Does green brand anthropomorphism influence repurchase intention? Understanding the impact of brand warmth,psychological ownership,and self-brand congruity

As consumers become more conscious of the deteriorating state of the environment, organizations too are beginning to demonstrate their sustainable commitments in ‘green’ branding through anthropomorphism. Extant literature has not been able to holistically cover this phenomenon, especially in terms of its importance in facilitating repurchase intention. Based on this lacuna, we explore how green anthropomorphic branding can influence consumers' brand warmth and psychological ownership, which in turn, could lead to repurchase intention. We explore the impact of ‘green self-congruity’ and its influence on this relationship. By illustrating the significance of constructs such as green brand anthropomorphism, psychological ownership, brand warmth, and self-congruity in facilitating repurchase intention. We apply the notion of self-congruity and enhance the literature on green anthropomorphic brands. This research provides guidelines to brand managers of green retail, to design strategies that focus on green anthropomorphic branding, facilitating consumers' repurchase intention.     

The small,inventory free retail format: The impact on consumer-based brand equity and purchase behavior

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of brand experience, as conceptualized by Brakus, Schmidt, and Zarantonello’s (2009), in fostering Consumer Based Brand Equity (CBBE) elements associated with the new store format and their impact on consequent purchase intention through multiple retail channels. A survey sent to a national sample of female consumers regarding Nordstrom Local, a small, inventory-free retail store in the U.S., resulted in 406 usable responses. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships among variables where nine of the ten proposed hypotheses were supported. The findings of this study support that the brand experience of a small, inventory-free retail format can be effective in fostering CBBE, which has a positive impact on purchase intention. Furthermore, patronizing a small, inventory-free retail format appears to influence purchase intention consummated through the retailer’s other channels. This appears to be the first empirical study to explore the impact of the small, inventory-free retail format on consumer responses. The findings may aid industry professionals in identifying successful strategies that appeal to changing preferences of today’s consumer.     

The moderating influence of brand image on consumers' adoption of QR-code e-wallets

In a post-pandemic era marked by thriving digital payments and e-commerce transactions due to physical distancing norms, the growth of mobile payments or E-wallets is expected to expand in tandem with the global trend toward cashless payment solutions. However, it is unclear whether this momentum would be sustained for over-the-counter (OTC) retail payments, particularly QR-code E-wallets, that are more affordable and accessible to merchants and customers than NFC-based (near field communication) systems in emerging markets. This study aims to model the interaction effects of brand image in shaping consumers’ E-wallet usage intentions. Incorporating a consumer-brand relationship element (i.e., brand image) should improve the understanding of consumers’ digital service experiences in proximity-based retail encounters. The research model was empirically tested using 305 responses from QR-based E-wallet users in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Statistical analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses. An empirical examination of the model revealed effort expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, and perceived value as significant positive predictors of consumer usage intention. Furthermore, brand image was found to significantly strengthen the positive effect of perceived value and weaken the positive impact of hedonic motivation on the outcome. The study’s key contributions include reaffirming the crucial contingent role of brand image in consumer technology adoption studies and investigating consumer perceptions of QR-based E-wallets, which are expected to gain traction, especially in emerging markets. E-wallet providers should reinforce their value propositions by providing seamless, engaging, and easy-to-use experiences that improve users' brand perceptions.     

Antecedents of brand citizenship behavior in retailing

There has been increased interest in retail branding yet there is a dearth of internal branding research in this industry. The purpose of this study is to explore the antecedents of Brand Citizenship Behavior (BCB) in a retail environment. The role that the frequency of employee contact with customers plays will also be examined. A further aim is to give guidance to retailers on how they should develop an internal branding management strategy. A conceptual model provides a foundation for the study. A literature review of the brand citizenship behavior and the related constructs was undertaken to inform the model. The results show support for the hypothesized relationships. Significant differences between managers and associates as well as between full-time and part-time associates were found. Recommendations are presented to retailers.     

