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This research examines how sponsored user‐generated content influences consumer engagement on TikTok across three studies. In the first study, we demonstrate that when content creators endorse brands through sponsorship, they are perceived as less authentic. This perceived lack of authenticity, in turn, reduces consumer engagement with brands. In the second study, we show that the influence of sponsorship on consumer engagement is moderated by the content creator's popularity, as reflected by their follower count. Specifically, the negative effect of sponsorship on consumer engagement is observed only among popular creators with large followings, while less popular creators do not experience the same negative impact. In the third study, we show that for popular creators, sponsorship can enhance consumer engagement when the endorsed brand is perceived as small, compared to when it is perceived as large. Together, these findings extend our theoretical understanding of how sponsored user‐generated content shapes consumer engagement on TikTok. Additionally, our research provides valuable insights for brand managers aiming to develop effective digital marketing strategies and for content creators looking to optimize engagement with their audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fashion industry has received harsh criticism about its increasing environmental footprint. As a result, formal clothing swapping has evolved into collaborative sharing practices, sometimes leading to circular social and economic developments. In either case, it transforms how individuals behave around possessing and sharing clothes for what it can bring to them and their collective well‐being. This study explores what factors (e.g., economic, hedonic, environmental, and activism) motivate individuals to swap their clothes and why culture may be an important moderating factor to consider. An online Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) survey comprised of the NextGen (individuals between 18 and 35), 51.6% of workers, and 28% of students (n = 279) from various countries analyzed through ANOVA regressions led to clear evidence of the moderating effects of culture on motivating factors in swapping behavior for clothes: (1) economic motives are stronger in masculine cultures; (2) hedonic motives are stronger in collectivist cultures; (3) environmental motives are stronger in collectivist, low power distance, and indulgent cultures; (4) activist motives are relatively strong in collectivist, feminine, low power distance, low uncertainty avoidance, and indulgent cultures; (5) the collectivist culture had a moderated influence due to hedonic, environmental, and activist motives as in this culture, greater mental emotions may be aroused. This study highlights economic and hedonist motives as influential variables that correspond to more actual consumer needs. Results also indicate specificities on NextGen culture identity and motivations to push forward a shift in up‐swapping systems, engaging decision‐makers for more transparent, sustainable efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent interest of marketers in adopting masstige strategy is a testimony to its potential. But, the dialogue on masstige among research community is not befitting its requirement. This special issue was launched to address this pressing demand towards masstige research. This special issue serves the masstige theory with eight rigorous research papers covering utmost relevant varied aspects of masstige. Papers in this special issue establish the relevance of masstige strategy for hitherto less explored aspects like services, old‐age consumers, short‐ and long‐term happiness, and so forth. Novel insights are offered along with future research propositions for masstige research. Our aim of this special issue is well addressed by generating and advancing interest of scholars towards masstige and thereby extending the current horizons of masstige research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While accent effects have been studied in Western advertising contexts, there are contradictory findings on accent effects, and the moderating role of country‐of‐origin (COO), in other contexts. Few studies extended such accent effects to non‐English‐speaking cultural settings, particularly in emerging countries. This article fills this knowledge gap by examining accent and language effects on consumers' perceived effectiveness of a spokesperson in Chinese advertising contexts. We explore how Chinese consumers evaluate spokespersons with standard and non‐standard accents, whether these accents are associated with belongingness, sophistication, and modernity, and whether COO moderates such accent and language effects on the perceived effectiveness of spokespersons. Across three studies, the findings demonstrate that compared with a spokesperson with a non‐standard accent (i.e., English‐accented Mandarin), spokespersons with standard accents (i.e., standard Mandarin and standard English) are perceived to be more effective. Furthermore, Chinese consumers associate standard Mandarin with belongingness, and standard English with sophistication and modernity, whereas English‐accented Mandarin has the lowest degree of these associations among the three accents. Although the moderating effect of COO is observed in Study 3, standard English is preferred for both advertised domestic and foreign products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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While extant research has studied traits of market mavens and the link from mavenism to market helping behavior, there is a need for more research to understand personal and contextual factors that influence actual recommendations of products and differences among market mavens with different traits in that respect. In this study, we took research in the area of market mavenism one step further and investigated the role of personal traits such as self‐esteem and susceptibility to normative interpersonal influence, and the contextual factor of social media, in the frequency of recommendations. We hypothesize that while market mavens with lower self‐esteem are likely to engage in less frequent recommendations, negative effect of their lower self‐esteem is attenuated when they use social media platforms as their medium of choice. Our findings lend support to our hypotheses, including the triple interaction effect between self‐esteem, choice of social media, and market mavenism on market recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

