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Extant literature and common marketing practices converge around the idea that stronger self-links to a brand and its products lead to increased brand loyalty. In this article, we challenge this conventional notion by revealing situations where the preference for self-linked brands diminishes, despite the self-links remaining unchanged. We introduce a key distinction between two types of consumer identities based on whether identity expression relies on specific products: product-dependent (e.g. chef) and product-independent (e.g. foodie). Our theory posits that self-links to products exert less influence on preference when a product-independent identity is prominent. Across five studies examining consumer leisure identities, we find that priming a product-independent (vs. product-dependent) identity reduces preference for self-linked products/brands. Interestingly, it can also enhance preference for negatively self-linked (dissociative) products/brands among materialistic consumers. In a sixth experiment and a real-world Facebook study, we illustrate that the extent to which consumers' identity is chronically product-independent can be assessed either directly or indirectly from social media interests, allowing for more effective targeting of brand-switching appeals. Adding to the literature on the symbolic role of products in identity expression, our research uniquely investigates the functional role of products in identity expression and its profound impact on product/brand preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant consumer data has made decision-making more complicated, rather than simple, for marketers. This raises an important question about which variables in the data contain reliable information for retailers to predict future consumer purchase value (CPV) to guide strategic decisions. The authors address this question by exploring the variables "distinctive choice of brand country of origin" (DBCOO) and "country of origin diversity" (COO diversity) as analytical tools to extract insights from consumer purchase data. Building on signaling theory, the authors theorize and empirically test that DBCOO and COO diversity in a consumer's purchase history can signal, and therefore help predict, CPV. Moreover, the authors explore high-involvement product categories and purchase frequency as boundary conditions to develop a comprehensive framework of COO signals as strategic analytical tools. They find that DBCOO in a consumer's purchase history indeed increases CPV and that this relationship is enhanced for high-involvement product categories but moderated curvilinearly by purchase frequency. Moreover, they find that the COO diversity–CPV link is positive but interacts negatively with both moderators. This allows retailers to successfully distinguish high- from low-CPV consumers and thus enables them to manage the marketing mix and resources more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People demonstrate indirect support for a nation's identity by consuming products representing their nationality. In such context, this article focuses on how people react toward brands with national associations when the nation faces threats perpetrated by institutions. Institutions are important as they are one of the core elements defining national identity. Institutional threats to national identity can come from within the nation (internal threat) and from outside (external threat). Weekly supermarket scanner data from 2004 showed that sales of American-sounding brands declined in counties that saw higher coverage of the Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal (internal threat), and sales of American-sounding brands increased in counties with more war casualties (external threat). Seven additional experiments demonstrated that (1) self-enhancement derived from national identity mediates these main effects, (2) advertisements that refocus attention on how the brand helps cope with external threats mitigate the negative effects of internal threats for American brands, and (3) such advertisements do not mitigate the negative effects of internal threats for non-American brands. Qualitative surveys (N = 218), surveys (N = 1,603), experiments (N = 3,123), and secondary data analyses (encompassing sales of over 8,000 brands across more than 1,100 U.S. stores) were used to triangulate the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike previous research that suggests a predominant preference for older brands, this research takes a contingent perspective to examine how consumers' preference for older brands is affected by their expectations of category innovativeness. Results from the analysis of sales data from Amazon and seven experimental studies demonstrate that consumers' preference for older brands decreases with their expectations of category innovativeness. The rationale is that with expectations of category innovativeness, consumers place less importance on consistency-related brand traits (e.g., stability, reliability) and more on excitement-related brand traits (e.g., dynamic, adventurous). Because older brands are associated with consistency, preference for older brands diminishes with expectations of category innovativeness. Further, this research identifies two factors that moderate the effects of category innovativeness on preference for older (vs. younger) brands. First, familiarity with the older brand moderates the effect of category innovativeness on brand preferences such that category innovativeness increases preferences for younger brands only when consumers are choosing between unfamiliar brands. Second, consumers' need for uniqueness reduces the effect of category innovativeness on preferences for younger brands. Together, the findings suggest that the dominance of older brands reduces with expectations of category innovativeness. The findings are important from both theoretical and managerial perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research shows that AI-based conversational interfaces can have a profound impact on consumer–brand relationships. We develop a conceptual model of verbal embodiment in technology-mediated communication that integrates three key properties of human-to-human dialogue—(1) turn-taking (i.e. alternating contributions by the two parties), (2) turn initiation (i.e. the act of initiating the next turn in a sequence), and (3) grounding between turns (i.e. acknowledging the other party's contribution by restating or rephrasing it). These fundamental conversational properties systematically shape consumers' perception of an AI-based conversational interface, their perception of the brand that the interface represents, and their behavior in connection with that brand. Converging evidence from four studies shows that these dialogue properties enhance the perceived humanness of the interface, which in turn promotes more intimate consumer–brand relationships and more favorable behavioral brand outcomes (greater recommendation acceptance, willingness to pay a price premium, brand advocacy, and brand loyalty). Moreover, we show that these effects are reduced