The influence of C2C communications in online brand communities on customer purchase behavior

Increasingly, consumers use the internet as a vehicle for pre-purchase information gathering. While technical specifications and potentially biased selling points can be gleaned from corporate web sites, online brand communities are becoming essential conduits for the customer-to-customer (C2C) sharing of product information and experiences. This study develops and tests a model of online C2C communications in developing desirable online brand community outcomes. Two studies were used to test the model. In Study 1, a netnography technique was employed and conversations between brand community members were coded and combined with survey data to test the research model. In Study 2 an experiment was conducted to further test the sequence of events in our base model. Our findings show that online brand communities are effective tools for influencing sales, regardless of whether these communities reside on company-owned or independently-owned websites. In addition, we demonstrate interesting asymmetrical effects, whereby the positive information shared by community members has a stronger moderating influence on purchase behavior than negative information. Further, we find that online brand communities are effective customer retention tools for retaining both experienced and novice customers. These findings highlight the need for all firms to carefully consider their online community strategies.     

Exploring the impact of advertising and R&;D expenditures on corporate brand value and firm-level financial performance

A parsimonious framework linking advertising expenditures and research and development expenditures to brand value, and brand value in turn to firm-level financial performance, was proposed and empirically investigated under four data conditions: data form, brand type, financial performance metric, and lag structure. Using pooled data from 125 firms (848 firm-year observations) over the period 1991–2007, 108 path analyses were conducted to compute five path model output metrics. Data on these metrics were then compared for each of the data conditions by means of analysis of variance. Although significant relationships were generally observed among framework variables, study results differed considerably across three of the four data conditions. The principal take-away from the study is that the impact of marketing activities on firm-level financial performance is likely to be in large part a function of the specific research purpose and methodology employed. As such, the take-away has implications when interpreting value-relevance findings, when constructing theories involving market-based assets, and when designing studies to investigate relationships between marketing and financial performance.     

Consumer ethnocentrism offline and online: The mediating role of marketing efforts and personality traits in the United States, South Korea, and India

Consumer ethnocentrism is an important concept that is used to understand international marketing phenomena. In this article, the authors conduct two empirical studies. Using consumer data from the United States, South Korea, and India (three diverse cultural and economic environments), they explore six hypotheses. In Stage 1, the results suggest that across all three countries, consumer ethnocentrism provokes negative attitudes toward both foreign advertisements and foreign products. The authors identify a set of consumer variables (i.e., consumers’ global mind-set) that may mediate consumers’ unfavorable attitudes toward foreign advertisements and products derived by consumer ethnocentrism. In Stage 2, the authors find that consumer ethnocentrism dampens consumers’ online consumption activities on a foreign Web site. Finally, the authors find that marketers’ e-mail communications to foreign consumers mediate consumer ethnocentrism in online environments. Hyokjin Kwak (hkwak@drexel.edu) is an assistant professor of marketing at Drexel University. His research interests include advertising effects, consumer communications, and strategic marketing. He has publications in theJournal of Consumer Psychology, theJournal of Advertising Research, theJournal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, theJournal of Consumer Marketing, and other marketing journals. Anupam Jaju (ajaju@gmu.edu) is an assistant professor of marketing in the School of Management at George Mason University. His main research interests are in marketing strategy, marketing-technology interface, and international marketing. His work has been published in theJournal of International Management, Marketing Theory, andMarketing Education Review. Trina Larsen Andras (published as Trina Larsen, larsent@ drexel.edu) is a professor and the head of the Marketing Department at Drexel University. Her research has been published in many of the major professional journals in her field, includingHarvard Business Review, theColumbia Journal of World Business, International Marketing Review, Industrial Marketing Management, Management International Review, theJournal of Global Marketing, and theJournal of International Marketing, among others. Her research is focused on international marketing, specifically, cross-cultural behavioral and relationship issues in international marketing management.     

