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Marketers today are increasingly using storytelling to engage their audiences. However, the design of narrative visuals is often inspired by a text-centric understanding of narratives. Despite the fast increase in visual content and the distinct processing it induces, extant research on visual narrativity remains fragmented, lacking a comprehensive framework to explain how a single still image can convey a narrative. Our literature review addresses this gap through the lens of narrative transportation theory. Based on a systematic review of 64 articles from marketing and adjacent disciplines, the authors propose that an image must narrate, act, and resonate (NAR) to stimulate narrative processing and transport viewers into its narrative. They also identify specific visual features that can facilitate this process and explore how characteristics of the storyteller, story receiver, and story settings can influence the strength of visual narrative transportation (VNT). Finally, the authors highlight affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses of transported viewers. This research extends narrative transportation theory to the visual domain, offering practical design principles that can be easily applied by marketing professionals. It also outlines an actionable research agenda for marketing scholars to further explore visual narrativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of their customer engagement (CE) marketing, firms use different platforms to interact with customers, in ways that go beyond purchases. Task-based CE strategies call for customers' participation in structured, often incentivized tasks; experiential CE initiatives instead aim to stimulate pleasurable experiences for customers. But the optimal uses of these two strategies, in terms of improving customer engagement to produce more positive marketing outcomes, are unclear. With a meta-analysis and data from 395 samples, pertaining to 434,233 customers, the present study develops and tests a unifying framework of how to optimize investments in both two engagement strategies across different engagement platforms. On average, task-based initiatives are more effective in driving customer engagement, but the effects depend on the platform. If platforms support continuous or lean interactions, task-based initiatives are more effective; on platforms that encourage spot interactions, experiential initiatives are preferable. Three customer engagement dimensions (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) in turn lead to positive marketing outcomes, though in ways that depend on the platforms' interaction characteristics (intensity, richness, initiation) and differ across digital versus physical platforms. These results provide clear guidance for managers regarding how to plan their CE marketing activities to benefit both their firms and their customers., Author(s): Markus Blut [sup.1] , Viktorija Kulikovskaja [sup.2] , Marco Hubert [sup.2] , Christian Brock [sup.3] , Dhruv Grewal [sup.4] [sup.5] [sup.6] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.8250.f, 0000 0000 8700 0572, [...]

Widespread, and growing, use of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled voice assistants (VAs) creates a pressing need to understand what drives VA evaluations. This article proposes a new framework wherein perceptions of VA artificiality and VA intelligence are positioned as key drivers of VA evaluations. Building from work on signaling theory, AI, technology adoption, and voice technology, the authors conceptualize VA features as signals related to either artificiality or intelligence, which in turn affect VA evaluations. This study represents the first application of signaling theory when examining VA evaluations; also, it is the first work to position VA artificiality and intelligence (cf. other factors) as key drivers of VA evaluations. Further, the paper examines the role of several theory-driven and/ or practice-relevant moderators, relating to the effects of artificiality and intelligence on VA evaluations. The results of these investigations can help firms suitably design their VAs and suitably design segmentation strategies., Author(s): Abhijit Guha [sup.1] , Timna Bressgott [sup.2] , Dhruv Grewal [sup.3] [sup.4] , Dominik Mahr [sup.2] , Martin Wetzels [sup.5] , Elisa Schweiger [sup.6] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.254567.7, 0000 [...]

Digital technologies are key to achieving competitive advantage across marketing and retailing contexts. At the same time, marketing managers are confronted with a variety of challenges surrounding the strategic use of these technologies and the need to re-think their digital strategies. Importantly, managers need to develop a deeper understanding of consumer attitudes towards and engagement with (or lack thereof) digital technologies. Marketing strategists can benefit from academic marketing's thought leadership to learn how they can transform these challenges into strategic opportunities for competitive advantage. This can lead to technological innovations that create customer, firm, and societal value. Some of these benefits are described in the articles that make up this special issue. We propose a framework that focuses on the role of strategic resources used by managers to develop and deliver on the promise of digital technologies. Then, we report insights from 16 boardroom interviews with senior marketing managers resulting in three broad themes: decentralized marketing, metamodern customer experiences, and marketing mechanization. We close with a research agenda to motivate additional thought-leading research in this fast-growing area., Author(s): Kirk Plangger [sup.1] , Dhruv Grewal [sup.2] [sup.3] , Ko de Ruyter [sup.1] , Catherine Tucker [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.13097.3c, 0000 0001 2322 6764, Department of Marketing, King's [...]

