Package Graphic Design: Investigating the Variables that Moderate Consumer Response to Atypical Designs

Designers and marketing managers often agree that visual codes, in terms of product and package design, typify certain product categories. These “category‐based visual codes” refer to the formal and graphic characteristics most frequently seen in a given category, like specific shapes, colors, materials, typefaces, layouts, and illustrations. Given that the concept of “category‐based visual codes” seems to be connected with the concepts of “perceived typicality,” “cognitive categories,” “family resemblance,” and “design newness,” this research examines the impact of typicality/atypicality judgments regarding the visual appearance of a product on consumers' aesthetic appreciation and purchase intent. Several studies have sought to determine the relationships among design perceived typicality, aesthetic appreciation, and purchase intent. However, the literature indicates contradictory results. While some studies have shown a preference for the most typical design, others have demonstrated that consumers prefer moderately atypical design. This paper offers an explanation for this discrepancy by providing evidence that the relationships among design perceived typicality, aesthetic appreciation, and purchase intent are a case of moderated mediation. An empirical study using wine labels was conducted with 780 respondents. The results indicate that the relationships among perceived typicality, aesthetic appreciation, and purchase intent are linear and positive, although several individual variables have a moderating effect. Thus, it appears that certain consumer segments are more likely to appreciate atypical packages. Moreover, the level of perceived risk at the time of purchase also plays an essential role. Consumers are more apt to accept atypical packaging when the perceived risk is low. Several theoretical and managerial implications are drawn from these results.     

品牌忠诚驱动因素的区域差异分析

本文实证研究中国不同区域间消费者品牌忠诚驱动因素的差异。先根据社会经济发展水平将中国市场分为时尚之都、相对成熟区、新兴区和老少边穷区四个细分市场．然后研究不同区域间消费者品牌忠诚驱动因素的差异。研究结果显示，在现代性水平较高的区域．象征性和体验性价值对促成品牌忠诚起主要作用；而在现代性水平较低区域．功能性价值成为品牌忠诚的主要驱动因素。这一研究结论有助于深入理解中国这个新兴大市场的多样化消费行为．对企业制定差异化品牌策略具有重要参考价值。     

Bases of power in organizational buying decisions

Managers developing industrial marketing strategy need information about the internal relationships among the key participants in an organizational buying center. This is particularly important in identifying the expected informal or nontask determinants in an organization's decision to buy. In this study, selected bases of power that tend to shape interpersonal influence processes in organizational buying centers are assessed for three key buying center participants in a new task purchase situation. The findings reveal the relative importance of selected bases of power, and differences in these relative importances by organizational position. The implications of these findings for the development of industrial marketing strategy are discussed.     

Interactions between marketing and R&D departments in implementing different business strategies

This paper examines how interactions between marketing and research and development personnel vary across business units pursuing different strategies. Based on the Miles and Snow typology of strategy, several propositions concerning the extent of interdepartmental conflict, the structures used to manage and resolve such conflicts, and the perceived effectiveness of the interaction between marketing and R&D are developed. These propositions are empirically tested in a study of marketing personnel from three divisions of a large Fortune 500 company. The results of this preliminary test indicate that conflict between the two departments is greatest under a prospector business unit strategy. The degree of formalization and the use of different forms of conflict resolution mechanisms only partially conformed to the predictions of Miles and Snow, but were strongly linked to respondents' assessment of the effectiveness of relations between the two functional areas.     

Market orientation, interdepartmental integration, and product development performance

Various research studies have shown that a market orientation and interdepartmental integration can positively influence product development performance. Addressed in this article is whether market orientation and interdepartmental integration both equally influence product development performance, whether one of these constructs is more influential than the other, and whether such influence is dependent on the type of department being examined? Analyzing survey data from 156 marketing, manufacturing, and R&D managers, the tentative results suggest that a market orientation and interdepartmental integration correlate to improved product development and product management performance in varying degrees across these three manager sets. It appears that a positive relationship between market orientation and product development petformance is likely to be reflected by the marketing department, while marketing and manufacturing departments are likely to reflect a positive relationship between the general construct of market orientation and product management performance. Manufacturing managers also reflect a positive relationship between interdepartmental integration and product development and product management performance. Further analyses involving the elements of a market orientation and interdepartmental integration find that a customer orientation appears important to performance in the case of marketing managers, and that collaboration is important to performance in the case of manufacturing managers. R&D managers did not reflect any statistically significant relationships between market orientation, interdepartmental integration, their constructs, and performance. These results should not be taken as refuting the claim of an important relationship between market orientation and product development performance, however. The present results refine our understanding of market orientation to consider department‐specific effects, as well as temper the claims that implementing a market orientation will readily lead to improved product development performance across all departments in an organization. This may or may not be the case, depending on the focal department.     

