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Following the racist comments of the then CEO and CrossFit co-founder Greg Glassman concerning the murder of George Floyd, CrossFit affiliates took to social media to repudiate his statements. Throughout their social media posts, these affiliates struggled with their relationship to the CrossFit brand, the imagined CrossFit community, and the community formed in their local box. Using qualitative thematic analysis of CrossFit affiliates' Facebook and Instagram posts made during June 2020, we find that the affiliates had a range of responses that included silence, reconsideration of their affiliate status, and social activism. Furthermore, we find that the affiliates' focus on (re)defining community served to deflect from deeper discussions of systemic racism within CrossFit and the CrossFit community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the impact of negative online word-of-mouth (OWOM) generated from online consumer-run communities on brand hate and brand activism and the moderating role of collectivism in cultural orientation. Specifically, the authors used Stimulus-organization-response and cognitive dissonance theories to develop the research model. Data were collected from 337 valid responses from customers who are members of consumer-run groups to support the constructed hypotheses. Smart-PLS was used to analyze data. Negative OWOM was found to be a driver of psychological discomfort, which, in turn, generates brand hate. The formation of brand hate from negative OWOM can lead to anti-brand activism. The results highlighted that collectivist orientation significantly moderates the relationship between negative OWOM and psychological discomfort in consumers, as well as the relationship between brand hate and anti-brand activism. This study enriches existing literature by further understanding OWOM in virtual communities and emphasizing the role of cultural orientation on behavioral outcomes. Our takeaways provide valuable implications for brand and promotion practitioners to understand users' mechanisms to select the appropriate tool such as the emphasize on KOC (key-opinion-consumers) and KOL (key-opinion-leaders) interaction to handle the negative consequences within time limits, reducing contradicting affective states before anti-brand activism and negative OWOM escalate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, young people and culturally and linguistically diverse populations (CALD) were underserved by non-tailored government health messaging. Social media influencers offer a potentially cost-effective and scalable form of health communication for reaching young CALD populations. Little is known, however, about the characteristics of an influencer's identity authenticity for reaching CALD youth, or how that authenticity is underpinned by brand consistency and relatability. Drawing on the authors' commissioned evaluation of a state government initiative for delivering targeted COVID-19 health information to CALD young people (11-26 years) in Victoria, Australia, this paper analyses findings from thirteen qualitative interviews with influencers and target audience members to provide insights on identity authenticity in the contemporary digital ecology. The analysis aims to contribute to the limited extant knowledge of the role third-party influencers can play in government health communication by providing a cultural context for understanding identity authenticity when targeting minority social groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airports throughout the world are remodelling, expanding and upgrading to handle increasing travel demand and Salt Lake International Airport (SLC) is no exception. In 2020, SLC opened the first new hub airport built in the USA in the 21st century. There were many challenges along the way, such as a worldwide pandemic and an earthquake with an epicentre just miles away from the airport. Perhaps the most monumental task was to build a 4 million square foot airport adjacent to an operating one. But beyond navigating construction and operations, building support for a new airport — when the existing airport was so beloved in the community — created additional challenges. SLC's communication and marketing team was tasked with crafting messages to help the community navigate this change, while also educating, informing and engaging the public. This paper discusses how, in order to provide a roadmap for communicating through the massive construction project, a Strategic Communication and Marketing Plan was developed for The New SLC Redevelopment Program that outlined goals and audiences, messaging, branding, marketing, traditional and social media and video production. The paper presents how the campaign was rooted in research and continually adjusted based on feedback and other evaluation mechanisms. The first step in developing a comprehensive communication plan was to conduct research by surveying SLC's audiences prior to undertaking a branding programme. An important research component was to identify key audiences and stakeholders, including internal audiences — such as employees and tenants — to help spread the project's message through grass-roots efforts. Once feedback from the survey was compiled, a brand was developed that resonated with the intended audiences. Just as important was to develop strategic messaging to inform audiences, while also educating and engaging. Next, determining the most effect ways to deliver the message was key, and was done through a combination of advertising, events, press conferences and traditional and social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between the perceived quality of dialogic CSR communication and perceived trust and brand loyalty. It explores the potential mediation of online brand community engagement (OBCE) intention and the perceived authenticity of CSR communication in this relationship. A survey was conducted using a representative sample of US adult consumers (N = 1,022). All hypotheses were supported by demonstrating (1) the direct linkage between perceived quality of dialogic communication and perceived authenticity, as well as OBCE intention; (2) the direct connection of OBCE intention to trust and brand loyalty; (3) the indirect linkage between perceived quality of dialogic communication and brand loyalty, which were mediated through OBCE intention and trust. The results affirmed that trust operates as a mediator in the relationship between perceived dialogic communication and brand loyalty. Furthermore, the findings suggest that OBCE intention acts as a catalyst that enhances trust in the company and brand loyalty by heightening the perceived authenticity of dialogic communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of the Internet has enabled the consumers to share their brand related emotion in social media brand communities. Members of brand communities frequently use the company’s intellectual and cultural assets, which further foster the forming of close bonds. It improves community members’ social ties and reciprocity standards. As a result, the brand community members become more cooperative. The stimulus-organism-response paradigm has been followed as theoretical framework to determine consumers’ social participation as stimuli which affect their social capital—bridging and bonding (organism) that ultimately improves their brand commitment (response). Select Facebook brand communities provided the data for this investigation. Also, structural equation modeling, which uses different fit indices to test the theoretical framework, has been done. Innovative aspect of this study is how online social interactions between consumer brand communities influence consumers’ social capital, which in turn influences consumers’ brand attitude. Additionally, by creating brand communities for their brands, brand managers can capitalize on the satisfactions of the members. Based on the uses and gratification theory, the study that highlights members’ desire to participate in brand communities’ events can be used by brand managers