Associate Professor
Department of Marketing

Veronica L. Thomas

757-683-5270

2135 CONSTANT HALL
NORFOLK, 23529

Veronica L. Thomas is an Associate Professor at ¹ÏÉñÍø. Her expertise is in the area of consumer psychology, and her research focuses on consumer-brand relationships. Her research appears in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, and Marketing Letters, among other prestigious peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Thomas also serves as an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Advertising, and she sits on the review board of the Journal of Advertising and Psychology & Marketing. Dr. Thomas has received national media coverage for her expertise and research in outlets such as MarketWatch, Forbes, and Cosmopolitan. 

Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research

Thomas, V. "Wearing Your Success on Your Sleeve: How Salesperson Luxury Consumption Affects Consumers’ Perceptions " $3,000. ¹ÏÉñÍø. January 2023 - December 2023
Thomas, V. "Would You Do Me a Favor? How Salesperson Favor Requests Positively Affect Consumers’ Perceptions of Negotiations " $3,000. ¹ÏÉñÍø. January 2022 - December 2022

Articles

Thomas, V. L., Fowler, K. and Taheran, F. How Social Media Influencer Collaborations are Perceived by Consumers. Psychology & Marketing.
Fowler, K. and Thomas, V. (2023). Influencer Marketing: A Scoping Review and a Look Ahead. Journal of Marketing Management 39 (11/12) , pp. 933-964.
Thomas, V., Bock, D. and McCullough, H. (2023). Examining Consumer Reactions to Sincere Brands’ Gratitude Expressions: When a Simple Thank You Just Won’t Do. International Journal of Advertising 42 (3) , pp. 518-541.
Bock, D. and Thomas, V. (2023). Too Exciting to Care: When Expressing Gratitude is Detrimental to the Brand. Journal of Advertising 52 (2) , pp. 211-228.
Thomas, V., Mangus, S. and Bock, D. (2023). Would You Do Me a Favor? How Salesperson Favor Requests Positively Affect Consumers’ Perceptions of Negotiations. Journal of Business Research 155 , pp. 113455.
Thomas, V. L. and Fowler, K. (2023). Examining the Outcomes of Influencer Activism. Journal of Business Research 154 , pp. 113336.
Thomas, V., Mirahmad, H. and Kempter, G. (2022). The Role of Response Efficacy and Risk Aversion in Promoting Compliance during Crisis. Journal of Consumer Affairs.
Bock, D., Thomas, V., Wolter, J., Saenger, C. and Xu, P. (2021). An Extended Reciprocity Cycle of Gratitude: How Gratitude Strengthens Existing and Initiates New Customer Relationships. Psychology & Marketing 38 (3) , pp. 564-576.
Thomas, V. and Fowler, K. (2021). Close Encounters of the AI Kind: Use of AI Influencers As Brand Endorsers. Journal of Advertising 50 (1) , pp. 11-25.
Saenger, C. and Thomas, V. (2021). How Limited Consumption Experiences Affect Word of Mouth. Marketing Letters 32 (2) , pp. 149-163.
Vinuales, G. and Thomas, V. (2021). Not so Social: When Social Media Increases Perceptions of Exclusion and Negatively Affects Attitudes toward Content. Psychology & Marketing 38 (2) , pp. 313-327.
Thomas, V. and Fowler, K. (2021). Turn the Other Cheek or an Eye for an Eye: Exploring Brand-to-Brand Dialogue on Social Media. Journal of Advertising 50 (4) , pp. 441-460.
Duverger, P. and Thomas, V. (2021). The Negative Impact of Deviant Imagery on Consumers’ Intentions to Visit a Tourist Destination. Services Marketing Quarterly 42 (3-4) , pp. 162-179.
Thomas, V., Fowler, K. and Saenger, C. (2020). Celebrity Influence on Word of Mouth: The Interplay of Power States and Power Expectations. Marketing Letters 31 (1) , pp. 105-120.
Saenger, C., Thomas, V. and Bock, D. E.. (2020). Compensatory Word of Mouth as Symbolic Self-Completion: When Talking about a Brand can Restore Consumers' Self-Perceptions after Self-Threat. European Journal of Marketing 54 (4) , pp. 671-690.
Thomas, V. and Saenger, C. (2020). Feeling Excluded? Join the Crowd: How Social Exclusion Affects Approach Behavior Toward Consumer-Dense Retail Environments. Journal of Business Research 120 , pp. 520-528.