In realizing that consumers regularly straddle the work–life interface, some companies position their products according to their ability to address work and life needs together, then communicate this offering to consumers. Whether using a work–life positioning strategy is effective remains unclear , however. If this strategy signals work–life enrichment, it should increase consumers' interest, but only if the product demands few resources from consumers. If the product instead demands substantial resources, a work–life positioning might inadvertently trigger perceptions of work–life conflict and lower consumers' interest. To test these predictions, the authors partnered with three businesses to advertise their products, which impose varying resource demands, on social media using content that highlights the work–life interface or not. Analyses of ad click data support the predictions: Work–life ads are less effective than single-domain (work or life) ads if the advertising involves resource-demanding products, but they are more effective if it pertains to resource-undemanding products. Furthermore, the effects are stronger among consumer segments that experience more work–life conflict in general. With this initial application of work–life theory to a marketing context, this article offers relevant insights for both research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-store communication delivered through technological formats (e.g., kiosk, digital display) and nontechnological formats (e.g., magazine cover, flyer) can help retailers enhance sales by delivering relevant content to consumers. Although prior research has examined the effects of deal-oriented content that primarily offers promotions for a single product on shopper spending, the effects of inspirational content that sparks ideas (e.g., ways to use products) on spending are unclear. Inspirational content can affect spending differently from deal-oriented content as it activates stronger motivation for consumption goal completion. This article proposes that inspirational content activates stronger motivations for the consumer's goal completion and therefore increases spending more than deal-oriented content does. The authors propose and empirically test the hypotheses using data from a set of experimental studies, a field experiment, and an eye-tracking study. The results show that inspirational content increases spending more than deal-oriented content or no content does. This effect is mediated by consumption goal completion, such that it is attenuated when consumers already have consumption goals or when the content detracts from inspiration-induced goals. These results suggest that retailers can increase sales by using clear, inspirational content in their communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars and practitioners increasingly call for a more nuanced understanding of why and when family firm branding is more versus less effective. Across three studies, we find that, in general, communicating family ownership enhances consumer responses because it humanizes the company. Importantly, however, the effectiveness of this communication strategy depends on (a) the presence and (b) the source of positive corporate social responsibility (CSR) news. Specifically, we demonstrate that family firm branding is less effective when an external source informs consumers about the company's CSR. It does offer a strong competitive advantage, however, when the company self-reports its CSR activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grewal, Guha, and Becker (2024; GGB) provided an initial position paper, outlining the promises and perils of AI, as well as three grand societal challenges linked to AI. Seven sets of researchers have provided insightful commentaries in response to GGB (2024), in efforts that introduce new themes or else challenge some of the initial claims. With this response paper, we summarize those commentaries, clarify points of agreement and contrast, and augment the themes in GGB (2024) based on the insights gained from the commentaries. Specifically, we present two additional grand societal challenges linked to AI, reflecting our continued dedication to broadening discussions about both the promises and the perils of AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The profound impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to evolve over the next several decades, and many of these impacts will emerge through marketing-related AI applications. Therefore, marketers, public policymakers, firms, researchers, and individual consumers must recognize and understand the benefits that AI offers, as well as the perils that it presents, both now and in the future. A literature review surfaced three themes – that AI will augment and (potentially) replace human intelligence, that AI will evolve into an empathetic and trusted companion, and that AI will create novel tensions. Next, this article outlines three stages of AI development, from an early stage with much promise, to a stage with many benefits, to a stage wherein AI-related tensions emerge. Finally, this article outlines three grand challenges: (1) preserving and growing human capability, (2) protecting societal belonging and