to advance their businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although digital content marketing (DCM) research and industry-wide expenditure is growing very rapidly owing to the positive outcomes associated with this new pull marketing strategy, research has not completely mapped how DCM activities can be optimized in the social media brand community context. This paper seeks to understand how social media DCM activities can be optimized to achieve greater relational and monetary outcomes for different products. Design/methodology/approach: A structural equation modeling procedure was used to analyze 416 survey responses obtained from members of Facebook brand communities in South Africa. Findings: The results reveal that social media DCM consumption motives exert significant differential effects on both relational and monetary marketing outcomes in search and experience product contexts while also demonstrating the mechanism through which social media DCM consumption motives lead to contributing social media engagement behaviors. Practical implications: The study findings call for the need for firms to understand the motives that drive the consumption of DCM in social media brand communities. Specifically, marketers of search products should deploy more of hedonic contents such as images while simultaneously keeping highly textual DCM to a minimum in Facebook brand communities as this works better for experience products. Finally, more authentic SM-DCM activities that effectively address the authenticity SM-DCM consumption motive can result from the DCM activities of social media opinion leaders and genuine consumer–brand interactions in the context of Facebook brand communities. Originality/value: This paper broke new grounds in three unique directions in terms of: (1) the relative salience of SM-DCM consumption motives in enhancing WTP and different aspects of SMBE; (2) the contextual influence of product type on SM-DCM activities optimization and (3) the mechanisms that underlie the effects of SM-DCM consumption motives on contributing SMBE in the Facebook brand community context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to test the relationship between selfie-viewing on social media and restrained eating as well as the mediating effect of thin-ideal internalization in this relationship. We also examined whether the links from selfieviewing to thin-ideal internalization and restrained eating would be moderated by media literacy. Moreover, whether gender would moderate the mediation model was also examined. Results on a survey of 1,481 Chinese adolescents aged 12-19 years showed that selfie-viewing had a positive relationship with restrained eating and that thin-ideal internalization mediated this relationship. Furthermore, the association between selfie-viewing and thin-ideal internalization was moderated by media literacy. Specifically, the relationship was weaker for adolescents with higher media literacy. In other words, media literacy alleviated the negative effect of selfieviewing on body image. Moreover, there were no gender differences in the mediation model. These findings add to the literature on the relationship between social media use and restrained eating. Educational programs aiming to improve media literacy may be beneficial for reducing the risk of restrained eating among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of neoliberalism and consumerism has had a profound impact on our understanding of individuality and identity in the digital age. Neoliberalism emphasizes the importance of individualism and free-market capitalism, while consumerism promotes the idea that personal happiness and satisfaction can be achieved through the consumption of goods and services. Together, these ideologies have shaped the way we perceive ourselves and others, both in the physical world and online. In the digital age, social media and online advertising have played a significant role in perpetuating these ideologies. Social media platforms promote the idea of self-promotion and individual branding, encouraging users to curate a public persona that is focused on self-promotion and personal branding. This can be seen in the popularity of personal blogs, Instagram influencers, and YouTube celebrities, who have built lucrative careers based on the promotion of their personal brand. Consumerism has also played a significant role in shaping our understanding of identity in the digital age. Online shopping and targeted advertising have made it easier than ever to consume and promote a particular lifestyle, with brands offering personalized recommendations based on our browsing history and personal preferences. This has led to the creation of virtual echo chambers, where users are exposed only to content that reinforces their pre-existing beliefs and preferences. However, the impact of neoliberalism and consumerism on our understanding of individuality and identity in the digital age is not entirely positive. The focus on self-promotion and personal branding can lead to the commodification of personal identity, with individuals reducing themselves to a brand or product that can be marketed and sold. This can also lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety, as individuals feel the pressure to present a polished and curated image of themselves online. Moreover, the emphasis on personal branding and consumerism can obscure the systemic factors that contribute to inequality and marginalization in our society. The focus on individualism can mask the ways in which social and economic systems shape our identities and opportunities, leading to a culture of blame and self-blame that is detrimental to collective action and solidarity. The research paper will explore the following question: how do neoliberalism and consumerism shape our understanding of individuality and identity in the digital age, and what are the implications of this for our social, economic, and political systems? The paper will discuss the impact of neoliberalism and consumerism on individual identity formation and representation in online spaces, as well as the broader cultural, social, and economic implications of these ideologies. The paper will draw on interdisciplinary research from sociology, media studies, and cultural studies to provide a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between neoliberalism, consumerism, and digital identity. Additionally, the paper will critically examine the limitations and challenges of promoting a more collective, community-oriented understanding of identity in the digital age, and explore the potential for alternative approaches to identity formation and representation that prioritize solidarity and social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study searches into the critical aspect of branding and reputation management within the dynamic view of the healthcare industry. This research aims to provide actionable insights for healthcare organizations to navigate the complexities of building and maintaining a strong brand identity by comprehensively analyzing the multifaceted aspects of healthcare branding, including its foundational principles, strategies, challenges, and opportunities. The research problem centers on identifying gaps and challenges in current healthcare branding and reputation management practices, recognizing the pressing need for systematic examination within evolving patient expectations, competitive pressures, and regulatory environments. This study offers a nuanced understanding of these critical areas through a structured exploration of healthcare branding's fundamental significance, strategies employed for reputation management, and identifying existing challenges and opportunities. Drawing upon Brand Equity Theory, which underscores the value of a brand beyond solid assets, the study explains the role of brand equity in shaping patient perceptions, organizational success, and overall health outcomes within the healthcare context. Furthermore, the research outlines future avenues for investigation, including the impact of emerging