Initial relationship development in new business ventures

This paper seeks to investigate some of the issues faced by an existing company when developing the initial customer relationships for a new venture. All companies face the challenge of new-relationship development in order to achieve growth and to replace relationships which have been lost or are in decline. But the challenge of developing the first customer relationships of a new venture is likely to be particularly acute because the new venture's marketing function and its offering to customers are likely to be undefined and undeveloped. This paper is based on a case study of initial customer relationship development in a new venture of an established business. The paper analyses the issues that the company faced in developing these initial relationships and the approaches to relationship development that it took. The case analysis leads to the conclusion that the development of initial relationships can be facilitated by an ‘open marketing function’ involving a number of functional areas both in the supplier and in the initial customers. The paper draws managerial implications from the case analysis for the task of marketing in this situation.     

Marketing to associations that specify or approve industrial products

This article introduces the concept of indirect marketing. It examines a situation where individuals, groups, and organizations other than the purchasing organization have a major say in the purchase decision. Implications for a marketing program to meet this situation are discussed.     

A comparison of manufacturers and financial services suppliers' and buyers' use of relationship management methods

Suppliers and customers work within a network in which they have a vast array of diverse relationships they have to manage [Easton, G. (1992). Industrial networks: A new view of reality. London: Routledge; Turnbull, P. W., & Moustakatos, T. Int. J. Bank Mark. 14 (1996) 26]. Past research in relationship portfolio analysis [Turnbull, P. W., & Cunningham, M. T. (Eds.). (1981). International marketing and purchasing: A survey among marketing and purchasing executives in five European countries. London: Macmillan Press; Fioca, R. Ind. Mark. Manage. 11 (1982) 53; Campbell, N. C. G. & Cunningham, M. T. Strateg. Manage. J. 4 (1983) 369; Reicheld, F. F. & Sasser W. E. Harv. Bus. Rev. (1990) 105; Krapfel, R. E., Salmond, D., & Spekman R. Eur. J. Mark. 25 (1991) 72] has sought to enable companies to allocate resources efficiently and effectively to different kinds of relationships. However, little research has been carried out to investigate how this concept can be applied across sectors, across functions, across manufacturing and financial services, and across suppliers and buyers. This research explores three methods of managing relationships: formal, documented systems, personal judgement, and meetings. The perceived usefulness of each method and combination of methods used varied across industrial sectors and functions. All three methods were used by the majority of financial suppliers and buyers and manufacturing buyers while manufacturing suppliers tended to use personal judgement and meetings. Overall, meetings were perceived as the most useful method for managing relationships. Formal, documented systems were generally perceived as the least useful method by all of the groups except the financial services buyers. Since relationship portfolio analysis is generally perceived as being less useful than personal judgement and meetings, researchers must reexamine the models put forward to improve their applicability and usefulness in industrial settings.     

Building customer relations over the Internet

While previous marketing activities were primarily focused on increasing market shares in terms of a mass marketing based on single transactions, the past few years saw a paradigmatic shift towards relationship marketing. This change in viewpoint is based on the finding that the establishment and maintenance of long-term relationships have a decisive influence on corporate success. In this study, the authors present a critical theoretical and empirical analysis of the contribution the Internet can make to successful relationship marketing. The study focuses on the influence that important characteristics of the World Wide Web (WWW), such as its interactive structure and constant availability of information, can have on key variables of relationship marketing, i.e., commitment, satisfaction and trust. For example, the authors provide empirical proof of potential withdrawal of trust on the part of the customers if their expectations with regard to these characteristics are not met.     

Buying in a matrix organization

A study of 32 purchase situations within a large research organization organized under a matrix form confirmed that members from both functional and project groups were participants in the buying center. Another finding was that the influence of buying center members across five stages of the purchase process remains the same. Significant differences in influence were found however, among the different functions with program representatives having a greater influence than project ones.     

How firms learn in NPD networks: The 4S model

This paper examines how firms learn in new product development (NPD) networks. While existing research in business and industrial marketing has significantly advanced our understanding of learning within single firms and in dyadic relationships, our knowledge of inter-firm learning across direct and indirect business relationships in NPD networks remains limited. We address this limitation by conducting multiple case study research to develop a more holistic understanding of learning in NPD networks that is captured in the proposed 4S model. Drawing on an integrated theoretical perspective and the empirical results of three case studies, we propose that firms engage in iterative cycles of syndicated, situated, selected and synergised modes of learning in NPD networks.     

