The Congruence of Successful International Competitors:

This paper examines the marketing strategies and organization of a matched triad of American, British and Japanese companies competing in the UK market. The sample includes leading companies in industries identified as being under threat by the EC. The relative success of business was measured and strategies identified using multiple depth interviews with senior managers within the businesses. The strategies of successful companies were found to be similar and not dependent on their country of origin or industrial sector. The most successful companies had a balance of marketing, innovation, planning and entrepeneurial orientation. More of these successful firms were Japanese than American, and very few were British.     

Managing Trade Show Campaigns: Why Managerial Responsibilities Matter?

This article examined the relationship between managerial responsibilities for important trade show tasks and the marketing performance of exhibiting firms. Drawing theoretical insights from the functionalist perspective of managerial roles and organizational role theory, this article proposed and validated theory based, multiple, task-managerial responsibility linkages using a large international b2b trade show as a context. The empirical results indicated that the marketing performance of exhibiting firms was enhanced when (a) middle managers were assigned the trade show objective setting task, (b) lower and middle managers were involved in the trade show selection decision and (c) lower managers executed the booth management task. The paper concluded by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.     

The Impact of Coupons on Service Quality Evaluations,Risk, and Purchase Intentions

Abstract

To attract customers, restaurants will often use coupons. This research examined the impact of a promotional coupon on service quality expectations, perceived purchase risk and purchase intentions. It was found that the use of coupons does increase purchase intentions and reduce perceived purchase risk. However, coupons were found to negatively influence service quality expectations. Implications of these findings for restaurant managers are discussed.     

Ambient scent and consumer behavior: a field study in a florist's retail shop

Numerous studies have shown that ambient scents influence human behavior including customers' behavior in real retail environments. However, the effects of scents in a closed-in plant and flower shop have not yet been examined. This study proceeded to measure customer behavior in two different situations taking place in a French flower shop: when lavender aroma was diffused and when it was not. The results showed that lavender aroma increased both the number of customers who bought plants and/or flowers and the amount of purchasing.     

What will business-to-business marketers learn from neuro-marketing? Insights for business marketing practice

This research note offers expert comments on the boundaries and frontiers of neuro-marketing application for business-to-business (B-to-B) marketing. This is done using a practice-led approach to discuss the boundaries and frontiers of neuro-marketing application for B-to-B marketing. Insights are provided into what neuro-marketing is, is not, can do, cannot do, should do, and should not do in B-to-B settings. This note can assist B-to-B marketing academics, practitioners, and neuroscientists in understanding the boundaries and frontiers of B-to-B neuro-marketing application. This note outlines how neuroscience can be appropriately applied in theoretical and practical B-to-B marketing endeavors. This note offers a useful response to a series of common but often inadequately answered or unanswered questions on B-to-B neuro-marketing application.     

Business marketing in France: can the case be made for “French exceptionalism” or is it just a slight variation?

Purpose: The aim of this article is to elucidate the state of B-to-B marketing research in France by conducting a review of theoretical and empirical studies in this field that have been published over the last three decades.

Methodology/approach: Authors identified relevant literature sources, and proceeded with classifying the publications according to their main theme of study (as determined by reviewing the topic, the abstract, and/or keywords). To extract the main articles, authors explored multiple electronic databases, including Source Premier (EBSCO), Elsevier Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Cairn.info. This methodology has allowed comparisons both in time and in relation to similar works done in other countries. The analysis focuses on the main contributions of French literature in the B-to-B domain and establishes that progress has been made in understanding the issues of B-to-B marketing in France, as well as in the development of the theory in this field.

Findings: The review shows that B-to-B marketing research in France, although under-represented in relation to its B-to-C counterparts, is gradually emerging from the shadows and covers important topics that are increasingly diverse and varied. By identifying the main topics studied by French B-to-B marketing researchers, this work advances this academic discipline while also providing valuable information.

Originality/value: This study is the first attempt to conduct an in-depth examination of the state of B-to-B marketing research in France. Findings yielded by this literature review would be beneficial to both B-to-B marketing researchers and practitioners and promotes this research field.     

Combining self-explicated priors with conjoint data using Bayesian regression

A Bayesian regression procedure (RBAYES) is proposed for the optimal combination of self-explicated data (priors) and conjoint judgments. The procedure does not require the design matrix for the conjoint judgments to be of full rank. The Bayesian regression procedure is similar to weighted least square in that it uses an information ratio to weight the priors. We provide empirical comparisons for the proposed method against (1) a Stein-type estimator (SBAYES) using one data set and (2) OLS applied to the data from an adaptive conjoint analysis using a second data set. In the second application we also use an alternating least squares procedure by itself and in combination with Bayesian regression (RBAYES+) to accommodate scale incompatibility as well as heteroscedasticity. In both applications we obtain superior results for the Bayesian regression procedure.     

Cross-category effects of induced arousal and pleasure on the internet shopping experience

Online retailers are likely to try to influence consumers’ shopping behavior through atmospherics and service, just as physical stores do. The impact of online atmospherics can be measured by the degree of stimulation and pleasure that is provided by a website. It is suggested that the characteristics of products and websites that are encountered early in online browsing can significantly influence the level of arousal and pleasure that consumers experience, and thereby can influence their later shopping behavior. Two experiments show that if the initial experiences encountered in a simulated Internet shopping trip are higher in pleasure, then there is a positive impact on approach behaviors and subjects engage in more arousing activities (e.g., more exploration, more tendencies to examine novel products and stores, higher response to promotional incentives). Further, if higher stimulation or information load is provided by the initial Internet experience, then consumers subsequently tend to engage in less arousing activities.     