technologies, longitudinal assessments of branding initiatives, data-driven insights, ethical considerations, and collaborative co-creation strategies. This study aims to advance knowledge and practice in healthcare branding and reputation management by addressing these areas and empowering healthcare organizations to enhance patient experiences, organizational performance, and public health outcomes in an ever-evolving healthcare view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When governments mandated lockdowns to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the resulting reduction of face-to-face communication threatened many people's psychological well-being by fostering feelings of loneliness. Given social media's eponymous social nature, we study the relationship between people's social media usage and their loneliness during these times of physical social restrictions. We contrast literature highlighting the social value of social media with a competing logic based on the "internet paradox," according to which increased social media usage may paradoxically be associated with increasing, not decreasing, levels of loneliness. As the extant literature provides opposing correlational insights into the general relationship of social media usage and loneliness, we offer competing hypotheses and offer novel longitudinal insights into the phenomenon of interest. In the empirical context of Germany's initial lockdown, our research uses survey panel data from February 2020 (before the lockdown) and April 2020 (during the lockdown) to contribute longitudinal evidence to the matter. We find that more usage of social media in the studied lockdown setting is indeed associated with more, not less loneliness. Thus, our results suggest a "social media paradox" when physical social restrictions are mandated and caution social media users and policy makers to not consider social media as a valuable alternative for social interaction. A post-hoc analysis suggests that more communication via richer digital media which are available during physical lockdowns (e.g., video chats) softens the "social media paradox". Conclusively, this research provides deeper insights into the social value of social interactions via digital media during lockdowns and contributes novel insights into the relationship between social media and loneliness during such times when physical social interaction is heavily restricted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we explored how green virtual brand community experience influences green community identity and green customer citizenship behavior. The target population comprised consumers who had the experience of joining Xintiandi's virtual brand community in China. The results of a survey conducted with 436 members of this brand community indicated that green information experience, green entertainment experience, and green interactive experience were determinants of green community identity. There was a positive association between green community identity and green customer citizenship behavior, and green community identity acted as a mediator between green virtual brand community experience and green customer citizenship behavior. Our research enriches the existing literature by establishing the roles of green information experience, green entertainment experience, and green interactive experience as they influence green community identity, which, in turn, generates members' voluntary behaviors in supporting environmentally friendly activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial from the Journal of Public Relations Research. It discusses the concept of public relations and its role in promoting the public good. The editorial highlights various constructs related to public relations, such as corporate social responsibility, corporate social advocacy, and CEO activism. It also presents several articles from the journal that explore different aspects of public relations, including communication by faith-based organizations, internal communication and leadership, CSR communication, and bottom-up CSR initiatives. The articles emphasize the importance of relationship management, attentiveness, authenticity, care, and dialogue in preserving relationships and promoting positive social changes. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: As competition in the industry intensifies, companies must use market-oriented approaches to gain competitive superiority; one of the approaches that can lead to the success of companies in the competitive market is to undertake social co-creation with the help of customers. Although the use of social media for the development of social interactions has expanded, very little attention has been paid to how the concept of social co-creation is formed on social media by users. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of personality traits and website quality on social co-creation, with the mediating role of trust in tourism websites. Design/methodology/approach: This research, in terms of purpose, is practical, and in terms of information collection, it is a descriptive survey. The research statistical population is all users of active tourism sites in Iran. The sampling method is non-probability and available sampling. The questionnaire was designed based on the Likert scale and was distributed electronically among the statistical sample. After collecting and reviewing the questionnaires, 203 were used for analysis. The data analysis method in this study is hierarchical multiple regression. Findings: The results indicated that personality traits and website quality are correlated with trust and social co-creation. The dimensions of website quality, including quality of information, quality of system and quality of service on tourism websites, have considerable and positive effects on trust. Also, all dimensions of the personality traits, except extraversion and neuroticism, have a considerable and positive effect on trust. Moreover, the correlation between trust and social co-creation is positive. Originality/value: According to the review of the digital marketing literature, some researchers examined the influential factors in co-creation, but there is little research about how the interaction of these three concepts (personality traits, website quality and trust) enhances co-creation. This study contributes to the existing literature with empirical evidence of how personality traits and website quality influence co-creation by mediating the role of trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media technologies (SMTs), online brand communities, and social customer relationship management (SCRM) Capabilities play an indispensable role in the engagement and loyalty-building of university students to achieve a sustainable university reputation. This study provides pioneering input for higher education institutions (HEIs) by developing a new integrated SCRM model through self-congruity or self-congruence theory, which examines SMTs Use, online brand communities, SCRM Capabilities, customer engagement, customer loyalty, and university reputation. Using cross-sectional data from 400 students from Pakistani public universities, structure equation modeling applies to Smart PLS 3.2.7. Results indicate that all hypotheses have significant positive relationships, except SMTs use found insignificant with university reputation. Also, SCRM Capabilities mediate between SMTs use and university reputation, while customer engagement mediates between online brand communities and customer loyalty. This study indirectly supports public HEIs sustainability. Further, these findings contribute new knowledge to literature and theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social distance often motivates consumers to increase their interactions through social networking sites. This study identifies antecedents of consumer brand usage and brand connection of SNSs, under the influence of consumer perceived ethics (CPE), during the COVID pandemic and afterward (N = 308). The proposed model was tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling with AMOS 23. In both periods, this study shows CPE consistently affects consumer engagement and involvement. The results demonstrate that in social isolation, affective engagement has higher relevance to driving Self-Brand Connection (SBC) among consumers and SNSs. On the other hand, CPE was demonstrated to provide consistent and significant effects in both periods, showing its stable capacity to impact brand involvement, engagement, use, and self-connection. In the context of the pandemic, this study demonstrates the consistent effects of CPE and other impacts of Consumer Brand Engagement (CBE) on brand usage and self-connection of SNSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media brand communities engage consumers and build relationships. This research aims to empirically investigate how consumer engagement in social media brand communities can be used to achieve branding outcomes. Fashion brands are divided into three categories clothing, shoes and bags, and accessories. Data was collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling based on a survey of 475 people who belong to social media brand communities of fashion brands. PLS-SEM was used to test the hypothesis. The study reveals Social Media Brand Engagement of consumers of fashion brands positively influences brand experience, brand image, trust, and loyalty. Furthermore, product type moderates the relationship between Social Media Brand Community Engagement and Brand Experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construct Love has been the subject matter of voluminous popular literature and has attracted extensive scholarly attention for many decades. Yet, there is a dearth of studies that examine the scope and breadth of the intellectual structure of modern scholarship on this ubiquitous topic. The current study reports on a bibliometric content analysis of 1,562 peer-reviewed articles indexed in the field of psychology from 2012-2021. The most prominent investigatory topics identified, in rank order, were: Theory/Models, Brand love (marketing), Cultural factors, LBGTQ, Measures/Scales, Religion/Spirituality, Neurophysiology, Therapeutic issues, Mother love, Love styles, and Social media. Interestingly, several topical areas received scant investigatory attention (less than 1% of dataset), i.e., infidelity, divorce, falling-in love, sibling love, love of pets, suicide, loneliness, and cognitive styles. These findings a) offer a panorama on the state of contemporary scholarship regarding the subject matter of love, b) present a framework as a basis for the study of evolving research trends, and c) provide a tapestry in conceptually describing the essence of love. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides insights on how journalists in the Western Balkans conceptualize and practice audience engagement during electoral campaigns. Taking a holistic approach, we first explore audience demand and news supply of strategic and negative election news on Facebook, then turn to news editors to explore what type of audience logic drives their reporting. Our data confirm previous findings about audience demand for strategic news but contradict the predominance of audience negativity bias in the context of Southeast Europe. These findings support generic trends in how social media audiences engage with political information, but also emphasize the importance of the socio-political context as a determinant of audience engagement with online news. Interview data identified an alignment between journalists' imagined readership preferences with the reality, yet reporting patterns on Facebook do not entirely follow engagement trends. Together, these findings suggest that journalism culture developed in this region is more nuanced than previously defined, while news editors embrace new technologies to serve the commercial needs and audience strengthening logics in parallel during electoral campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The study purpose is to analyze how doctors in contract with the Health Insurance House in Romania use social media (SM) to access and disseminate medical information. Method. Family doctors and dentists who had a contract with the Romanian National Health Insurance House during the year 2017 represented the targeted sample. Eight thousand four hundred ninety-seven e-mail addresses and 5,422 telephone numbers were identified and collected from the National Health Insurance House web page. The invitation to participate in the study (including the link to the online questionnaire) was sent via SMS, WhatsApp, and / or e-mail from 24 May to 14 July 2017. The experimental design was cross-sectional. In the statistical analysis the following generations were defined: "Baby Boomers", aged between 51-70 years, Generation X as people aged 38-51, and Millennials under 38 years. Results. One hundred and twenty valid questionnaires were analyzed. The profile of the respondent was: woman (61%), from urban (71%), and specialist (50%) working in a private practice (70%). The majority of respondents use Facebook (85%). Generation X connect more to SM from public places than Baby Boomers (p = 0.007). Respondent doctors seek medical information on SM monthly (83%), but rarely give advice through SM to colleagues (28%) or contribute to patients' medical education (32%). Most physicians interact with their patients through SM (59%), but do not discuss with them how to search for health information. Conclusion. Social media has low professional usage among the respondents who perform their medical activity in Romania and is mainly used to search for medical information, but it does not contribute to patients' medical education. As expected, age is a factor that determines the susceptibility of SM usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do cultural and creative workers respond to racism and the politics of representation and respectability in the digital age? In what ways do they engage in forms of community-building and solidarity-making, while managing pressures to build digital presence and personal brands? This article seeks to address these questions via 30 in-depth interviews with Black, Brown and Asian (BBA) workers in the UK cultural and creative industries (CCIs). Focusing on the ambivalence of digital self-branding practices, our work builds on scholarship on inequalities in the CCIs, and on platformization and race. We organize our findings regarding the experiences and values of these workers into three main themes: the positive potential these workers find in the capacity of digital media technologies for forging community and solidarity; the benefits and limitations of using digital media technologies to communicate counternarratives, including exposure of discrimination in CCIs, and adapting and 'gaming' features such as recommendation algorithms; and how they experience and navigate felt pressures to self-brand in contemporary digital contexts. We find a marked ambivalence in the reported experiences of these workers, which generatively complicates existing accounts of digital technology, algorithmic struggles and the UK's CCIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a competitive market, enterprises should strive to offer excellent services and products while implementing robust environmental policies that not only attract customers but also foster loyalty. This study is intended to fill a gap in brand dimensions (including brand identity, brand awareness, brand love and brand loyalty) through the role of perceived environmental responsibility and the effect of perceived social responsibility to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. A questionnaire was given to people who used milk products in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to obtain customer perceptions. To test the model, 537 data samples were chosen. This study explores the role of the brand dimension on perceived social responsibility toward customer satisfaction. The results indicate that customers’ perceptions of an enterprise’s social responsibility positively influence customer