in contexts requiring less mutual understanding between the consumer and the brand. This research highlights how fundamental principles of human-to-human communication can be harnessed to design more intimate consumer–brand interactions in an increasingly AI-driven marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research provides evidence that globally positioned food brands face an inherent trade-off: the advantages of wide global availability and global sourcing can be outweighed by unfavorable perceptions related to freshness. Through five experiments, with participants from developed and emerging markets, the authors demonstrate that global (vs. local) brand positioning cues dampen product purchase intentions; this happens because globally (vs. locally) positioned brands evoke lower freshness perceptions. This effect is particularly pronounced for minimally or moderately (vs. highly) processed product categories, for which freshness considerations are more important. In addition, the negative effects of globally positioned brands can be reduced with secondary freshness cues, such as freshness seals or guarantees, and such a strategy is particularly effective for individuals high in perceived vulnerability to disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer segmentation is important for e-commerce companies to understand and target different customers. The primary focus of this work is the application and comparison of K-means clustering and hierarchical clustering, unsupervised machine learning techniques, in customer segmentation for ecommerce platforms. Clustering leverages customer search behavior, reflecting brand preferences, and identifying distinct customer segments. The proposed work explores the K-means algorithm and hierarchical clustering. It uses them to classify customers in a standard e-commerce customer dataset, mainly focused on frequently searched brands. Both techniques are compared based on silhouette scores and cluster visualizations. K-means clustering yielded well-separated segments compared to hierarchical clustering. Then, using the K-means algorithm, customers are classified into different segments based on brand search patterns. Further, targeted marketing strategies are discussed for each segment. Results show three customer segments: high searchers-low buyers, loyal customers, and moderate engagers. The proposed work provides valuable insights into customers that could be used for developing targeted marketing campaigns, product recommendations, and customer engagement strategies to enhance the conversion rate, customer satisfaction, and, in turn, the growth of an e-commerce platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing models and methods of self-brand user image congruence measurement have taken into account desirable characteristics but mostly ignored undesirable changes in the self-image. Addressing this gap, a three-component model of self-brand user image congruence was developed based on self-regulation theory and three cardinal self-evaluation motives. The model enabled a dimension-based measurement not only of a perceived confirmatory value and a positive added value of the brand in consumer self-image, but also of its negative added value. A series of two psycholexical exploratory studies and three separate confirmatory studies established the structure of consumer-to-typical-brand-user comparisons and proved a unique contribution of each component to the explanation of brand preference. The proposed method showed better results than the existing dimension-based indirect method of congruence measurement and allowed for a precise measurement of the symbolic value of the brand for consumer self-image, which has important managerial implications. In-depth knowledge of desired and undesired self-congruence may help marketing managers in targeting consumers and positioning their brands in a better way to appeal to the audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines how the dimensions of brand choice (emotional connection, brand attributes, brand image, and price) influence customer loyalty among selected Ghanaian university students as the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the importance of laptops in higher learning institutions. The study further examined the mediating roles of trust and commitment between brand choice dimensions and customer loyalty. The study adopted Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS 24 to analyze responses from 310 Ghanaian university students selected purposely from two Universities in Ghana. Findings reveal that brand image and price are the main dimensions of brand choice that directly influence customer loyalty. Thus, brand image and price were the only constructs with a significant relationship with loyalty. Trust and commitment show diverse mediation effects on brand choice dimensions and brand loyalty. The study offers empirical findings to support the assumption that trust and commitment are significant in brand choice dimensions and customer loyalty when selecting laptop brands. The results provide practitioners and scholars with valuable information to understand the role of trust and commitment theory in designing brand choice dimensions to influence loyalty toward laptop brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Going through an era where sustainability and definitions of fairness have been extended and integrated into the agri-food chain, there is a need to understand, on a multi-dimensional and multinational level, the structure of agri-food value chain revenues and consumers' intentions regarding necessity foods. The study analyzed 1,020 questionnaires from Algeria, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Tunisia revealing that taste prioritizes brand and packaging. Social networks, including family and friends, significantly influence the purchase of fair products. Furthermore, a choice experiment revealed the consumer preferences around attributes of the olive oil case as local, traditional, or organic, from a family or farmer association, in a glass bottle, purchased in small local shops/markets, typical and/or extensive nutritional labeling and health claims, non-relevant branding, and finally a fair price reflecting the reasonable quality of the olive oil product. Regarding the agri-food value chain, the results highlight the revenue distribution among stakeholders as unequal and unfair from consumer perceptions, with an imperative need for transparency. The study investigates in-depth the multifaceted dimensions of the fairness concept in the food market from a consumer's perception, showing their willingness to pay for necessities based on fair pricing and sustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the Chinese market's physicochemical properties and sensory attributes of 14 original-cut potato chip brands. Color characteristics, compositional analysis, sugar content, acrylamide levels, and textural properties were examined alongside sensory evaluations. Significant variations were observed across all the parameters. Color analysis revealed diverse L*, a*, and b* values, with total color difference (ΔE) strongly correlating with sensory scores (r = 0.73, p < 0.01). A compositional analysis showed substantial differences in protein (5.19–8.51%), fat (27.91–40.16%), and moisture (0.67–3.78%) contents. Acrylamide levels varied widely (166.7–1101.78 mg/kg), positively correlating with the sucrose content (r = 0.57, p < 0.05). A textural analysis demonstrated significant variations in hardness (379.38–1103.6 gf) and fracturability (167.5–857.77 gf), with fracturability negatively correlating with sensory scores (r = −0.75, p < 0.01). A sensory evaluation revealed distinct brand preferences, with the total scores ranging from 65 to 85. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between the physicochemical properties and consumer perception of potato chips in the Chinese market and offers potential directions for product optimization and quality control in the snack food industry, inspiring hope and innovation among industry professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of sports sponsorship on brand equity using two managerially related outcomes: price premium and market share. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a best–worst discrete choice experiment (BWDCE) and compares the outcome with that of the purchase intention scale, an established probabilistic measure of purchase intention. The total sample consists of 409 fans of three soccer teams sponsored by three different competing brands: Nike, Adidas and Puma. Findings: With sports sponsorship, fans were willing to pay more for the sponsor's product, with the sponsoring brand obtaining the highest market share. Prominent brands generally performed better than less prominent brands. The best–worst scaling method was also 35% more accurate in predicting brand choice than a purchase intention scale. Research limitations/implications: Future research could use the same method to study other types of sponsors, such as title sponsors or other product categories. Practical implications: Sponsorship managers can use this methodology to assess the return on investment in sponsorship engagement. Originality/value: Prior sponsorship studies on brand equity tend to ignore market share or fans' willingness to pay a price premium for a sponsor's goods and services. However, these two measures are crucial in assessing the effectiveness of sponsorship. This study demonstrates how to conduct such an assessment using the BWDCE method. It provides a clearer picture of sponsorship in terms of its economic value, which is more managerially useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) attributes in the hotel industry and tested their effect on hotel brand and consumer behavior using mixed methods. The qualitative approach was used to develop 11 hotel ESG attributes, while the quantitative approach was used to test research hypotheses. Furthermore, a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was used to test necessary and sufficient conditions. The results showed that most of the hypotheses were accepted, and that hotel ESG attributes had a positive effect on hotel brand and consumer behavior. Based on the results, this study provides meaningful and important insights into hotel ESG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Diversity, equity and inclusion ideology is the latest appeal of individual compassion, institutional legitimacy and enlightened society. Specific to higher education, diversity, equity and inclusion is an honorable ideology, value and mission. This paper aims to (1) empirically recognize the differences in the level of importance between the university's and faculty's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, (2) identify the diversity, equity and inclusion outcomes, such as university brand image and student intention to engage postgraduation, (3) uncover the moderating role of university brand preference attainment and (4) validate the mediating role of student identification in diversity, equity and inclusion literature. Design/methodology/approach: A survey of 1,027 usable responses was employed to perform two moderations, four mediations and two confidence interval analyses. Findings: The university's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are significantly more rewarding than the faculty's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the university brand image and students' intention to engage postgraduation. Findings uncover the mediating role of student identification and the moderating role of brand preference attainment. Practical implications: Focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion at the institutional level is more impactful than at the faculty level. In industries where frontline employees have significant autonomy, such as higher education, the positive brand performance outcomes are related to the faculty's diversity, equity and inclusion awareness, not the faculty's diversity, equity and inclusion advocacy. Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives should align with the student's shared values. Originality/value: The study relies on institutional theory to underscore the asymmetric importance of the university's and faculty's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in achieving perceived brand image and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the mobile wallet has changed the traditional payment landscape due to the growing popularity of smartphone use and the mass adoption of mobile wallets in emerging markets. The existing literature related to mobile wallet services is primarily focused on various aspects such as product adoption and technology acceptance, consumer satisfaction, behavioral issues, buying intention, etc. The researchers have examined service convenience, service quality, social media influence, risk, privacy, and trust issues. However, existing literature has not explored much on mobile wallet brand choice behavior. There is also a lack of empirical study on consumer-based brand choice modeling backed by the utility maximization theory in the mobile wallet service domain. A total of 474 online samples of m-wallet users were gathered using a brand choice scale. We have used the multinomial logit modeling approach to investigate the consumers' mobile wallet brand selection behavior, considering the different brand dimensions and brand outcomes and the users' demographic information. This study has suggested that the users' expectation fulfilment, satisfaction, and trust are essential to interpreting the mobile wallet service brand choice behavior, wherein demographic variables also play a vital role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nightmare Before Christmas ' director, Henry Selick, tells us that watching the film should be like opening a pop-up book. Clean-cut silhouettes, fingerprints and grooves, hidden surprises, and playful subversiveness are as integral to Nightmare 's production design as they are typical of the pop-up book form. In this article, I will examine this symmetry and discuss how Selick's vision of a living illustration connects to the range of paper-engineered transmedia toys, books, and seasonal