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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2007.11.020 Byline: Afef Denguir-Rekik (a)(b), Jacky Montmain (b), Gilles Mauris (a) Keywords: Decision making support system; Possibility theory; Knowledge-based recommender systems; Diagnosis indicators; E-commerce; Customers' satisfaction measures Abstract: In this paper we propose a multi-criteria decision making support system, called a 'Feedback Based Diagnosis System' (FBDS), to aid the marketing team of an e-commerce (EC) organisation in its activities. The FBDS database is composed of customers' satisfaction measures. These measures are related to the different services an EC offers to its customers. Thus, they constitute a multi-criteria (MC) evaluation of EC performances. In the general framework of recommender systems, these available MC evaluations are considered as useful information for other customers to help them to objectively, rationally and exhaustively assess and compare the numerous ECs among the ones likely to meet their needs. Our FBDS is not concerned with improving or automating such a recommendation process for customers. Indeed, it is merely EC management team oriented. In fact, the MC feedback database is used to diagnose the EC health and improve its strategy. In the proposed FBDS, a possibilistic framework is combined with the multi criteria representation to capture the variability and the divergence of customers' evaluations w.r.t. each criterion. Then, an aggregation based on a weighted arithmetic mean (WAM) is proposed to obtain a synthetic appraisal of ECs. The WAM aggregation models the strategy agreed on by the EC management team. Computing the synthesis score of an EC consists in propagating the uncertainty related to its partial scores through the WAM. The possibilistic representation guarantees that no information is lost in the collective evaluation process by the consumers' community. However, diagnosis indicators are finally proposed to the marketing team to make the interpretation of some possibilistic results more comprehensive when necessary. Author Affiliation: (a) LISTIC - Universite de Savoie, BP 806 74016, Annecy, France (b) LGI2P - Ecole des Mines d'Ales, Site EERIE - Parc Scientifique G.Besse, 30035 Nimes Cedex, France

While the internet has facilitated the formation of several new business models, most such models are initiated by either a manufacturer or a marketing intermediary. While brick-and-click companies extend the current model of the value chain to a new distribution channel, new models that allow for customization and personalization of the internet-based offering explicitly acknowledge the participation of the consumer in the exchange process. In addition, online community sites are beginning to incorporate online advertising and even e-commerce. However, with the advent of social networking sites and the power of consumer voice online through blogging and other interactive communication tools, the role, involvement and power of the consumer is rising. While this trend may be perceived to dilute the power of the marketer, the opportunity to attain higher economies of scale by tapping into consumers' social networks is attractive. This paper introduces 1. the concept and the characteristics of consumer flocking--a specific type of virtual community--on the internet, 2. considers several factors related to the individual and social media that influences consumer flocks, 3. categorizes different stages in the development of consumer flocks, and 4. provides managerial implications for marketers and direction for further research on the topic. Keywords: Consumer flocking, social media, consumer behavior on the internet, group buying on the internet, internet shopping., 1. INTRODUCTION The global proliferation of the internet over the last decade has substantively changed the traditional buyer-seller exchange dynamics through its high volume-high speed information flow capabilities. Businesses can [...]

Familiarity is a precondition for trust, claims Luhmann [28: Luhmann N. Trust and power. Chichester, UK: Wiley, 1979 (translation from German)], and trust is a prerequisite of social behavior, especially regarding important decisions. This study examines this intriguing idea in the context of the E-commerce involved in inquiring about and purchasing books on the Internet. Survey data from 217 potential users support and extend this hypothesis. The data show that both familiarity with an Internet vendor and its processes and trust in the vendor influenced the respondents' intentions to inquire about books, and their intentions to purchase them. Additionally, the data show that while familiarity indeed builds trust, it is primarily people's disposition to trust that affected their trust in the vendor. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Keywords: E-commerce; Trust; Familiarity; Internet; Motivation

The article discusses contextual marketing and how new technologies will shift the focus of e-commerce from content to context, making many Web sites irrelevant.

