ABSTRACT. Utilizing the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) as the theoretical foundation, the research examines how emotional appeal, informativeness, entertainment value, para-social interaction, and online opinion leadership influence viewer arousal and subsequent behavioral intentions. Data were collected from 315 TikTok users in Vietnam. The findings reveal that emotional appeal, informativeness, and entertainment value significantly enhance viewer arousal, thereby increasing sharing intentions. Para-social interaction and online opinion leadership also significantly affect both purchase and sharing intentions. However, viewer arousal does not directly influence purchase intention, suggesting that while arousal can drive sharing behavior, additional factors are required to convert it into purchase decisions.

ABSTRACT. Drawing on signaling theory, the study focuses on the internal signals sent by companies following unintentional negative public crises, and examines the strength and credibility of these signals in relation to companies’ response strategies. The research examines the effect of various apology statements on 1) informal infomediaries (i.e. Reddit users) and 2) shareholders. To test the full process by which a statement of apology can influence online sentiment and, subsequently, financial performance, we analyze over 50,000 comments from 183 posts discussing 49 different companies on Reddit. Findings reveal that the extent to which the online public reaction is negative and leads to an increase in informal information shared online depends on the response strategy used and the characteristics of the crisis. The research highlights the role of information intermediaries (i.e., “infomediaries”), not only as a disseminator but as the recipient of a signal. It also serves as a starting point to compare their reactions with those of other stakeholders, and to better understand how signals transmitted by different types of sources (i.e., the company and infomediaries) influence financial performance over time.

ABSTRACT. Existing research on AI-driven marketing largely addresses the functional aspects of automation and optimization, often overlooking the potential for emotionally intelligent interactions that build meaningful connections with consumers. However, recent advancements in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Emotion AI have transformed the way brands can engage users, providing novel insights into enhancing user experience and fostering brand loyalty. This paper presents a conceptual framework for a Human-to-Human (H2H) approach in AI-driven marketing, emphasizing the role of empathetic and emotionally responsive AI interactions that align with core human values. To achieve this, the framework considers personalization, trust, empathy, familiarity, and cultural cues as key antecedents that improve user experience, ultimately encouraging brand advocacy through co-creation behavior. Drawing from theories such as the stimulus-response approach, Lawrence Stenhouse's interactive model, person-environment fit theory, and social presence theory, this study offers a multidisciplinary foundation for understanding the social and emotional dynamics within AI-user interactions. The paper concludes with a discussion on the conceptual and managerial contributions of this H2H approach, highlighting ethical considerations and offering directions for future research in diverse consumer and cultural contexts.

ABSTRACT. This study explores consumer acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) through an enhanced Technology Acceptance Model (UTAUT2), incorporating cognitive, affective, and social dimensions. The promise of AVs, including enhanced safety and environmental benefits, aligns with consumers' rising demand for instant, personalized experiences. However, challenges remain, with concerns about accidents, privacy, trust, and security influencing public perceptions. This research extends the UTAUT2 framework by investigating factors such as technology trust, ecological benefits, and subjective user well-being. An online survey confirmed that effort expectancy, ecological benefits, and technology trust significantly enhance AV acceptance. Findings suggest that brands should focus on AVs' safety, ecological, and user well-being benefits, addressing consumer concerns around data privacy and security. While results are promising, limitations, including sample demographics and reliance on hypothetical scenarios, indicate further research is needed. Future studies could focus on flexible, usage-based pricing models and real-world testing to deepen understanding of AV adoption, especially for diverse demographics and global contexts.

ABSTRACT. This study examines consumer responsibility in autonomous vehicles (AVs), focusing on how AV morality settings influence perceptions of accountability in emergencies. With the AV market expanding rapidly with newcomers such as Tesla’s "Cybercab" indicating commercial potential, moral and ethical frameworks in AV programming are crucial. Through four studies, we explored how AVs programmed with either a self-protective or utilitarian morality influence user perceptions of responsibility. Factors like the decision-maker behind the AV's morality settings (government vs. manufacturer) and vehicle ownership type (owned vs. shared) further shape morality perceptions. Findings reveal that consumers tend to prefer self-protective AVs and may internalize responsibility for AV actions, even when perceiving those actions as morally ambiguous. This "responsibilization" of consumers highlights ethical concerns, as consumers could bear consequences for AV decisions they did not make. The results underscore a need for policymakers and manufacturers to consider public perceptions of AV morality settings when developing and regulating AV technology.

ABSTRACT. Research on Transformative Marketing (TM) has grown significantly but remains largely conceptual. We advance the TM field through a quantitative analysis (n = 169) of the European B2B mobility market. In a novel TM model, we integrate TM with Resource-Based View (RBV) and Business Ecosystem (BES) theories. With a PLS-SEM approach, we demonstrate the explanatory potential of this conceptual linkage and uncover new insights: First, we present the construct of a Transformative Resource Gap (TRG) and find that firms with greater resource constraints strategically enhance their TM efforts and ecosystem engagement. Second, we introduce the construct of Business Ecosystem Orientation (BEO) and find it significantly positively relates to firm performance. Third, we illustrate that higher TM intensity and proactivity positively impact TM success which in turn increases performance. With these contributions we provide novel insights for TM, BES, and RBV theories and offer practical guidance for firms facing transformational phenomena.

ABSTRACT. Urbanization intensifies social segregation, especially affecting socio-economically disadvantaged groups with limited access to mobility services. This study explores the relationship between social data and AI-based pricing decisions for shared mobility services, addressing whether AI can support fairer mobility participation. While AI holds promise for fostering inclusivity, concerns persist regarding its potential to reinforce existing biases. A survey of 89 participants assessed socio-demographic factors, social inclusion, and social participation to determine their impact on AI-generated pricing for shared autonomous vehicles. A linear regression analysis revealed significant effects of income, number of children, travel reason, caregiver status, and age on pricing. Contrary to expectations, social inclusion and participation had no significant influence on pricing decisions. The findings highlight the importance of socio-demographic factors in AI-based pricing systems but suggest the need for further exploration of other relevant factors. Future research will involve simulation studies to examine the acceptance of AI-driven pricing models for socially equitable mobility solutions.

ABSTRACT. The solo travel market has grown rapidly in recent decades, driven by societal shifts, higher disposable incomes, and a rising interest in self-discovery. However, solo travel remains underexplored within hospitality and tourism management, particularly regarding male travelers. While existing studies largely emphasize the experiences of female solo travelers, this study addresses a gap by examining the motivations and constraints of Gen-Z male travelers on solo leisure trips. Using qualitative methods grounded in the Push and Pull Motivation Theory and Leisure Constraints Model, this research involved focus groups to uncover what drives these young men to travel alone. Findings reveal a blend of "push" factors—self-confidence, freedom, self-reflection, and escaping daily routines—and "pull" factors such as cultural immersion, historical and urban attractions, coastal experiences, and social connections that encourage solo travel. Identified travel constraints included self-doubt, anxiety, limited social support, and budgetary concerns. These insights suggest a need for tourism professionals to design specialized offerings that foster confidence, transformative experiences, and affordability for solo Gen-Z male travelers.

ABSTRACT. This study uses a mixed methods approach for segmentation of the peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodations market. We first identify P2P accommodation attributes and individual traits using the free elicitation technique. Then, individual-level utility functions of the choice-based conjoint analysis are used for cluster analysis. Our findings suggest that booking decisions are quite complex given the involvement of many variables that go beyond the physical attributes of the property and the individual’s demographic characteristics. Choices are shaped by incorporating peers’ opinions through ratings and recency of ratings, host-related effects, and individual traits. The results identify three clusters in the P2P accommodation market—private travelers, certainty-focused travelers, and budget travelers. In closing, we discuss theoretical and managerial implications while suggesting future research directions.

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**Abstract**

This study explores the use of Dark Triad personality traits (Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy) to predict and manage Jay Customer behavior in the hospitality industry. Jay Customers, known for their disruptive actions, negatively impact firms, employees, and other customers. Traditionally, these customers are identified only after their behavior manifests. This research confirms that individuals with high Dark Triad traits are more likely to exhibit Jay Customer behaviors. The study also examines four moderators—boredom, sensation seeking, stress, and purpose of travel—and their influence on the relationship between Dark Triad traits and Jay Customer behavior. Findings indicate that boredom and sensation seeking significantly amplify this relationship, while stress does not. Additionally, the link between Dark Triad traits and Jay Customer behavior is stronger during leisure travel compared to business travel. These insights offer practical strategies for hospitality providers to mitigate the negative impacts of Jay Customers by addressing boredom and sensation seeking, particularly in leisure contexts.

