Displayed emotions to patronage intention: consumer response to contact personnel performance

The impact of service on consumers' brand attitudes and patronage intentions serves to stress its importance to service marketers. This study further investigates previous research by proposing an integrative model that examines the hierarchical influence underlying emotions displayed by service personnel and the subsequent effect on consumer behavioural intention in the retail service context. Results indicate that service personnel-displayed emotion hierarchically influences consumers' emotions, satisfaction with service personnel, brand attitude, and patronage intention. Findings also reveal that brand attitude plays a critical mediating role. This work discusses implications for retail service firms and marketing executives, in addition to providing direction for future research.     

Marketing strategies of ethnic minority businesses in the UK

This paper seeks to evaluate the influence of the entrepreneurs' educational backgrounds, the firm's target market, and the sector of operations on the marketing practices of Turkish ethnic minority businesses. The paper reports and analyses the findings of 227 face-to-face structured interviews with Turkish small business owners. The findings of the study indicate that Turkish ethnic minority businesses operating in different sectors use both transactional and relational approaches to marketing. Their choices of pursuing different marketing strategies are influenced by the entrepreneurs' educational backgrounds, the firm's target market, and the sector of operations.     

Branding in the age of social media firestorms: how to create brand value by fighting back online

ABSTRACT

Leading research on social media firestorms typically advises managers to quickly quell the backlash by appeasing brand critics. Drawing on crisis communications and branding research, we offer a radically different perspective and argue that brands can benefit from fighting back online. Through a netnography of a moral-based firestorm, we contribute to the marketing and crisis communications literatures by identifying the escalation strategy as a way to build brand value; explaining how brands can activate supporters; and providing guidance on how to assess these morally steeped events. We advance branding research by identifying how managers can provoke consumer-generated brand stories; and uncovering the hidden benefits of negative consumer voices. Finally, we outline a new perspective on how brands are dialogically constructed through a process we call ‘flyting’.     

Celebrity influences on consumer decision making: new insights and research directions

ABSTRACT

Throughout human history, people have expressed admiration for heroes who possessed extraordinary abilities and achieved superhuman goals. For many, modern-day celebrities fulfil this role and are prominent in various marketing communications activities. This paper addresses the literature review gaps and provides an in-depth review of the psychological and social psychological perspectives which are relevant to the celebrity endorsement literature. The contributions of this paper consist of a detailed analysis of important types of consumer-celebrity relationships, key emotional drivers (e.g. envy and admiration) of celebrity influence and the development of an original conceptual model. The conceptual model pulls together the past research and identifies new research gaps, which synthesises different research perspectives and provides a sound theoretical basis guiding future researchers and marketing managers.     

Boundary spanner turnover in professional services: Exploring the outcomes of client retention strategies

Abstract

Studies suggest that the termination of the interpersonal relationship between boundary spanners at buyer and seller firms can have a damaging effect on the inter organisational relationship. Few studies have addressed this issue in detail, but those that do, advise supplier firms to implement strategies such as service teams and boundary spanner rotation to lessen the negative effects of boundary spanner turnover. By creating multiple bonds between the two firms, dispersing client-specific knowledge widely throughout the supplier firm, and preventing the development of a close bond between buyer and seller boundary spanners, individual interpersonal relationships become less important. However, a review of relationship literature on trust, commitment, social bonds, and knowledge suggests the potential for negative outcomes from the implementation of the strategies. Using case studies and one-to-one interviews with design buyers and their agencies, this paper explores the outcomes of the two strategies, and the contexts in which these outcomes occur. Adopting a critical realist approach, findings are presented in the form of context–mechanism–outcome models. Agency size, agency culture, client experience, and boundary-spanner autonomy are amongst the contexts that influence the outcome of strategy implementation.     

The impact of customer relationship management capability on innovation and performance advantages: testing a mediated model

Abstract

Customer relationship management (CRM) and innovation are widely considered to be valuable capabilities associated with competitive advantage. However, there is a lack of research demonstrating how they work together to produce performance advantages. This research investigates the mediating role of innovation between CRM and performance. The authors examine the direct impact of both CRM and innovation on firm performance. Moreover, they investigate the role of innovation as a mediating mechanism to explain the effect of CRM on performance. The authors use structural equation modelling to test the relationships among these constructs. The results support the direct impact of CRM and innovation on performance. Also, the findings indicate that the indirect effect of CRM on firm performance through innovation is significant. These results reinforce the view that developing close relationships with customers enhances a firm's ability to innovate.     

最初的萌芽——1840年-1911年中国品牌发展

清末民初西方的重要学科随着留学热潮被引入中国．上海以”海纳百川“之胸怀．孕育着品牌的成长。在这个过程中．公众开始在大众传播的导向下．有意识地进行消费与品牌认知。由于上海华洋共处的城市特征．接触西方商业文化后．市场对低技术产品的需求．使得上海具有形成轻工业品牌的先天优势。“杏花楼“、“双妹“等基于传统背景．结合适应时代的经营理念和宣传方式;”美华利”、”精益”等沿袭西方技术．从技术引入到自主生产。     

B2C网店品牌资产及其驱动品牌忠诚机理研究

对B2C网店品牌资产驱动品牌忠诚机理的研究是从B2C网店品牌资产概念和构成要素以及B2C网店品牌关系对品牌资产与品牌忠诚的中介效应两个方面展开的。通过确定网店互动、网店审美、产品质量、网店知名度、网店体验和形象一致等6个网店品牌资产的测量维度,对品牌资产、品牌关系与品牌忠诚的关系进行了分析,并采用中国顾客的数据构建了结构方程模型,以检验品牌资产各维度驱动品牌忠诚机理。     

现代化港口城市港城关系的建设——以江苏省南通市为例

港口城市类型独特,区位优越。港城关系是相互影响、相互制约的,建设和谐的港城关系、促进港城一体化建设是现代化港口城市发展的内在要求。文章阐明了现代化港口城市的基本内涵、港城关系形成与发展的基本理论,以江苏省南通市为例,透视其港城发展现状,分析其港城关系中存在的问题,提出其港城关系建设的科学途径:①进一步确立港口与城市的功能定位;②加快区域中心城市建设,集约利用市区岸线资源;③大力发展港口经济,优化城市产业结构;④保证港口吞吐量增长的同时,注重港口吞吐结构的调优;⑤调整城区港口用地结构,优化港城用地空间布局;⑥统一规划,加强管理,促进港城一体化建设。     

美国翰威特2007年中国最佳雇主企业榜与雇主品牌建设

通过最佳雇主评选这种方式.翰威特既对中国人力资源市场形成了自己的见解,也为中国各个公司的人力资源实践树立了一种标杆。无论对雇主品牌的概念是否有明确的认识,最佳雇主们实际上都有意识地或无意识地塑造起自己的雇主品牌。借鉴翰威特中国十佳雇主的经验,雇主可以在雇主品牌建设中取得更大的成功。