PURPOSES : This study aims to investigate the effect of the propagation time of variable message sign (VMS) information and drivers’ detour rate on the VMS performance under non-recurrent traffic states. METHODS: A microscopic simulation model (i.e., VISSIM and VISSIM COM User Interface) was developed at a location where VMS messages were most frequently displaced in 2018 from the Busan Regional Construction and Management Administration. The non-recurrent traffic states realized in this study were one- and two-lane close cases with scenarios involving multiple propagation times from 0 min to 20 min in 2 min increments and detour rates from 0% to 50%, in 10% increments. The measures of effectiveness are the average delay per vehicle, total travel time, and reduction rate of the total travel time based on the average value of 30 multiple simulation runs for individual scenarios. RESULTS:For the one- and two-lane close cases, the reduction rate of the total travel time increased as the propagation time shortened and the detour rate became bigger. The optimal (i.e., 0 min propagation time and 50% detour rate) and worst (i.e., 20 min propagation time and 10% detour rate) scenarios produced 41.1% (8.9 h) and 6.4% (1.4 h) and 26.4% (86.5 h) and 1.4% (4.7 h) of the total travel time for the one- and twolane close cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS : The study results implied that the late propagation time and the low detour rate might not significantly influence the VMS system. Therefore, it is important to improve the information process time for the shorter propagation time and the reliability of the VMS information for a higher detour rate, which will result in a better VMS system performance.

In appeals for donations, some charities highlight why their programs are important or abstract meanings that individuals' contributions can have. On the other hand, some other charities highlight how their programs are implemented or specific actions that are to be made. Drawing on construal level theory, we posit that abstract, “why” laden appeals will be more persuasive than concrete, “how” laden appeals when psychological distance (via physical distance) is high (vs. low). One experiment was conducted to test this premise. Specifically, we examined whether the location where the programs of a nonprofit organization were run was far (i.e., a foreign country) or near (i.e., domestically) would moderate the persuasiveness of abstract versus concrete messages. In terms of the procedure, participants were first asked to read a message from a nonprofit organization helping children suffering from rare diseases in their own country or in foreign countries. Then, they indicated the extent to which they were willing to help the nonprofit. To manipulate the message type, we varied the headline as well as the content of the message so as to make on version construed at a low level and the other at a high level. Further, to investigate a moderating role of disease types, we measured the changes in response to when disease names are suggested more specifically due to the variation in the degree of familiarity to the charity subject. The results of this experiment supported our prediction on the fit effect between physical distance and message type. To be specific, when the appeal was for a foreign cause, abstract messages generated a higher willingness to help the nonprofit. Conversely, when the appeal was for a local cause, concrete messages generated a higher willingness to help the nonprofit. These results indicate construal fit effect in a charitable giving context. Furthermore, we investigated a moderating role of disease types given that such fit effects can be stronger among low- (vs. highly) familiarity of disease. We observed a significant three-way interaction involving the degree of familiarity.

This paper examines advertising images of fashion brands in vertical social network site (SNS) from the viewpoints of message strategies. Vertical social network sites are types of social curation systems applied to social networking, where information is selected, organized, and maintained. Fashion brands communicate with consumers by presenting images on vertical SNSs, anticipating improvements in brand image, popularity, and loyalty. Those images portray content for particular brands and seasonal concepts, thus creating paths for product sales information. Marketing via SNSs corresponds to relationship marketing, which refers to long-term interrelationship and value augmentation between the company and consumer, and viral advertising, which relies on word of mouth distribution via social network platforms. Taylor’s six-segment message strategy wheel, often used for analyzing viral ads, was applied to conduct a content analysis of the images. A total of 2,656 images of fashion brands advertised on Instagram were selected and analyzed. Results indicated that brand values were somewhat related to the number of followers. Follower rankings and comment rankings were also correlated. In general, fashion brands projected sensory messages most often. Acute need and rational messages were less common than other messages. Sports brands and luxury brands presented sensory messages, whereas fast fashion brands projected routine images most often. Fashion brands promoted on vertical SNSs should portray advertising images that combine message strategies.