ABSTRACT. The Hilton Foundation recently disbursed USD 207 Million in grant making, much of which was directed towards helping homeless people and disaster recovery. This example highlights the attention stakeholders in the tourism industry give to various social and environmental causes. Similarly, the Surfrider Foundation lists coastal hotels with an ocean-friendly approach. Through these examples, this research raises the question of how these philanthropic actions impact the customer journey.

ABSTRACT. This research investigates how enrollment policies in electronic health records (EHR) systems—specifically, opt-in versus opt-out settings—affect consumers privacy concerns, perceived benefits, and willingness to disclose personal health data. Using France's transition from an opt-in to an opt-out policy in 2022, we employ a difference-in-differences method, analyzing survey data collected before and after the policy shift. Findings indicate that an opt-out setting, where patients are automatically enrolled, leads to higher privacy concerns but also increases perceived benefits and willingness to disclose health data, likely due to the convenience and systemic endorsement implied. In contrast, opt-in settings require active enrollment, which may reduce privacy concerns but result in lower perceived benefits and engagement due to enrollment barriers. These insights suggest that default settings in EHR enrollment significantly shape patient attitudes and behaviors, emphasizing the role of policy design in digital health adoption. Understanding these dynamics can help policymakers optimize strategies to nudge patient engagement.

ABSTRACT. Health services are undergoing profound changes as digital technologies reshape relationships between patients and professionals (Aljafari et al., 2024), creating a need for targeted communication to support technology adoption. However, persuasive communication practices in France’s hospital and medico-social sectors remain underexplored (Crié and Gallopel-Morvan, 2019). This study addresses this gap by examining communication practices that encourage patients to adopt new technologies in their care pathways. Using the Service-Dominant Logic (SDL) framework (Vargo & Lusch, 2004) and a Marketing-as-Practice (MAP) perspective (Skålén & Hackley, 2011), this qualitative study includes in-depth interviews with marketing managers, healthcare providers, staff, and patients in hospitals and retirement homes. Preliminary findings show that communication practices are key in addressing patient and family concerns regarding e-health. Interactions between communication managers and physicians create educational materials that clarify technological benefits, fostering patient confidence. Co-created tools emerge as strong levers for implementing technological innovation. This study expands the literature by combining SDL and MAP perspectives. Managerial implications highlight the importance of awareness campaigns, transparent information, and tailored support to reduce resistance and enhance patient engagement. These insights provide guidance for healthcare marketers and managers aiming to enrich patient experience in a digitally evolving healthcare landscape.

ABSTRACT. Self-service checkout systems (SCSs) receive varying customer evaluations, leading retailers to increase, decrease, or remove them from stores. Some customers praise SCSs for their convenience and efficiency, while others complain about doing unpaid labour. This paradox requires further empirical research to better understand customer value perception and the role of SCSs in stores.

Cognitive workload and time pressure influence the evaluation of SCSs as a value extraction or co-creation process. To test our assumptions, 480 UK-based participants on Prolific responded to an online self-checkout simulation and survey. This was split into four parts: 1) demographic questions; 2) SCS scenario; 3) the simulated self-service checkout; 4) measurement of dependent variables.

The data was analyzed using SPSS. All hypotheses were partially or fully supported: 1. High (vs. low) cognitive workload elicits a sense of value extraction (vs. co-creation) (H1). 2. Value co-creation (vs. extraction) mediates low (vs. high) cognitive workload on satisfaction, where customer satisfaction increases (vs. decreases) (H2). 3. Low (vs. high) cognitive workload, when experienced with low (vs. high) time pressure, elicits a sense of value co-creation (vs. value extraction) (H3). 4. Value extraction mediates the interacting effect of cognitive workload and time pressure on customer satisfaction (H4).

ABSTRACT. This study explores the service recovery journey of healthcare providers, particularly within dental practices, as they navigate the challenges posed by negative online reviews. With rising patient reliance on online feedback, such reviews significantly impact healthcare providers' reputations and operations. Providers face unique recovery constraints due to privacy regulations like HIPAA, limiting their ability to respond openly. Employing a phenomenological approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with dental practitioners and office managers to examine their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to negative reviews. Our analysis identifies how organizational service climate—characterized as either “marketing logic” or “medical logic”—influences recovery strategies across three stages: prerecovery, recovery, and postrecovery. Practices embracing a marketing logic actively seek and manage reviews, viewing them as growth opportunities. In contrast, those following a medical logic often avoid engaging with reviews, perceiving them as extraneous to patient care. Findings indicate that a supportive service climate fosters constructive team engagement and enhances emotional resilience, while a lack of formal recovery processes exacerbates individual emotional strain. This study underscores the importance of cultivating a positive service climate and offers strategic recommendations for managing online reputation within healthcare’s regulatory constraints.

ABSTRACT. This study examines the factors influencing students' attitudes toward AI-enhanced virtual reality (AI-VR) applications, their intention to adopt this newly emerging technology, and their learning performance and perceived effectiveness within marketing education. Building upon the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the proposed framework incorporates variables relevant to both VR and AI technologies, including VR sickness, VR self-efficacy, VR expertise, processing fluency, perceived AI trust and perceived AI intelligence. Data will be collected from students at a public university, who will engage with an AI-enhanced VR simulation. This research aims to identify the main determinants of students' acceptance of AI-enhanced VR tools, providing insights into how these technologies can help marketing education. The findings will not only contribute to the existing literature on technology acceptance in education but also offer practical implications for marketing educators seeking to leverage AI-enhanced VR applications, in order to increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes.

ABSTRACT. Marketing pedagogy has recently evolved due to the digitalization of practices, the widespread use of social media, and the ethical questions raised by the discipline. In this context, this paper presents three sets of pedagogical experiments utilizing video through the YouTube platform. Three types of video formats were created and uploaded, featuring increasing levels of student participation and integration into the curriculum, while also addressing the ethical considerations of the field. These experiments aim to achieve three main objectives: to assist students in writing their marketing theses; to enhance marketing courses by fostering student interest and engagement with marketing, responsible consumption, and marketing research; and to promote the adoption of pedagogical content by colleagues from other universities or business schools.

ABSTRACT. This research examines the effectiveness of board game creation as an innovative pedagogical approach compared to traditional report writing, on students’ learning performances. While gamification in higher education is assumed to increase students’ learning performances, empirical evidence comparing different pedagogical approaches remains scarce. We investigate the effects of two pedagogical approaches on learning motivation, engagement, knowledge acquisition, and retention, through a 2 (board game creation vs. report writing; between subject factor) by 3 (measurement points: before, immediately after the activity, and three months after the activity; within subject factor) mixed design experiment involving 150 first-year marketing students. We hypothesize that the board game creation approach will enhance students’ motivation and engagement through increased autonomy and creativity. We also suppose differential effects on knowledge acquisition and retention. Game creation could generate lower short-term acquisition but superior long-term retention, notably through emotional engagement and experiential learning. In addition, students' subjective assessment of knowledge acquisition could be affected by various cognitive biases. The first study reported in this proposal is expected to contribute to the literature on the effectiveness of innovative pedagogical on students’ learning performances. It may provide practical recommendations for adapting teaching approaches to different learning objectives and student profiles.

ABSTRACT. Student engagement is a critical factor for academic success and reduces dropout rates. Traditional teaching approaches often result in student disengagement, necessitating a shift towards more dynamic and student-centered methodologies. Project Based Learning provides a multifaceted approach that promotes active student participation and collaboration to achieve shared goals. However, limited research has explored the level of student engagement in PBL settings. In the specific context of the marketing degree program at ESTGV, a successful PBL program named Mark'it has been implemented for 11 years. This study aims to understand how the Mark'it Project impacts student engagement levels in marketing classes. A questionnaire was used to compare the levels of student engagement between ESTGV and other marketing degree programs in different institutions. The preliminary findings suggest that PBL positively influences students’ cognitive engagement, fostering a sense of ownership in the learning process. However, statistical evidence for behavioral and emotional engagement is inconclusive. These findings underscore the potential of PBL as an effective teaching strategy for enhancing student engagement and improving educational outcomes. Further research is warranted to explore the specific factors that contribute to the different dimensions of student engagement in PBL settings.

