Elaboration of marketing communication through visual media: An empirical analysis

Visual media plays a significant role in the marketing and promotion of several international tourism services in today's connected marketplace, in particular here, international tertiary education. This study was developed to examine how visual media influence potential audiences' perception towards a specific educational tourism destination through the theoretical framework of Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty and Cacioppo, 1986). Researchers compare central and peripheral routes of individual persuasion via visual media and this aids marketers' understanding of how visual media impact consumers' purchase decisions. This study confirms a positive relationship between argument quality, audience engagement, source credibility, audience involvement and international students as tourists' perceived destination image. The findings suggest that peripheral routes of persuasion have stronger effects on individual adoption of information than central routes of persuasion. The study provides useful insight for tertiary education agents who promote international studies, destination marketers, and other users of visual media communicators.     

How do destination social responsibility strategies affect tourists’ intention to visit? An attribution theory perspective

Destination social responsibility (DSR) initiatives have recently received increasing attention as an effective way for destinations to maintain sustainable tourism development and competitive advantages. Through the lens of attribution theory, this study divided DSR strategies into proactive and reactive approaches and explored their influences on tourists' attribution and intention to visit a destination. This study also investigated the moderating role of information sources on the relationship between DSR strategies and tourists' attribution. The results of two experiments indicated that tourists' altruism attribution and visit intention tended to be higher when a destination applied the proactive (vs. reactive) DSR strategy. Tourists who got a reactive DSR message from an internal (vs. external) information source tended to generate stronger visit intention. The findings provide important implications for destinations to adopt appropriate DSR strategies and information channels for inducing tourists’ visit intention.     

Empirical study of destination loyalty and its antecedent: the perspective of place attachment

Due to the increasing competition in the leisure and tourism market, loyalty-related studies and researches have been gaining attention. This empirical research explores the formation of destination loyalty from the interaction of visitors with hot-spring resorts (place attachment) and examines the relationship between such a loyalty and its antecedents. Based on an attitude framework, this study conceptualizes place dependence, place identity, and behavioural intention as the tripartite framework of destination loyalty. Using the covariance structure analysis, empirical results indicated that the service quality–satisfaction–loyalty model is supported and tourist satisfaction completely mediates the effect of service quality on place dependence, place identity, and behavioural intention.     

Joint service,pricing and advertising strategies with tourists’ green tourism experience in a tourism supply chain

We consider the supply chain in the tourism industry, in which tourists are susceptible to the tourists' green tourism experience when they make purchase decisions for a green tourism product. Our research considers a green tourism supply chain (GTSC) consisting of one scenic spot (SS) and one travel agency (TA), and studies the joint green tourism service, pricing and advertising problem of the SS and the TA. We establish Stackelberg differential game models between the SS and the TA in the centralized, decentralized and revenue-sharing scenarios, and apply Pontryagin's maximum principle to obtain the dynamic equilibrium solutions of the GTSC members. Based on the three different scenarios, we analyze influences of the tourists' green tourism experience concern level, the wholesale ticket price and the sharing ratio on the optimal decisions and performances of the GTSC. This paper is the first quantitative research to study the green tourism service effort, pricing and advertising strategies of the GTSC members and design GTSC improvement contract with considering the green tourism experience. Our results provide management insights for the SS and the TA to manage GTSC under the green tourism preferences and the green tourism experience of tourists.     

The influence of customer loyalty on small island economies: an empirical and exploratory study

There is growing consensus that companies' long-term success is reliant on building and sustaining strong customer relationships. This study explores the antecedents of loyalty in business to business (B2Bs) using Guernsey's telecommunication industry as a case study. It examines how these influence customer loyalty orientation and factors that help service providers improve loyalty rates. Extant literature pays little attention to the antecedents of loyalty in small island economies. Prior research focuses on cultural, environmental and macro-economic issues. Drawing on Dick and Basu's (Customer loyalty: Toward an integrated conceptual framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 22(Spring), 99–113, 1994) loyalty model, this research explores loyalty antecedents that are cognisant of distinct market conditions that can impact customer loyalty within the telecommunications sector of a small island economy. It seeks to advance understanding of loyalty in B2B relationships in this context and identify factors that contribute towards converting passively loyal customers to being actively loyal customers.     