Mediated-moderated effects: High and low store image,brand awareness,perceived value from mini and supermarkets retail stores

This paper addresses how different store formats moderate the relationship between store image and purchase intention, mediated by brand awareness and perceived value. Questionnaire data was collected through face-to-face interviews with retail customers on the streets of a city in southern Brazil. Hypotheses testing were performed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling, supported by Smart-PLS and the Bootstrapping procedure run in the Process software. The model's sample included 298 retail customers for each store format (supermarket and mini-market). Results showed that store image positively impacted customer purchase intentions and the mediators, perceived value and brand awareness, which had a distinct effect on the direct relation of store image and purchase intention. Store format presented moderation effects on the relation between store image and brand awareness for both store formats: the higher the perception of store image, the greater the consumer's brand awareness. However, store format did not present a moderating effect on the relationship between brand awareness and purchase intention. Store image was found to be an important independent construct that improves brand awareness and increases perceived value. The number of mini-markets in Brazil is increasing, indicating that they are supplying a need unmet by supermarkets. The study design's implementation in the city streets, respondents were requested to imagine store image, which may have affected some of the parameters. The model integrated store image as an important construct influencing purchase behavior and this study presented a mediated-moderated model with managerial implications.     

Determinants of customer brand loyalty in the retail industry: A comparison between national and private brands in South Korea

Finding motivations for customer brand loyalty is one of the most popular academic and practical research fields; in this regard, some scholars have explored motivations in the retail industry. As the concept of private brands has been one of the most widely employed strategies for business success in the industry, comparing private and national brands in terms of customer loyalty is an important topic in the retail industry. Thus, the current research focuses on exploring antecedents of customer loyalty in private and national brands, as well as investigating whether there are notable structural differences between the brands. The results, based on 1,631 responses, indicate that customer perceived service/product quality, satisfaction, trust, and cost are notable determinants of brand loyalty, while the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality of private brands is not supported. Moreover, both indirect and direct effects of the employed factors on customer brand loyalty are reported.     

Brand experience anatomy in retailing: An interpretive structural modeling approach

In today's highly competitive retail environment, retailers have recognized and embraced the concept of offering experiences with the retail brand across various channels beyond new launches and lower prices. To manage the experiences associated with a retail brand, retailers need to understand the concept of brand experience in retailing and the factors that actually comprise it. Interestingly, very few studies have imparted an understanding of brand experience in retailing. This study seeks to understand the retail brand experience and model the interrelationships among retail brand experience variables using interpretive structural modeling (ISM). Retail brand experience variables used in this study have been identified from existing literature on ‘brand experience’ and from brainstorming sessions with academicians and retail industry experts. Our findings show that the variables, namely, packaging of own label brands, customer billings, order and application forms, point-of-sales (i.e., shelf talkers) and recommendation by a salesperson have a high degree of influence and exhibit low dependence. These variables require a great deal of consideration due to their strategic significance to retailers. The approach applied in this study will enhance the understanding of retailers for improving the performance through managed retail brand experience initiatives.     

The role of brand exposure and experience on brand recall—Product durables vis-à-vis FMCG

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of brand exposure and experience on brand recall, mediated by three affectional drivers: brand trust, brand image and self-image congruence. The study distinguishes between an individual consumer׳s brand exposure and experience, and how these impact brand recall. Using original data collected from a survey of 219 consumers, brand recall models in two product categories (Fast Moving Consumer Goods FMCG and durable goods) were tested. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied, resulting in models for the two types of goods, establishing notable differences between durables and FMCGs. Experience influences brand recall in durable goods while brand recall is established via exposure for fast-moving consumer goods. This suggests that consumers are better able to recall durable goods brands if they have personally used them, while consumers of FMCG are more heavily influenced by advertising. Our study also established that brand trust has a significant role in mediating both of these relationships. Ultimately, the study establishes key differences between the brand recall of product categories, as well as the mediating role of brand trust, providing a framework for future brand recall research.     