J'ai reçu le I Prix de service de la RCSA i pour ma contribution exceptionnelle à l'avancement et à la recherche en marketing au sein de la I Revue canadienne des sciences de l'administration ( i 1991-1996); j'étais le premier récipiendaire de ce prix. Le premier article de ce numéro comporte plus de détails sur la revue et une analyse de son contenu grâce à une étude bibliométrique de la I RCSA i rédigée par Donthu et ses collègues (Donthu et al., [3]). Je tiens tout d'abord à remercier la doyenne Anne-Marie Croteau et le doyen précédent Stéphane Brutus pour leur soutien indéfectible pendant l'hébergement de la I RCSA i à l'École de gestion John Molson, et pour avoir mis à ma disposition une excellente directrice de la rédaction en la personne de Golnaz Rezai. [Extracted from the article]

How are individuals who voluntarily resist consumption affected by death thoughts? We looked at the impact of mortality salience (MS) on anticonsumption lifestyles. We found that high anticonsumption individuals were equally unlikely to consume in the control and MS conditions. However, low anticonsumption individuals were more likely to consume after death was made salient. Finally, anticonsumption lifestyles did not correlate with self-esteem, a known buffer of the effects of MS. Because MS did not change the consumption-related behaviors of high anticonsumption individuals, our findings suggest that consumption is not a relevant method for such individuals to recover their self-esteem. The findings also suggest that the adoption of an anticonsumption lifestyle buffers the effect of MS on participants' consumption-related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how the type of offer sold online (goods vs. services) moderates the relationships between perceived experiential values and customers' attitudes towards the website. A sample of 107 e-shoppers of services and 110 e-shoppers of physical goods responded to a survey on their most recent e-shopping experiences. Results support the majority of hypotheses. It was found that although offering experiential values on the site improves customers' attitudes for both physical goods and services websites, the impact is much stronger in the case of services. Theoretical and managerial contributions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) on bone turnover and bone mineral density in a cohort of 39 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: Phosphorus and calcium parameters, bone turnover markers, and bone mineral density were studied. Timepoints were diagnosis (T1), just before ASCT (T2), 6 months (T3) after ASCT, and 1 yr (T4) after ASCT. Results: No bone mineral loss was shown on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at T1 (lumbar Z-score −0.02, femoral neck Z-score 0.77) or during follow-up. Chronic vitamin D deficiency (25OHD3 11.7 ± 7.7 ng/mL at T1) and relative hyperparathyroidism from T2 to T4 were observed. In spite of this moderate hyperparathyroidism, serum C-telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) decreased significantly between T1 and T4. Bone alkaline phosphatase levels were low at diagnosis and showed no significant change after ASCT, unlike DKK1 levels that were high at diagnosis and decreased 6 months after ASCT in patients not previously treated with bisphosphonates. Conclusion: Bone demineralization is moderate in multiple myeloma. ASCT induces a decrease in bone resorption but no changes in bone formation, remaining low despite the decrease in DKK1. Bone mineral loss, evaluated by DXA, is moderate in multiple myeloma. High-dose chemotherapy followed by ASCT leads to decreased bone resorption but osteoblastic bone formation remains low, in spite of reduced circulating DKK1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The authors report on the development of a novel construct, internal environmental locus of control (INELOC), which captures consumers' multifaceted attitudes pertaining to personal responsibility towards and ability to affect environmental outcomes. Using data gathered from a sample of consumers, the linkages between INELOC and a wide array of environmental behaviors were investigated. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed four first-order dimensions ('green consumer,' 'activism,' 'advocate,' and 'recycling attitudes') embedded within a second-order INELOC factor. Structural equations modeling techniques showed that INELOC was a strong positive predictor of many behaviors. However, the nature of the attitude-behavior relationship varied considerably across behavioral contexts, implying that people do not consistently behave in a proenvironmental manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the research dealing with consumer–consumer interactions emphasizes the negative consequences of sharing the service experience with other consumers. Crowding, in particular, represents one of the important environmental factors affecting consumers' retail experience. However, recent studies in the context of hedonic services (e.g., amusement parks, concerts, etc.) have mentioned that crowds may potentially enhance consumers' service experience. The present study aims at demonstrating the presence of these positive consumer responses in a crowded hedonic situation, while investigating the influence of cultural differences in crowd-related issues. With the use of consumers from different cultures (North America and the Middle East), reactions to similarly crowded situations in a hedonic situation are compared. Results suggest that Middle Eastern respondents perceive both a lower level of density and appreciate crowded situations more than their North American counterparts. Potential explanations are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research has demonstrated clearly the importance of pre-purchase information search within the buying process. Scholars have identified several sources used by consumers in order to obtain information relevant to their purchase situation. Among the various information sources, interpersonal non-commercial sources seem to play an important role in consumers' choice decisions. The