Electronic Commerce (EC) has experienced phenomenal growth in the recent years. However, due to the dynamic nature of the field, most colleges of business lack a standardized curriculum for EC. Despite its importance, little research effort has been devoted to the EC curriculum development. To partially fill this void, this study provides a snapshot of the current EC curriculum programs and recommendations to EC and Marketing educators. By analyzing the syllabus of 69 EC courses offered between 1998 and 2000, this study identifies the trends in covered topics, course emphases and teaching methods. These findings gives EC-related course developers valuable insights for future course design and adjustment. In addition to the recommendations for course design, the findings also discovered a number of propositions for EC program design and various implications for marketing educators., INTRODUCTION Electronic commerce (EC) is defined by Zwass (1998) as a way of 'sharing business information, maintaining business relationships, and conducting business transactions by means of telecommunications networks'. EC has [...]

Byline: Jyh-Jeng Wu The purpose of the research is to discuss the role of marketing's influence and cross-functional interactions in the new field of commerce e-commerce. In order to understand how these two factors marketing's influence and cross-functional interactions influence business performance in the new arena, we design a framework, 'contingency-structure-result', which is based on strategy typology and market orientation. The study will focus on three major online industries online bookstores, travel websites, and online retail and take an empirical analysis using a questionnaire. Results from the survey of Taiwan websites are as follows: 1) marketing's influence and cross-functional interactions play a mediating role, which enables strategy typology and market orientation to influence business performance; 2) differentiation strategies and market orientation are positively related to both marketing's influence and cross-functional interactions, and a low cost strategy is positively related to cross-functional interactions; 3) other marketing's influence and cross-functional interaction influence business performance positively; 4) The dimensions (contingency, structure, performance) of one industry are different from those of other industries.

Byline: George J. Siomkos, Adam P. Vrechopoulos This paper deals with the use of strategic marketing planning for developing and sustaining competitive advantages in virtual retailing. It develops and presents a useful practical guide for the development of marketing plans by virtual retailers. The paper first examines the role of strategic marketing planning within an electronic commerce context. The notion of value creation in electronic marketing, the strategies for competitive advantage and positioning in retailing are analytically presented and the concept of the virtual retailing mix is then developed. The paper concludes with the step-by-step presentation of the stages of the marketing plan for a virtual retailer. The implementation of the marketing planning process and the development and execution of marketing plans, can help virtual retailers to sustain their competitive advantages.

Customer acquisition is one of the biggest challenges facing on-line companies today. Success requires a fresh approach to managing the marketing mix. TODAY, MORE THAN 1.6 million commercial sites operate [...]

Customer experience is the essence of any brand. There's a lot more to branding than a logo or a consistent graphical treatment. Your customer's experience with your brand includes how [...]

There have been many claims that the Internet represents a new nearly 'frictionless market.' Our research empirically analyzes the characteristics of the Internet as a channel for two categories of homogeneous products--books and CDs. Using a data set of over 8,500 price observations collected over a period of 15 months, we compare pricing behavior at 41 Internet and conventional retail outlets. We find that prices on the Interact are 9-16% lower than prices in conventional outlets, depending on whether taxes, shipping, and shopping costs are :included in the price. Additionally, we find that Internet retailers' price adjustments over time are up to 100 times smaller than conventional retailers' price adjustments--presumably reflecting lower menu costs in Internet channels. We also find that levels of price dispersion depend importantly on the measures employed. When we compare the prices posted by different Interact retailers we find substantial dispersion. Internet retailer prices differ by an average of 33% for books and 25% for CDs. However, when we weight these prices by proxies for market share, we find dispersion is lower in Internet channels than in conventional channels, reflecting the dominance of certain heavily branded retailers. We conclude that while there is lower friction in many dimensions of Internet competition, branding, awareness, and trust remain important sources of heterogeneity among Internet retailers. (Search; Competition; Internet; Price Dispersion; Menu Costs; Pricing; Intermediaries)