ABSTRACT. Companies are increasingly turning to collaborations with influencers to attract consumer attention and promote their products. Unfortunately, these collaborations can sometimes result in transgressions and, in turn, brand crises. We investigate consumer responses toward influencers (personal brands) and companies (corporate brands) involved in brand transgressions in the context of influencer-company collaborations. While prior studies have predominantly explored responses to companies, we investigate whether and how consumers respond more harshly to influencers (vs. companies). Moral outrage —an important emotion combining anger and disgust— is advanced as one key mechanism driving these responses. By combining real-world, longitudinal data with experimental insights, we show that consumers respond more negatively to influencers (vs. companies) when both are involved in a brand transgression in the context of a collaboration. The findings offer insights for social media managers and crisis management professionals, highlighting the risks influencers face in preserving their reputations during brand crises.

ABSTRACT. We used a Large Language Model (LLM) to categorize tweets by the level of incivility in messages from customers to companies and correlated these measures with temperature data. Our results indicate that, compared to moderate temperatures, extreme temperatures (cold and hot) are positively correlated with higher levels of customer incivility.

ABSTRACT. The extant literature regarding post-transactional consumer product utilization remains scarce, particularly in the context of how various ownership types may influence patterns of product engagement. Conceptualizing product abuse as the harsh or excessive utilization of a product leading to potential harm to both the product itself and the consumer, this research aims to investigate abusive behaviors on consumer-owned versus consumer-accessed products, as well as the underlying psychological mechanisms in the behavior. By integrating the frameworks of self-destruction and self-preservation within the domain of the extended-self theory, the current research obtains empirical evidence from the field and experiments to evaluate consumers’ tendencies toward abusive behavior. We propose that accessed products, in contrast to owned ones, are more likely to be abused, a phenomenon facilitated by the shift from self-preservation to self-destructive inclinations. Moreover, this observed pattern is mediated by the fear of ephemerality, alongside the moderating effects of self-extension tendency and self-esteem. Theoretical implications stemming from these findings are expounded upon, as well as practical implications.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates how uncertainty in repair success rates and costs influences consumer preferences. In a dual-response choice-based conjoint analysis with 237 German consumers we manipulated uncertainty levels in hypothetical repair offers. Results show that consumers may tolerate some pricing uncertainty if it offers potentially favorable outcomes, and even vague information substantially increases repair preferences. A market simulation revealed that providing even vague information on repair cost and success rate nearly doubled repair service demand compared to no information. The findings suggest that the lack of transparency in real-world repair offers is a major barrier discouraging consumers from choosing repair.

ABSTRACT. This project examines how the maximization trait influences decision-making biases in entrepreneurial marketing strategies, with a focus on the choose-reject status-quo bias. Maximizers, who tend to display a pronounced bias toward the status quo under certain conditions (Khare et al. 2021), may face unique decision-making challenges that impact their marketing effectiveness. Building on Schwartz's (2004) and Simon's (1955) foundational theories of maximization and satisficing, this study investigates how traits and contextual factors—including information load, counterfactuals, and mood—shape entrepreneurial decisions.

Methodologically, the research consists of two phases: interviews with entrepreneurs to explore how their decision-making biases affect marketing strategies, followed by controlled experiments. These experiments will simulate marketing scenarios with varying conditions to assess how maximizers and satisficers respond under different contexts. Findings aim to provide actionable insights for entrepreneurs to better tailor marketing approaches by understanding and managing these biases. This interdisciplinary exploration offers practical guidance for navigating the complexities of decision-making in dynamic markets while contributing to academic discourse on bias in entrepreneurial marketing.

ABSTRACT. The affordable housing crisis is a quintessential wicked social problem. The social contract of civilized society calls for access to affordable housing, yet lower-wage workers are increasingly priced out of desired locations and essential workers such as teachers, police and healthcare providers often struggle to live within the very communities they serve. We investigate the role of remote work in this multi-faceted problem, leveraging multi-year data derived for the United States to examine a path in which remote work opportunities skew to higher wage workers who commonly use their geographic flexibility to relocate to more affordable locales. We probe how this form of residential sorting among higher wage workers in turn drives up prices of homes, creating a social cost borne by lower wage workers within the same locale and inherently privatizing the organizational benefit of remote-work arrangements while socializing the cost. Our findings contribute a timely spatial aspect to the theory of externalities and bring a critical perspective to the domain of corporate social responsibility by specifying the negative externalities – the uncaptured costs – of remote work manifest in the affordable housing crisis. We conclude with implications for research, policy, and corporate social responsibility.

ABSTRACT. "Purpose in Appalachia" explores the impact of purpose-driven branding and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on consumer attitudes toward regional brands, particularly in the Appalachian Highlands. This research addresses the growing demand among consumers, especially Gen Z and Millennials, for brands to demonstrate a purpose beyond profit. The study also aims to fill a gap in the literature about the intersectionality of regional branding and CSR. The study utilizes legitimacy theory to understand how brand alignment with social causes influences perceptions and loyalty.

Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study includes a case study comparing Food City in the Appalachian Highlands to Brookshire Grocery Company in Texas, focusing on CSR initiatives like disaster relief efforts. Focus groups with university participants will examine reactions to Food City's CSR strategies, while a survey of 150 respondents will provide broader insights into regional consumer attitudes. By focusing on a culturally unique and often underrepresented region, this research contributes to the literature on regional branding and purpose-driven strategies, highlighting the potential for smaller brands to forge strong, emotionally resonant connections with consumers and achieve a competitive edge over larger, national brands. The findings have both theoretical and practical implications for regional brand growth and consumer engagement.

ABSTRACT. The Internet has significantly changed marketing by introducing concepts such as online shopping, advertising, and social media platforms, which have resulted in increased customer ethical concerns. The study focuses on online advertising ethics, an important yet under-researched area, particularly the role of online advertising ethics in mediating the relationship between eWOM and repurchase intentions. As online shopping grows, so does the need to understand how ethical standards in advertising impact customer behaviour. Current research has addressed aspects of advertising ethics, such as corporate communications and subliminal messaging, but the specific interplay between online advertising ethics and consumer repurchase decisions remains limited. The study uses a quantitative approach with computer-administered surveys and structural equation modelling to investigate this relationship. Data were collected from 500 respondents, and preliminary results indicate that online advertising ethics partially mediated the effect of eWOM on repurchase intentions. The finding highlights the importance of ethical advertising in shaping customer behaviour and offers valuable insights to develop ethical marketing strategies that enhance consumer trust and loyalty. The study, therefore, contributes to both theory and practice through the understanding of marketing ethics in the digital era.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates the evolving relationship between advertising and online word-of-mouth (WOM) during new product launches in the automobile industry. While existing research offers mixed results regarding advertising’s impact on WOM, this study aims to clarify these inconsistencies by examining time-varying effects and addressing endogeneity through the use of firm leverage as an instrumental variable. The analysis uses text-mined online reviews, model-level advertising expenditures, and financial data for 61 new automobile models over a three-year period. Findings indicate that advertising has a strong positive impact on WOM during the initial release phase, which gradually weakens as the product matures, consistent with the "saturation effect." The study further reveals that omnichannel advertising strategies help sustain WOM over a longer period by creating a cohesive consumer experience across different channels. These insights enhance the understanding of online-offline marketing synergy and provide practical implications for marketers aiming to optimize advertising efforts and prolong WOM effects.

ABSTRACT. Sporting events like the Olympic Games (OG) can motivate the population to increase physical activity, aligning with the Paris 2024 Olympics’ objective to promote more active lifestyles in France as part of its legacy. However, research shows mixed results on whether such events effectively elevate physical activity levels among the general public. While most studies have measured the quantity of post-event physical activity, few have examined the effect of the event on people’s perception of physical activity or their engagement level. This study addresses these gaps by applying the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change. Specifically, we investigate how individual involvement in the Olympics influences the TTM’s decisional balance, which weighs the pros and cons of being active. Based on a survey of 702 participants, our results demonstrate that higher engagement in the OG significantly improves decisional balance, which in turn increases individuals’ intention to enhance daily step count. Furthermore, a sense of self-efficacy moderates the relationship between decisional balance and intention to become more active. This research, funded by the French Olympic Studies Center, highlights the importance of event-driven strategies for fostering long-term physical activity through positive shifts in perception and self-efficacy.