Does live performance play a critical role in building destination brand equity — A mixed-method study of “Impression Dahongpao"

A tourism live performance is a critical carrier of localism. It condenses local symbols and creates a significant approach to building a destination brand. However, to date, few studies have investigated this significant topic. To address the unresolved problem of the function and mechanism of the effect of a live performance on destination brand equity, this study employed a quantitative-dominant, concurrent nested mixed-method approach using 507 questionnaires (Study 1) and 14 semistructured interviews (Study 2). Based on symbolic interaction theory, the results confirmed that tourism live performance enhanced the destination brand equity, and the key link is for tourists to achieve a flow experience. Further, creative performance, visual appeal, cultural contact and authenticity created tourists' flow experience. The original findings of this study provide potential contributions to the development of destination brand equity.     

Individualism and the ‘new tourism’: a perspective on emulation,personal control and choice

Changes can be identified in patterns of Western tourism over recent decades. The changes are linked with the theorized cultural shift from modern to postmodern. The discourse of change points to a shift in emphasis from the designated resort environment to a proliferation of individuated experiences. Analysts are apt to link these changes to a growth in individualism and individualistic expression. This study argues that the new tourists' real needs are to discover a new form of the collective. The argument is constructed drawing on the work of Veblen and Bourdieu. The final diagnosis draws on the work of Foucault.     

Unlocking the transformative potential of customer data in retailing

Retailers collect, process, and use large amounts of data about customers: what they buy, how they buy, when they buy – and when customer loyalty cards are used – who buys the product or service. The use of customer data within the customer relationship management (CRM) framework has largely remained one sided. The potential of customer data for the benefit of the customer’s well-being still needs to be addressed. Reverse use of customer data, i.e. the process of firms converting customer data into information that is meaningful for the customers, extends attention toward using customer data for the benefit of the customer. In addition, selling goods to customers retailers can revise customer data into relevant and meaningful information that can support their well-being. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to identify and illustrate the transformative potential of the reverse use of customer data in retailing. This is achieved by reviewing literature on CRM, S-D logic, and transformative consumer research, and conducting a case study of a food retailer using point-of-sale data to provide customers with information about the healthfulness of their food purchases. Anonymous customer feedback data is collected and analyzed, and as a result, the transformative potential of customer data is reflected through five themes: self-monitoring, enhanced diet, food literacy, peace of mind, and beyond food healthfulness. These themes illustrate customers’ well-being outcomes resulting from reverse use of customer data.     

Consumer transformation through volunteer service experiences

A growing number of consumers are seeking to make a difference through experiences involving interaction and collaboration with organizations that offer charitable service opportunities. These experiences are noteworthy in not only their catalyzing influence on the organization and the beneficiary customer, but also the personal transformation in the volunteer. The authors introduce a phenomenon called transformative charity experiences (TCEs), a triadic framework highlighting an avenue of personal consumer well-being through the transformative effect of service interactions with key stakeholders. Building upon conceptual models proposed in Transformative Services Research and insights from their own embedded charity experiences, the authors introduce how service co-creation from three entities (charity, volunteer, and community) can lead to a transformative effect for the volunteer. An exploratory field study in an international setting provides insights into how the proposed framework accounts for TCEs. Implications and future directions for charitable services research are presented.     

Engaging and retaining customers with AI and employee service

Artificial intelligence (AI) permeates in service organisations as a tool to enhance operational efficiency and improve customer experience. Reports show that most consumers prefer human interactions with service employees. Drawing on this observation, the current study examines how customers' service experiences with employees and AI influence customer engagement and loyalty. Customers’ emotional intelligence is proposed as a moderator between service experience and customer engagement. The study was conducted with hotel customers in Australia. The results show that whilst both service experience with employees and AI are significantly related to customer engagement and loyalty, only certain dimensions make significant unique variances in the outcome variables. The findings indicate that customers prefer employee service. These service experiences also have significant partial mediation effects on customer loyalty. Emotional intelligence has a significant moderation effect on customer engagement. Discussion of these findings and implications derived from this study concludes this paper.     

