Corporate Social Responsibility in Western Europe: An Institutional Mirror or Substitute?

In spite of extensive research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its link with economic and social performance, few studies have investigated the institutional determinants of CSR. This article draws upon neo-institutional theory and comparative institutional analysis to compare the influence of different institutional environments on CSR policies of European firms. On the basis of a dataset of European firms, we find that firms from the more liberal market economies of the Anglo-Saxon countries score higher on most dimensions of CSR than firms in the more coordinated market economies (CMEs) in Continental Europe. This result lends support to the view of voluntary CSR practices in liberal economies as being a substitute for institutionalized forms of stakeholder participation. Meanwhile, CSR tends not to mirror more institutionalized forms of stakeholder coordination. Instead, in CMEs, CSR often takes on more implicit forms. Our analysis also shows that national institutional and sectoral-level factors have an asymmetric effect – strongly influencing the likelihood of firms adopting ‘minimum standards’ of CSR, but having little influence on the adoption of ‘best practices’.     

The influence of green brand innovativeness and value perception on brand loyalty: the moderating role of green knowledge

Building on arguments relating to the differences between innovation and innovativeness and their influences on brand loyalty, this study investigates how green brand innovativeness and value perception influence green brand loyalty. In addition, the influences of a mediating variable green perceived value (GPV) and a moderating variable (consumer green knowledge) on the development process of green brand loyalty are examined. Data were collected using an online survey administered to a consumer panel in China, and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the conceptual model with a sample of 826 Chinese respondents. The results demonstrate that green brand innovativeness was directly associated with brand loyalty and indirectly influenced brand loyalty via GPV. Moreover, green knowledge significantly moderated the relationship between green brand innovativeness and GPV. Therefore, to promote green brand loyalty, organizations must allocate resources into enhancing consumers’ perceptions of green brand innovativeness and green value, and improving their environmental knowledge.     

Why negative brand extension evaluations do not always negatively affect the brand: The role of central and peripheral brand associations

This research introduces the concept of brand association centrality and distinguishes central brand associations (CBAs) and peripheral brand associations (PBAs). Study 1 shows that the consistency with CBAs and PBAs influences perceived brand extension fit. However, the brand extension consistency with CBAs positively affects consumer–brand extension evaluations, while the brand extension consistency with PBAs does not have a significant effect. Study 2 demonstrates the mediating role of perceived fit between brand extension consistency with CBAs and brand extension evaluations. The study shows that the more inconsistent the product extension is with CBAs, the more the brand's image is altered and the faster brand evaluations deteriorate. In contrast, the brand extension inconsistency with PBAs does not affect brand evaluations.     

Gucci versus Old Navy: Interplay of Brand Personality and Regulatory Focus in Advertising Persuasion

The present research examines how brand personality and regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention) interplay in affecting advertising message persuasiveness. In Experiment 1, the moderating role of brand personality with respect to regulatory focus is tested. The results show that a promotion‐framed advertising message is more persuasive for a fictitious exciting brand than is a prevention‐framed message, whereas a prevention‐framed (vs. promotion‐framed) message is more effective for a fictitious competent brand. To replicate Experiment 1 and further test the hypothesis, in Experiment 2, two real brands representing two additional brand personality dimensions (sophistication vs. sincerity) are tested and the influence of individuals’ self‐construal level is controlled. The findings reveal that individuals exposed to the sophisticated brand show a more positive attitude when the brand message is promotion framed. By contrast, individuals exposed to the sincere brand react more favorably when the brand is presented with a prevention‐framed advertising message.     

Consumers' response to other consumers' participation in new product development

In this paper, we investigate how consumers react to information that the brand has involved other consumers in the development of its new product. More specifically, we investigate how the participation of other consumers in either the ideation, where consumers come up with product ideas, or selection, where consumers select which out of many products the brand should produce and market, impacts on consumers' evaluations of the product and perceptions of the brand. Drawing from the literatures on brand schema and congruity, we hypothesize that by way of its effects on perceived brand uniqueness and brand attribution, consumer participation in new product ideation (selection) impacts more favorably on product and brand ratings when the product is incongruent (congruent) with the brand. An experimental study with 386 consumers supports the hypotheses.     

