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.     

Who is the better player? Off-field battle on Facebook and Twitter

Social media networks have become essential to the modern business world, and are especially vital for sports firms and athletes. Social media networks are new channels for firms to connect with their audience and establish a social customer relationship. For sports firms, athletes play a special role, as they are the firms’ ambassadors and the focus of virtual communities of fans. For most athletes, social media is a powerful tool to take advantage of their time in the spotlight. However, social media has much more potential. This work analyzes the social media profile and content created by six well-known sports figures—Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant—to develop a model (STAR) for social media use. The adoption of this model can enhance fan engagement online and therefore increase athletes’ and firms’ brand value and connectivity with consumers.     

Are consumers inherently or situationally brand loyal?—A set intercorrelation account for conscious brand loyalty and nonconscious inertia

Why do some consumers stick with a certain brand(s), whereas others are prone to switch? This study proposes, and empirically examines, the hypothesis that the structure of the evoked set is the nonconscious memory representation of consumers' repeat purchase behavior. Two causes of repeat purchase are identified: Brand loyalty, which is inherent to consumers and is constant over time, and inertia, which fluctuates with marketing variables. A model selection procedure is performed to compare the relative efficiency of using multinomial and binary logit models to examine the theoretical accuracy of the hypotheses. Findings suggest a U‐shaped relation: Consumers who hold moderately intercorrelated evoked sets are intrinsically brand loyal, but are susceptible to the impact of marketing variables. They are intrinsically prone to switch, but less open to marketing variables, when their evoked sets are high or low in intercorrelation. The findings contribute to the understanding of both conscious and nonconscious aspects of repeat purchase patterns. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Real or relevant beauty? Body shape and endorser effects on brand attitude and body image

Endorsements play an important role in marketing communications. For international marketing communications, marketers must be cognizant of how the portrayal of body ideals and cultural background of endorsers can affect marketing communications. Two experimental studies showed that body image comparisons and the effectiveness of endorsers varies according to the type of body shapes portrayed and the body mass index (BMI) of the respondents. In the first experiment, the success or failure of endorsements was found to be influenced by their body shape and to some extent the cultural background with respect to the type of product or service promoted. In a second experiment where more realistic or medium‐thin and medium‐fat body shapes were used, source attractiveness was not influenced by body shape, while interest in the advertised brand increased for a thinner model. This may have occurred because body image comparisons were more obtainable for those in the second study, where more realistic body shapes were viewed in advertisements. Body mass index (BMI) was also found to influence the results, particularly if a poor body shape comparison triggers a poor body image. Counterfactually, this seems to occur with women with lower BMIs who view advertisements for fatter women. It appears that the use of body image and ethnic type of models should be carefully considered by marketers so that they are relevant for their target audience. The use of more obtainable and ethnically relevant models may provide more effective advertising copy and be more socially responsible. In order to create interest in advertised brands, marketers may not need to use ultra‐thin models. Marketers must also balance the promotional effectiveness of the use of body shapes that may too thin or more realistic with the social outcomes and consider carefully the BMI of their target market. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Are entrepreneurs made on campus? The impact of entrepreneurial universities and graduates’ human capital on graduates’ occupational choice

Many universities are becoming more entrepreneurial by supporting spin-off activities of students and staff, installing entrepreneurship programs and creating networks with local entrepreneurs. But how do these activities affect university graduates’ employment choices? By utilizing different data sources, this question is addressed in the present study. Information collected through a large-scale graduate survey, implemented by the International Centre for Higher Education Research-Kassel, is combined with a ranking system of entrepreneurial orientation among German universities and data on the workforce within the university region. Empirical analysis suggests that the likelihood of entering self-employment is significantly positively related to the entrepreneurial orientation of the university. On the individual level, work experience prior to studying increases the likelihood of graduates entering self-employment while no robust influence of human capital indicators is detected.     

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.     

Do social networking sites contribute for building brands? Evaluating the impact of users' participation on brand awareness and brand attitude

Social networking sites (SNSs) have attracted increasing attention from brands, which look at the platform as a privileged communication channel to reach their audiences. Despite their growing adoption, few research efforts have been devoted to evaluate SNSs' concrete implications for the brands. The current study addresses this opportunity, proposing a model that evaluates the impact of users' participation in SNSs on brand awareness and brand attitude, the two main pillars of brand knowledge. The study focuses on brand like pages in Facebook, the most used SNSs platform for brands. An online quantitative survey with brand like page users of leading brands in Facebook was implemented. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to estimate the measurement model and structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed research hypotheses. The results identify a significant, positive and direct impact of users' participation on brand awareness. Brand attitude also substantially benefits from users' participation, but this relationship is mediated by brand awareness. The findings help to validate SNSs' significant role on building brand knowledge and to position users' participation at the core of brands' SNSs objectives. Furthermore, the study provides a practical research framework, easily adapted for monitoring purposes and managerial guidance. Future research directions are discussed.     