Effects of confidence and social benefits on consumers’ extra-role and in-role behaviors: A social identity and social exchange perspective

This study explores the effects of relational benefits on consumers' extra-role (civic virtue) and in-role (consumer loyalty) behaviors from social identity and social exchange perspectives, in addition to the mediating role of consumer–company identification (CCI) and perceived value. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 254 consumers. The findings reveal that relational benefits promote consumers’ extra-role and in-role behaviors. Specifically, confidence and social benefits, directly and indirectly, affect civic virtue and consumer loyalty. Supporting our integrative framework, the results demonstrate that CCI mediates the effect of confidence and social benefits on civic virtue and consumer loyalty, whereas perceived value only mediates the relationship between confidence and social benefits and consumer loyalty. This study presents important implications for academicians and practitioners.     

Customer pre-participatory social media drivers and their influence on attitudinal loyalty within the retail banking industry: A multi-group analysis utilizing social exchange theory

Social media pervades everyday life and firms need to understand what consumer traits antedate participation over these channels. Utilizing social exchange theory (SET), this study seeks to determine what factors precede SET's cost-benefit analysis of social media participation along with these factors' influence on attitudinal loyalty. Important antecedents to this cost-benefit analysis for social media participation are online interaction propensity (OIP), participation attitude and trust. Further, demographic (age, gender, income) and social media page factors (perceived page size and page visit frequency) are identified as potential precursors to customers' cost-benefit analysis towards social media participation. A sample of 482 U.S. banking customers was collected via an online survey. The results found that OIP and trust had direct statistically significant effects on attitudinal loyalty and participation attitude's effect was fully mediated by trust. Age, gender and page visit frequency facets exhibited no differences between groups whilst income (with higher income groups displaying higher levels of loyalty) and page size groups (smaller page sizes demonstrated greater loyalty) demonstrated differing effects on attitudinal loyalty. The study contributes to knowledge and practice by extending particular pre-SET traits in social media to a U.S. retail banking context. The study also furthers academic and managerial capabilities for segmentation analysis' and explicating connections between pre-participatory influences and attitudinal loyalty.     

Holiday Destination Image and Personality of a Greek Island During an Economic Recession Period and the Intermediate Effect of the Utilitarian and Non-Utilitarian Needs

The research aim of this article is to investigate the relationship among tourists' utilitarian needs, non-utilitarian needs, destination image, and personality of Mykonos Island. The research objectives of this article are twofold: (i) to investigate Mykonos tourists' utilitarian and non-utilitarian needs; and (ii) to examine the degree to which the destination image and personality of Mykonos affect visitors' behavior and to determine whether this influence can be strengthened. Data are collected on the basis of a structured questionnaire. The research results show that destination image and personality have a direct and positive effect on each other and on tourists' utilitarian and non-utilitarian needs. There is no study until now that investigates the notions of utilitarian and non-utilitarian needs of tourists, in terms of destination image and personality of a holiday destination, during the current economic crisis.     

Do SARS-CoV-2 safety measures affect visitors experience of traditional gastronomy,destination image and loyalty to a World Heritage City?

Sars-Cov-2 paralyzed tourism, which only began to recover after the vaccine roll-out. This study investigates loyalty to a city based on the perception of COVID safety measures in traditional restaurants. To test eight hypotheses, the PLS-SEM method was applied to a sample of 154 tourists who visited Córdoba (Spain) for the traditional cuisine. Results show that visitors' perception of restaurants’ COVID safety measures affects their satisfaction with the restaurant and local cuisine, their general image of this World Heritage city, and their loyalty to it. Thus, appropriate coronavirus risk management can help ensure that visitors recommend and revisit the city.     