Fowler, K. and Thomas, V. (2019). Beyond Endorsements: The Effect of Celebrity Creative Directors on Consumers’ Attitudes toward the Advertisement. Psychology & Marketing 36 (11) , pp. 1003-1013.
Thomas, V. and Jewell, R. D.. (2019). I Can't Get You Out of My Head: The Influence of Secrecy on Consumers' Self-Brand Connections. Journal of Consumer Psychology 29 (3) , pp. 463-471.
Fowler, K. and Thomas, V. (2019). Pay-What-You-Want with Charitable Giving Positively Impacts Retailers. Journal of Services Marketing 33 (3) , pp. 273-284.
Thomas, V., Saenger, C. and Bock, D. E.. (2017). Do You Want to Talk about It? When Word of Mouth Alleviates the Psychological Discomfort of Self-Threat. Psychology & Marketing 34 (9) , pp. 894-903.
Thomas, V. and Saenger, C. (2017). Promoting or Protecting my Brand: The Identity-Expression and Fear-of-Imitation Conflict. Journal of Consumer Marketing 34 (1) , pp. 66-73.
Harris, J. and Thomas, V. (2017). The Influence of Bundling and Caloric Knowledge on Calories Ordered and Purchase Intent. Journal of Consumer Affairs 51 (1) , pp. 113-132.
Yeh, M. A.., Jewell, R. D.. and Thomas, V. (2017). The Stigma of Mental Illness: Using Segmentation for Social Change. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing 36 (1) , pp. 97-116.
Thomas, V. and Vinuales, G. (2017). Understanding the Role of Social Influence in Piquing Curiosity and Influencing Attitudes and Behaviors in a Social Network Environment. Psychology & Marketing 34 (9) , pp. 884-893.
Thomas, V. and Fowler, K. (2016). Examining the Impact of Brand Transgressions on Consumers' Perceptions of Celebrity Endorsers. Journal of Advertising 45 (4) , pp. 377-390.
Thomas, V., Johnson, J. Wiggins. and Jewell, R. D.. (2016). The Tangled Web We Weave: Deceptive Consumption Behaviors as a Means to Cope with Identity Threat. Marketing Theory 16 (4) , pp. 493-512.
Fowler, K. and Thomas, V. (2015). Creating a Professional Blog: The Impact of Student Learning Styles on Perceptions of Learning. Journal of Marketing Education 37 (3) , pp. 181-189.
Thomas, V., Yeh, M. and Jewell, R. D.. (2015). Enhancing Valuation: The Impact of Self-Congruence with a Brand on the Endowment Effect. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics 58 , pp. 178-185.
Thomas, V., Jewell, R. D.. and Johnson, J. Wiggins. (2015). Hidden Consumption Behaviour: An Alternative Response to Social Group Influence. European Journal of Marketing 49 (3-4) , pp. 512-531.
Fowler, K. and Thomas, V. (2015). A Content Analysis of Male Roles in Television Advertising: Do Traditional Roles Still Hold?. Journal of Marketing Communications 21 (5) , pp. 356-371.
Thomas, V. and Fowler, K. (2015). More Isn't Always Better: Exploring the Influence of Familiarity When Using Multiple Celebrity Endorsers. Journal of Promotion Management 21 (2) , pp. 208-223.
Thomas, V., Fowler, K. and Grimm, P. (2013). Conceptualization and Exploration of Attitude toward Advertising Disclosures and Its Impact on Perceptions of Manipulative Intent. Journal of Consumer Affairs 47 (3) , pp. 564-587.
Saenger, C., Thomas, V. and Johnson, J. Wiggins. (2013). Consumption-Focused Self-Expression Word of Mouth: A New Scale and Its Role in Consumer Research. Psychology & Marketing 30 (11) , pp. 959-970.
Thomas, V., Fowler, K. and Kolbe, R. H. (2011). The Implications of the FTC’s Clear and Conspicuous Standards for the Communication of Credit Card Information to Young Consumers. Journal of Financial Services Marketing 16 (3-4) , pp. 195-209.
Wiggins Johnson, J., Thomas, V. and Peck, J. (2010). Do Specialized MBA Programs Cultivate Alumni Relationships and Donations?. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education 20 (1) , pp. 1-16.

Presentations

Brick, D., Thomas, V. and Wight, K. (March , 2023). A Framework of Secret Consumption Poster Society for Consumer Psychology Puerto Rico.
  • 2023: Outstanding Junior Faculty Research Award, Strome College of Business

Organizational Chart