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A collaborative research project that began as the honors thesis of business management major Connor Teague ’23 has been published in the Journal of Product & Brand Management, a top-ranked marketing journal.

Titled “We Are Family: Heterosexual, Gay, and Lesbian Parents in Advertising,” the project was led by communication studies professor David Painter alongside Teague and co-authored by business professors Raghabendra KC ’13 and John Shideler.

The study examines how consumers respond to advertisements featuring heterosexual, gay, and lesbian parents, exploring how family composition and audience attitudes toward inclusivity shape brand perceptions and purchase intentions. The paper went through three rounds of peer review before acceptance—underscoring the quality and rigor of the research alongside the strength of Rollins’ Honors Program and its emphasis on student-faculty research.

From Emerald Publishing—one of the world’s leading digital-first publishers—the Journal of Product & Brand Management advances the theoretical and managerial knowledge of products and brands, publishing manuscripts that compare international markets and encouraging submissions approaching branding and product management from any discipline.

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