Dr. Kenneth C. Herbst is an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Herbst has a Masters and Ph.D. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, he earned a B.A. from Wake Forest University where he played basketball on back-to-back ACC Championship teams in 1995 and 1996.
Dr. Herbst examines the effects of branding and trust on purchase and the extent to which cognitions and emotions affect consumers in their purchase decisions. He also explores the ways in which retailers can merchandise items so that they are more likely to be seen and purchased.
Dr. Herbst has written numerous articles in the fields of consumer psychology, marketing, decision making, and advertising, and he has taught extensively in these areas. He has published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Advertising Research, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Political Marketing, Journal of Promotion Management, Journal of Marketing Management, Personality and Individual Differences, British Food Journal, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Innovative Marketing, Revue Internationale De Psychologie Sociale, and Health Psychology. He also writes a monthly merchandising column in The Gourmet Retailer based on his supermarket shopper traffic research.
In addition, Dr. Herbst recently has been interviewed about his food research and industry expertise by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and Advertising Age. Dr. Herbst has consulting experience with Ocean Spray, H. P. Hood, Inc. Dairy Company, the United States Mushroom Council, Performance Food Group, the Quality Bakers of America, and four supermarket corporations (Farm Fresh, Food Lion, Publix, and Hy-Vee).
Research Areas
Branding and Trust Effects in Advertising
The Roles of Affect and Cognition in Consumer Decision Making
Food Marketing
Point of Purchase (Consumer Decision Making at the Shelf and Impulse Purchase)
Supermarket Retailing and Merchandising Practices
Representative Academic Publications
Herbst, K. C., Stanton, J. L., Amodeo, C. M., and Costello, A. T. (in press). The effect of trust on private label purchase. World Journal of Retail Business Management.
Maher, J. K., Herbst, K. C., Childs, N. M., and Finn, S. (2008). Racial stereotypes in children's television commercials. Journal of Advertising Research, 48, 80-93.
Mooradian, T. A., Herbst, K. C., and Matzler, K. (2008). The interplay of temperament and regulatory focus on consumer problem-solving modes. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2, 1703-1718.
Herbst, K. C., and Stanton, J. L. (2007). Changes in family dynamics predict purchase and consumption. British Food Journal, 109, 648-655.
Wood, N. T., and Herbst, K. C. (2007). Political star power and political parties: Does celebrity endorsement win first-time votes? Journal of Political Marketing, 6, 141-158.
Herbst, K. C., and Allan, D. (2006). The effects of brand experience and an advertisement’s
disclaimer speed on purchase: Speak slowly or carry a big brand. International Journal of Advertising, 25, 213-222.
Herbst, K. C., Stanton, J. L., and Armstrong, G. A. (2006). Don't be fooled: Profits result from being innovative and meeting consumers' need for convenience. Innovative Marketing, 2, 23-38.
Stanton, J. L., and Herbst, K. C. (2006). Slotting allowances: Short-term gains and long-term negative effects on retailers and consumers. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 34, 187-197.
Stanton, J. L., and Herbst, K. C. (2006). The effects of current market forces on the impact of a TV commercial in creating persuasion: Advertising agencies cannot do it all alone! Journal of Promotion Management, 12, 119-135.
Ratner, R. K., and Herbst, K. C. (2005). When good decisions have bad outcomes: The impact of affect on switching behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 96, 23-37.
Stanton, J. L., and Herbst, K. C. (2005). Commodities must begin to act like branded companies: Some perspectives from the United States. Journal of Marketing Management, 21, 7-18.
Herbst, K. C., Gaertner, L., and Insko, C. A. (2003). My head says "yes," but my heart says "no:" Cognitive and affective attraction as a function of similarity to the ideal self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 1206-1219.
Leary, M. R., Herbst, K. C., and McCrary, F. (2003). Finding pleasure in solitary activities: Desire for aloneness or disinterest in social contact? Personality and Individual Differences, 35, 59-68.
Sedikides, C., and Herbst, K. C. (2002). How does accountability reduce self-enhancement? The role of self-focus. Revue Internationale De Psychologie Sociale, 15, 113-128.
Sedikides C., Herbst, K. C., Hardin, D. P., and Dardis, G. J. (2002). Accountability as a deterrent to self-enhancement: The search for mechanisms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 592-605.