Drivers of brand community engagement

Brand community engagement is evolving as a prominent relationship marketing variable that yields promising outcomes for the firms. Drawing upon the relevant premises of social exchange theory, this paper proposes a theoretical model portraying the role of online brand community based benefits (experience based and self-esteem based) and the community relationship investment in predicting the levels of brand community engagement.Data collected through a survey questionnaire technique from 925 members of the firm created online brand communities was employed to test the measurement and structural theory using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling respectively. The empirical results reveal that the customers’ experiential and self-esteem based benefits drive their brand community engagement. The perceived community relationship investment of the members also drives their brand community engagement positively. The sequential structural model also supported a positive impact exerted by brand community engagement on brand community commitment and brand loyalty. Additionally, it is observed that the focal brand ownership moderates the effect of community benefits and community relationship investment on brand community engagement.This study contributes to the nascent academic research on online brand communities and to the existing understanding of the brand community managers in managing customer engagement in online brand communities, thereby of profound theoretical and managerial relevance.     

An integrated retailer image and brand equity framework: Re-examining,extending, and restructuring retailer brand equity

Retailers are amongst the world's strongest brands, but little is known about retailer brand equity. In spite of their extensive use, we argue that current operational models are too abstract for understanding the uniqueness of the retail industry and too simplistic to understand the interrelationships among the dimensions in the retailer brand equity building process. This study contributes to the existing and largely generic retailer equity frameworks in three ways: first, by incorporating retail specific dimensions from the retailer image literature; second, by re-examining and developing the structures and relationships between the dimensions of retailer equity by testing alternative structures commonly used in the more general brand equity literature; and finally by creating a short and parsimonious scale for assessing retailer brandequity in different contexts. Three alternative models are compared and tested on six brands in both convenience and shopping goods categories, ranging from discount to middle range price levels. The outcome is an operational framework supporting the main building blocks of the conceptual brand resonance model presented in Keller (2001) with seven dimensions structured in a four-step sequence as awareness → pricing policy, customer service, product quality, physical store → retailer trust → retailer loyalty, thereby describing retailer brand equity as a four-step process. The extended, although parsimonious, 17-item retailer equity scale can be used by academics as well as practitioners to examine the underlying values of retailer brands and has the potential to incorporate additional dimensions and attributes to investigate specific retail contexts without creating lengthy questionnaires.     

A study on China's time-honored catering brands: Achieving new inheritance of traditional brands

The time-honored brand is the best brand retained from centuries of business and handicraft competition, representing inestimable brand, economic and cultural value. However, it has encountered the issue of heritage in the new era. To address this issue, in view of the critical role of customer word-of-mouth (WOM) in brand inheritance and reputation, this study constructed and examined the WOM path of time-honored catering brands by investigating 606 customers. Its conclusions highlight the positive antecedent of brand authenticity for customers' in-person WOM and EWOM. The path is influenced by the mediation mechanisms of response (awakening of interest), cognition (brand experience) and affection (brand identification). Moreover, the interaction between creative performance and brand authenticity can positively promote customers' brand experience. However, cultural proximity plays different roles in the stages of customers' brand attitudes and behaviors. The results provide managerial implications for how to promote the sustainable inheritance of traditional brands.     

Retail atmospherics: The impact of a brand dictated theme

Although retail atmospherics has been an active area of study, a glance around a typical mall indicates many retailers still do not actively differentiate their retail environment from competitors. This is likely due to retailers considering the atmospheric elements (lighting, music, etc.) individually and making decisions regarding the elements based on what is “standard” for their customers, merchandise, and format. This approach leads to very little differentiation and fails to consider that today’s consumer is often expecting a more multi-sensory, interactive, and holistic shopping experience. This paper considers an alternative approach, where a brand dictated “theme” is used to guide the manipulation of the atmospheric elements. This allows retail brands to break free from standard design to create a more interactive, immersive, and authentic environment. Outcomes include increases in shopping enjoyment, positive brand attitudes, and brand loyalty. T-tests are utilized to compare the two approaches within both the apparel (Study 1) and restaurant (Study 2) industries.     