Trustmarks, objective-source ratings, and implied investments in advertising: Investigating online trust and the context-specific nature of internet signals

The purpose of this study is to provide a preliminary investigation of the effectiveness of Internet marketers’ various attempts to develop consumer trust through Web signals. The work is an exploration of the context-specific nature of trust in e-commerce. An online experiment compares three potential signals of trust in an Internet retail firm: (1) a third-party certification (i.e., a “trustmark”), (2) an objective-source rating (i.e., a review from Consumer Reports magazine), and (3) an implication of investment in advertising (i.e., a television advertisement to air during the Super Bowl). The trustmark had the greatest effect on perceived trustworthiness, influencing respondents’ beliefs about security and privacy, general beliefs about firm trustworthiness, and willingness to provide personal information. The relationship between Internet experience and trust was in the form of an inverted U. K. Damon Aiken (kaiken@mail.ewu.edu) is an assistant professor at Eastern Washington University at Cheney, Washington. He received his PhD from the University of Oregon. His primary teaching and research interests lie in Internet marketing, consumer attitude formation, and trust development. He has also published in the area of sport marketing, investigating fan attitudes and values. His research has appeared in theJournal of Advertising Research, theInternational Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, theBusiness Research Yearbook, andSport Marketing Quarterly, among others. David M. Boush (dmboush@lcbmail.uoregon.edu) is an associate professor of marketing in the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He received his PhD from the University of Minnesota. His research interests center on the relationship between consumer behavior and marketing management decisions, especially those involving advertising, branding, and the Internet. His research has appeared in publications such as theJournal of Marketing Research, theJournal of Consumer Research, theJournal of Business Research, theJournal of International Business Studies, Psychology and Marketing, Marketing Letters, and theJournal of Current Issues and Research in Marketing. He serves on the editorial board of theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science.     

Information content and consumer readership of print ads: A comparison of search and experience products

This study builds on past research involving the economics of advertising information (Nelson 1970, 1974) to examine the interplay between advertisers' provision and consumers' readership of information. The authors focus on the prepurchase verifiability of advertising claims in three product categories: search products, experience shopping products, and experience convenience products. They use a broader measure of the information content of advertising than in past research, together with Starch readership scores for a sample of ads from nine U.S. magazines. The results show that the relationship between information provision and readership is positive for search products, negative for convenience products, and nonsignificant for shopping products. Average information levels are significantly higher in ads for shopping products than for convenience and search products. These findings suggest that advertisers may be underinforming consumers when promoting search products. George R. Franke (gfranke@cba.ua.edu) is a professor and Reese Phifer Fellow of Marketing at the University of Alabama. His Ph.D. is from the University of North Carolina. His research interests include public policy, ethics, advertising, and research methodology. His previous research on the information content of advertising includes articles that received best-paper awards from theJournal of Advertising and theJournal of Public Policy & Marketing. Bruce A. Huhmann (bhuhmann@nmsu.edu) is an assistant professor of marketing at New Mexico State University. His Ph.D. is from the University of Alabama. His research interests include advertising, consumer behavior, and international marketing. His primary stream of research focuses on verbal and visual appeals in advertising. He has also coauthored a study on sources of information used in consumer decision making. He has published articles in theJournal of Consumer Research, theJournal of Advertising, theJournal of Health Care Marketing, theAsia Pacific Journal of Management, and in other journals and conference proceedings. David L. Mothersbaugh (dmothers@cba.ua.edu) is an associate professor and Board of Visitors Research Fellow in marketing at the University of Alabama. His Ph.D. is from the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests include advertising, rhetorical language, consumer knowledge, search and decision making, e-commerce, and services marketing. He has publications in journals such as theJournal of Consumer Research, theJournal of Retailing, theJournal of Business Research, and theJournal of Consumer Affairs, as well as in various conference proceedings.     

Effects of accountability on symbolic information search and information analysis by organizational buyers

Most studies of the organizational buying process assume that buyers acquire and use information “prosocially”—to make better decisions and promote their company’s welfare. The authors propose, however, that demands to account for their behavior causes organizational buyers to also gather and use information for political purposes—to protect their own self-interest. The authors present the results of an empirical study that investigates the extent to which four types of accountability—informal, official, process, and decision accountability—result in political (or symbolic) information search and prosocial information analysis by organizational buyers. Study findings suggest that buyers accountable to superiors and those accountable to subordinates or peers engage in more symbolic information search. Buyers accountable for their decision-making process analyze information more extensively. Surprisingly, buyers accountable for decision outcomes neither search for symbolic information nor analyze information more extensively. She received her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests include industrial buying behavior, business-to-business relationships, and international marketing. She has published articles in theJournal of International Marketing and theJournal of Macromarketing, as well as various conference proceedings. He received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University. His research interests are in the marketing strategy and public policy areas. His work has been published inJournal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of Advertising Research, and several other journals.     