ABSTRACT. Green retrofitting, or energy-efficient home renovations such as rooftop solar panels and storage batteries, reduce electricity usage and carbon emissions, providing benefits for both homeowners and society. Despite these benefits, there exists a gap in considering energy efficiency when choosing products, known as the “energy-efficiency gap.” To address this, we conducted a large-scale field experiment with 103,672 homeowners, testing different messaging approaches to promote the adoption of green retrofitting via increased uptake of a new low-interest bank loan to fund green renovations. Two message types were compared: a pro-social message (“Together creating a brighter tomorrow”) and a pro-self message (“Get an ultra low-rate green loan”). Customers receiving the pro-self message were 18% more likely to seek additional information about the green loan compared to those receiving the pro-social message. However, when it comes to taking the action of starting an application, the customers receiving the pro-self messages appear directionally less likely to act, with a higher efficacy for the pro-social message. While the differences in the downstream consequences should be seen as preliminary, they suggest that while the pro-self message has the advantage in getting people interested in green retrofitting, it is the pro-social message that drives them towards action.

ABSTRACT. We provide novel evidence on the mechanism underlying perseverance in pro-environmental behavior. Based on three experiments, we demonstrate that actions perceived as effortful increase subsequent pro-environmental behavior, whereas actions perceived as effortless do not. We document the key role of self-identity, whereby self-perceived effort increases environmental self-identity, and therefore induces consistency in subsequent behavior. By contrast, we also show that the adoption of actions perceived as effortful does not affect effort justification or perception of efficacy, two alternative mechanisms that could trigger consistency in behavior. Our results have important implications for research focusing on inducing behavioral changes by highlighting the key role played by perceived effort in creating significant change.. We also raise new research questions in how manipulating self-perceived effort through informational intervention could induce perseverance in pro-environmental behavior.

ABSTRACT. Perceived risk is crucial in driving sustainable behaviors, yet mismatched perceptions—overestimating or underestimating specific risks—can hinder the adoption of practices that support sustainability. We introduce a novel approach called re-biasing, which uses heuristics (mental shortcuts) and biases (systematic errors in thinking) to adjust sustainability-related risk perception in line with expert views. The aim of our approach is to design interventions that strategically increase or decrease risk perception to promote sustainable behaviors. Across two studies (N = 853), we show that risk perception of different contexts (e.g., biodiversity loss and nuclear energy) can be effectively adjusted using re-biasing. In Study 1, we successfully altered risk perception by providing participants with material designed to induce specific heuristics and biases aimed at increasing or decreasing risk perception. When combined, we observed additive effects demonstrating how heuristics and biases interact and shape risk perception. In Study 2, we show that re-biasing can influence behavior directly; by altering the risk perception of biodiversity loss, we increased donations to related charities. Taken together, using re-biasing, we can alter risk perception and behavior in sustainability-related contexts, highlighting its potential to promote sustainable behaviors.

ABSTRACT. Our research investigates the communication of sustainability improvements in industries often stereotyped as unsustainable, such as the oil industry. Despite making significant sustainability strides, these industries face sever consumer skepticism. Two studies were conducted using representative samples from the United States and Norway. We explore the effectiveness of alternative message strategies, comparing a one-sided appeal focusing solely on sustainability improvements with four different two-sided appeals that acknowledges industry issues before presenting solutions. The study leverages counterfactual thinking theory to develop these two-sided messages (downward/upward and additive/subtractive counterfactual messages). The first study revealed that two-sided appeals led to higher levels of trust and reduced punitive intentions towards companies in 'dirty' industries compared to one-sided appeals. Specifically, the appeal based on ‘downward additive counterfactual’ was superior in communicating sustainability improvements. The second study, however, showed that one-sided appeals performed better within the sea farming industry, with two-sided messages eliciting higher negative affect and reducing trust. These results indicate that communication strategy effectiveness can differ by industry. The research provides valuable insights into effective communication strategies for sustainability improvements in "dirty" industries, highlighting the potential of two-sided appeals to transform consumer perceptions and foster trust, but also the need for industry-specific approaches.

ABSTRACT. This study examines how board diversity moderates the relationship between green innovation and firm performance in the food and beverage industry. Using a dataset compiled from the Mintel Global New Products Database, Compustat, CRSP, and Execucomp, we analyzed green product launches by 46 U.S.-based publicly traded firms from 2016 to 2021. Our analyses of three diversity dimensions—gender, ethnicity, and functional background—using Shannon Entropy as the measure, revealed a significant positive relationship between green innovation and firm performance, as measured by Tobin's Q. While gender diversity directly impacts firm performance, its interaction with green innovation was not significant, possibly due to underrepresentation of women on boards. In contrast, ethnic diversity significantly strengthens the positive impact of green innovation on firm outcomes. Functional diversity did not have a significant moderating effect, suggesting that divergent viewpoints can complicate decision-making and reduce cohesion. Our results lend support to the increased scholarly focused on board diversity, where specific diversity dimensions, such as ethnic diversity, can drive sustainability initiatives.

ABSTRACT. This work proposes EDI policy adoption for customers as a supporting tool for frontline employees’ role performance and their responses to customer discrimination incidents. Study 1 (presented here) manipulates the effect of policy type (EDI vs customer service policy) on employees and advocates that adopting an EDI for customers enhances frontline employees’ customer orientation and willingness to report customer complaints, with pride playing as the mediating condition of these effects.

ABSTRACT. Social movements have increased awareness of inequality, making Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) crucial for organizational strategy. Embracing DEI is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic advantage, enhancing brand relevance by aligning corporate values with societal expectations. This paper explores the role of DEI managers in corporate branding and their challenges through semi-structured interviews with DEI managers, C-suite executives, non-profits, and consultants.

Thematic analysis reveals key themes: DEI managers must act as change agents, promoting DEI as essential for competitive advantage. A major challenge is the lack of metrics to measure DEI investments' impact. DEI managers rely on top management support but struggle to advance the DEI agenda effectively.

This study contributes to the organizational change framework by highlighting how external factors like regulations and consumer preferences, and internal factors such as leadership support and biases, impact DEI effectiveness. It provides an Asian perspective on DEI challenges, offering insights into overcoming barriers to enhance brand attractiveness.

ABSTRACT. Brands are under increasing pressure to champion customer diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). However, past examples suggest that brands’ efforts to promote DEI may provoke adverse reactions among existing customers due to customer backlash. We approach this dilemma by investigating when and why using inclusive marketing, as part of brands’ DEI efforts, can backfire. We identify factors that make customer diversity initiatives (CDIs) problematic for existing customers. CDIs refer to brand initiatives that reflect or integrate diverse identities in their marketing practices and aim to increase the diversity of the brand’s customer base (e.g., historically underrepresented groups). Across two experiments, we show that customers react negatively to their brand targeting a dissociative group (dissociative CDI) because it impedes their ability to express their desired identity. Continuing to use the brand constitutes an identity signaling threat for these customers, as it risks signaling characteristics linked to the dissociative group. We empirically show that identity signaling threat causes consumers to feel betrayed by the brand. Importantly, a longer-term, versus a short-term, dissociative CDI evokes more negative customer outcomes. Our findings contribute to the literature on customer responses to DEI by investigating how and why CDIs can backfire through a social identity lens.

ABSTRACT. User Generated Content (UGC), particularly online customer reviews, serves as a crucial source of feedback for businesses by offering insights into customer sentiments and preferences. However, these reviews' unstructured nature and sheer volume present significant challenges in extracting actionable insights. This study addresses this challenge by proposing an innovative approach that combines data visualization and text mining techniques to optimize the discovery of insights from online reviews. Inscribed in the design science research paradigm, this study presents a novel Python package that combines chord diagrams with natural language processing (NLP) techniques to obtain insights from online reviews’ textual content. Preprocessing and sentiment analysis transform unstructured text into structured data, revealing prevalent themes and co-occurring associations. The Chord Reviews package's resultant artifact demonstrates robust functionality, completeness, consistency, accuracy, performance, reliability, and usability across diverse domains and datasets. This package offers businesses a versatile tool for textual analysis, enabling informed decision-making to enhance customer satisfaction, product development, or market competitiveness.

