Operating synergy and marketplace performance of dual-branded hotels

Dual-branded hotels have received great attention in the industry recently. Our study uniquely examines the dual branding effects in two dimensions of synergy (operation and marketplace) and the role of dual branding composition in creating synergy. Based on the property-level data, this study conducts a systematic analysis to verify these benefits using a fixed-effects model and a matched-sample analysis. There are three key findings. First, the benefit of dual branding mainly comes from operating synergy. Dual branding could lower revenue volatility for all dual-branded hotels and reduce operating costs for those paired with the same-class hotels. Second, dual branding on marketplace performance varies by property characteristics. Third, the anchoring effect is asymmetric. In a different-class dual-branded hotel pair, the higher-class hotel’s occupancy is anchored down but the lower-class hotel’s occupancy is not anchored up.     

Ethnographic Heritage as a Branding Strategy: A Case Study of Yogurt in Bulgaria and Japan

Abstract

This article explores the various ways in which ethnographic images are deployed in branding strategies by Bulgarian and Japanese companies to frame industrial food as cultural heritage. Examining the history and marketing strategies of yogurt in Japan, I demonstrate how international marketing and cooperation has influenced the definitions, meanings and values of yogurt. In Japan, companies turn to ethnographic images of Bulgaria to sell their products, emphasizing visions of rural life over Bulgarian yogurt-making technology. At the same time, the fact that Bulgarian yogurt has turned into a symbol of health and wellbeing in one of the world’s economic powers is a source of national pride for consumers in post-socialist Bulgaria. The branding strategies of yogurt show how companies transform foods into culturally meaningful products, thereby doing much more than making profitable commodities of them. In educating and offering consumers new lifestyles, they change established systems of consumption and influence people’s imaginations.     

Consumers' Trust in a Brand and the Link to Brand Loyalty

Brands are important in the consumer market. They are the interface between consumers and the company, and consumers may develop loyalty to brands. This study proposes that trust in a brand is important and is a key factor in the development of brand loyalty. Factors hypothesized to influence trust in a brand include a number of brand characteristics, company characteristics and consumer-brand characteristics. Respondents representing a broad spectrum of Singapore consumers were surveyed. The findings reveal that brand characteristics are relatively more important in their effects on a consumer's trust in a brand. The results also show that trust in a brand is positively related to brand loyalty. Marketers should, therefore, take careful consideration of brand factors in the development of trust in a brand.     

公司治理结构中会计目标的法律经济学解释——兼论我国会计法律制度的完善

公司治理涉及各种利益相关者责权利的划分和制衡。会计是连接权利和利益的纽带,会计信息质量在公司治理结构中扮演着重要的角色。公司治理中对各种利益相关者的约束与制衡机制需要以会计信息作保障。会计目标与公司治理目标具有内在的关联性,在我国公司目前所处的经济环境下,公司目标是影响公司治理结构的重要因素.会计法律制度的完善对我国公司治理具有重要的意义。     

Feeling trusted and taking-charge behaviour: An internal branding perspective based on self-categorization theory

Although the mechanism of internal branding is related to both organizational factors and employees’ personal factors, the existing research mainly focuses on organizational factors. Thus, the literature on the formation and function of internal branding from the employee perspective is scarce. In this multisource study, we applied self-categorization theory to test the relationships among employees’ feeling trusted, perceived insider status, self-efficacy and taking-charge behaviour within the framework of internal branding. Data from 169 employee-supervisor dyads from the hotel industry in Northwest China revealed that employees’ perception of feeling trusted is an important factor that causes them to internalize their hotel employer’s brand and categorize themselves as “insiders” who regard the hotel brand as part of themselves and present brand-aligned behaviour to achieve brand success. In addition, employee self-efficacy is an important boundary-level variable that facilitates the transformation of brand internalization to brand-aligned behaviour. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

国内期刊品牌营销研究述评

本文总结国内期刊在品牌营销方面的研究。依托CNKI数据库,选用2000-2014年间学者发表在国内期刊上关于期刊品牌营销的研究论文,系统整理期刊品牌营销的文献研究。学者们对期刊品牌营销研究主要集中在品牌的影响因素、品牌的塑造、品牌的延伸三个方面。目前的期刊品牌研究大都从营销者的角度出发,未来应多从作者和读者的角度出发进行研究。     