Are we on the same page?: Justice agreement in international joint ventures

This study examines the organizational and personal level conditions under which boundary spanners in an international joint venture (IJV) tend to disagree with each other regarding procedural justice. Nested within the logic of boundary spanning and building on the integrated justice theory and joint venture theory, this study develops an overarching framework explaining organizational- and individual-level factors impacting the level of disagreement. Our analysis of 182 IJVs in a large emerging market suggests that such disagreement increases with objective gap, ownership asymmetry, and environmental uncertainty but decreases with mutual familiarity between cross-cultural partner firms. Disagreement is also reduced when boundary spanners have more experience in managing IJVs and a longer period working together.     

Low literacy,policy and consumer vulnerability: Are we really doing enough?

A perennial issue in transformative consumer research and public policy is the plight of low‐literate vulnerable consumers. Low‐literate consumers have been observed misinterpreting labels, misusing products and purchasing the wrong item, which leads to devastating outcomes as they continue to make poor decisions out of ignorance. Based on a thorough review of past studies on consumer literacy and vulnerability, we explore how stigma and attribution operate as underlying mechanisms for influencing how low‐literate consumers behave in the marketplace. This paper problematises blanket statements that all low‐literate consumers are vulnerable and addresses the possibility that universal policy actions may inadvertently create further marginalization for those it is meant to protect. Our paper contributes by introducing a new typology of low‐literate consumer vulnerability to challenge conventional understandings of who the vulnerable consumers are in relation to their literacy level and actual marketplace behaviour. From a policy standpoint, the insights gained from our review speak to the need for differentiating low‐literate consumers in terms of their status of vulnerability, which inform public policy initiatives and effective consumer education for their empowerment and protection.     

Psychological pricing: Myth or reality? The impact of nine-ending prices on purchasing attitudes and brand revenue

Price is the variable through which the value proposition of brands is monetize, therefore, it is the driver that guarantees the sustainability and profitability of companies. Among different psychological pricing tactics that exist, prices ending in nine are the most accepted and used by practitioners as a strategy to penetrate markets; but this strategy should be carefully revised and applied as it is context dependent and has differential effects among categories and types of brands. Drawing on the importance of psychological pricing, the extended use of nine-ending prices and the identified need of a better understanding, this study validates the impact of such prices on the purchasing attitudes of consumers and the differentiated effect on revenue, among various brands and product categories, finding that this tactic significantly affects consumers' purchasing attitudes and brands’ revenue levels, but to a different extent, depending on the product category, the brand positioning and preference.     

How should we divide the pie? Equity distribution and its impact on entrepreneurial teams

Drawing on a multiple case study approach and data on eight entrepreneurial teams observed over six months this article develops a dynamic model of the consequences of equity distribution among team members. Perceived justice of equity distribution emerged as a key variable influencing entrepreneurial team interactions and important entrepreneurial outcomes. High perceived justice triggered positive team interaction spirals, whereas low perceived justice triggered negative interaction spirals. Teams exposed to external threats drifted from a positive spiral to a negative spiral despite high perceived justice. We discuss the implications of our study for research on entrepreneurial imprints, justice, and exit.     

Social interaction via new social media: (How) can interactions on Twitter affect effectual thinking and behavior?

Social interaction plays a central role in effectuation processes, yet we know little about the implications for effectuation when an entrepreneur interacts via particular channels such as social media. To address this gap, our paper uses an inductive, theory-building methodology to develop propositions regarding how effectuation processes are impacted when entrepreneurs adopt Twitter. Twitter is a microblogging platform that can facilitate a marked increase in interaction. We posit that Twitter-based interaction can trigger effectual cognitions, but that high levels of interaction via this medium can lead to effectual churn. We also posit that there is one factor, perceived time affordability, that predicts the level of social interaction in which an entrepreneur engages via Twitter. Further, we propose two factors that moderate the consequences of social interaction through Twitter. These factors are community orientation and community norm adherence. Implications for our understanding of effectuation, of social interaction, and of the impact of social media on entrepreneurial firms are discussed.     

Can Pokémon GO catch brands? The fit effect of game characters and brands on efficacy of brand communications

Given the recent popularity of augmented reality (AR) games, such as Pokémon GO, this study explores the congruence effect of game characters and brands on brand evaluations and the underlying mechanisms of the effect. Prior gaming experience and motivations are taken into account. An experiment reveals that inexperienced gamers are likely to have more favorable evaluations of the target brands when the images of game characters match the brand images, whereas these effects disappear for experienced gamers. Furthermore, the research demonstrates that experienced gamers are more likely to hold game-specific motivations than the inexperienced, while inexperienced gamers are motivated more by social interaction for playing AR games. Lastly, a mediation analysis reveals that social interaction-related motivation mediates inexperienced gamers’ preference of character–brand congruence. This study sheds light upon how AR games can be utilized by brand communicators.     