Leary, M. R., Rapp, S. R., Herbst, K. C., Exum, L., and Feldman, S. R. (1998). Interpersonal concerns and psychological difficulties of psoriasis patients. Health Psychology, 17, 530-536.
Representative Trade Publications
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2008). Engaging promotions: Discover word-of-mouth ROI. The Gourmet Retailer, 29 (9), 68-70. Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2008). Effective ideas to make certain that reality overlaps
with your store’s perception in the market. The Gourmet Retailer (Online Issue, August 2008).
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2008). Perceptions of customer service are created throughout
the entire store. The Gourmet Retailer, 29 (5), 53-54.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2008). Sampling is a competitive and winning tactic. The Gourmet Retailer, 29 (3), 49-50.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2008). Bring in new products with the new year. The Gourmet Retailer, 29 (1), 52-53.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Taking time to teach and train: You have to give to get. The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (12), 26-27.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Do you hear what I hear? The intercom system is a great tool for generating excitement. The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (11), 49-50.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Check-out areas leave lasting impressions. The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (10), 42.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Cross merchandising: A creative way to generate sales. The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (9), 32-37.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Sales and shopping lists seem to go hand-in-hand. The
Gourmet Retailer, 28 (8), 185-186.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Profitable food marketing includes three things: Sampling, sampling, sampling! The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (7), 44-45.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Now is the time to merchandise meals! The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (6), 44-47.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Turning your store into a shopping experience. The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (5), 55-56.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Coupon users are prolific shoppers. The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (4), 32-37.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Enhancing the wine shopping experience. The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (3), 53-54.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Signs and sales. The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (2), 30-31.
Herbst, K. C., and Lloyd, H. (2007). Interacting with customers. The Gourmet Retailer, 28 (1), 50-51.
Herbst, K. C. (2006). Supermarket shopper traffic: How consumers navigate the produce department and what may encourage them to buy more. Produce Business Magazine, 22 (7), 60-64.
Consulting and Funded Research
CMS Promotions Logistics Company
Coupons, Rebates, and Sweepstakes Analyst
Farm Fresh Supermarkets
Consumer Research and Data Analyst
Food Lion Supermarkets
Consumer Research and Data Analyst
H. P. Hood, Inc. Dairy Company
Consumer Research and Data Analyst
Hy-Vee Supermarkets
Consumer Research and Data Analyst
National Association for Retail Marketing Services (NARMS)
Retailing, Merchandising, and Promotion Analyst
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
Brand Analyst
Performance Food Group
Distributor Positioning in the Food Service Marketplace
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Consumer Research and Data Analyst
Quality Bakers of America
Consumer Research and Brand Analyst
United States Mushroom Council
Analysis of Current Merchandising Practices and Label Claims
Media Interviews
Advertising Age
Chicago Tribune
Montreal Gazette
Orlando Sentinel
Sacramento Bee
San Francisco Chronicle
Santa Barbara News-Press
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Supermarket News
The Arizona Republic
The New York Times
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Virginian-Pilot
The Wall Street Journal
The Washington Post
The Washington Times
Toledo Blade
USA Today
Winston-Salem Journal
Woman's Day
Podcasts
Celebrity Influence on First-Time Voters: A National Public Radio Interview
Supermarket Shopper Traffic Research: A NARMS Radio Interview
Selected Conference/Industry/University Presentations
Herbst, K. C. (2008). On the dangers of ‘pulling a fast one’: The effects of advertisement disclaimer speed and consumer brand familiarity on product trust and purchase intention. Paper presented at the Babcock-Calloway Research Series, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC.
Herbst, K. C. (2008). The effects of advertisement disclaimer speed and brand familiarity on product trust and purchase intention: Speak slowly or carry a big brand! Invited Symposium, Department of Psychology, High Point University, High Point, NC.
Herbst, K. C. (2008). Positioning brands effectively for the future. Presented at the 2008
Quality Bakers of America Annual Sunbeam Marketing Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Herbst, K. C. (2008). Food marketing is about three things: Sampling, sampling, and
sampling. Presented at the 13th Annual NARMS Spring Conference, Williamsburg, VA.
Ratner, R. K., Herbst, K. C., and Novemsky, N. (2008). When dominated options are
chosen: The interplay of affect and cognition in repeated risky choice. Paper to be
presented at the Association for Consumer Research Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Herbst, K. C. (2007). The effects of powerful branding in the bread industry. Presented at
the 2007 Quality Bakers of America Annual Sunbeam Marketing Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Herbst, K. C. (2007). Why and how we purchase: The psychology of shopping behavior and consumer decision making. Presented at the 2007 Shopper Insights in Action Conference, Chicago, IL.