ABSTRACT. Recommendation agents (RAs) provide consumers with individually tailored product recommendations based on their needs and preferences, helping them in their online purchasing decisions. An increasing number of merchants implement biased RAs on their online stores providing recommendations not solely made to match consumers' preferences but biased towards their strategic goals. The literature did not investigate whether consumers are aware of this phenomenon. This study represents an early effort to evaluate consumers' ability to detect biased RAs. Based on agency theory, signal detection theory and prior research on biased RAs, this study investigates the effects of the level of bias intensity in RA's recommendations, perceived personalization, perceived relevance, and consumer's experience with the RA on the consumer's ability to detect biased RAs. Conclusions are drawn from two experimental studies. The first focuses on recommendations favoring the merchant's personal interests (profit maximization), and the second on recommendations favoring the merchant's societal goals (promoting healthy products). The results offer contributions to the personalization literature by providing insights into the vulnerability of consumers interacting with biased RAs and the mechanisms underlying bias detection performance. They also offer practical contributions by highlighting the need for consumer education and protective measures against these common business practices.

ABSTRACT. Rating systems are crucial to the functionality and success of sharing economy platforms, ena-bling information exchange among their key actors––the platform, the service providers, and the customers. However, multiple biases, such as rating inflation, can undermine the informa-tive value of these systems. Additionally, the absence of detailed rating instructions often leaves customers unaware of rating standards and the consequences of inaccurate ratings. Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model, we propose that enhancing customers’ rating literacy, refer-ring to their understanding of the rating system, through platform initiatives can improve the perceived informativeness of ratings, customer trust, and customer’s behavioral intentions. Across a series of experiments, we show that detailed rating instructions lead to increased rating literacy, which in turn enhances outcomes related to the ratings, the rating system, and plat-forms. Specifically, our findings suggest that platforms can, among others, build trust and great-er engagement with their rating systems by enhancing customers’ rating literacy. Moreover, the concept of rating literacy underscores the value of information-based marketing tools and em-phasizes the growing importance of literacy research in marketing.

ABSTRACT. Companies (such as Google, Apple, Amazon, X, and Meta) involved with digital advertising and communication, rely on consumer behavioral data for digital ad targeting. Such behavioral data allows for more optimized offerings in terms of types of ads and content. However, recent changes in regulations, across different parts of the world, have made it restrictive in terms of getting consumer online behavioral data. For instance, data privacy legislation such as General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) give consumers control over their online data. This research demonstrate how subtle changes in the wording of call-to-action (CTA) buttons can influence consumers' willingness to share their personal browsing data.

ABSTRACT. This experimental study examined whether the visual complexity of the website background may influence consumers’ attitudes and intentions towards a service company. The visual complexity of the background was manipulated through increased numbers of visual patterns, irregularity between these patterns, and global asymmetry. On the one hand, higher (vs. lower) background complexity was associated with a perception of a company’s greater service complexity. This may be interpreted within the cross-modal correspondences framework, which refers to making intuitive associations across different sensory dimensions (e.g., visual elements and taste perceptions). Our findings suggest that a cross-modal effect may also hold for a non-sensory, conceptual dimension. On the other hand, higher (vs. lower) background complexity was associated with lower ratings of service reliability and company reliability, as well as lower intention to use the service offered by the company. This may be interpreted within the processing fluency framework, according to which the processing ease of a stimulus (assumingly impaired by visual complexity) may result in more favorable ratings. This study suggests that companies should avoid using complex backgrounds on their web interfaces. This seems particularly relevant for service companies, where consumers lack tangible product features to base their judgments on.

ABSTRACT. This study examines the impact of humour in virtual agents (VAs) on consumer responses, mainly focusing on pleasure, trust, and behavioural intentions. Using an experimental website, Beevi.fr, and a custom-built virtual agent, Ben Bao, we tested the effects of humorous versus non-humorous interactions. Findings reveal that humour in VAs significantly enhances user pleasure, which in turn mediates key behavioural intentions like purchase intent, reuse of the VA intent, and recommendation likelihood. Trust was also positively influenced by humour, albeit less directly, suggesting humour fosters relatability and warmth in the VA, but its effect is moderated by the user’s willingness to converse with a VA. Importantly, our results indicate that humour may not be universally effective: users with low interest in interacting with VAs experienced fewer positive responses. These insights highlight the importance of adaptive humour strategies that align with user preferences. Overall, this study contributes to different segments of the literature including that of humour in marketing and computational humour. It also contributes to the literature on conversational artificial intelligence (AI) and aspects of digital marketing such as the webatmosphere. This study is the first to conduct an experiment on humour in VAs using an actual, fully interactive VA.

ABSTRACT. An investigation on how the rational-cognitive and affective-symbolic routes in the formation of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) influence behavioral intentions in tourism destination settings, evaluating the differential effects accounted for by past visitation. Using the Brand Resonance Model as framework and an adventure tourism destination as study setting, results indicate that CBBE factors of awareness, perceived characteristics and imagery, and judgements of the destination, display sequential effects that generally antecede attitudinal outcomes such as visit intent and word-of-mouth recommendation. Importantly, the findings suggest an increasing strength of the relationships successively building CBBE through both routes, the presence of some cross-over effects in the model, and the contrasting influence of past visitation on judgment factors that ultimately contribute to behavioral intentions.

ABSTRACT. In today’s global challenges, sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity. Particularly in destination branding, sustainability is a core value that significantly influences tourist choices and shapes the image of destinations worldwide. Therefore, destinations require sustainable branding that meets travellers' expectations, enhances the destination’s image and reputation, preserves cultural heritage, protects natural beauty, fosters economic growth, promotes sustainable use of resources, and minimizes climate change and environmental degradation. However, the literature on destination branding lacks a comprehensive conceptual framework for sustainable destination branding. Developing a conceptual framework for sustainable destination branding is critical in this regard. The study proposes a sustainable destination conceptual framework using 62 Scopus-indexed journal articles published in English through a comprehensive systematic literature review. The study highlights environmental, social, economic, and geopolitical dimensions as key considerations for sustainable destination branding. The study's findings also underscore the significance of sustainability in strengthening sustainable destination branding. While contributing to the existing body of literature, the paper provides a valuable conceptual and theoretical framework for the advancement of sustainable destination branding.

ABSTRACT. International tourist hotels play a critical role in Taiwan’s hospitality and tourism industry but faced significant challenges exacerbated by COVID-19, testing resilience. Examining organizational resilience between 2017 and 2022, we posit that prior persistent efficiency and flexibility, intangible organization-wide capabilities that limit losses through stability and assist in rapid adaptation, led to a stronger recovery in terms of number of visitors and revenues generated across 51 Taiwanese international tourist hotels. We find these resilient hotels outperformed despite differences in traditional hotel factors of location, size, and ownership.

This study makes several contributions to the growing empirical research on organizational resilience. First, we argue that capabilities prior to the onset of COVID-19 assisted in navigating unpredictable and uncertain disturbances. This research shifts organizational resilience empirical studies from ex post disaster responses to ex ante capability development. Second, we focus on organizational resilience as a stronger recovery, allowing for a “new normal.” Yet we argue as pre-existing organization-wide capabilities, persistent efficiency and flexibility enable resilience during an extended period of uncertainty. Further, prior persistent efficiency, creating the same effect (efficiency) over time even when conditions vary, and efficient flexibility are measured through data envelopment analysis (DEA).

ABSTRACT. This study investigates how consumer emotions shape recommendation intentions for low-involvement, utilitarian services, focusing on travel insurance. Recent global events have heightened interest in travel insurance, with consumers increasingly relying on online platforms and reviews due to limited provider interaction. Using cognitive appraisal theory, this research explores how corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) influence consumer emotions and their subsequent recommendation intentions. A sequential explanatory mixed-method approach, combining PLS-SEM analysis of an online survey with customer interviews, reveals that consumer emotions mediate the effects of CA and CSR on recommendation intentions, even in this rational, risk-based context. The findings suggest that positive emotions can be fostered through perceptions of provider competence and ethical responsibility. This study contributes to research on emotions in low-involvement services, underscoring the importance of high-quality online experiences and proactive CSR communication to enhance emotional responses and recommendation intentions.