Understanding Customer Engagement and Loyalty: A Case of Mobile Devices for Shopping

This study aims at developing and validating a measurement model for customer engagement with specific focus on mobile devices for shopping. Further, role of customer engagement in building customer loyalty is explored. The research in this investigation used three studies for developing customer engagement scale and validating the proposed model. The study involved data collection from experts and users through varied methods including in-depth interviews, and surveys. Further structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings of this study include development and validation of customer engagement as second order construct arising out of six different customer experiences - social-facilitation, self-connect, intrinsic enjoyment, time-filler, utilitarian and monetary evaluation experiences. Further, the study established significant role of customer engagement in predicting customer loyalty in addition to existing constructs of satisfaction and convenience. This study contributes to evolving scholarly research on customer engagement. This study further provides a framework to retailers for devising matrices to track experiences and engagement of customers on mobile devices for shopping. Further, retailers may be able to use customer engagement to differentiate themselves from competition in attracting merchants and advertisers.     

Does the length of a customer–provider relationship really matter?

This study examines both a moderator and a mediator of perceived service quality and payment equity as they relate to customer loyalty in the banking industry. Through the moderating factor, the length of the customer–bank relationship, this study builds a conceptual framework for distinguishing between transactional- and relationship-oriented customers and provides an empirical analysis by using structural equation modelling. The empirical findings of this study, the result of the examination of 610 banking customers, showed that different lengths of the customer–bank relationship form loyalty from different variables and from a different path. For transactional-oriented customers, loyalty was built through the achievement of overall customer satisfaction; whereas for relationship-oriented customers, loyalty was built through the establishment of trust. Suggestions and limitations based on the finding are also discussed.     

Understanding the impact of online customers’ shopping experience on online impulsive buying: A study on two leading E-commerce platforms

Research offers some indication that the online customers' shopping experience (OCSE) can be a strong predictor of online impulsive buying behavior, but there is not much empirical support available to form a holistic understanding; whether, and indeed how, the effects of the OCSE on online impulsive buying behavior are affected by customers' attitudinal loyalty and self-control are not well understood areas of research. In this study, we examine how functional and psychological dimensions of the OCSE influence online impulsive buying within e-commerce platforms. We will investigate customers' attitudinal loyalty as a mediator between the OCSE and online impulsive buying behavior, and the customers' self-control as a moderator between customers' attitudinal loyalty and online impulsive buying. To analyze these relationships we will conduct an online survey (n = 1489) with customers of two leading Chinese e-commerce platforms: Jindong and Taobao. The findings from structural equation modeling indicate a positive relationship between the tested dimensions of the OCSE and customers' online impulsive buying. We also find a mediating role of customers' attitudinal loyalty and negative moderation of customers’ self-control. Theoretically, the findings contribute to the literature regarding online impulsive buying and the online customer experience. For managers, the findings stress the importance of ethical management with regard to the online shopping experiences.     

Destination Neurogenetics: Creation of destination meme maps of tourists

Seminal marketing studies suggest that the concepts of destination image and meme maps are highly related. Using the Theory of Spreading Activation, this study involves creation, assessment, and comparison of the structure of tourists' destination memes of a mature tourism destination in Turkey. The study reports the findings of two separate studies involving Russian and German travelers to Antalya. Results show sea, sun, and beach memes are the three most common general memes activating the Antalya brand; however, the two market segments' (Russian and German travelers) meme maps differ. While traditional marketing theories rely on the Rational Choice Theory that accentuates the role of the conscious choice of a consumer, this study involving Destination Neurogenetics (DNgen) supports the Infection of the Mind Theory. Findings suggest that greater meme-associations represent high-equity and strong brands.     

Building consumer loyalty through e-shopping experiences: The mediating role of emotions

In the retail sector, it has become necessary for retailers to differentiate themselves using new strategies, such as managing shopping experiences. The retailer can benefit from applying these experiences in order to gain loyal customers. The purpose of this research is to advance in the analysis of the different dimensions of the e-shopping experience, identified from a literature review, and attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. In addition, this study highlights the importance of emotional experience, analyzing the mediating effect of emotional experience on the relationship between online experiences and consumers’ loyalty. The empirical research is based on a sample of 496 consumers. The results reveal that using different experiences could influence loyalty in two different ways: directly affecting attitudinal loyalty (especially when website trustworthiness is low and consumers experience more uncertainty) and indirectly affecting behavioral loyalty through emotional experience.