tokens that the film inspired. An early example is A Super Pop-Up (1993)—a charming gift book which positions the reader as a pseudo-stop-motion-animator, bending over doublespread dioramas to slide paper-cut characters into position. More recently, Reinhart's elaborate Petrifying Pop-Up for the Holidays (2018) showcases several contemporary devices that re-create specific filmic shots. Other notable Disney-endorsed merchandise includes a Pop-Up Advent Calendar (2019), featuring an impressively tall Gothmas-esque tree, and elegant pop-up Halloween and Valentine's cards produced by Hallmark and Lovepop. Each item treads the line between spirited plaything and fragile ornament, theatrical spectacle, and interactive artwork—a blurring of binaries that echoes the experimental artistry of Nightmare and continues to delight both young fans and adult collectors. Perhaps unsurprisingly, creative fans also appreciate Nightmare 's suitability for paper-craft, sharing printable DIY templates and paper-cut fan-art. I will demonstrate how the Victorian flavour of Nightmare , the affordances of stop-motion, and the film's stylistic and branding choices combine to emulate and elevate the nostalgic practice of 'making Christmas' from the humblest of materials—paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a new method for dynamic discrete choice logit models with panel data, which capture both unobserved individual heterogeneities and the state dependence on purchase behaviors. The consistency and asymptotic normality of this estimators are studied in detail. Comparing with the estimators developed by Honore and Kyriazidou (Econometrica 68:839–874, 2000), the pseudo conditional likelihood estimators proposed by Bartolucci and Nigro (J Econom 170:102–116, 2012) and the modified profile likelihood estimators given by Bartolucci et al. (Economet Rev 35:1271–1289, 2016), simulations show the proposed estimators have some advantages on the mean bias and root mean squared error. As a byproduct, another estimator for static logit models is given and comparable with that developed by Chamberlain (in: Griliches Z, Intrilligator MD (eds), Handbook of econometrics, vol 2. North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1984). Last, the proposed approach is applied to the panel data on household detergent purchases and concludes that there exists significant dynamic relationship on household detergent purchases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although visual prototypicality in fashion is an observed phenomenon, empirical examinations of the link between fashion products' design prototypicality and consumer evaluations still need to be included. The present study analyzes the influence of the visual prototypicality of fashion products on consumer-perceived product values and brand preference. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey adopting the fashion product images with significantly differing levels of visual prototypicality was used to collect data from 456 US consumers. The hypothesized relationships among visual prototypicality, product values and brand preference were analyzed through multi-group analysis. Findings: Perceived visual typicality of fashion product designs significantly increased the hedonic and utilitarian value of the product and only indirectly increase brand preference. The hypothesized positive relationship between visual prototypicality and the product's social value was found to be significant only in the low-price levels but became insignificant in the high-price levels. Originality/value: The findings of this study contribute to the extant literature by first providing an initial analysis of the mechanism of visual prototypicality in the fashion product design field. The results confirm that visual prototypicality indirectly influences consumers' brand evaluations by the product's perceived value. This relationship was previously assumed but not empirically proven only in non-fashion product categories. The study also presents additional new points, further enriching the understanding of visual typicality. Additionally, the results show the complex relationship between the visual prototypicality of fashion product designs and the perceived social value of the product, which varies depending on the price range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trajectories of attention capture the accumulation of brand utility during complex decision-making tasks. Thus, attention trajectories, as reflected in eye movements, predict the final brand choice of 85% of consumers before they implement it. Even when observing eye movements in only the first quarter of the decision process, attention already predicts brand choice much better (45%) than chance levels (20%). This superior prediction performance is due to a "double attention lift" for the chosen brand: The chosen brand receives progressively more attention toward the moment of choice, and more of this attention is devoted to integrating information about the brand rather than to comparing it with other options. In contrast, the currently owned brand grabs attention early in the task, and its attention gain persists for brand-loyal consumers and shifts for brand-switching consumers. A new attention and choice model used in tandem with the Bayesian K-fold cross-validation methodology on eye-tracking data from 325 representative consumers uncovered these attention trajectory effects. The findings contribute to closing important knowledge gaps in the attention and choice literature and have implications for marketing research and managerial practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Consumption of sugary drinks (SD) among children and adolescents is a prevalent public health issue both within Canada and worldwide. This problem is exacerbated by the powerful marketing of such beverages to youth, which is known to influence a wide range of dietary behaviours. Methods: A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of the International Food Policy Survey Youth Wave 2019 was conducted to assess the relationship between self-reported exposure to SD marketing within the past 30 days or SD brand advertisements and brand preference and brand recall among youth aged 10–17 from Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Ordinal, multinomial, and binary logistic regression were used as appropriate to examine these associations. Results: Youth brand preference and recall was positively associated with self-reported exposure to general and brand-specific SD marketing across all countries. No statistical interaction was observed between youth age and SD marketing overall or within countries. Soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit juice brands were most commonly recalled by all youth. Conclusion: Similar results were observed among children and adolescents within all countries. Global marketing policies should consider older children and adolescents to adequately protect and support child health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P2P platforms offer accessibility to individuals aspiring to become micro-entrepreneurs by sharing their