Growth dynamics: the bidirectional relationship between interfirm collaboration and business sales in entrant and incumbent alliances

This paper demonstrates the existence of bidirectional relationships between interfirm collaboration and business sales. Controlling for factors that influence whether firms form collaborative relationships, the analysis shows that entry and post‐entry collaboration often contribute to superior performance, which in turn attracts more partners. However, the performance influences vary across types of collaborators and collaborations, with differences among entrant and incumbent partners, between marketing and R&D partnerships, by partner size, and across time. The empirical analysis examines businesses that operated in the U.S. hospital software systems industry between 1961 and 1991. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring the mass adoption of third-generation (3G) mobile phones in Taiwan

Given that no all new mobile telecommunications technology are accepted by the mass market, this study aims to understand the mass adoption of third-generation (3G) mobile phones that is hypothesized to comprise three consumer perceptions: new technology, new service, and new handset. Based on the theoretical framework of a consumer's decision making process, an empirical study of the mass adoption of 3G mobile phones in Taiwan was conducted. This study demonstrated that perceived utility of a new mobile service was a key factor that resulted in mass adoption. Further, it was found that perceived utility of a new handset directly stimulate consumers to purchase 3G mobile phones. Perceived risk and perceived expense are not negatively correlated with intentions as hypothesized. Moreover, perceived no need was another key factor that inhibited adoption and purchase intention.     

Income disparity and digital divide: The Internet Consumption Model and cross-country empirical research

The Internet Consumption Model was developed by integrating the theoretical constructs from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Consumption Theory. This model intended to extend the TAM by adding accessibility and affordability, two important factors that influence the Internet diffusion. It also intended to extend the Consumption Theory by adding the two psychological factors from the TAM—the perceived ease of use (PEU) and the perceived usefulness (PU) – as the determinants of preference. The theoretical extensions aimed at explaining the Internet consumption behavior by utilizing the vital constructs of the two major theories. Based on the Internet Consumption Model, the cross-country empirical research was conducted to examine the relationships between income, Gini index, and the pattern of the Internet diffusion curve. It showed that the developed countries had steeper Internet diffusion curves and shorter time lags than the developing countries. The GDP per capita had positive correlation with the slope of Internet diffusion curve, while Gini index had negative correlation. The divergence argument was strongly supported by the empirical analyses of this study, especially for the countries approaching the two extremes of the income spectrum.     

The changing importance of affective trust and cognitive trust across the relationship lifecycle: A study of business-to-business relationships

The purpose of this paper is to examine affective trust and cognitive trust and their effects on business relationship outcomes. Within a relationship marketing framework, the influence of affective trust and cognitive trust on the success of business relationships at the early and mature phases of the relationship lifecycle is examined. Both affective and cognitive forms of trust are demonstrated to be multidimensional constructs that indirectly influence relationship performance via the mediating variables commitment and liking.The development and use of five elements of trust to explain relationship performance extends existing understanding of relationship marketing. By combining five elements of trust (three cognitive and two affective) and testing them in two different relationship lifecycle phases, insights are generated into how a relationship can succeed. The model tested in this paper highlights the importance of affective trust in the early phase and cognitive trust in the mature phase of the relationship lifecycle. Further, the mediating roles of commitment and liking between trust and relationship performance are also developed. Hence, the research increases understanding of how relationships evolve, in particular the role of affective trust and cognitive trust in influencing relationship performance.The context of this research is business-to-business relationships in small and medium enterprises. A survey of 458 businesses people is used to evaluate both the early and mature relationship lifecycle phases. The data are analysed with structural equation modelling where the basic structural model testing is extended with multigroup analysis.     

Corporate reputation and customer behavioral intentions: The roles of trust, identification and commitment

How does corporate reputation influence customer behavioral intentions? This article proposes a model with customer trust, customer identification and customer commitment as the key intervening factors between corporate reputation and customer purchase intention and willingness to pay a price premium. We test the model by using data from 351 customers of three Chinese B2B service firms. Results indicate that corporate reputation has positive influence on both customer trust and customer identification. Customer commitment mediates the relationships between the two relational constructs (customer trust and customer identification) and behavioral intentions. Customer identification and customer commitment relate closely, but they are distinct constructs in the B2B setting.     