human connection, and (3) ensuring equitable sharing of AI benefits. Addressing such challenges, along with related concerns (e.g., privacy, ethics), can enable society to reap the benefits of AI fruitfully and in an equitable manner that truly improves the quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer perceived value (CPV) is a cornerstone of marketing literature. However, myriad studies have generated contradictory empirical findings. In addition, though some existing literature reviews help clarify the conceptual foundations of CPV, the literature lacks a meta-analysis of empirical evidence about the CPV model and its effects. To consolidate existing research, the current meta-analysis assesses the findings of 687 articles, involving 780 independent samples and 357,247 customers. The most integrative CPV model, which includes benefits, sacrifices, and overall value, performs best. Empirical generalizations also reveal the relative weights of various benefits and sacrifices integrated into this CPV model and causal chains between CPV and different outcomes (satisfaction, word-of-mouth, and repurchase intentions). Finally, this analysis uncovers moderating effects of multiple relational contexts: nonprofit/for-profit, public/private, contractual/non-contractual, online/offline, business-to-business/business-to-consumer, and goods/services. For scholars, this article synthesizes existing findings on CPV; for managers, the results provide suggestions for ways to increase CPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates how shopping on a weekday or a weekend moderates the impact of music on supermarket sales. Contrary to the intuitive beliefs of interviewed store managers, a meta-analysis, two field studies, and a controlled experimental study indicate that playing pleasant music (vs. no music) in supermarkets on weekdays enhances sales, an effect not found on weekends. Theorizing and interviews with shoppers suggest a potential reason for this week-part difference: Shoppers are more mentally depleted on weekdays (vs. weekends). A final study demonstrates and tests mental depletion as the driving factor for how shoppers are affected by music during different week parts. When consumers are depleted (e.g., on weekdays) music increases affect, which mediates the impact of music on sales. The results of the studies further indicate that week part plays a significant role in determining the impact of in-store music on sales. This article concludes with a discussion of the substantive and theoretical importance of incorporating the impact of week parts to predict in-store marketing effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research about innovation management explores how the future is created—who is creating it (organizations, collaborations, etc.), for what aims (customer satisfaction, market performance, etc.), and with what broader effects (social, environmental, etc.). With this extended essay, we explore the potential futures of innovation management research in three ways. First, we briefly review the history of past research agendas and priorities published in the Journal of Product Innovation Management (JPIM), highlighting three broad topic areas (technological, social/environmental, and organizational) that have emerged over time and their potential disruptive implications for innovation management research. Second, we describe the outcome of a gathering of leading scholars in innovation management tasked with the challenge of identifying critical research paths for our field. This collaboration resulted in five "deep dive" essays into areas ripe for innovation management research in the years ahead: liquid innovation, artificial intelligence in innovation, business model innovation, public value innovation, and responsible innovation. Third, we reflect on this expansive effort and offer a discussion of implications (tensions, challenges, and opportunities) for future innovation management scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the literature offers multiple suggestions for how to recover from service failures, albeit without explicitly addressing customers' negative, high-arousal states evoked by the failure. The few studies that do address ways to improve negative emotions after failures focus on face-to-face interactions only. Because many customers today prefer to complain on social media, firms must learn how to effectively de-escalate negative, high-arousal emotions through text-based exchanges to achieve successful service recoveries. With three field studies using natural language processing tools and three preregistered controlled experiments, the current research identifies ways to mitigate negative arousal in text-based social media complaining, specifically, active listening and empathy. In detail, increasing active listening and empathy in the firm response evokes gratitude among customers in high-arousal states, even if the actual failure is not (yet) recovered. These findings provide a new theoretical perspective on the role of customer arousal in service failures and recoveries as well as managerially relevant implications for dealing with public social media complaints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]