The effects of price on brand extension evaluations: The moderating role of extension similarity

This research explores the effects of price information on brand extension evaluations across different levels of similarity. Brand extension similarity is proposed as a moderator of the effects of price on brand extension perceived quality, perceived value, and purchase intentions. Specifically, price is hypothesized to have a larger positive impact on perceived quality evaluations of dissimilar extensions, but a larger negative impact on perceived value and purchase intentions for similar extensions. Results indicate that a high-price introductory strategy used to suggest a high-quality product will likely be more effective for dissimilar extensions than similar extensions. The results of this research suggest a number of implications for new product pricing. Directions for subsequent research are offered as well. Valerie A. Taylor is an assistant professor of marketing in the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She received her Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include product branding strategies, and consumer perception and use of quality cues and signals, and health communication issues. Her research has been published inAdvances in Consumer Research andAmerican Marketing Association Educator's Proceedings. Her teaching interests include marketing communications, marketing strategy, consumer behavior, and marketing research. She has also held positions in the telecommunications industry. William O. Bearden is the Bank of America Chaired Professor of Marketing in the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. He is on the editorial review boards of theJournal of Marketing Research, theJournal of Consumer Research (JCR), theJournal of Marketing, theJournal of Retailing, and theMarketing Education Review and is currently serving as an associate editor forJCR. He has published frequently in theJournal of Marketing Research andJCR, and has a number of publications in other marketing and consumer research journals. His teaching and research interests include consumer behavior, marketing research, and the evaluation of marketing promotions.     

Capital market impact of product marketing strategy: Evidence from the relationship between advertising expenses and cost of capital

To analyze the prospect of a firm’s advertising decision affecting shareholder wealth, this article investigates the relationship between a firm’s advertising expenditure and the market-imposed weighted average cost of capital. For a sample of U.S. firms, the results show that advertising expenditure is negatively related to the cost of equity and positively related to debt utilization, resulting in a lower weighted average cost of capital. A higher debt level, however, associates with a lower level of financial strength. In addition, and plausibly by lowering the cost of capital through product market advertising, firms with higher advertising expenditure experience higher performance in terms of market value added. Manohar Singh (msingh@willamette.edu) is an associate professor of finance at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. He holds a Ph.D. in finance from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. His published research includes publications in theJournal of Banking and Finance, Financial Review, theJournal of Multinational Financial Management, and thePacific Basin Finance Journal, among others. His research interests include corporate governance and corporate finance and strategy. Sheri Faircloth (fairclos@unr.nevada.edu) is an associate professor of finance at the University of Nevada at Reno. She holds a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research interests include corporate finance, investments, and real estate finance. She has published in finance journals such as theJournal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, theJournal of Real Estate Literature, Review of the Academy of Finance, theJournal of the Academy of Finance, andApplied Economics. Ali Nejadmalayeri (aliala@unr.edu) is an assistant professor of finance at the University of Nevada at Reno. He holds an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Arizona. He has published in finance journals such as theJournal of Business, theJournal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, and theJournal of Multinational Financial Management. He was awarded the College of Business Researcher of the Year Award for 2004.     

The effects of exposure-order and market entry-information on brand preference: a dual process model

A dual process model is proposed that identifies the conditions under which two separate and additive effects on brand preference may obtain. The first is an exposure-order effect that can influence attribute-based processing. The second is the effect of market entry-information that can result in theory-driven processing. The model was tested and supported across two experiments, which demonstrate that the effects of market entry-information and exposure-order on brand preference depend on attribute-type and the time between attribute encoding and preference construction. In contrast to previous research, conditions are identified where market entry-information has no effect on preference and where the second-encountered brand is preferred to the first.     

Brand related information as context: the impact of brand name characteristics on memory and choice

Consumer exposure to new brand names can occur in contexts with or without brand information being present. Whereas previous research has examined the effects of brand name characteristics (association set size and word frequency) on memory in the presence of brand information, this paper also assesses brand name effects in contexts without brand related information and extends it to brand consideration and choice. Two different processes are found to be operating as consumers retrieve brands and make a choice. Recall seems to benefit from a distinctiveness based route, which also guides consideration and choice. In contrast, implicit memory is influenced by familiarity, with corresponding consideration and choice effects. The implications are that firms’ choice of brand names and media needs to consider the combination of brand name characteristics that will lead to desired outcomes vis-à-vis distinctiveness or familiarity based processes.     