ABSTRACT. This study explores recruitment strategies and career backgrounds that contribute to high performance in sales management, analyzing over 30,000 sales managers across industries from 2002 to 2020. Drawing on human capital theory and competency transferability perspectives, it examines the effects of recruitment sources—internal versus external, sales versus non-sales backgrounds, and industry experience—on long-term performance. Using a residual compensation approach and CEM matching to control for selection bias, findings reveal that sales managers recruited from managerial roles and external sources perform best, particularly those with non-sales backgrounds. While internal recruits initially benefit from firm-specific knowledge, external hires, especially those from diverse industries, show greater long-term performance due to adaptability and innovation. These insights support flexible recruitment practices emphasizing managerial skills over industry-specific experience, highlighting structured onboarding and diverse hiring as pathways to enhance organizational effectiveness.

ABSTRACT. This research investigates the effects of dialect use, specifically, Standard American English (SAE) versus African American Vernacular English (AAVE), on customer and sales manager perceptions within a sales context. Using a robust experimental design, the study examines how these linguistic variations influence key factors such as perceived warmth, competence, and purchase intentions. Findings demonstrate that salespeople using SAE are perceived as more competent and warmer, leading to more favorable attitudes toward the product and higher purchase likelihood. In contrast, AAVE negatively affects these perceptions, diminishing both product evaluations and purchase intentions. These insights underscore the critical role of dialect in shaping customer perceptions and have significant implications for sales communication strategies. The research also highlights the potential for dialect code-switching as a strategic tool and suggests future studies on how demographic variables, such as customer race, may moderate these effects.

ABSTRACT. A company’s sales force may include employees and/or independent sales representatives (ISRs). Managing ISRs poses greater challenges than employees: Companies often have limited control and lack insights into ISRs’ preferences and capabilities. Moreover, ISRs self-select companies to work with. The asymmetric information and the independence between the two parties create an unequal and unobserved relationship, forcing companies to rely heavily, if not solely, on sales outcomes when segmenting and targeting ISRs. This study employs a bivariate Tobit Hidden Markov model to capture the relationship dynamics between companies and their ISRs. Using data from interactions between an insurance company and its independent financial advisors (one type of ISRs), we identify three relationship states between the parties: low, medium, and high. ISRs in different states are motivated at varying levels to work for the company. The company’s marketing efforts, including sales calls and face-to-face meetings, elevate ISRs to a higher state. However, marketing directed at one ISR negatively affects the relationship between their colleagues and the company - a spillover harming the company’s relationship with other ISRs. Using parameter estimates, we calculate the policy function for companies’ marketing resource allocation, assisting managers with distributing resources among ISRs and managing sales force investments.

ABSTRACT. Consumer boycotts have a rich history of instigating positive societal change, as seen in the 1791 sugar boycott in England over slave-produced goods. A recent survey spanning 19 countries revealed that 59% of over 24,000 consumers were willing to boycott brands failing sustainability promises. Modern boycotts impact major brands like Amazon, Disney, Netflix, and Starbucks. Allegations against brands for not addressing UN2030 sustainability goals are rising, impacting their moral and political standings. Brand sentiment swings based on consumer perceptions. Whilst the existing literature explores themes like consumer boycott motivations, brand activism, and woke washing, no studies to our knowledge have examined how consumers authenticate boycott claims and misinformation, revealing a gap in understanding what we term as ‘brand mis-activism’. In this conceptual paper, we contribute by demystifying brand mis-activism and introduce a four-stage IIPN framework (Incubation, Immersion, Polish the halo, and Neutralization and rebranding) to illustrate how brands can mitigate mis-activism, and better in align with societal polarizations stemming from global challenges. We offer our framework as a useful practical tool for practitioners and policymakers. The IIPN framework provides actionable steps for implementation.

ABSTRACT. This work offers a firm perspective on the influencer literature by investigating how employees evaluate influencer threat-framed requests. Drawing on an experimental study with employees in the hotel industry, we provide insights into how they process and respond to different forms of influencer requests. Study 1 shows that employees are less likely to accept the influencer request for collaboration when this request is framed as a threat (vs. an opportunity) but they are more likely to experience a negative emotional state from dealing with this request.

ABSTRACT. The promise of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled exchanges facilitated by big data is revolutionizing the data aggregation industry. As a result, the deployment of AI to gather, analyze, and learn from consumer data is becoming ubiquitous. Consumers and experts in various fields express significant concerns regarding AI. One area of particular concern is with regard to digital privacy, yet reactions from decision makers and legislators only be described as lukewarm. We explore the role of privilege and social marginalization as countervailing drivers of digital privacy apathy – the first known study to do so. Further, we explore the conditioning factors – perceived control, perceived vulnerability, and perceived risk – that condition the relationship between privilege/marginalization and digital privacy apathy, finding significant effects. Finally, we probe the potential efficacy of policy-based interventions that may reduce apathy and enhance the consumer experience in AI-enabled digital exchanges, illuminating new tools for policymakers, as well as new avenues of scholarly exploration.

ABSTRACT. Companies are increasingly integrating activism into their business strategies to meet consumer demands for engagement in societal issues. This approach aims to strengthen emotional connections, enhance brand attitudes, and boost customer loyalty. However, the impact of aligning a brand’s product category with its activist cause is still underexplored. This study posits that such alignment can enhance consumer engagement and improve brand perceptions by fostering emotional attachment. Two experimental studies reveal that high brand activism fit increases engagement and positive attitudes, especially in exchange relationships where consumers expect specific benefits. In contrast, in communal relationships, this alignment is less crucial, allowing brands to build loyalty regardless of activism fit. Overall, this research advances the understanding of brand activism fit, emphasizing the importance of aligning activist causes with product categories to optimize engagement and positive consumer outcomes. The findings offer practical insights for brands on how to effectively choose activist causes.

ABSTRACT. Many brands delay expressing support for the LGBT+ community due to potential backlash. Across seven studies, including a 12-year real-world data analysis (partly based on the WARC database), an actual choice study, and experiments, we show that ad campaigns supporting LGBT+ causes, when launched early (versus late), lead to favorable consumer responses. Our findings suggest that early LGBT+ activism timing has this effect because consumers perceive the brand's actions as more effortful. Additionally, we find that this effect is stronger for brands with greater financial resources. Finally, we provide guidelines for advertising practitioners aspiring to support the LGBT+ community.

ABSTRACT. Our research aims to explain how the local nature of a brand's societal role can generate consumer attachment. We propose a model to explain the attachment to a brand generated by its perceived local societal role. We test it using a quantitative study of 434 consumers. We use structural equation modelling using the partial least squares method. This research makes four original contributions. Firstly, it validates a model that explains attachment to a brand when its local societal role is expressed through its local responsible commitment and its local cultural iconicity. Secondly, the perception of the brand's local responsible commitment can reduce attachment among consumers, except when they judge the brand to be more congruent or more authentic. Thirdly, local cultural iconicity acts directly and positively on attachment, and indirectly via the perception of congruence with the brand. Finally, we observe the absence of any mediating effect of brand authenticity in the relationship between the perception of its cultural iconicity and brand attachment. Faced with competition from global brands, a brand with a local societal role can generate consumer attachment through the perception of its congruence and authenticity.

ABSTRACT. While prior research has focused on understanding how consumers exert self-control to curb indulgent consumption, some studies have shown that consumers also employ strategies to indulge, such as pre-committing to indulgent options, justifying indulgence as a reward, or transferring the responsibility of indulgent choice to others. Adding to this line of work, this research shows that consumers also hold a lay belief about indulgent decisions such that longer [shorter] decision time makes it more difficult [easier] to make indulgent choices, which we term “indulgent decision lay belief”. This lay belief derives from consumer experiences that the process of comparing healthy and indulgent options is the source of choice conflict. Consequently, consumers may prefer purchase situations with limited decision time to ease the indulgent choices. To support that the indulgent decision lay belief drives this preference, we show that consumers who hold a stronger belief are more likely to do so, and the effect occurs only when consumers tend to experience choice conflict when making indulgent choices. The findings offer insights to help consumers increase awareness of their choices and reduce the opportunities to indulge.