Herbst, K. C. (2007). The effect of promotions on why and when we buy. Presented at the 2007 Promotion Logistics Forum, Atlanta, GA.
Coolsen, M. K., Brandt, M., and Herbst, K. C. (2006). The application of a mutual cyclical
growth model of romantic relationships to investigate consumer brand commitment.
Presented at the 2006 Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Herbst, K. C. (2006). Kneading the dough: Factors predicting how consumers address the bread shelf. Presented at the 2006 Quality Bakers of America Annual Sunbeam Marketing Conference, Charlotte, NC.
Herbst, K. C. (2006). Defining and positioning the company. Presented at the 2006 Independent Distributor Education Academy, Richmond, VA.
Herbst, K. C., and Wood, N. T. (2006). Subjective norms dictate first-time voting behavior:
Celebrities look pretty but they are not particularly influential. Presented at the 7th Annual
Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Palm Springs, CA.
Lloyd, H., and Herbst, K. C. (2006). Traffic studies: Increase sales by driving the customer. Presented at the 2006 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Conference, Orlando, FL.
Lloyd, H., and Herbst, K. C. (2006). 10 of the best private-label promotions ever. Presented at the 2006 Food Marketing Institute Conference, Chicago, IL.
Lloyd, H., and Herbst, K. C. (2006). Does better traffic flow increase sales? Presented at the 2006 Food Marketing Institute Conference, Chicago, IL.
Maher, J. K., Herbst, K. C., and Childs, N. M. (2004). The frequency and perceived role importance of ethnic minorities in children’s television advertising. Presented at the 2004 Marketing and Public Policy Conference, Salt Lake City, UT.
Hardin, D. P., Herbst, K.C., Dardis, G. J., and Sedikides, C. (2003). Why does accountability deter self-enhancement?: The underlying mechanisms of accountability on decision making. Presented at the 4th Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Los Angeles, CA.
Hardin, D. P., Herbst, K. C., Dardis, G. J., and Sedikides, C. (2002). The role of identifiability and evaluation expectancy in inhibiting self-enhancement: Implications for academic, workplace, and marketplace settings. Presented at the conference of the Society for Southeastern Social Psychologists, Augusta, GA.
Ratner, R. K. and Herbst, K. C. (2002). When good decisions have bad outcomes: Attenuating the effect of regret on switching behavior. Presented at the Society for Judgment and Decision Making Conference, Kansas City, MO.
Ratner, R. K. and Herbst, K. C. (2002). When good decisions have bad outcomes: Attenuating the effect of regret on switching behavior. Presented at the Association for Consumer Research Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Ratner, R. K. and Herbst, K. C. (2002). When good decisions have bad outcomes: Attenuating the effect of regret on switching behavior. Presented at the Behavioral Decision Research in Management Conference, Chicago, IL.
Herbst, K. C., Leary, M. R., and Rapp, S. (1997). Interpersonal concerns as predictors of psychological difficulties among psoriasis patients. Presented at the conference of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA.
Herbst, K. C., Leary, M. R., and Rapp, S. R. (1996). Interpersonal concerns of psoriasis patients: Effects of disease severity and fear of negative evaluation. Presented at the conference of the Society of Southeastern Social Psychologists, Virginia Beach, VA.
Previous Academic Positions and Courses Taught
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Mason School of Business
The College of William and Mary (2005 - 2007)
Assistant Professor of Food Marketing
Erivan K. Haub School of Business
Saint Joseph's University (2002 - 2005)
Instructor
Department of Marketing
The Kenan-Flagler School of Business
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2001)
Instructor
Department of Psychology
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1997 - 2002)
Undergraduate Research Supervisor
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1997 - 2002)
Tar Heel Sports Marketing
Chapel Hill, North Carolina (1999 - 2001)
Foundations of Marketing
Life Stage Marketing from 'Tweens to Seniors!
Professional Reviewing
Editorial Board Member, Journal of Food Products Marketing
Reviewer, International Journal of Advertising
Reviewer, Journal of Macromarketing
Reviewer, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Reviewer, Representative Research in Social Psychology
Professional Affiliations
Association for Consumer Research
Society for Consumer Psychology
Society for Personality and Social Psychology
