Transcript Motivations for Gratifications of Digital Music Piracy

Motivations for Gratifications of
Digital Music Piracy
Among College Students:
Phase III Concept Testing
Brian Sheehan, Associate Professor
Syracuse University
James Tsao, Professor
Syracuse University
Jim Pokrywczynski, Associate Professor
Marquette University
Significance
• 95% of all music downloaded digitally worldwide is pirated.
• Industry revenue declined $1.7 billion globally in 2009.
• Total “lost revenue” estimated at over $3.7 billion per
annum in US alone.
Sources: New York Times 1/21/10; IFPI Digital Music Report 2008
Three Stages
• Qualitative—Cognitive Map
• Quantitative—Confirmation of cognitive map
• Experimental—Testing ad concepts: impact on behavior
Cognitive Map
Hypotheses
• Motivations for piracy will be reversed…
• H1: If costs currently perceived as minor (i.e., fines and viruses) can
be repositioned as major
• H2: If certain reinforcements of the behavior (i.e., social acceptance
and anti-artist/anti-industry bias)
• H3: If a new, more powerful cost could be introduced (i.e., hurting
the ability to get a job after school)*
*JED Foundation: 60% of college students worried about getting a
job after graduation
Methodology
• 415 students
• Two universities: East/Mid-West; Large/Small
• 10 random groups (8 concept groups, 2 control groups)
• Dependent variables (pre and post):
• “How often do you think you will download music using
a legal program?”
• “How often do you think you will download music using
an illegal program?”
Results
Results
• H1 mostly supported (strongly supported for viruses)
• H2 not supported
• H3 strongly supported
Further Study
• Successful concepts will be executed as ads on each
campus and measured for in-market effectiveness.
• Link between economic and social effects during a
recession interesting for further study.