resources through online platforms. Among users of P2P platforms, there exists a common misconception that hosts merely list their properties as products under the platform's brand. However, individual hosts on platforms actively establish and promote their own personal or host brand. Presently, recommending effective P2P brand management strategies for hosts to boost their performance and gain a competitive edge poses a challenge. This study achieves this through two main objectives: 1) conceptualizing the P2P brand and 2) examining the impact of host branding on consumer behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in customer brand preference mediated by brand experience within the context of DKI Jakarta, Indonesia. The study adopted a cross-sectional design, collecting data at a single point in time from August to December 2023. The research focused on TikTok users in DKI Indonesia, targeting individuals aged 18-34 years who had experience using short video platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. For inferential analysis, the study applied Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS 3.2.9 software. The results showed that brand experience is developed based on the experience of using the services powered by AI technology, thereby shaping brand preference among users. This study found that there is a positive influence between AI marketing efforts on brand experience and brand preference. There are positive influences of brand experience on the brand preference of Tik Tok users. The findings of this study have implications for the companies that specialize in technology and social media, specifically for the Tiktok company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Chinese consumers' brand preferences are shifting from foreign sportswear brands to domestic ones. This indicates an increasingly strong relationship between Chinese consumers and domestic sportswear brands. The purpose of this study is to explore the spillover effect of Chinese domestic sportswear brands' relationship quality to uncover the psychological mechanisms driving this preference shift. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a brand relationship quality scale based on Chinese Confucian yuanfen culture, considering it as a second-order reflective-formative construct. The survey generated 326 valid responses online. Due to the presence of second-order reflective-formative construct in the variables, SmartPLS 4.0 was used for hypothesis testing. Findings: Interaction belief, intimate interaction and happiness as formative dimensions of Confucian yuanfen brand relationship quality are validated, while emotional expression and tolerance are not. The Confucian yuanfen brand relationship quality has a spillover effect on product origin image and domestic sportswear brand preference. Product origin image has a mediating role between Confucian yuanfen brand relationship quality and domestic sportswear brand preference. However, consumer xenocentrism does not moderate the spillover effect of Confucian yuanfen brand relationship quality on domestic sportswear brand preference. Originality/value: This study tests brand relationship quality from Confucian yuanfen perspective as a second-order reflective-formative construct. It contributes to understanding how Chinese consumers perceive their relationships with domestic sportswear brands. The results advance the current body of knowledge on brand relationship quality and spillover effect in sports marketing, indicating that Chinese sportswear brands can explore the possibility of co-opetition to achieve mutual benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As consumers search for new styles, escape boredom, or update their wardrobe, brands offer new collections that promote new looks to create sales. While past studies have examined variety-seeking behaviour within the context of brand switching or seeking new brands, less is known about consumer shopping tendencies within the context of ‘frequently purchased brands’. This study examines the extent to which consumers search beyond their favoured basket of fashion brands by investigating variety-seeking behaviour, attractiveness of alternative brands, satisfaction with brands, and brand commitment. An online survey was used to collect data from 242 female consumers. The results suggest that female consumers’ variety-seeking behaviour may weaken their relationship with favoured fashion brands as they seek alternative choices while highlighting the importance of strategically leveraging the pre-existing brand-consumer relationship. This study adds to the fashion literature where fashion consumption related to variety-seeking and brand commitment are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brand activism has become a powerful way to communicate a brand's values and attract consumers who expect stances on divisive issues, but it can also lead to backlash. Thus, in the current study, we examine the #GoWokeGoBroke movement, an online-based media campaign that is gaining traction, to serve as a starting point for brands and advertisers to decide whether to engage in or avoid brand activism. Our findings, based on moral foundations theory, suggest that each moral foundation is associated with various metrics of online engagement, but not others. Brand activism choices that trigger responses that reference unfairness or undue authority are linked to higher retweet rates and a wider spread, which suggests that evoking those foundations may be particularly dangerous. This study offers implications for understanding the #GoWokeGoBroke movement, as well as for the study of the moral foundations of online movements for brands. The results can help brands mitigate pushback against activism choices as well as consider strategies for using moral foundations to join online brand activism conversations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the factors that influence millennial purchase behaviour, brand choice and distribution channel selection in an evolving technology-driven environment. Design/methodology/approach: The study was exploratory, using qualitative methods of personal interviews and some ethnographic observations to collect data from 585 millennials from ten cities in nine African countries. Findings: Findings from the study confirm and support the critical role of e-commerce in facilitating millennials engagement with brands, highlighting how brand purchases are integral to their lifestyle choices. There is an overwhelming confirmation of the importance of influencer marketing and social media in shaping purchase decisions, with new insights into the role of local micro-influencers and social networks. The findings from the study highlight the pivotal role of a brand's country of origin in influencing millennials' brand preferences. The study supports and advances insights into the importance of online shopping and diverse factors influencing millennials' selection of distribution channels. Practical implications: There is an opportunity to leverage the growing mobile telephone penetration and social media usage to develop innovative integrated