present study examines potential antecedents of consumer relative preference for interpersonal information search. The proposed antecedents include personality traits such as individuals' susceptibility to interpersonal influence, their need for cognition and their self-confidence, as well as individual differences in product knowledge and perceived risk associated with the purchase of a specific product. Using structural equation modelling on survey data (419 respondents), seven hypotheses -- describing relationships between the diverse variables of the model -- were tested. The results indicate that consumer relative preference for interpersonal information search was significantly influenced by consumers' susceptibility to interpersonal influence, their need for cognition, their self-confidence and their product knowledge. Consumers' product knowledge also influenced their perceived risk, which did not affect their preference for interpersonal search significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study examines the underlying determinants as well as the dimensionality of in-store information searches for a Christmas clothing gift, focusing specifically on the differential effect of gender on information acquisition. A self-administered survey, containing personality, situational and standard demographic measures, was administered to actual consumers in three Western countries, shortly after the Christmas season. Confirmatory factor analysis verified that in-store information is indeed a multidimensional construct, composed of three distinct factors: macro information search, micro information search and salesperson help. Consistent with expectations, compared to males, females tended to acquire macro and micro information to a greater extent; males were more apt to seek the assistance of store sales personnel than females. This pattern was generally robust across the three countries. Other observed gender and/or country-sample differences are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most cross-cultural studies on country of origin or product-country image (PCI) effects have implicitly assumed that national markets are composed of homogeneous consumers. Although many investigations in this field are described as cross-cultural, most are in fact cross-national. The overarching hypothesis of the present research is that PCI effects may vary across subcultures within a country. The results indicate that subcultural differences exist in the evaluation of culturally affiliated countries and their products. Cognitive responses converged to show that consumers' perceived linkages significantly influence the weight given to the country of origin in product evaluations. Several implications for managers and academic researchers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how brand-related information is integrated within a competitive environment. Specifically, we develop a structural equation model of competition between two brands, which includes each brand's price-quality characteristics (i.e., net utility). The model simultaneously tests how the net utility of the focal and competing brands affects consumers' attitudes, intentions, and choice regarding the focal brand. This study extends existing research with the findings that price-quality evaluations of a focal brand and net utility perceptions of competing brands influence consumers' attitudes, intentions, and choice regarding the focal brand. Thus, in order to attract consumers to their brands, marketers should focus not only on improving the performance and net utility of their own brands, but also on studying competing brands in the marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a review of the available literature related to persuasive communication, the author proposes a mathematical model of attitude change in human groups satisfying a set of premises concerning the following variables: discrepancy, source credibility, ego involvement, plausibility, distraction, and effort. This model is shown to be consistent with cognitive dissonance theory, the social judgment-involvement approach, learning theory, and to provide links with perception. After determining the proper estimating procedure, the model was extensively tested with more than 50 sets of published data. The instrument used was regression analysis. It appears to be well supported by the available data. Nevertheless, more effort is necessary to introduce other variables, including time, to incorporate the boomerang effect and to solve the problem of infinite horizon on the attitude scale. It is suggested that this model has relevance to individual as well as group behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, only one study has demonstrated a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with multiple myeloma. Vitamin D deficiency may alter bone remodelling in myeloma. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and to assess its impact on bone remodelling and bone mineral density before and after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Patients and methods: In 39 consecutive patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy (melphalan 200 mg/m2) followed by ASCT for multiple myeloma, we measured before (T0) and 12 months after ASCT (T12) serum calcium, 25-OH-D, PTH 1-84, bone alkaline phosphatase (bALP), serum C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide and lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD). Results: Mean vitamin D levels were low: 15 ± 5 ng/mL (9–18) at T0 and 16 ± 5 ng/mL (14–22) at T12. Twenty-six patients (68%) had vitamin D deficiency (25-OH-D < 20 ng/mL) at T0 and 58% at T12. Patients in the vitamin D-deficient group had higher serum PTH levels than those in the vitamin D-sufficient group : 71 ± 24 pg/mL vs. 52 ± 18 pg/mL ( P = 0.04). Biochemical bone markers were identical in both groups at T0 and T12. Z-score values did not significantly differ between the two groups at T0 and T12. There were no correlations between 25-OH-D and BMD or bone marker levels. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency does not impair biochemical markers of bone metabolism in patients with multiple myeloma, before or after ASCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor discussing disease relapse after autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma is presented.