Investigating the impact of brand vs cause interaction on cause related advertisements

Cause-related Marketing (CRM) strategies have been widely implemented by numerous brands in their communication with customers through advertisements. This research employs four quasi-experimental studies to understand how brands and cause related variables interact to impact attitude towards advertisements and brands. Study I (n = 623) seek to understand the influence of brand related variables, namely, brand familiarity, brand importance, and brand association on the attitude towards advertisements and brands. Study II (n = 722) shows the moderating effect of advertisement type (CRM vs non-CRM) on the relationships connecting branding variables to advertisement and brand attitude. In Study III (n = 637), the effect of cause related dimension, namely, cause familiarity, cause importance, and cause brand fit on the attitude towards advertisement and brands is studied. Finally, study IV (n = 549) shows the interaction effect of brand and cause related dimensions on the attitude towards advertisements and brands. Results indicate cause brand fit to be the most significant variable affecting attitudes followed by brand association, brand importance, and cause importance. Cause importance also interacted with brand importance and brand association to cause a positive and negative magnifying effect on the advertisement attitudes respectively.     

The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on Brand Performance: The Mediating Effect of Industrial Brand Equity and Corporate Reputation

In this article, the researchers explore the following question. Can corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the corporate reputation of a firm lead to its brand equity in business-to-business (B2B) markets? This study discusses CSR from customers’ viewpoints by taking the sample of industrial purchasers from Taiwan small-medium enterprises. The aims of this study are to investigate: first, the effects of CSR and corporate reputation on industrial brand equity; second, the effects of CSR, corporate reputation, and brand equity on brand performance; and third, the mediating effects of corporate reputation and industrial brand equity on the relationship between CSR and brand performance. Empirical results support the study’s hypotheses and indicate that CSR and corporate reputation have positive effects on industrial brand equity and brand performance. In addition, corporate reputation and industrial brand equity partially mediate the relationship between CSR and brand performance.     

Enjoyment or autonomy? The interactive effect of brand ritual and brand personality on consumer purchase

The use of brand rituals is a pervasive tactic in business, but the marketing effectiveness of this practice largely remains unknown. In the present research, we postulate the contingent nature of brand rituals on consumer purchase. Based on the two countervailing processes—the enhancement of perceived enjoyment and the reduction of perceived autonomy, we suggest that the effectiveness of brand rituals is determined by the interaction between the degree of brand ritual (simple vs. sophisticated) and the brand personality (excitement vs. sincerity). By means of field and laboratory experiments in various product categories (i.e., fruit tea, juice, stationery, and hand cream), we show that for a sincere brand, a sophisticated brand ritual elicits higher consumer purchase than a simple brand ritual only via the process of enhanced enjoyment because its sincerity personality weakens the salience of the process of reduced autonomy. In contrast, for an exciting brand, a sophisticated brand ritual elicits lower consumer purchase than a simple brand ritual via the process of enhanced enjoyment but reduced autonomy (the autonomy route dominates the enjoyment route) because its exciting personality intensifies the salience of the process of reduced autonomy. In simple words, a sophisticated brand ritual benefits a sincere brand, but a simple one benefits an exciting brand. Our findings extend the research on ritual and brand ritual and offer implications for marketing practice regarding how to design a brand ritual more effectively.     

Leveraging Virtual Attribute Experience in Video Games to Improve Brand Recall and Learning

This article extends the concept of virtual direct experience (VDE) from a product to an attribute as video gamers can virtually experience an attribute within a gaming environment. Using a 2 (VAE: present versus absent) x 2 (order of brand presentation: first or second) between subjects experimental design, we find that associating a brand with virtual attribute experience (VAE) by exposing consumers to the brand name and the virtual experience simultaneously has a positive effect on brand recall, brand extension acceptance, overall attitude, and purchase intention. In addition, our results demonstrate a significant interaction between VAE and telepresence on brand recall.     

The moderating influence of brand status and source confirmation on third-party endorsement effects in advertising

Two studies were conducted to examine the effect that perceived brand status has on consumers’responses to source confirmation of third-party advertising endorsements. In Study 1, a 2 (ad exposure with opportunity to confirm the source of the endorsement vs ad exposure with no opportunity to confirm) by 2 (topdog brand vs underdog brand) factorial design was used to examine hypothesised effects on message believability and brand attitude. Results indicated that, for underdog brands, augmenting advertising strategies with publicity pieces (source confirmation) is an effective approach in enhancing advertising message believability and producing more favourable brand attitudes. On the other hand, this ad strategy was not shown to have similar added benefits for the topdog brand. Study 2 further examined these interactive effects, finding that, in an underdog brand condition, individuals reported higher levels of involvement with a publicity piece than with an advertisement. An opposite effect (i.e. greater ad involvement than publicity piece involvement) was observed for individuals in the topdog brand condition. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed, and future research directions are offered.     