satisfaction. Perceived environmental responsibility insignificantly influences customer loyalty but significantly affects customer satisfaction. Our findings imply the importance of milk enterprises engaging in environmental and social responsibility activities with brand building and implementing appropriate strategies and policies regarding their impact on the environment and communities to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs heritage as a lens through which to research the roles of islandness in energy transition processes. Both in cases of islanders' initiatives toward renewable energy projects and in cases of resistance against such projects, memories and imaginaries of islandness are evoked. The heritage of islandness is constructed discursively in response to threats and opportunities represented by the energy transition. Through an analysis of narratives in academic literature, national and local media, branding campaigns, and interview transcripts from islands in the North Sea and the Mediterranean, three common themes of islandness-as-heritage emerge across geographical difference: the island as selfsufficient ground, as laboratory of innovation, and as exploited territory. These uses of heritage are contextualized with critical counter-narratives from island studies literature, showing that the insistence on legacies of autarky, innovation, and exploitation might be contrary to the long-term interests of island communities. Instead, the activation of the heritage of interconnectedness that has historically characterized islands, islanders, and islandness, would highlight the necessary interdependence between places and could lead to an energy transition more aligned with the potentials and challenges facing the different island landscapes and their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staci M. Zavattaro's book, "Neighborhood Branding, Identity, and Tourism," explores the topic of neighborhood branding, which has received less attention in the public branding literature. The book focuses on the neighborhoods of Lake Nona and Baldwin Park in Orlando, Florida, and examines the reasons why residents become attached to a particular neighborhood. Emotional reasons such as a sense of community and feelings of safety, as well as pragmatic reasons like proximity to work and good schools, are identified as important factors in creating a neighborhood identity. The book also discusses the impact of the Pulse nightclub shooting on Orlando's sense of community. While the book could have delved further into strategies used by citizens and city officials in neighborhood branding, it provides valuable insights into the formation of neighborhood identity and offers a definition for neighborhood branding. The book is recommended for academics, researchers, and students interested in understanding the nature of neighborhood branding and identity. [Extracted from the article]

With the development of social media, interactive activities such as anthropomorphic communications are more accessible and popular. The country-of-origin(COO) stereotype is one of the most important factors which influences individuals' attitudes toward brands. This study aims to investigate the feasibility and validity of anthropomorphic communication via social media on COO stereotypes in international competitions. Experimental results indicate that the strategy of using anthropomorphic communication has positive effects for developing countries, but not the same for developed countries; the perceived social presence mediates the relationship between anthropomorphic communication and COO stereotypes of developing countries. However, the mediating effect is not obvious in developed countries, the influence of anthropomorphic communication is effective and feasible only when individuals' mindset is global. The theoretical model in this paper is a useful supplement to the existing achievements of anthropomorphism and COO stereotypes, it provides a reference for enterprises in developing countries to use anthropomorphic strategies accurately to reduce negative COO stereotypes and improve international competitiveness, it also gives suggestions for companies in developed countries to adopt anthropomorphic communication strategies cautiously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrity-linked issues have become increasingly serious and attracted considerable attention regarding the sustainability of live streaming; therefore, live streaming anchors and suppliers have become increasingly concerned about their ongoing marketing. Moreover, streaming platforms are also beginning to focus on sustainable development. Determining how live streaming anchor behavior, supplier behavior, and streaming platform strategic decision affect live streaming is essential for achieving the healthy and sustainable development of live streaming ecosystems. However, the game among live streaming anchor behavior, supplier behavior, and streaming platform strategic decisions, which the live streaming ecosystem strongly depends on, has attracted little attention. This study constructed a game model of value co-creation evolution in live streaming ecosystems, with the live streaming anchors, suppliers, and streaming platforms as the main subject. The evolutionary stable strategies of the game were analyzed, and the influence of typical factors on the system was discussed. The results showed that the best evolutionary stability strategy is that live streaming anchors and suppliers choose honesty, and streaming platforms have strict regulation, which is the optimal strategic objective for value co-creation. The appropriate rewards and punishments inherent in a streaming platform can help regulate the behavior of the live streaming anchor and supplier; specifically, great rewards and severe punishments of the streaming platform can be applied to incentivize the honest behavior of the live streaming anchor and supplier. This study provides insights for designing appropriate policies for live streaming platforms to promote sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on original qualitative data this article analyses fluid and shifting notions of symbolic capital within the Pakistani diaspora in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. Focusing on the South Asian concept of izzat (honour/prestige) it is argued that the field of local symbolic prestige is adapting to the macro context laid down by consumer culture as its mechanisms permeate the structural, cultural and everyday lives of this transnational community. This is partially and differentially influencing forms of cultural and symbolic capital accumulation in the community, as evidenced by subtle and varied changes in the appropriation and exchange of izzat. Izzat is a phenomenon which has been centrally embedded within Pakistani cultures and societies for centuries. Our key argument is that the context and nature of izzat among the Pakistani transnational community studied are being significantly shaped and altered by the role of consumer culture in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, but that this simultaneously maps onto existing hierarchies and social differentiation within this transnational community, as well as contemporary discourse on and divisions over Muslim identity and piety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to explore how different types of rewards affect customers’ inclinations to engage in environmental activities promoted through restaurant social media platforms. In addition, we investigated the potential moderating role of customer level of participation within the social media community. A total of 202 valid responses obtained by distributing a self-administered survey among restaurant patrons were subjected to hierarchical regression analysis to examine relationships between variables. The findings underscored the significant influence of economic and social rewards on shaping customer intent to participate in environmental initiatives promoted within restaurant social media communities. Furthermore, the study revealed