marketing communications strategies. There are opportunities for co-creating marketing communication campaigns with millennials in different settings. These are outlined in the practical implications section. Originality/value: The paper is based on original empirical data collected from ten countries and explores the behaviour of a growing but under-researched segment of millennials in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study details how marketing campaigns featuring event-typical ads adapted to sporting events (e.g., a car ad that displays its brand logo on an Olympic podium) affect brand attitudes and incentive-aligned brand choice in more positive ways than proven advertising strategies such as product category consistency. Presenting four field and lab experiments across a total of 3 events and 32 ads, we show that these effects are driven by the combination of 3 mechanisms: event-typical ads' capacity to trigger a sufficient feeling of knowing what the ad is about, provoke curiosity, and transfer attributes from the event to the brand, even with very short ad exposures. Advertisers, brand managers, or event organizers can thus exploit the creative potential around sporting events by using event-typical ads. Furthermore, when these stakeholders know the most typical elements of an event, they can either adapt their marketing activities or register them to avoid ambush marketing (i.e., advertisers willing to associate their brand with the event in the absence of any legitimate link with it). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation Z has entered a labour market recently and most of its members are about to finish their studies and start their careers at the workplaces. It is the least numerous generation which is present at workplaces nowadays and some employers face lack of talents. To be able to recruit suitable job applicants they need to present themselves well. Since social media are natural way of communication of generation Z, they seem to be suitable tool for this purpose. This paper aims to investigate if employers are aware of specifics of generation Z and if they consider social media useful for recruiting the youngest generation at the labour market. Empirical research included combination of qualitative and quantitative method and based on findings several managerial implications were formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers are shifting purchasing behavior from physical stores to online vendors and increasingly relying on reviews from peers to make purchase decisions. Brands are keen to use these reviews in promotions and to facilitate product innovation. But there is an unforeseen outcome: this paper shows that when consumers rely on online reviews, they are overall less loyal to brands and more likely to purchase private label brands. Using a large North American sample from a commercial dataset, this paper empirically investigates these relationships and reports implications for retailing and marketing researchers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis research intends to recognize antecedents of Xenocentrism and explore xenocentrism’s influence on brand preferences among Millennials. The study’s antecedents, identified through extant literature, are cultural openness, social factors, and lifestyle dimensions. The study focuses on an experimental research design and covers a sample of 250 respondents. The sampling frame for the survey is millennials of India. Exploratory factor analysis was adopted to identify the factors appropriate for the research. The regression result was adopted to explore the impact of moderating variable ‘demography’, ‘duration_of_stay in a foreign land’, between xenocentric tendency and brand preference. The ‘duration_of_stay in foreign land’ moderates the association between xenocentric tendency and consumers’ brand preferences. Thus, the acknowledged antecedents of Xenocentricity/Xenocentrism can support international marketing practitioners in formulating consumer decisions for definite target segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a market, there are many groups caused by geographical location or other reasons, and consumers in groups have their own brand preferences for a type of products. The diversity of consumers' brand preferences will avoid the phenomenon of brand simplification and monopoly caused by consistent brand reference of consumers, and to some extent, promote the prosperity and development of various brands in each group. For brand diversification in a market, we hope the brand preferences of consumers in each groups are as equilibrious as possible, so Influence Maximization under Equilibrious Groups (IMEG) is proposed to select k nodes to maximize the number of equilibrious groups after information diffusion. This paper proves that the IMEG is NP-hard, and computing the objective function is #P-hard. It also proves that the objective function is neither submodular nor supermodular under Independent Cascade (IC) model and Linear Threshold (LT) model. Then, the Equilibrious Groups Maximization Solution (EGMS) algorithm is presented to solve our problem. And by comparing with baseline algorithms using different datasets (dolphins, wildbird, weaver and hamsterster), it can be found that the EGMS has obvious advantages in time complexity and spatial complexity. In particular, the running time of EGMS is about 3.7 × 10 - 2 , 2.4 × 10 - 2 , 1.1 × 10 - 1 and 1.8 × 10 - 3 times that of the fastest baseline algorithm in dolphins, wildbird, weaver and hamsterster respectively. And the experiments in small-world, scale-free, random and regular network verify the robustness of EGMS with the varying parameters, such as the number of nodes, the probability of adding edges and the number of adjacencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brands often encourage consumers to compare themselves to two types of standards: other people (i.e., social comparisons) and their own past (i.e., temporal comparisons). Although research has drawn many parallels between these two self‐comparisons, relatively little work has examined how they diverge. Moreover, existing research on their differences focuses on individuals engaging in—rather than brands encouraging—different self‐comparisons. The present research identifies moral perceptions as one critical dimension on which brand‐elicited temporal and social comparisons differ. Four studies find that evoking downward social (vs. temporal) comparisons undermines brand morality perceptions and, consequently, brand evaluations and choice. Providing preliminary insight into the mechanism, when brands evoke downward social (vs. temporal) comparisons, consumers perceive them as promoting status‐seeking behavior, which mediates morality judgments. Furthermore, the effects of comparison type are eliminated among consumers with stronger status motives—those who are less prone to condemn status‐seeking behavior. Altogether, these findings reveal a lay belief in the moral superiority of downward temporal (vs. social) comparisons and the downstream consequences for brands that elicit such comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer‐brand relationships are important predictors of consumption, but the psychology surrounding the different roles brands occupy within these relationships is not fully understood. Three experiments and one field study investigate how preferences for two of these brand roles, partner and servant, depend on consumers' implicit theories of self‐change. Counter to what prior literature might suggest, findings show that consumers who believe that self‐traits are relatively malleable (incremental theorists) and fixed (entity theorists) prefer partner and servant brands, respectively. Results demonstrate that a partner brand signals an equal effort by both the consumer and the brand, whereas a servant brand signals less effort by the consumer and more effort by the brand. The relatively greater consumer effort signals by partner (vs. servant) brands align with the effort beliefs associated with consumers' implicit theories, thereby mediating preferences. Findings are demonstrated across different product categories and samples (Taiwan and US). The focus on dyadic effort signals of brand roles in consumer‐brand relationships, and the resulting interactive effect with implicit theories, provide novel contributions to theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brand selection in service production management is a critical aspect that can significantly impact a business's success and sustainability. Franchising, which means granting the authority to a business with brand recognition to sell its unique products and services, is a method frequently used by many businesses today. Making the right brand choice for a business that will invest in franchising is a strategic process that needs to be decided at the initial stage. The purpose of this study is to determine the specifications that a person or business that will venture into a franchising type of business investment model should take into consideration when choosing between franchisors with different brands and images. Choosing the right franchisor in sectors that involve high-cost infrastructure and installation expenses is the initial stage of investment planning. In the study, SWARA method, one of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods, was used to analyze the factors affecting the choice of a fuel station franchise investment brand. As a result of the study, the criterion called "Brand" and defined as the recognition of the preferred business in the field was found to be the criterion with the highest importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that can reverse the cognitive dissonance experienced by consumers who prefer foreign digital platforms despite being ethnocentric, and those who prefer local digital platforms despite being xenocentric. The goal is to create positive attitudes among these consumers. Existing literature indicates a negative effect of ethnocentrism on foreign brand preference and a negative effect of xenocentrism on domestic brand preference. This study aims to transform these negative effects into positive ones by incorporating mediating and moderating variables. To achieve this goal, a survey was conducted, collecting data from 415 Turkish consumers through convenience sampling method. The findings indicate that while ethnocentrism does not have a direct effect on foreign brand preference (BP), an indirect effect is observed through perceived brand localness (PBL). The effect of xenocentrism on local brand preference is partially supported, with self-congruity playing an indirect role in this effect. The results reveal that ethnocentrism has a direct effect on foreign BP and PBL, and perceived price value acts as a moderator in the relationship between PBL and foreign BP. Xenocentrism has a significant impact on self-congruity, which in turn significantly influences local BP. Finally, perceived quality value moderates the relationship between self-congruity and local BP. The study concludes that ethnocentrism has a direct effect on local BP, while xenocentrism directly influences foreign BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the wine list strategy preferences among restaurateurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on identifying which criteria are deemed most and least important. A structured analysis categorizes strategies based on their frequency of selection as "Most Important" and "Least Important," establishing a clear hierarchy of value among various criteria. The findings highlight two predominant strategies: "Preference for local wine" and "High reputation brand," which is significant in the decision-making process. Restaurateurs consistently prioritize these strategies, with a dual emphasis on promoting local wine traditions and responding to market demands for reputable brands. The study underscores a pragmatic approach among Bosnian-Herzegovinian restaurateurs, who prioritize familiarity and perceived market security in their wine selections, potentially at the expense of enhancing gastronomic experiences and customer education. Further analysis using Z-scores confirmed the statistical significance of these findings, identifying Strategy Choices 4 and 6 with notably high Z-scores, indicating their distinct importance compared to other criteria. This quantitative approach enhances the understanding of how these strategies stand out within the surveyed context, emphasizing their relevance in shaping wine list strategies. The study contributes insights into the strategic decision-making processes of Bosnian-Herzegovinian restaurateurs regarding wine selection, highlighting the dominance of local wine preference and brand reputation considerations. It underscores potential areas for improvement in integrating gastronomic expertise and enhancing customer experiences, suggesting avenues for future research and strategic refinement in the local restaurant industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increased confidence in e-commerce, consumers remain skeptical when shopping online and therefore rely on electronic word-of-mouth generated by other consumers to aid their brand or store choice. Because eWOM can have detrimental or beneficial effects on brands and is beyond the control of firms, measuring the extent to which consumers use this information source to inform their decisions is a major challenge facing scholars and practitioners. This study examines the influence of eWOM on customers' behavioral intentions and tests the role of brand familiarity. Five hypotheses are developed and tested based on the accessibility-diagnosticity theory and the elaboration likelihood model. A sample of 432 participants was recruited from a university in Southeastern Nigeria to participate in a 2 × 3 between-subject factorial experiment. The results show that the positive or negative sentiments conveyed in eWOM messages and the familiarity of a brand affect customers' behavioral intentions independently, and that the volume of eWOM messages interacts with brand familiarity to impact these behavioral intentions such that unfamiliar brands benefit more from high volume than familiar retailers do. The implication is that firms can overcome the problem of familiarity and performance risk by motivating and displaying as many eWOM communications as possible in their social media and advertisements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address omnichannel retailers' return challenges, considering consumers' brand and channel preferences. Four subgame models for retailers' Experience‐in‐Store‐and‐Buy‐Online (ESBO) return strategies in a double oligopoly market are developed. Using an optimization model and inverse induction method, equilibrium strategies under different conditions are determined. Finally, simulation analyzes parameter sensitivity and equilibrium strategies. Findings show that when consumers' brand preference is low, the (Y,Y) subgame is the unique equilibrium solution, but profits do not significantly increase and are always lower than the (N,N) subgame, leading to a Prisoner's Dilemma. With a clear brand preference, both retailers always obtain the maximum profit under the (Y,Y) subgame. In markets with a high proportion of omnichannel consumers and a large number of high‐cost‐to‐store consumers, the party implementing the ESBO strategy benefits more in a fiercely competitive market, while the profit situation of the party not implementing the ESBO strategy is less optimistic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While social media influencers' impact on consumer choices in brands and products has been extensively studied, their influence in the realm of arts and culture, particularly literature, remains underexplored. This study fills this gap by examining the influence of literary influencers, or "book influencers", on readers' book choices and their likelihood of following such recommendations. Using source theory as our framework, we develop a model focused on the perceived credibility of these influencers. We hypothesize that this credibility depends on the influencer's characteristics, like popularity, and the reader's literary preferences, such as genre specialization. Our empirical experiment with 280 French readers reveals that an influencer's perceived credibility significantly affects readers' intentions to read a book, only when the influencer is less popular. This effect is amplified when readers lack genre specialization, indicating omnivorous reading habits. These findings challenge initial hypotheses and open new avenues for research into the role of literary influencers in shaping readers' choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the effects of five restaurant marketing antecedents (i.e., food quality, perceived healthiness, promotional innovativeness, authenticity, and menu quality) on three outcome variables (i.e., brand preference, pay a price premium, and eWOM) through memorable experience in the context of full-service restaurant online food ordering. PLS-SEM was used to analyze 336 responses collected from U.S. consumers. The results show that perceived healthiness, promotional innovativeness, authenticity, and menu quality are strong predictors of memorable dining experience. Subsequently, memorable dining experience is a strong predictor of full-service diners' behavioral responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the nature of brand associations that air travellers form with airports and which associations are important when choosing between airports. Using semi-structured qualitative interviews, this study collected information about 240 participants' most recent trips using air travel, encompassing 642 airport visits and 88 airports worldwide. The associations that participants made with the airports they travelled through were collected, as well as the sorts of associations that are important for choosing between airports and why those associations are important. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, revealing 13 themes each for airport brand associations and important associations for choosing between airports and 14 themes for reasons why those associations were important. Single-sample t-tests reveal that each of these themes has a different effect size in terms of its effect on airport brand association formation and its effect on attitudinal brand choice. This study contributes to the air transport and tourism literature by providing a detailed account of which associations air travellers form with airports and which are used for choosing between airports by contextualising these findings by viewing airports as compound brands. Managerial implications are also provided along with avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a world increasingly concerned about environmental issues, the fashion industry is witnessing a notable shift in consumer behaviour towards recycled clothing and sustainable fashion. This trend reflects a heightened awareness of the detrimental impact of traditional clothing production on the planet. Annually, the fashion sector consumes 79 billion cubic meters of water, accounting for approximately 20% of global water usage, and emits 1.7 billion tons of CO2, nearly 10% of global emissions, while generating 92 million tons of textile waste. Given the projected growth of the global fashion industry, addressing its substantial environmental and social impacts is crucial. Integrating sustainability practices across the supply chain is imperative. Consumers play a pivotal role in driving this change by making informed choices, demanding transparency from brands, and supporting sustainable products and practices. This article explores consumer behaviour towards recycled clothing, in order to understand the factors that influence consumers' purchase decisions and to identify the barriers and motivations that affect their attitude towards it of recycled clothing. In order to achieve this goal, the study "Consumer Behaviour towards Recycled Clothing in the Republic of Moldova. By elucidating perceptions and behaviours, this research offers insights crucial for fostering responsible consumption and advancing sustainable fashion strategies in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Brand architecture decisions have important performance implications but have seen little quantitative research. In particular, there is little empirical evidence on how the strength of the link established among clusters of products within the company's portfolio impact the sales effects of typical marketing actions such as line extensions. This paper quantifies the effect of different brand architecture choices and product feature similarity in moderating the impact of line extensions on brand sales. Based on categorization theory, the authors hypothesize that brand name similarity and feature similarity, both independently, and in interaction, increase brand cannibalization. The empirical analysis in three consumer packaged-goods categories shows that it is more critical to minimize the feature similarity than brand name similarity to limit cannibalization and generate higher incremental sales from line extensions. Controlling for feature similarity, line extensions introduced under sub-brands cause greater cannibalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]