ABSTRACT. This paper investigates temporal discrepancy in multi-stage waiting and its effects on consumer patience and decision-making. Temporal discrepancy refers to differences in time perception, where individuals perceive time as passing faster or slower than the actual duration. Using five studies—including a field study and controlled experiments—we explore whether temporal discrepancies persist or diminish across sequential waiting stages. We define persistent temporal discrepancy as a continuation of perceived time differences from one stage to the next, whereas diminished temporal discrepancy occurs when these perceptions no longer align. The results show that the persistence of temporal discrepancy depends on proximity of wait, lay rationalism (i.e., decision-making based on reason vs. feelings), and belief in temporal continuity. Specifically, individuals with faster past time perception exhibited higher patience and were more inclined to choose larger-later rewards over smaller-sooner ones when temporal discrepancy persisted. The findings provide valuable insights into consumer behavior and have practical implications for service providers aiming to enhance customer satisfaction. Structuring queueing experiences to align with consumers’ temporal experiences can optimize service quality and manage expectations more effectively.

ABSTRACT. Temporal reframing of a price (TRP), which involves presenting a one-time expense as a series of smaller, recurring payments, is commonly used by magazine publishers, retailers, social welfare organizations, and others to increase sales and attract more customers. This study investigates how price framing (round vs. just-below), exchange type (generalized vs. restricted), and price presentation (temporal vs. aggregate) affect consumer participation intentions. The findings suggest that effective pricing strategies should align with the nature of the exchange type and consumer context to maximize participation intention.

ABSTRACT. The media has popularized the idea that advancements in artificial intelligence have made it possible for experts to predict many phenomena with unprecedented accuracy. In this research, we investigate whether the mere belief that experts can predict future events with higher (vs. lower) accuracy can bias consumers’ expectations about such events. We focus our investigation on predictions of assets’ value and show that the mere belief that experts can predict the future value of a stock with higher (vs. lower) accuracy leads people to form unfoundedly optimistic expectations about the future value of the stock and invest more in that stock, even if experts’ predictions remain undisclosed. Drawing on the division of cognitive labor, we suggest that this bias originates from a sense of empowerment that reduces the perceived likelihood of adverse outcomes. The phenomenon we uncover is important as unfounded expectations about an asset’s value can lull consumers to take on unwarranted financial risk, potentially harming personal finances and social welfare.

ABSTRACT. This proposal presents a hierarchical framework for understanding the development and implementation of sustainable business strategies. We posit there are four strategic levels, each representing an increase in the integration of sustainability into a firm’s core operations and culture: Regulatory Strategy, Cost Reduction Strategy, Value Proposition Strategy, and Identification Strategy. Modeling our framework after Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we argue that firms can only advance to the higher-level strategy once the lower levels have been achieved. However, unlike Maslow, we do not advance that all firms strive to move up the pyramid. Rather, different firms can optimize their sustainability initiatives at different strategic levels. The rest of the proposal explores the stakeholder tensions that emerge at each level, highlighting the evolving nature and intensity of these tensions as firms advance their sustainability strategies. We close with our proposed methodology and projected implications based on this analysis.

ABSTRACT. In the current scholarship, less is understood about how ecosystems can emerge inside other ecosystems - a phenomenon labeled as nested ecosystems (Altman et al., 2022). We employ the ecosystem shift roles and co-evolution literature as theoretical lenses to examine this process and understand how a complementor becomes an orchestrator of a nested ecosystem that emerged from other incumbents’ ecosystems. We analyzed a unique ecosystem in the Amazon region, focused on value co-creation regarding preserving biodiversity and local communities, called Origens Brasil. Based on a longitudinal study (from 2018 to 2023) with a process perspective (Langley, 1999), we unpack the dynamics and mechanisms of how a complementor becomes an orchestrator of a nested, emergent ecosystem aimed at sustainable value co-creation. We identified three distinct stages that explained how the complementor shifted its role. Our contribution clarifies how an organization assumes and accumulates different roles alongside the emergence of a nested sustainable ecosystem. For the intermediating stage the connection was through traceability, which was central to creating network rules. In catalyzing, the organization changed to community services to intensify value co-creation without great intervention. For orchestrating a set of services to sustain and deepen participation in the ecosystem is provided.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates citizens' support for the radical innovation of nuclear microreactors by focusing upon four possible contributors to such support: 1) nuclear knowledge, 2) general support for nuclear energy, 3) attitudes, and 4) quality-of-life concerns. Using Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT) as a framework, researchers developed a model to explore how these factors shape the endorsement of nuclear microreactor development. The analysis is based on survey data collected from residents of Alaska and Wyoming. Path analysis reveals that nuclear knowledge positively impacts reasons for support and attitudes toward nuclear technology, thereby enhancing perceptions of the importance of nuclear development. The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers, suggesting targeted communication strategies to bridge knowledge gaps and build public trust in nuclear technology. This research adds to the literature on sustainable energy transitions by identifying key factors that can enhance public acceptance of innovative nuclear solutions.

ABSTRACT. This paper introduces regenerative marketing as an emerging concept rooted in the field of regenerative design. Unlike sustainable marketing, which primarily focuses on minimizing harm, regenerative marketing emphases planetary recovery, restoration, and holistic well-being. We propose a definition of regenerative marketing and present it as a business philosophy and practice aimed at meeting the needs of stakeholders—including people, nature, and society—by fostering regenerative production, leadership, and management through impactful partnerships with communities and the environment. To unpick regenerative thinking in marketing, the paper draws from regenerative design principles and propose that regenerative marketing prioritises shared value over profit alone. Future research should concentrate on refining the concept of regenerative marketing and providing marketing practicians with solid foundations on regenerative thinking while investigating barriers for transformation and areas of best practice.

ABSTRACT. This special session explores how biometric tools like eye tracking, facial expression analysis, and heart rate can support marketing research. The session will bring together academic experts with experience in incorporating biometric measures in research and teaching and technology specialists from iMotions, a provider of biometric research solutions. Scholars will share their experiences, discussing the benefits and challenges of using biometric data throughout various research stages. iMotions representatives will demonstrate their multi-sensory technology suite, offering participants a hands-on interaction with tools widely used in academia and industry. This session promises to foster collaboration among attendees, allowing novice scholars to network with experienced researchers and gain practical insights into implementing biometric methodologies. Ultimately, it aims to contribute to the field by equipping participants with the resources and connections to advance their research using innovative biometric techniques.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores the intersection of economic theory and marketing strategy by examining how the concept of separating equilibrium in economics informs the STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning) framework in marketing. Through integrating Rosen's hedonic pricing method with Alchian and Allen's third law of demand, we propose a novel empirical approach to identify product attributes that create effective market positioning. Using data from Taiwan's star hotel industry, we demonstrate how certain product attributes significantly influence willingness-to-pay and create separating equilibrium between different market segments. Our findings reveal that among eight hotel attributes examined, four features — hot spring facilities, scenic location, five-star classification, and international chain affiliation — demonstrate significant impact on pricing and market positioning. The empirical results confirm an inverse relationship between relative price and relative consumption volume, supporting the third law of demand's application in multiple-attribute products. This study contributes to both marketing and economic theory by providing a quantitative framework for analyzing positioning strategies, while bridging the gap between rational economic models and non-rational marketing behaviors.

ABSTRACT. In some rapidly moving industries traditional marketing strategies designed to secure a semi-permanent competitive advantage are evolving by necessity. In these intensively competitive markets, change can be driven by the decline in traditional barriers to entry, the increasing availability of advanced technologies such as AI facilitating rapid improvement in processes, and a growing number of new product offerings. In these fast-changing markets, firms must continuously monitor (and adjust) their competitive position relative to the performance of industry leaders. This paper introduces a methodology to: (a) identify the leading-edge performers in a specific market, (b) define efficient performance in alignment with the economic efficiency theories of Pareto and Koopmans, (c) develop a metric to assess how far a non-leading firm deviates from the output performance of industry leaders, enabling firms to rank their competitive standing, and (d) provide a strategic roadmap for benchmarking against comparable leading edge firms, thus helping non-leading firms pinpoint which input or output variables need adjustment to enhance their performance.