that the extent of customer participation within the social media community moderated the relationship between rewards and their likelihood to partake in environmentally conscious behaviors. These results have meaningful implications for restaurant managers seeking to promote environmental initiatives effectively through social media platforms and within their establishments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online brand community (OBC) refers to a group of consumers who share similar enthusiasm for a particular brand and connected through online platforms. The members of OBC community engage jointly through online platforms to accomplish a collective objective or goal. Normally members of this community express similar sentiments, views, or commitments. Extant literature has nurtured issues such as the influence of OBCs on firms, the dysfunction that invites conflicts and rivalry, homogeneity that helps OBCs to develop shared responsibility, among others. However, there is limited study on the dark side of group heterogeneity on a brand-based online community. Using literature and theories, a theoretical model was developed, which was subsequently validated using the PLS-SEM technique to analyze responses from 348 respondents who were members of online brand communities, mainly of the FMCG and automobile sectors. This study finds that there is a significant negative moderating impact of group heterogeneity on OBC. This study has provided several theoretical and managerial implications to brand community literature and has contributed that brand-based online community commitment could impact brand trust and loyalty along with purchase intention, though such impacts are adversely affected by group heterogeneity culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extant literature on dark side of consumer-brand relationship is still growing. Recently, researchers have given it notable concentration, yet some gaps exist specifically in context of social media brand communities. The present work adds to the understanding of the negative sides of consumer-brand relationship via empirically investigating brand hate in social media based anti-brand communities specifically in an emerging market context of India. This study makes use of survey method to approach 387 users of social media platforms to empirically test an integrated model of precursors and consequents of brand hate in anti-brand social media communities. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling and its findings confirm positively stronger association of symbolic incongruity and negative past experience with brand hate. Brand hate; in turn, strongly affect non-purchase intention, negative word-of mouth and retaliation. Results have managerial and useful implications for the brand managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of the internet, online brand communities have gained popularity among users. However, online brand communities continue to face difficulties in engagement and usage despite the advantages it offers. This study examines the dark side of online brand communities. A total of 316 responses from online brand community members were collected to examine the proposed hypotheses based on the Technology–Personal–Environment (TPE) framework. The study also examines the moderating effect of culture (individualism and uncertainty avoidance). The findings suggest that perceived compatibility, inertia and social influence impact the users' disengagement intention toward online brand communities. Also, individualism and uncertainty avoidance moderated the association between perceived complexity and disengagement intention. The study contributes to the dark side of brand-based online community literature and suggests marketers how to reduce customer disengagement in online brand communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital platforms develop and offer opportunities in the form of online brand communities (OBCs) to interact and engage customers with the brand, which might lead to brand loyalty over a while. The present study investigates how OBCs influence online customer engagement (OCE) and brand loyalty through a questionnaire survey of 488 social media users. Extant literature is reviewed to identify the unique characteristics (website satisfaction, usefulness, response time, and entertainment) of such digital platforms and examine their influences on OCE and brand loyalty. The moderating role of gender was also tested empirically. Results revealed that characteristics of OBC platforms primarily influence OCE; however, website satisfaction influences both OCE and brand loyalty. Moreover, OCE positively influences brand loyalty. These findings were similar for male and female customers, excluding website satisfaction, which was insignificant for females. The study concludes with crucial theoretical and managerial implications that will help develop the firms' strategies to encounter issues related to OBCs globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors used a dual theoretical lens of self-brand connection theory and consumer culture theory, explored the brand-related outcomes of brand-based online community commitment within the context of its heterogeneous group culture. Such anti-brand communities propagate brand hate through speeches, conversations, derogatory remarks against the targeted brand. Keywords: Dark side; online communities; marketing; brand; culture; integrated marketing communications EN Dark side online communities marketing brand culture integrated marketing communications 241 244 4 09/05/23 20230801 NES 230801 The last two decades have witnessed significant contributions from scholars extending the literature on online brand communities (OBC's). [Extracted from the article]

The present article positions culture at the center of analysis investigating schadenfreude within online brand communities and global virtual teams. Through this article, the authors explore the underlying causes and consequences of motivational values dimensions based on the typology developed by Shalom Schwartz in 1992 and 2012, respectively. We extend the Schwartz Value Theory by exploring the triggers of schadenfreude among online brand communities and global virtual teams. Accordingly, the proposed conceptual framework identifies Openness to Change and Self Enhancement as leading values governing human behavior in communities, teams and societies. Findings from this article may be applied as a roadmap by organizations or brands hoping to identify the root causes of heterogeneous group conflicts and schadenfreude directed within online brand communities and global virtual teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating a distinctive brand (employer, company, sports, etc.), achieving a corporate image and reputation as subsequent strategic processes require knowledge of key management activities. Considering educational institutions as a brand becomes a prerequisite for their successful adaptation to today's changing customer demands, highly competitive environment, and the specific conditions in which they operate. The purpose of this study is to analyze the initiatives related to the celebration of 80th Anniversary of NSA as a tool to maintain institutional brand loyalty. The objects of study are the means, PR activities including special events, celebrations, etc. that the institution uses to maintain its brand image. The qualitative methods "Case study" and structured interviews with experts in event organization as well as participant observation were used to implement the study. Based on the collected information, a typology of the events was made according to key criteria: according to the subject matter, according to the scale, according to the needs of the target audience, etc. In addition, a model for the implementation of integrated marketing communications related to the celebrations is outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study took a critical appraisal of positive psychology with the aim of exploring its application in the practice of marketing from