Purchasing's role in computer buying: A comparative study

The sale of Electronic Data Processing (EDP) equipment represents a large and growing market both in number of dollars and products. This article analyzes the purchaser's perceived role in the EDP acquisition process from both public and private sector perspectives. Major public and private sector purchasing differences are discussed in terms of their implications for improving EDP marketing success. Differences discussed include: purchaser influence in the EDP decision process, necessity of seller-buyer interface, method of purchase, and purchasing's organization structure for buying EDP equipment.     

The Roles of Marketing and Industrial Design in Discontinuous New Product Development*

Radical or “discontinuous” products based on new technological breakthroughs are playing an ever‐increasing role in the success of firms. However, little research has been conducted that investigates the roles of marketing and industrial design (ID) in the development of these types of products. Further, past research has tended to overlook the role that industrial design, and the impact of the marketing‐industrial design interaction, can have on the development of discontinuous new products. Frequently, the term design is used broadly or is equated with engineering; thus, while the marketing–research and development (R&D) interaction is studied, the marketing–ID as well as the industrial design–R&D relationships are not considered. This article examines the roles of marketing and industrial design in the product development process for discontinuous innovations. Specifically, questions concerning how and the degree to which marketing and industrial design are integrated into the development process are investigated. The investigation employs multiple methods, or triangulation, in order to secure an in‐depth understanding of the roles of these disciplines. In the course of examining these questions, key factors influencing industrial design and marketing involvement are identified and preliminary models are examined. The research, which was conducted in two phases, employed a mixed‐method, multiple sample design. The methods used included a survey, field observation study, and depth‐interviewing. Data were collected from three different samples: R&D managers, project team members (including personnel from various disciplines—marketing, R&D, industrial design, engineering, etc.), and industrial design managers. The use of the different data sources and sampling of various groups of managers was employed in order to provide a rich context for investigating the research questions of interest. In addition, a preliminary analysis of factors (e.g., degree of product discontinuity, product innovation objectives, process discontinuity, process formality) identified in the first phase was conducted, and these relationships were explored further in the second phase of the research. Findings across the two phases of this research suggest that the development of discontinuous new products involves a process that is different from more conventional new product development—particularly as it concerns the roles of marketing and industrial design. The high degree of discontinuity inherent in such projects, along with the strong R&D orientation often surrounding them, results in delayed involvement of marketing and ID, as well as altering their roles in the new product development (NPD) process. Factors such as the degree of product discontinuity (DPD), process discontinuity (PCD), and process formality (PF) seemed to exert a differential influence on the involvement of marketing and ID. Although their roles and involvement are altered in discontinuous new product development, this research suggests that marketing and ID roles in this context involve increased challenges with respect to validation of key assumptions and product application directions. Additionally, managers operating in this development context need to explicitly consider the influence of factors such as discontinuity level in undertaking NPD projects with respect to how it affects the execution of industrial design and marketing activities.     

企业社会责任行为与消费者响应——消费者个人特征和价格信号的调节

本文从捐助慈善事业、保护环境以及善待员工三个层次,对企业承担社会责任行为与我国消费者响应的关系进行了实证研究。数据分析结果表明,三个层次的企业社会责任行为对消费者购买意向和产品质量感知均有显著影响。本文发现,企业社会责任行为与消费者响应之间的复杂关系,既受到消费者个人特征(如消费者是否支持企业社会责任行为(CSR-support))的影响,也受到产品自身特征(如价格信号)的影响。另外,本文也发现消费者对不同层次的企业社会责任行为的响应存在差别。     

The determinants of relational governance and performance: How to manage business relationships?

It is the aim of this study to assess the influence of the determinants of the transaction, dyadic, and business environment level on relational governance and ultimately performance. We build an integrated framework for relationship management drawing from literature of transaction cost economics, marketing channels, and business networks. Dutch suppliers of potted plant and flower products (N=174) provided data for the empirical analysis. Our results show that joint planning, one of the constructs of relational governance, is positively influenced by interorganizational trust, information obtained from the network, physical transaction-specific investments (TSIs), and by fixed lines as the exchange mode. Joint problem solving, the other construct of the governance, is solely influenced by the two dimensions of trust. These two constructs of relational governance effect positively our performance measures. Managers should consider carefully each of the determinants of relational governance for the management of a relationship. As shown in our study, the success is dependent on some of the determinants of the three analytical levels of our integrated framework.