The effects of in-store themed events on consumer store choice decisions

Retailers are increasingly using in-store events to provide shoppers with unique experiences that will enhance shopping value and help differentiate their stores from competitors. However, relatively little is known about how consumers respond to experiential retail events in terms of their store choice decisions. The purpose of this research was to find out how in-store retail events affect consumers in terms of their store choice decisions. The paper presents findings from a discrete choice experiment that manipulated the presence of different types of in-store themed events in a do-it-yourself (DIY) category. Participants were 312 randomly recruited residents of Melbourne, Australia, who had recently shopped at a hardware store. The experiment was implemented as a mail-back survey. Using logit models the authors assess the effects of the in-store events along with those of various traditional store attributes, including store appearance, price image and distance, on consumer store choice decisions.     

A Cross-Validity Comparison of Conjoint Analysis and Choice Models at Different Levels of Aggregation

Several (ratings-based) conjoint analysis and experimental choice (choice-based conjoint) models are compared on their ability to predict both aggregate choice shares among the sample and individual choices in an availability validation task. While there was a weak relationship between validations at the individual and aggregate levels, several models stand out. In general, models capturing individual differences validated well at both the individual and aggregate level. The hierarchical Bayes choice and conjoint models validated particularly well.Among choice models, the hierarchical Bayes choice model had the highest aggregate and individual level-validations. It was followed by the hybrid and seven segment latent segment choice models. Overall, the highest validating ratings-based conjoint model was the hierarchical Bayes model. However, the seven segment latent segment conjoint model produced better aggregate choice share validations than any other conjoint model. These results indicate that validations can be improved either by using benefit segment models and/or merging different types of data to estimate more individualized models.In most cases, rescaling improved the ratings-based, but not the choice-based choice share validations. This suggests that one might adjust for differences between ratings and choice tasks before making choice share predictions.     

Purchasing for someone else in a b-to-b context: Joint effects of choice overload and accountability

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the (negative) influence of assortment size identified in the business-to-consumer (B-to-C) literature also exists in business-to-business (B-to-B) settings and whether it is contingent on buyers’ accountability for their choices. Furthermore, it is examined if and to what extent assortment presentation in the form of color-coding may reduce the negative effects on decision satisfaction caused by large assortments.

Methodology/approach: In addition to a qualitative study (i.e., Study 1) including 16 semi-structured expert interviews, we conducted two experiments with real industrial buyers to further examine the interaction effect of assortment size and accountability on decision satisfaction as well as the moderating effect of color-coding. Specifically, in Study 2, we used a 2 (assortment size: small versus large) X 2 (accountability: informal versus official) between-subjects design. A 2 × 2 ANOVA revealed an interactive effect of assortment size and accountability on decision satisfaction. Furthermore, we ran a moderated mediation analysis to test for the underlying process. Study 3 used a 2 (color-coding: yes versus no) X 2 (accountability: informal versus official) between-subjects design. A comparison of the means across the experimental cells provided support for a positive influence of color-coding when industrial buyers are informally (rather than officially) accountable.

Findings: Our experiments show that when B-to-B buyers are held officially accountable, they experience equal decision satisfaction when choosing from small and large assortments. However, when buyers are held informally accountable, they experience a higher decision satisfaction when choosing from small rather than large assortments. These effects are mediated by decision justifiability. Furthermore, we show that color-coding the assortment influences buyers’ decision satisfaction positively when they are held informally accountable and are asked to choose from a large assortment.

Research implications: Our research contributes by demonstrating that overchoice effects exist in B-to-B settings. In addition, our studies show that potential overchoice effects are contingent on the specific form of accountability that industrial buyers experience. In this respect, our findings make an important contribution to the literature on B-to-B decision making and the role of accountability in these decisions.

Practical implications: Our research also has practical implications for managers that have to make assortment decisions as an appealing and easy to understand assortment is an important means to compete in the market. Many companies offer large assortments that, at the same time, are efficient in fulfilling customer needs and therefore do not have the potential to be reduced through the elimination of certain product variants. Assortment presentation (for example through color-coding) can be the key to offering a high number of variants while making the assortment mentally convenient at the same time.

Originality/value/contribution: To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first research to provide a more fine-grained analysis of official and informal accountability in a B-to-B context and to examine the differences between these two forms of accountability in an experimental setting with real industrial buyers.     

Salespeople,Fairness, and Buyer Satisfaction: What about Emotions?

Purpose: Although most studies focus on rational decision-making in organizational buying, this research examines the satisfaction through the integration of fairness and emotion theories. It thus broadens knowledge about the formation of satisfaction in buyer–seller relationships, through an integration of justice and emotion theories.

Design/methodology/approach: A survey of 130 buyers was conducted. The test of the proposed model relied on structural equation modeling. To examine the mediating role of positive emotions, we followed the procedure proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986). That is, we compared the proposed framework against two competing models: a non-mediated model and a saturated model that featured all possible causal paths.

Findings: Results show that both distributive and procedural fairness have a positive impact on buyer’s satisfaction, following two different paths: a rational path with fairness acting directly on satisfaction; and an emotional path where emotions play a mediator role.

Research limitations/implications: Buyers evaluate satisfaction through an emotional lens. Business relationships are not completely rational, a consideration with importance for buying and customer relationship theory.

Practical implications: Sellers must pay attention to their customer policies from the perspective of their customers. In addition to guaranteeing a “fair” outcome, sellers must ensure that buyers are subject only to procedures that customers perceive to be fair. Indeed, since buyers in business relationships are not completely rational, business-to-business (B-to-B) experts should acknowledge the influence of emotions in their sales strategies.

Originality/value: The mediating impact of emotion in the fairness–satisfaction relationship has not been explored in buyer–seller settings previously. Deconstructing satisfaction with the decision process into its cognitive and affective elements, we examine the emotional dimension of B-to-B buying process.