Marketing PhD student’s paper honored with award at symposium

Warrington Ph.D. student Felipe Affonso’s paper was named the runner up as part of the William O. Bearden Award competition at the 2021 Southeast Marketing Symposium.

The paper, “The Structure of a Product, Retail Environment, and Brand Logo Can Affect Judgments of Value,” was co-authored with Warrington faculty member Chris Janiszewski, Russell Berrie Eminent Scholar in the Department of Marketing.

“It is a great honor to be chosen as the runner up for this award,” Affonso said. “I believe it reflects how strongly UF is training its Ph.D. students, and that UF’s marketing department is doing relevant work. I feel proud and privileged, as this award is a competitive one.”

The paper demonstrates that structure – a concept associated with symmetry, regularity and balance – influences consumers’ judgements about the value offered by brand and products, Affonso explained.

“Specifically, when a product, consumption experience, or brand fulfills utilitarian goals, structure is a cue that increases perceived utilitarian value,” he said. “However, when a product, consumption experience, or brand fulfills hedonic goals, a lack of structure is a cue that increases perceived hedonic value. These increases in perceived value can positively influence an array of outcomes, including product interest, consumer-based brand equity, likelihood of recommending a company, and the financial performance of brands.”

The research, for which Affonso will receive a plaque and $250 honorarium, offers actionable insights about logo design, product design, packaging, merchandising and retail architecture.

Affonso is a third year Ph.D. student in the marketing department. His research interests include consumer goal pursuit, consumer inference-making and the behavioral immune system. His research has been published in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Psychology and Psychology & Marketing.

The William O. Bearden Doctoral Student Research Award was created to honor Professor Bill Bearden, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Business at the University of South Carolina, for his contributions to doctoral education.