Customer Relationship Stage and the Use of Picture-Dominant versus Text-Dominant Advertising: A Field Study

This research reports the results of two field experiments designed to help determine what format of email advertising is most effective with customers at different lifecycle stages. The experiments examine customer response to picture-dominant versus text-dominant advertising. Although the relative effectiveness of picture- versus text-dominant advertising has received some attention in previous research, the issue of which type would be most effective at different points in the customer's relationship with the brand and for different metrics has not been explored. The two field experiments were executed by a major fashion retailer that sells clothing and accessories for special events. The first experiment was conducted with prospective customers and focused on advertising for the retailer's primary product, which typically occurs first in the purchase cycle. The second experiment was conducted with customers who had already purchased the primary product and focused on advertising for an accessory typically purchased later in the cycle. The investigation was conducted from a customer relationship management perspective, examining the financial impact of each type of advertisement at different stages in the customer's relationship with the brand. At the aggregate level we find only minor differences in the performance of the picture-dominant versus text-dominant advertisements. However, we find that the retailer can greatly improve revenue by customizing ad format based on observed customer traits.     

An Examination of the Relationship Between Employee Perception and Hotel Brand Equity

Brand management stresses the importance of satisfying the needs of external customers. Employee branding management shows an evolving trend as employees begin living the brand. It is, therefore, necessary that employees are convinced by the hotel brand prior to having confidence to “sell” the brand to customers. The present study aims to investigate employee perception toward hotel brand equity, particularly in the Hong Kong hotel industry. Factor analysis is used to identify four underlying factors—namely, employee commitment, employee engagement, employee identification, and service quality. The four constitute the perception of the employee on the evaluation of the brand. Correlation analysis is employed to examine relationship among the underlying factors and three dimensions of hotel brand equity—including brand image, brand awareness, and perceived quality. Moderate association is generally noted, and perceived quality has the most significant relationship with employee perception on brand equity. Managerial implications on employee branding management are introduced to hotel management. Topics for future research are also recommended.     

Impact of Restaurant Experience on Brand Image and Customer Loyalty: Moderating Role of Dining Motivation

This study seeks to determine which restaurant experiences influence the image of a restaurant's brand and formation of customers' loyalty. The research examines the connections among restaurant experiences, brand image, satisfaction, and loyalty in the context of full-service restaurants. This study also investigates the moderating effect of customers' dining motivations on the formation of brand image. The results of this study suggest that: (a) A restaurant's environment and food quality positively influences brand image and customers' satisfaction, (b) customers' perceptions of price fairness do not influence brand image but does affect customers' satisfaction, (c) development of customers' positive brand image does not drive satisfaction but does influence loyalty in full-service restaurants, and (d) customers' dining motivations moderate the relationship between restaurant experiences and perceptions of brand image. These results provide a basis for investigating which restaurant experiences are critical in eliciting development of a positive brand image and which have behavioral consequences. This study also offers mangers a perspective for developing marketing strategies to strengthen brand image in full-service restaurants.     

Wine Tourists’ Destination Region Brand Image Perception and Antecedents: Conceptualization of a Winescape Framework

This study conceptualizes the winescape framework using a wine region's image as perceived by wine tourists, in the process integrating grounded theory, namely servicescape, destination choice, and place-based marketing theories. Using an a priori approach, it identifies the winescape construct in a framework of eight dimensions within the wine tourism environment in a study with 996 respondents in a well-known Canadian wine region. The most important dimension of the winescape is the region's natural beauty/setting (landscape). Other high impact characteristics are the service staff and friendly local people, overall ambience and the diversity of wine estates. The dynamic of first-time and repeat visitation plays a key role in visitors’ wine tourism behavior and their perception of the winescape. The decision to engage in wine tourism is generally impulsive, even spurious, and the motivations guiding the visitors’ behavior predominantly hedonic in nature.     

