 教授

时间：2025年6月10日 9:30

地点：经济管理学院B208

报告人简介：

Dr. Huang is an Associate   Professor of Marketing at the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, Hofstra   University, USA and currently a visiting scholar at Columbia University. She   obtained dual doctoral degrees from the University of South Carolina in the   United States and City University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on   consumer behavior in digital contexts, especially the impact of social media   and consumer-technology interactions. Her work has been published in top-tier   marketing journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research, International   Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of the Association for Consumer   Research, Journal of Interactive Marketing, and Journal of Business   Research. The excellence in research has earned her recognition of   Rising Star Award and Mathew Joseph Emerging Scholar Award from the American   Marketing Association.

Dr. Huang also serves as a Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Global Marketing and as an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Business Research, and she actively reviews for various esteem  ed journals. In addition to her research, Dr. Huang is highly regarded for her teaching in digital and social media marketing courses across undergraduate and MBA programs, consistently demonstrating excellence in the classroom. Her career is distinguished by extensive industry experience in areas such as SEM, SEO, UX/UI design, content marketing, AI applications, and marketing analytics. This practical background enriches both her teaching and research, providing a comprehensive perspective that bridges theoretical frameworks with real-world applications.

报告摘要：

Across six studies, we examine the consequences of anthropomorphizing digital channels (e.g., social media platforms, apps, review websites) on consumers’ memories of brand/product information (e.g., a visit to a retail store) that are shared using such platforms (e.g., social media posts, reviews). We find that anthropomorphism of the digital platform negatively affects memory for the original information, which, in turn, weakens consumers’ attitudes towards the brands featured in the content and increases their receptivity to competing brands. Further, we document the mediating role of perceived reliability. As anthropomorphism increases, digital channels are viewed as more reliable, and this increases consumers’ outsourcing of their memories to the channel. Our findings contribute to the literatures on anthropomorphism and information sharing by showcasing the consequences of anthropomorphizing digital channels on consumer memory for brand information shared in these contexts and brand outcomes that rely on this information (e.g., brand attitudes).