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401 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33606-13490
(813) 253-3333
University of Michigan, B.A.
George Washington University, M.B.A.
2022 Georgia State University, Ph.D.
Communication and Media Ethics
Advertising Creative Direction
Principles of Advertising
Advertising Campaigns
Writing for Advertising
Media Aesthetics and Creativity
Allen Zimmerman specializes in strategic communication research that supports effective altruism efforts to end factory farming. His work applies insights from Social Judgment Theory to better understand the willingness of U.S. flexitarians and potential flexitarians—who together comprise approximately 80% of the population—to reduce their meat consumption.
Zimmerman's research employs mixed methods to develop communication strategies aimed at ending factory farming. Quantitative findings from a recent survey of a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults show that 90% of flexitarians and 85% of potential flexitarians are open to adopting three and two meat-free days per week, respectively. Qualitative insights further reveal that many current dietary change campaigns either demand too much (e.g., full veganism) or too little (e.g., Meatless Monday), limiting their impact. These findings highlight a significant opportunity to promote moderate yet meaningful meat reduction—two to three meat-free days per week—among the roughly 80% of Americans who identify as flexitarian or potential flexitarian.
His current publications include:
Zimmerman, A. (2024). Willingness to Reduce Meat Consumption Among U.S. Flexitarians: Sampling, Segmentation, and Judgmental Latitudes. Food Quality & Preference, 118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2024.105194
Freeman, C.P., Cole, M., Zimmerman, A. (2024). More of the Flavor and None of the Flaws: Marketing Plant-Based Foods as Authentic to American and British Consumers. In Y. Athanassakis, R. Larou, & W. O’Donohue (Eds.) The Plant-based and Vegan Handbook: Psychological and Multidisciplinary Perspectives (pp. 533-555). New York, NY: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63083-5_32
Zimmerman, A. (2021). Building a Culture of Quiescence: The Framing of Animal-based Foods in Children’s Fiction Movies. Southern Communication Journal, 87(1), 70-81. https://doi.org/10.1080/1041794X.2021.1983013
Freeman, C.P., Zimmerman, A. (2022). Take Extinction off Your Plate: How International Environmental Campaigns Connect Food, Farming, and Fishing to Wildlife Extinction. Environmental Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2022.2060276
Zimmerman's community involvement has included volunteer work at the Humane Society Tampa Bay, Florida Voices for Animals, The Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Arden Courts Alzheimer's care, Metropolitan Ministries and Suncoast Hospice. He is also an active yoga practitioner and a former instructor who taught classes at the San Francisco VA for veteran's recovering from PTSD.
University of Tampa Research Innovation and Scholarly Excellence Award/David Delo Research Grant 2024-25
Georgia State University - Provost's Dissertation Fellowship (July-December 2022)
Georgia State University - Dissertation Grant Program (December 2021)
NYU Workshop on Ending Factory Farming - invited speaker and award recipient (February 2020)