The impact of brand personality and sales promotions on brand equity

This research assesses the relative impact of a long-term brand management instrument (brand personality) and a short-term marketing mix instrument (sales promotions) on brand equity formation. The authors measure consumer perceptions of promotional intensity and brand personality and model their impact on brand equity. They find a positive impact of brand personality and a negative impact of sales promotion intensity on brand equity at the aggregate level. In line with research that identifies varying consumer responses to promotional deals, this study posits that the relative impact of the two elements varies across consumer groups. Three homogeneous consumer groups differ according to the relative impact of brand personality and consumer promotions on brand equity, following an application of a finite mixture partial least squares procedure.     

Consumer brand engagement and its social side on brand-hosted social media: how do they contribute to brand loyalty?

ABSTRACT

Social media offer brands new opportunities to interact with their customers. This paper focuses on consumer brand engagement (CBE) and its social facet in the context of brand-hosted social media. It highlights that CBE (consumer–brand interactions encompassing cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions) and brand-based consumer–consumer interactions (social brand engagement (SBE)) lead to brand loyalty intentions. Brand customers were surveyed about their favourite brands on Facebook. Results indicate that self-brand connections and SBE are two drivers of CBE, and that CBE is the key element in inducing brand loyalty. In addition, configural analysis shows that high brand loyalty can be achieved through several combinations of social and CBE with various levels of cognitive, affective and behavioural engagement.     

Brand‐Situation Congruity: The Roles of Self‐Construal and Brand Commitment

The present research examines the moderating roles of self‐construal and brand commitment in brand‐situation congruity effects in persuasion. Self‐construal refers to how individuals perceive themselves in the context of relationships with others (Singelis, 1994). Individuals with independent self‐construal, who emphasize autonomy and assertiveness, value consistency regardless of social contexts, whereas people with interdependent self‐construal value their relationships with others and adapt with flexibility to social situations. Commitment is a psychological state that globally represents the experience of dependence on a relationship and denotes a long‐term orientation, including a feeling of attachment to a relational partner and a desire to maintain a relationship (Rusbult, 1983). In the same vein, brand commitment refers to emotional or psychological attachment to and dependence on a brand (Beatty & Kahle, 1988x). Experiment 1 demonstrated that brand‐situation congruity, for which brand preference increases when the brand personality is congruent (vs. incongruent) with social situational cues, was stronger for interdependent (vs. independent) self‐construal individuals. Experiment 2 provided further support for the moderating role of self‐construal, when primed, in situation congruity effects as well as evidence for another moderator, brand commitment. That is, the moderating effect of self‐construal on brand‐situation congruity was stronger when consumers held weak (vs. strong) commitment to the target brand.     

The importance of customer satisfaction in explaining brand and dealer loyalty

The positive influence of customer satisfaction on brand and dealer loyalty is often taken for granted. In this study we attempted to prove whether this relationship really exists. In order to do so we examined the case of an automobile‐dealer network. Three different types of customer satisfaction were distinguished: (a) satisfaction with the car; (b) satisfaction with the sales service and (c) satisfaction with the after‐sales service. It was expected that all three types of satisfaction would have an influence on brand loyalty as well as on dealer loyalty. More specifically, it was expected that satisfaction with the car would be the major determinant of brand loyalty and that satisfaction with the service (both sales‐ and after‐sales service) would be the major determinant of dealer loyalty. Furthermore, a study of the literature revealed that dealer loyalty might also significantly affect brand loyalty.

In the empirical part of the study, customers (n = 416) of different automobile‐dealers of the same brand were asked to fill in a mailed questionnaire. The three different types of customer satisfaction and the intention to buy the same brand of car again, as well as the intention to buy from the same dealer again were measured. The customers were also asked why they would buy the same brand (again) or from the same dealer. In general, the analyses of the results revealed that: customer satisfaction with the car, as well as dealer loyalty are major determinants of brand loyalty; customer satisfaction with the sales service as well as with the after‐sales service are major determinants of dealer loyalty and dealer loyalty is an intervening variable in the relation between satisfaction and brand loyalty. Furthermore, it was found that the strength of the relationship between different types of satisfaction and loyalty indicators differs markedly between various market segments (private/business use of car and new/used car buyers). Several marketing implications are presented. A distinction may be made between the implications for the manufacturer of the physical product and the automobile dealer rendering the service.     