the standpoint of extant literature. The main purpose of this paper was to expatiate on the several ways in which contemporary marketing organizations are applying positive psychology's principles and concepts in their operations. The study adopted desk research methodology, which relied on published literature in several relevant journals. From extant literature reviewed, it was highlighted that positive psychology is a relatively new field of psychology concerned with promoting positive emotions, positive character traits, positive institutions and positive relationships in the society. Given its enormous potential, positive psychology is rapidly being applied by marketing organizations in several ways including: emotion-based marketing, product personalization, social proof, brand storytelling, influencer marketing, gamification, social media marketing, and sustainability marketing. For its effective implementation in marketing, we have recommended, among others, that marketers should use positive psychology to highlight features that enhance well-being, promote personal growth, and contribute to positive experiences of customers; marketers should craft promotional messages and experiences that evoke positive emotions (such as joy, gratitude, and inspiration) and resonate with customers on an emotional level; marketers should also highlight social proof and create a sense of community around their brand to enhance trust and belonging by showcasing customer testimonials, reviews, and success stories. The application of these insights will ensure that marketing campaigns and operations not only create value for customers, but also promote positive wellbeing, character traits and positive emotions among customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the circulation of climate content on social media, little longitudinal research has explored their relations with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Considering that individual behaviors, in conjunction with structural change, are critical to mitigate climate change, this two-wave panel study among 657 adolescents examined how social media interactions (i.e., exposure, liking, commenting, sharing and posting of climate messages) reciprocally related to adolescents' pro-environmental cognitions (i.e., descriptive and injunctive norms, attitudes) and behavior. The study showed transactional relationships between self-posting and sharing of climate content over time. Pro-environmental behavior at Wave 1 (W1) positively related to all cognitive variables at Wave 2 (W2), yet no reciprocal relationship occurred as none of the cognitive variables (W1) predicted behavior (W2) over time. Moreover, with the exception of the positive link between "liking" (W1) and attitudes (W2), no (reciprocal) relationships between social media interactions and adolescents' pro-environmental cognitions and behavior occurred over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social influencer integrated marketing strategy, which builds social influencers through potential users, has gained widespread attention in the industry. Traditional Scoring Link Prediction Algorithms (SLPA) mainly rely on homogeneous network indicators to predict friend relationships, which cannot provide accurate link prediction results in cold-start situations. To overcome these limitations, the Closeness Heterogeneous Link Prediction Algorithm (CHLPA) is proposed, which uses node closeness centrality to describe the social intimacy of nodes and provides a heterogeneous measure of a network based on this. Three types of heterogeneous indicators of social intimacy were proposed based on the principle of three-degree influence. Due to scarce overlapping node sample data, CHLPA uses gradient boosting trees to select the most suitable index, the second most suitable index, and the third most suitable index from Social Intimacy Heterogeneous Indexes (SIHIs) and SLPAs. Then, these indicators are weighted and combined to predict the likelihood of other node users in the two product circles in an online brand community becoming friends with overlapping node users. Finally, a hill-climbing algorithm is designed based on this to build integrated marketing social influencers, and the effectiveness and robustness of the algorithm are validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the association between intelligent customer experience (ICE) and behavioral brand loyalty through three connected constructs (i.e., customers' satisfaction, brand trust, and brand attachment). A quantitative method was applied by conducting a questionnaire administered face-to-face to 302 French consumers who have used intelligent technologies during their shopping experiences. Employing PLS-SEM, the findings revealed that intelligent customer experience positively affects customer satisfaction and brand trust, which in turn positively impacts brand attachment. Additionally, the three dimensions of brand loyalty are all positively influenced by attachment to the brand. Theoretical and managerial implications, limitations and directions for further work are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although gender is often used as a dummy control variable in user-generated content research, online community researches often conduct study communities of products that are disproportionately used by male users. Similarly, existing studies also focus on communities of high-involvement products, although online communities of low-involvement products are emerging. Continuing the work of Soylemez (2021a), this study used ELM and equity theory and examined how two personal factors (gender and product involvement) affect the relative generation of brand-oriented content and community-oriented content. A four-condition experiment was designed to test the hypotheses, and 120 Clickworker users who engaged with an online brand community in the 30 days prior to the experiment participated in the study. While the study found no significant difference between genders, it found that members of high-involvement product communities generate more brand-oriented content than community-oriented content, while members of low-engagement product communities generate more community-oriented content than brand-oriented content. There is a significant interaction between gender and product participation. The managerial implications such as differentiation and theoretical implications such as the benefit of equity theory in online brand community research have been also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present descriptive qualitative study, we present the concept of vocational branding to provide a definition and explain how it may increase interest in a particular vocation or career. We define vocational branding as a set of stories, facts, and ideas communicating the personality, traits, and realistic benefits and challenges of a specific vocation or career. We interviewed 23 participants who provided vocational and branding expertise from a range of industries and professional roles. Thematic analysis revealed nine emergent themes, including (1) branding mindset, (2) competition versus cooperation, (3) understanding audiences, (4) messaging advocates, (5) advocates as "those who are in it," (6) vocational stereotype challenges (7) branding activities, (8) conflicting marketing goals, and (9) lack of formal branding. Additionally, using themes and concepts gleaned from interviews and literature, we propose the vocational branding model, in which we describe three distinct stages: (1) defining the brand, (2) developing advocates, and (3) engaging in brand-building activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly interactive social media brand pages depend on knowledge sharing (KS) within the virtual brand community (VBC). Relationship quality (RQ) is important for fostering KS, but research on how this works in the rapidly evolving context of VBC is still somewhat limited. Much RQ research aggregates RQ components into a reflective second order factor, but disaggregating them allows for better assessment of how RQ works. An online survey among Thai users of Facebook brand pages confirms four components of RQ, including trust in providers and users, conflict, satisfaction, and commitment. Trust positively affects satisfaction and commitment. Conflict reduces satisfaction but does not have a direct impact on commitment, likely because the overall level of conflict was not very high. Satisfaction and commitment both have direct effects on KS, but both trust and conflict are fully mediated by these two RQ sub-dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is motivated by the lack of comprehension on how lurking and posting engagement are driven by hedonic vs. utilitarian brands in social media-based brand communities (SMBBC). Survey responses of 229 social media customers comprising group 1 for hedonic brands (n = 126) and group 2 for utilitarian brands (n = 103) were included in a multigroup analysis (MGA). PLS-SEM modeling results indicate that economic and entertainment needs of customers are significantly related to lurking engagement for hedonic brands. In contrast, identification and information needs of customers are significantly related to posting engagement for utilitarian brands. Importantly, lurking engagement appears more significantly related to brand loyalty compared to posting engagement. The study extends several insights on lurking and posting engagement to design brand type-oriented social media marketing strategies. Findings of the study also enrich the Uses and Gratification Theory in the context of lurking and posting engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the historical focus of customer value research has been on transactional values, it is important to also understand the non-transactional values co-created by customer online engagement behaviors. However, online engagement research in tourism has focused almost exclusively on experience sharing behaviors via online review websites. This research is purposed to develop a multi-dimensional measure of non-transactional values created via online brand community members' engagement behaviors. Focusing on Marriott Bonvoy Insider Brand Community members, scale development procedures were used to identify four dimensions of non-transactional value: influential-experience value, C-to-B innovation value, relational value, and functional value. The scale achieves good validity and reliability. Relationships with both antecedents (e.g., internal and external motivations) and consequences (e.g., brand attachment and brand loyalty) were examined to assess nomological validity. Tourism researchers and managers can employ this scale to diagnose the non-transactional values co-created by customer online engagement behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prescription brand substitution also known as generic substitution (GS)is a worldwide phenomenon. In the pharmaceutical industry, growth of the generic drug market implies growth in the number and types of substitutes for ethical (innovator) pharmaceutical products. This threat is relevant mainly due to the comparatively lower prices of these substitutes. Ultimately, prescription brand substitution renders the various marketing efforts and investments of the affected pharmaceutical companies fruitless. The efforts in the literature have focused more on cost as the reason but there seems to be more reasons than cost in developing countries like Ghana. The study examined the marketing-related impacts of prescription brand substitution at community pharmacies in Ghana. Utilizing the ideas of Porter's five competitive forces model, specifically the threat of substitute products and services, the study which is cross-sectional, deductive and descriptive survey in nature, used a mix of cluster sampling and purposive sampling to arrive at a final sample size of 50 pharmacies and 9 pharmaceutical companies,. Data collected were analysed using simple linear regression and descriptive statistics. Weak but statistically significant relationship between frequency of pharmacy calls and nature of drug substitution was observed. Also, prescription brand substitution is prevalent at community pharmacies in Ghana, and that ethical companies are the most affected. Pharmacy front line staff and patients played contributory roles in this phenomenon. It is recommended that Ethical pharmaceutical companies should acknowledge, plan and act in order to minimize the competitive effects of prescription brand substitution [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities use social networks to transmit their institutional identities, applying them as mirrors and loudspeakers of campus life. Thus, they intend to attract potential students and build global communities that transcend the offline field. Much of the previous studies give greater relevance to the engagement achieved than to the discourse used, so this research explores the use of Instagram by the five best universities in the world according to the Shanghai 2022 Ranking, with the aim of comparing their strategies and contrast published content with recorded interactions. The methodology focuses on a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the posts published by Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Cambridge and California Berkeley during the first quarter of the 2021/2022 academic year (n=394), for which a file of analysis has been designed. The results reflect a certain homogeneity in terms of formats, with a predominant use of images; and to discursive intention, focused on extolling the human capital of the institution and its life stories. However, there are particularities derived from the values of each University and the idiosyncrasy of the territory in which they operate. Likewise, from the relationship between the semiotics of the message and the registered interactions, a main conclusion is drawn: there is a discrepancy between the most published and the content with the most participation. Thus, to achieve bidirectionality in their social community, institutions should design their strategies according to the impact achieved, which is greater when CSR actions are disseminated, and video is chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the continuous development of Internet technology, virtual brand communities (VBCs) have increasingly become essential fronts for enterprises and consumers to carry out professional communication and the leading platform for consumers and other consumers to engage in social and brand discussion. Meanwhile, numerous scholars began to pay attention to VBCs as their research topic. However, there is no systematic understanding of the existing literature on the VBCs research. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of VBCs research over the past twenty years. Design/methodology/approach: Based on HistCite and CiteSpace software, descriptive statistics and bibliometric analysis were conducted in this study. Specifically, by adopting research cooperation network analysis, co-citation analysis of literature, cluster analysis and co-word analysis, the authors analyzed 1,157 articles on VBCs in the Web of Science database from 2000 to 2020. Findings: This study summarizes the research of VBCs from three aspects. First, the general characteristics of VBCs literature are analyzed. Second, knowledge bases, research contents, theoretical foundations and theoretical contributions of VBCs are dug and integrated into a knowledge framework. Third, the evolution and trend of VBCs research topics are visualized and analyzed in two phases (from 2005 to 2012 and from 2013 to 2020). Originality/value: This study describes the research status, knowledge structure and famous topics of VBCs research over the past twenty years. Further, the research topics for VBCs have maintained continuity in the last twenty years. Furthermore, the research topics have also been evolving with the development of network technology and changes in the external environment. These results also provide valuable clues about this field's future directions and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]