Rijanna Adhikari, MSAE student, presented work with Dr. Jennifer Stoner, Assistant Professor of Marketing, as part of Graduate Student Research Day

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Jennifer Stoner, Assistant Professor of Marketing and MSAE Graduate Student, Rijanna Adhikari for presenting their research at Graduate Student Research Day.

Title: “Don’t Eat Me!: Gender, Anthropomorphism, and Food Consumption

Authors: Jennifer L. Stoner (University of North Dakota), Rijana Adhikari (University of North Dakota), Michael Covey (University of Minnesota)

Abstract: Anthropomorphic characters are commonly used in the marketing of food products. M&Ms with facial features and arms and legs for example are featured in advertising, point of purchase displays and even on packaging. Our research aims to explore how these characters impact the consumption of the food that they represent. We find a differential impact of gender on the influence of an anthropomorphic character on both desired and actual consumption.