Brand placement in text: the short- and long-term effects of placement modality and need for cognition

ABSTRACT

The present research explores how placing a brand name in the dialogue versus the narration of a fictional text (i.e. placement modality) affects brand attitude and purchase intention. Moreover, it studies the moderating role of need for cognition (NFC) and measures brand responses both immediately after exposure and two weeks later. As predicted, encountering a brand name in the dialogue as compared to in the narration of a story is associated with lower brand attitudes for readers with high NFC at both measurement points. Purchase intentions are similarly affected, but the effects are only significant at a delay. In contrast, brand evaluations of readers with low NFC are largely unaffected by placement modality.     

Intergenerational appeal in advertising: impacts of brand–gender extension and brand history

An intergenerational (IG) appeal in an advertising campaign usually presents a nostalgic image with family portraits, emphasizing the traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation or harkening back to the ‘good old days’ between father and son, or mother and daughter. The IG appeal can effectively enhance a brand's image and induce that all-important consumer purchase. This paper takes gender differences (father/son or mother/daughter) into consideration while examining two moderators related to branding: (in)congruent brand–gender extension and brand history. Results indicate that a well-established brand history enhances the effects of the IG appeal. In addition, a congruent brand–gender extension increases the effects of the IG appeal. More interestingly, IG appeals can be effective in presenting a less established brand which has an incongruent brand–gender extension.     

电商化转型零售商的品牌权益提升机制与路径研究——基于双渠道品牌形象驱动的视角

网络零售强烈冲击下的国内传统零售业面临行业生存危机,电商化转型已经成为行业的必然发展趋势。文章通过界定电商化转型零售商及其品牌形象、品牌权益的概念,提出其“实体-网络”双渠道品牌形象结构的概念模型,并进一步构建其“双渠道品牌形象——品牌权益”驱动机制模型,以结构方程结合信度分析、效度分析等方法进行了实证分析。研究发现：电商化转型零售商的实体品牌形象各维度变量对网络品牌形象的对应维度变量都具有非常强的直接积极影响（即支撑效应）,价值维度、价格维度、供应维度的支撑效应由强至弱;实体品牌形象各维度变量对品牌权益产生明显的总积极影响（即提升效应）,价格维度、价值维度、供应维度的提升效应由强至弱,但供应维度无直接影响;网络性品牌形象各维度变量对品牌权益产生明显的直接积极影响（即提升效应）,供应维度、价格维度、价值维度的提升效应由强至弱。     

Nostalgia and brands: a sweet rather than a bitter cultural evocation of the past

Abstract

This study focuses on the cultural consumer environment of brands considered as nostalgic. The research questions are thus the following: what is the impact of culture on the consumer relationship with brands considered as nostalgic? In which cases are these relationships positive, and in which cases are they negative? To answer these questions, a longitudinal data collection was conducted, consisting of interviewing the same sample of respondents three times, at more or less one-year intervals. The results were analysed taking into account three dimensions of culture: time, place and social aspects. In the time-based approach, brands are associated with traditional celebrations and rites of passage. Thus, they give rise to ‘traditional purchase’ and consumer loyalty. In the place-based approach, brands evoke original authenticity and myths. They offer protection to reduce perceived risks and therefore facilitate consumers’ trust. In the social approach, brands are associated with symbolic icons and attract communities of fans. Finally, this article shows that culture involves sweeter rather than bitter nostalgic brand relationships. This article brings to light four cases when the consumer cultural environment may induce a rejection of the nostalgic brand: (1) the ‘corrupted’ brand; (2) the ‘immoral’ brand; (3) the ‘precarious’ brand; and (4) the ‘stereotypical’ brand. It shows that only one case – the ‘corrupted’ brand – may be particularly prejudicial due to its unwelcome role in History.     

Shopping-centre selection modelling: a segmentation approach

This study seeks to develop an in-store brand-extension commitment (ISBEC) scale. To accomplish this goal, consumers were questioned about the efforts they are willing to undertake when confronted with critical moments in the store concerning their favourite brand extension. Using exploratory factor analysis, seven dimensions of ISBEC efforts were discovered. A higher order factor analysis revealed two factors: switching brand extensions within the same brand and the commitment behaviours in favour of brand extensions. In addition, based upon these seven ISBEC effort dimensions, six clusters of consumers were discovered. In an era of ECR, where the manufacturer and the retailer seek to develop economically responsible category systems, insights into what consumers will do for their preferred brand extensions might provide them with some strategic insights.