How far can brands go to defend themselves? The extent of negative publicity impact on proactive consumer behaviors and brand equity

Negative publicity, defined as the public disclosure of a problematic incident associated with a brand, is a critical issue for fashion brands, as it vitiates the image of targeted brands and drives consumers’ voice and exit behaviors. Despite the impact of negative publicity, few studies have compared the impact of product‐related versus personnel‐related negative publicity, or explored the extent to which brands’ coping strategies can prevent consumers’ anti‐brand behavioral intentions and recover brand equity. This study used multivariate analyses of variance to analyze responses from 594 American consumers, which revealed that when negative publicity is about a product‐related issue, none of the brand's different recovery efforts are effective in decreasing consumers’ voice and exit intentions and protecting brand equity. However, for a personnel‐related issue, functional and informational recovery strategies were effective in decreasing consumer voice and exit intentions, and affective, functional, and informational recovery strategies positively impacted most domains of brand equity (brand judgement, brand feelings, and brand resonance). The following analysis of variance and post hoc analyses revealed the comparative effectiveness of specific recovery types. Discussions and implications of the findings are provided.     

Are we overconfident in executive overconfidence research? An examination of the convergent and content validity of extant unobtrusive measures

Building understanding of overconfident executives is central to a growing literature that spans a number of disciplines. Much of this research has utilized unobtrusive, or indirect, measures to assess executive overconfidence from secondary data sources. We analyze the convergent and content validity of seven extant unobtrusive measures of executive overconfidence. The results of our analyses indicate that these measures do not exhibit adequate convergence, suggesting that existing measures are not measuring the same construct. Further, we administer a sort task to academic colleagues to assess whether scholars believe that the seven measures are adequately assessing the intended construct. The results of our sort task indicate that scholars did not categorize any of the seven measures as sufficient for measuring overconfidence. We conclude with suggestions for future research to address the inadequate convergent and content validity found in our assessment of extant measures of executive overconfidence.     

Do sexy mouthwash ads leave a bad aftertaste? The interaction of sexual self-schema and brand positioning fit on female-targeted sexual advertising efficacy

We explore females’ reactions to a sexually themed advertising with regard to a key personality variable, sexual self-schema (SSS). In extant research, SSS has largely had a positive impact on females’ reactions to sexual advertisements. We further explore this dynamic by considering the role of female sexual self-schema (SSS) on attitudes and purchase intent for products with brand positions that differ with regard to fit with sexual themes. Informed by our study and extant literature, we also offer areas for further SSS-based advertising research, particularly in another unexplored area: the role of SSS in identification and resultant attitude formation in sexual, but less explicit, advertising.     

Will artificial intelligence replace human customer service? The impact of communication quality and privacy risks on adoption intention

In the digital environment, chatbots as customer service agents assist consumers in decision making. Based on the computers-are-social-actors paradigm, this study examines the perceived differences in communication quality and privacy risks between different service agents and their impact on consumers' adoption intention, and investigates whether these perceived differences might depend on differences in the user's human interaction need. A series of five scenario-based experiments were carried out to collect data and test hypotheses. It was discovered that: different types of service agents directly affect consumers' adoption intention; perceived communication quality and privacy risk mediate the effect of service agent type on adoption intention; the effects of service agent type on perceived accuracy, communicative competence, and privacy risk are moderated by the need for human interaction. The findings of this study provide important insights into the rational use of human−computer interacation in e-commerce.     

Facts-up-front: should food companies follow the FDA or industry label format? The effects of combining virtue and vice information on consumer evaluations

This research examines consumers’ processing of Facts-up-front food labels as implemented by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). Facts-up-front labels include both positive (virtues) and negative (vices) nutritional icons. The processing and relative efficacy of Facts-up-front labels are compared to the original FDA proposal of front-of-pack labels which only included vices. The results suggest heuristic processing of these labels, whereby consumers consider the nutritional icons on the front-of-pack labels similar to affective stimuli. The addition of virtues alongside vices on the label has a compensatory effect, i.e., the food item is evaluated as healthier when there are both virtues and vices on the label compared to when there are only vices. Such heuristic processing of Facts-up-front labels that allows nutritional virtues to compensate for nutritional vices has the potential for consumers evaluating harmful foods as relatively “healthy” thus compromising consumer well-being. These findings illustrate the importance of empirically testing changes to nutritional labels before large scale implementation. Since consumers process front-of-pack labels heuristically and not cognitively, it is not surprising that nutritional literacy does not moderate the effects of label design on healthiness evaluations. Furthermore, the order of the negative and positive information on Facts-up-front labels also has no effect.

     

How far have we come and where should we go after 30+ years of research on Africa's emerging financial markets? A systematic review and a bibliometric network analysis

In this study, we perform a systematic literature review and a bibliometric network analysis of studies on Africa's financial markets from 1992 to 2021. The findings are as follows. First, we observe a steady growth of financial markets research in Africa over the 30-year period under consideration, which is suggestive of increasing interest and commitment to research on financial markets in Africa. Additionally, we note a lack of collaboration between or among researchers of financial markets studies in Africa, which implies very little knowledge exchange, ideas sharing, and innovations. We identify seven major areas of research based on the thematic network and content analysis, which are as follows: (i) asset pricing, (ii) financial integration, (iii) contagion, herding and extreme global events, (iv) efficiency and predictability of stock returns, (v) market interdependencies-sources and channels, (vi) portfolio diversification and risk management strategies, and (vii) impact of economic and financial news. We offer several avenues for future research that can set the agenda for financial market research in Africa in the coming years.