Exploring brand identity and entrepreneurship as drivers of small specialist retailer internationalisation: a German case study

While the comparatively sparse literature on small specialist retailing typically supports a proactive interpretation of the drivers of retail internationalisation, a more differentiated picture exists with regard to understanding the role of the brand construct in this process. The wider marketing literature recognises that brand identity, as well as brand image, can inform the process of internationalisation; yet, research focusing on small specialist retail internationalisation remains underdeveloped in this regard. Neither the notion of a multi-faceted brand concept nor its function as a strategic device in the internationalisation process has been analysed with sufficient depth. Furthermore, a better understanding of how and to what extent brand identity is interdependent upon the characteristics and activities of the entrepreneur is yet to emerge. This paper explores the construct of brand identity and its role within small specialist retail internationalisation, and the related influence of the entrepreneur on the internationalisation process. A case study approach is adopted, examining one German small specialist retailer. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with owner-managers and other senior management, an assessment of company documentation as well as participant observation, providing in-depth insights into distinctive internationalisation patterns. The study finds that a simple ‘either-or’ approach, in terms of characterising the retailer’s motivation to internationalisation as being either reactive or proactive, is inadequate in understanding this particular case. Whilst initial motivation was characterised as being reactive, the motivations underpinning further planned internationalisation are determined to be more proactive. More particularly, analysis reveals how brand identity is considered to play an important role in the internationalisation of the case study retailer, and highlights the numerous ways in which the characteristics and activities of the entrepreneurial owner-managers impact the firm’s internationalisation. This research contributes to retail and management research concerning SME internationalisation as well as to the retail branding literature.     

Development and Validation of Consumers' Need for Ingredient Authenticity (CNIA Scale)

ABSTRACT

Concepts from country-of-origin, the authenticity concept, and ingredient branding make up the essential literature for this scale development. This study intends to develop a scale specifically to measure consumers' motivation to seek for ingredient authenticity. While studies on authenticity have heavily looked into brands, this study aims to uncover consumers' motivations of ingredient authenticity of the raw materials and artisan skills of the products. Four studies were undertaken to develop and validate this scale. The research adopted the Churchill's (1979) method of scale development. The methods for scale development and its implications are also highlighted.     

What and how to communicate about a corporate brand with the consumers: An exploratory study

The present exploratory study investigates the differential impact of various relevant corporate brand associations on consumers' cognitive (product attitude and purchase intention) and affective responses (affective corporate commitment) in the three sectors, namely durables, services and fast moving consumer goods. The findings reveal that corporate brand associations can be categorised into two categories – universal associations, which are influential in all the sectors, and sector-specific associations, which have a differential effect on consumers in different sectors. Thus, this study reveals that corporate branding is important to consumers in all the sectors, but a single corporate brand story does not work in all the sectors. Further, corporate associations do not always have a positive effect on the consumers; under certain circumstances, these might either have no effect or have a negative effect on the consumers. Finally, there are two routes by which corporate brand associations can influence consumers – by affecting their cognitive responses or by influencing their affective responses towards the company. The recognition of the important corporate brand associations in the three sectors, and the routes (cognitive or affective) through which these associations influence consumer choices would enable marketers to develop more sophisticated corporate communication strategies.     

深圳旅游目的地营销系统（DMS）绩效评价及对策研究

作为信息时代的产物,旅游目的地营销系统（DM S）已经成为目的地营销的主要手段,其营销绩效直接影响着目的地的整体营销效果,因此,对其进行科学、准确的评价具有重要的现实意义。目前国内外相关研究极少,亟待开创性的探索。尝试建立了适合我国DM S发展现状的绩效评价指标体系,并运用综合评价和模糊数学的相关理论构建了多层次模糊综合评价模型,在此基础上,对深圳旅游目的地营销系统营销绩效进行了定量评价。研究结果表明,影响深圳DM S营销绩效的最直接因素是目的地旅游形象的美誉度,而最敏感因素是目的地旅游收入增长率和接待人次增长率。最后,以评价结果为依据,对深圳DM S的运营给出了系列针对性建议。