Retailers with traits of consumer: Exploring the existence and antecedents of brand loyalty in small unorganized retailers

Retail in most emerging countries, like India, is dominated by the informal sector consisting of small unorganized retailers and marketers selling through them desperately want to win them over because it can be a powerful competitive advantage in these markets.Small unorganized retail store is a unique setting because most of these stores are owned and managed by individual proprietors who are neither schooled in systematic business decision making and nor have access to professional expertise and scientific tools to assist in taking business decisions in a systematic way. With loads of decisions to be made by this individual, it can be assumed that heuristics and common sense drive a lot of their business decisions and this makes them very similar to the decision making done by the end consumers, who also engage in buying decisions but are not scientific in their approach.Based on this similarity, this study attempts to explore a simple but profound question that like individual consumers, do these retail customers’ buying decisions also get affected by brand loyalty? In that direction, the study assesses the role of three variables - salesperson quality, self-experience with the brand and perceived company support, for predicting brand loyalty in small unorganized retailers.Using Structured Equation Modelling on data collected from 543 retailers, the proposed hypothesized paths have been tested. The results strongly support the proposition made. This study extends the application of the existing attitudinal – behavioural framework of brand loyalty to retailers and puts forward a vital and a unique way for marketers to get these retailers on-board and work as an influencer to push their brand.     

Relating brand anxiety,brand hatred and obsess: Moderating role of age and brand affection

Proficient brand management, including retail brands, is crucial for the success of the firms or retailers. One area of interest is consumers’ negativity towards brands (e.g., hate) due to negative consumer-brand relationships. The present article examines the relationships between brand anxiety, brand hatred and obsess, and illustrates the impacts of age and brand affection on these relationships. Data were collected through an online survey, and partial least squares path modelling was used to test the proposed paths on a sample of 416 consumers. The findings revealed that brand anxiety influenced obsess directly and indirectly through brand hatred. It was also evident that age moderated the path between brand anxiety and brand hatred, while brand affection strengthened the relationship between brand hatred and obsess. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed subsequently.     

Exploring the impact of different factors on brand equity and intention to take up online courses from e-Learning platforms

Understanding service branding from the customer perspective is helpful for various organizations to attain a competitive edge and build a strong customer base. This research work aims to evaluate the various dimensions and constructs that affect brand equity and user's willingness to undertake courses from various e-Learning providers. Data for the quantitative study was obtained using a questionnaire based survey. Analysis of the 378 responses reveals that consumer experience is a strong predictor of both brand meaning and customer satisfaction. Although brand meaning positively impacts brand equity, brand awareness demonstrates a negative effect on brand equity. However, brand equity and customer satisfaction have a significant and positive impact on intention to undertake courses from online learning platforms. The study concludes with discussion on different implications, shortcomings, and directions for future research.     

Antecedents and outcomes of brand love: the mediating role of brand loyalty

The purpose of this study was to propose and test an integrative conceptual model which incorporates experience-based (i.e. brand experience) and non-experience-based (i.e. self-congruity) antecedents and behavioural outcomes (i.e. brand loyalty and positive word-of-mouth) of brand love. The conceptual model and proposed hypotheses of the study are analysed with a sample of 361 consumers by using a structured survey as a data collection instrument. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the hypothesized linkages among the constructs. The findings of the study demonstrate strong associations between both experience-based and non-experience-based antecedents and brand love, and between brand love and its behavioural outcomes. This study also corroborates the mediating role of brand loyalty on the impact of brand love on positive word-of-mouth. This study is expected to contribute to the field of brand management by investigating the simultaneous impact of experience-based and non-experienced-based antecedents on brand love and the mediating role of brand loyalty on the association between brand love and positive word-of-mouth, which has not been addressed in the previous literature.     