Transference and congruence effects on purchase intentions in online stores of multi-channel retailers: initial evidence from the U.S. and South Korea

Drawing from research on retailing, online shopping behavior, and theories of cognitive psychology, we develop and test a framework that investigates purchase intentions in online stores of multi-channel retailers. The framework simultaneously examines the influence of transference of attitude and trust from the multi-channel retailer??s physical to online stores, image congruence between the multi-channel retailer??s physical and online stores, and image congruence between the multi-channel retailer??s online store and a prototypical online store. Further, recognizing that several retailers now operate as multi-channel retailers in different countries, we examine the influence of cultural differences in thought processes (i.e., holistic versus analytic thinking) on shoppers?? evaluation of online stores of multi-channel retailers. Toward this end, we test the framework using data collected from respondents in the U.S. (analytic thinkers) and South Korea (holistic thinkers). We conclude with a discussion of the findings, suggestions for future research, and potential limitations.     

区域品牌虚拟经营探讨--"安溪铁观音"茶叶品牌虚拟经营设计为例

虚拟经营是一种新的经营模式,区域品牌虚拟经营模式首先需要对区域品牌主体进行确认,然后在区域内部整合资源,进一步建立基于该品牌虚拟经营的虚拟生产网络、虚拟销售网络和虚拟行政部门,从而形成一个完善的品牌虚拟网络.提出了基于区域品牌虚拟经营模式的福建“安溪铁观音”茶叶品牌虚拟经营设计思想.     

中国财政农业支出对农民消费的影响:1978-2013

文章运用回归模型和VAR模型,以财政农业支出与农民人均消费作为变量,对两者之间的关系做了深入的理论分析和实证研究。结果显示,1978-1997年间的财政农业支出系数为0.93,而1998-2013年间的财政农业支出系数为0.44,表明农民消费和财政农业支出之间具有明显的相关性,且1997年之后的财政农业支出对农民消费的带动作用不如改革开放之初;财政农业支出的冲击短期内对农民消费会造成波动性。因此,财政支农政策要注重长期规划,以稳定农民的消费预期,最终扩大农村消费。     

财务视角下企业社会责任对企业价值影响研究

随着经济和社会的发展,企业社会责任问题日益受到重视,企业承担社会责任已成为企业持续发展的内在动力。企业在承担社会责任时不仅不会增加企业的经营成本,从长远来看会增加企业的价值。本文首先从理论上分析了企业将社会责任纳入战略规划,将有利于企业价值的提升;接着对该理论进行了实证分析,并构造了模型,进一步探讨了企业履行社会责任提升企业价值的条件。     

基于顾客参与的用户网络涉入程度对顾客忠诚的影响研究

本文在已有研究形成的基于顾客参与和关系质量的网络顾客忠诚形成机制模型基础之上,研究网络涉入程度这一消费者个人特征变量的影响。通过对网络消费者进行聚类分析,采用估计并比较变量间路径系数的方法,得出网络涉入程度不同的顾客,其参与行为都显著影响着关系质量和忠诚行为,但各路径回归系数却有显著差异,说明高网络涉入顾客组参与行为对忠诚的预测能力高于低网络涉入组。     

红豆杉多糖对荷瘤小鼠免疫功能的影响

通过小鼠T淋巴细胞转化及B淋巴细胞转化测定;巨噬细胞吞噬功能测定;T 细胞亚群CD3 、CD4 、CD8 和NK细胞活性测定等方法,评价红豆杉多糖对小鼠免疫功能的影响.结果显示红豆杉多糖可以提高荷瘤小鼠的免疫细胞功能;能够明显提高CTX所减低的小鼠T、B淋巴细胞转化功能和巨噬细胞吞噬作用,表明对免疫功能有较好的促进作用.     

行业竞争性视角下股权集中度对公司绩效的影响

以竞争性具有显著差异的电力、煤气及水的生产和供应业、制造业和批发零售贸易业三大类行业419家上市公司的数据为样本,在经过适当的筛选和删除后,以股权分置改革为背景,以行业竞争性为视角,研究股权集中度对公司绩效的影响。研究结果表明,股权集中度对公刮绩效的影响随着行业竞争性不同而变化,企业应根据行业竞争性和公司所处的内外部经营环境来构建合适的股权集中度。     

国际贸易中贸易标准对贸易利益的影响

国际贸易中各种贸易标准对贸易利益的影响是双方面的，既有有利的一面，也有不利的一面。积极参与国际标准的制定、主动采用国际标准，是确保贸易利益、抵制贸易保护的有效措施。对此我国的出口企业必须有清醒的认识并给予足够的重视。     

经济学、历史学、社会学对经济史产生和发展的影响：一种历史角度的考察

本文主要从历史角度梳理经济学、历史学和社会学对经济史产生和发展的影响.经济学早期研究中的历史方法、历史学研究视域从政治、外交转向到社会经济以及在研究过程中对社会学思想、观点和方法的吸收是促使经济史产生和发展的多种力量.