品牌价值构成因素的实证研究

近年来品牌价值理论已成为学术界关注的热点问题,但是关于品牌价值内涵、构成因素等基本问题至今为止尚未得到解决。通过相关文献回顾与专家访谈相结合的方法,本文提出了品牌价值构成的六因素模型,包括功能价值、服务价值、情感价值、社会价值、成本价值和创新价值,开发出品牌价值测量量表,并利用SPSS15.0和AMOS7.0对品牌价值的构成因素进行检验,证实了品牌价值构成六因素模型的有效性。     

顾客参与影响品牌关系质量研究

随着顾客知识的增长及其对独特性需求体验的追求,顾客不仅要求有更大程度的自主性,更把参与过程的主导性体验视为服务体验质量的重要源泉。本文以美发业为研究情境,将顾客心理感知因素作为过程变量,构建顾客参与影响品牌关系质量的研究框架,结果表明顾客参与对顾客感知价值和顾客服务体验均有显著正向影响,而对顾客正面情感的影响则需通过服务体验实现;顾客感知价值、顾客服务体验和顾客正面情感之间均有密切正向关系;顾客感知价值、顾客正面情感均对品牌关系质量有显著正向影响,而服务体验则需通过顾客正面情感和感知价值对品牌关系质量产生作用。     

休闲旅游城市品牌营销评价体系研究

现代城市在进行品牌推广时,常常忽视了营销效果评价的作用。合理的营销效果评价,能够总结出以往营销过程中的不足,对未来营销活动的实践提供借鉴。休闲旅游城市具有其自身特点,在进行品牌营销评价时应当充分考虑这些特点,使营销活动更具有针对性和可行性。休闲旅游城市品牌营销评价体系从品牌建设、品牌传播、品牌管理三个系统层、九个领域、三十三个指标,从政府统计数据和游客感知数据两个角度对杭州城市品牌营销进行评价,并对评价结果进行分析,以期为杭州未来城市营销实践提供合理建议。     

依托“农超对接”实施农产品品牌化战略

"农超对接"为农产品的生产流通提供了一个良好的新模式,生产销售直接对接,直接对消费者负责,满足市场的需求。而在此基础上继续农产品品牌建设,不仅将"农超对接"的高度大大提升,而且品牌建设必将更为顺利和高效。这不仅符合消费者的需求,更是解决我国居民菜篮子问题的一条新途径,对于三农问题的解决、社会主义新农村的建设也同样具有重要意义。就"农超对接"下农产品品牌建设的相关背景、当下发展状况、实践经验和模式探索进行了研究,主要以山东省威海地区作为主要研究对象展开相关课题。     

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF MULTI‐CULTURAL VIEWS ON THE DISNEY‐MCDONALD'S ALLIANCE

This article examines the effects of co‐branding on the brand equity of partner brands and the resultant co‐brand (brand alliance), taking the Disney‐McDonald's alliance as a real life example. The issue is examined from the perspectives of different geographies and cultures by surveying Western, Asia‐Pacific, and Chinese consumers. Findings indicate that co‐branding is not always a win‐win strategy for all partners regardless of how powerful each brand is separately. Results also show that respondents' attitudes toward individual brands also affect their attitudes toward the co‐brand; however, these attitudes vary from one market to another.     

The Mediating Effect of Virtual Interactivity in Travel-Related Online Social Network Websites

ABSTRACT

This study develops and empirically tests a virtual interactivity (VI) framework in the context of travel-related online social network (OSN) websites. Data was collected from 236 respondents. The findings reveal that system quality, psychological benefits, brand awareness, and reward activities positively affect VI in OSN websites. In return, VI positively influences brand image, brand attachment, and brand evaluation. The results also indicate that brand image was positively related to both brand attachment and brand evaluation. This is one of the few studies in this area of research and results provide theoretical and practical implications in relation to building brand image, brand evaluation, and brand attachment for travel-related OSN websites.