Chatbots in e-commerce: The effect of chatbot language style on customers’ continuance usage intention and attitude toward brand

The utilization of chatbots has grown in popularity in recent years, leading to an increasing interest among academics and practitioners. This study investigates the effect of chatbot language style on customers' continuance usage intention and attitude toward brand. Two scenario-based experiments were conducted to examine the underlying mechanism. The results show that when chatbots adopt an informal (vs. formal) language style, customers’ continuance usage intention and brand attitude increase through the mediating role of parasocial interaction. Further, this study identifies brand affiliation as a pertinent moderator, such that the effect of chatbot language style is attenuated for people who have no prior relationship with the brand. The findings contribute to the existing chatbot literature and offer practical implications for brand managers to develop optimal language strategies when deploying chatbots in e-commerce.     

The role of customer online brand experience in customers' intention to forward online company-generated content: The case of the Islamic online banking sector in Palestine

The purpose of this study is twofold: Firstly, to assess the impact of customer online brand experience (COBE) with online banking on customer's intention to forward online company-generated content (CGC). Secondly, to explore the role of online brand community engagement (OBCE) and the perceived trust of brand community page (BCP) as mediating variables between COBE and the intention to forward online CGC. This research conducted an online survey among various Islamic bank customers in Palestine who were members of online brand communities (fan pages) on Facebook. 375 valid responses were collected and results revealed that COBE exerts a dual influence on intention to forward CGC. This study is a pioneering empirical research on the role of OBCE in customers' intention to forward online CGC within the fast-growing Islamic banking industry. This study contributes to fill this research gap by assessing the effect of COBE on OBCE and intention to forward online CGC within the context of the Islamic online banking sector in Palestine. In this sense, this study is a first-of-its-kind research on the role of experience on customer engagement with regard to online brand communities of Islamic banks.     

May the force drag your dynamic logo: The brand work-energy effect

We introduce force in dynamic brand logos as a cue to brand work and subsequent brand energy; constructs we develop and distinguish from brand engagement. We argue the phenomenon observed is due to a brand work-energy effect, whereby the depiction of a drag force (opposite direction to motion) in brand logos enhances consumer judgments of brand work, which results in greater perceived brand energy. Taking a Newtonian physics lens, we argue that the presence of a drag force within a dynamic brand logo positively affects an individual's judgment of the brand's work (effort and trying hard) and brand's energy (momentum, power, and drive) and, subsequently, their brand attitude, purchase intention, and actual behavior. Across four experiments we manipulate brand logo design through the absence of force without motion (static logo), the absence of force with motion (kinematic logo), and the presence of force with motion (i.e., gravitational, spring, air resistance, and tension force; dynamic logo). Results demonstrate that the presence of a drag force in brand logos increases brand attitude and behavior. We demonstrate that brand work and brand energy, rather than brand engagement, sequentially explain attitudinal and behavioral judgments derived from brand logo drag force through a brand work-energy effect and a brand energy halo effect. We also determine that a thrust force of air propulsion results in attenuation of our brand work-energy effect, with high magnitude of a drag force enhancing the effect.     

Modeling the brand extensions' influence on brand image

Brand-extension strategies enhance success chances of new products, even though they expose brand image to dilution risks. The present work analyzes how brand-extension evaluation can affect the current brand image and proposes a theoretical model formed by five main factors related to brand associations, extension congruency and extension attitude. The model estimation includes structural equation analysis using data from 699 surveys developed under market conditions. The results verify that extension attitude influences brand image, whereas initial brand associations and perceived fit between the new product and either the remaining products (category fit) or the brand image (image fit) are able to strengthen consumer attitude. The study also explains the role of consumer innovativeness as a moderating factor, suggesting that the characteristics of consumer personality could be more important than expected.