ABSTRACT. Firms' decisions involving environmental sustainability and profitability considerations can create tensions. Decision makers' beliefs about these tensions can shape outcomes, providing a micro-foundation for strategic choices. This reseasrch introduces a scale to measure these beliefs. Across three studies, we develop a reliable, valid 12-item scale. Three additional studies show its ability to predict evaluations of sustainable product ideas, investment success in crowdfunding, and information search efforts. Overall, findings highlight how individual beliefs about sustainability and profitability impact strategic outcomes, enhancing the understanding of firms' sustainability practices.

ABSTRACT. Scripted short-form series contribute to a growing aspect of the creative and cultural industries in Canada. As digitalization has changed the industry, a business-to-business market has developed between creators and buyers. Creators consistently behave as marketers as they must create their product, secure a distribution platform, negotiate a price, and promote their series. Given this, creators must work with many actors to successfully bring a series to the market. Informal controls reflect the unwritten rules for success and cooperation between buyers and sellers, which is currently unknown in the creative and cultural industries, and rarely explored in marketing. Resource dependency theory is leveraged through 48 in-depth interviews with Canadian creators. Findings show that informal controls are manifested through social networks, industry norms, cultural expectations, and shared beliefs. These informal controls have unequal and various effects on the 4P’s of marketing. This study contributes to the creative and cultural industries, and business-to-business literature by explicating the often privileged quiet rules of conduct, while expanding the domain of marketing knowledge regarding informal controls and their impact on the marketing mix.

ABSTRACT. Users perceive online consumption like streaming to be less detrimental than offline consumption in terms of pollution of these activities. In the first study, we used a 2x2 between-subject design to investigate whether the effectiveness of carbon labeling will be influenced by product domain (online vs. offline). We found an interaction effect between product domain and carbon print information. Customers preferred physical goods when presented with carbon labeling. When there was no carbon footprint information, the two goods were treated equally. For the follow-up studies, we will test the effects on different sets of stimuli to show their robustness. We will also investigate possible mediators such as psychological ownership and guilt.

ABSTRACT. To keep up with a popular eco-friendly trend, green consumers may utilize available tools to help with their purchase decisions. One of the most popular tools is online consumer reviews. Typically, reviews come in one of the two valences, positive or negative, and it has been known from the literature to be powerful and affects consumer decision making. With intention to be green, one may assume that green consumers will be less vulnerable to negative valence while more affected by positive one. Additionally, based on some common beliefs and a stream of research in green consumption, one gender may engage in green consumption more than the other. This study aims to understand how green consumers process online review valence and whether gender could moderate their green consumption. The results reveal that green consumers are more sensitive to valence more than non-green consumers, regardless of their gender, and no one gender is more affected than the other. This study suggests that businesses should focus their attention on increasing as many positive reviews as possible while reducing negative reviews as the effect will be greater to green consumers.

ABSTRACT. Driven by environmental concerns, consumers and businesses embrace resale and green marketing, propelling the popularity of second-hand goods. Despite the growing practice, there is limited academic exploration into how the consumer resale of old items influences purchases of new items. This study investigates the impact of reselling unwanted items on the consumption of new products within an environmental sustainability context, utilizing concepts from prospect theory, mental accounting, and utility theory. Findings from two experimental designs indicate that awareness of potential resale opportunities significantly increases the intention to purchase new products. In particular, the action of reselling an owned item that is the same type as the desired new product (an unplanned resale scenario) markedly boosts the intention to purchase new, compared to reselling new items intended for future resale (a planned resale scenario), with perceived gains and losses acting as mediators. This research expands the theoretical understanding of the relationship between consumer purchasing and resale behavior from an environmental perspective. It proposes actionable strategies for businesses to encourage the resale of old items, thereby enhancing their environmental reputation and creating new sales avenues, while fostering a collaborative economy.

ABSTRACT. Consumers can reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing regional agricultural products. This multi-study research examines what impacts purchase intentions of regional agricultural products and the role of green consumer values. Green consumer values work through perceptions of agriculture as being sustainably responsible and communalization (i.e., supporting one’s agriculture community). While being sustainably responsible impacts consumers’ concerns about the traceability of agricultural products, this impact was negative, and traceability did not affect purchase intentions. While green consumer values impacted consumers’ ethically minded behavior in general, ethical behavior did not impact purchase intentions of regional agricultural products. This suggests that green values have a unique positive impact on purchase intentions of regional agricultural products working through communalization and perceptions of regional agriculture as being sustainably responsible. Value consciousness and willingness to pay a premium moderate the relationships investigated in the study. This research contributes to Value-Belief-Norm theory by illustrating the importance of green values in a new domain, regional agriculture, of being sustainable. For regional agricultural marketers, this research demonstrates the benefits of being sustainable and playing a role in the community to encourage purchase intention by green value consumers who may be willing to pay more for sustainable regional agricultural products.

ABSTRACT. This research examines factors influencing the effectiveness of using lucky draws in livestream commerce in generating sales and focuses on the role of the designated comment consumers are required to submit to qualify for participation. The authors examine how the relative effectiveness of different designated comment topics depends on general product characteristics (hedonic vs. utilitarian products, female-dominant vs. gender-neutral products) and brand characteristics (large vs. small brands), and whether the relative frequencies with which different designated comment topics are used in lucky draws correspond to the relative effectiveness of those topics. Results of an analysis of a large dataset of livestream commerce sessions featuring lucky draws on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) revealed systematic effects of product characteristics and brand characteristics on the relative effectiveness of different designated comment topics, and systematic mismatches between the relative effectiveness and the relative frequencies of use of the different designated comment topics. These results suggest that marketers using lucky draws in livestream commerce are unaware of which designated comment topic is more effective for their products or brands, resulting in suboptimal design and use of designated comments in lucky draw events. Important theoretical contributions and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

ABSTRACT. As a rapidly expanding business, game live-streaming (GLS) attracts considerable attention for its unique blend of entertainment and interactivity, serving as an innovative platform for customers to build social communities. However, the social influences driving this new form of commerce remain underexplored. Grounded in belongingness theory, we conducted three studies: one qualitative interview and two field experiments, to investigate how social factors, including interaction styles (dominant and affiliative) and social identity, encourage customer participation in live-streaming events. First, we examined how dominant and affiliative interaction styles impact customers’ sense of belonging, revealing distinct outcomes for customer-to-streamer and customer-to-customer interactions. Second, we explored the moderating role of social identity in affecting the main effects of interaction styles (dominant and affiliative) on sense of belonging. Lastly, we established that customers’ sense of belonging positively affects their GLS participation and virtual tipping behaviors.

ABSTRACT. The concept of immersive branded environments (IBEs) allows users to interact with brands within virtual spaces and has gained significant traction across industries. These spaces, often driven by cutting-edge technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), offer unique opportunities for consumer engagement (Yoo et al., 2023). Projections estimate that the market for immersive environments will grow from $25.11 billion in 2023 to $165.91 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights, 2023). However, despite the initial excitement, consumer adoption of IBEs has been slower than expected, raising questions about the motivational drivers that encourage consumer participation (Kelly, 2023). This study explores these drivers through self-determination theory (SDT), focusing on intrinsic motivators such as autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2000). By applying SDT, we seek to uncover how these factors influence consumer engagement with IBEs, offering new insights for both academic theory and business practice.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the limited success of healthy-eating nudges, designed to steer consumers toward better food choices, and examines the role of deeply ingrained shopping habits in this outcome. Despite considerable efforts and funding, public health interventions targeting dietary improvements often yield modest results. We propose that strong shopping habits, which operate on "auto-pilot" through stable contextual cues (such as store location, packaging, and pricing), reduce consumers’ sensitivity to persuasive interventions by minimizing conscious decision-making. Leveraging a natural experiment from a major North American retailer, our analysis reveals that habitual shoppers show significantly lower responsiveness to a healthy-eating nudge than non-habitual shoppers, especially in high-frequency purchases of unhealthy items. Through a triple-difference (DiDiD) approach, we establish that these automatic responses hinder the impact of promotional cues, emphasizing that habit strength can override health-oriented nudges. By demonstrating how contextual stability sustains unhealthy shopping patterns, this study offers novel insights for public health and marketing, suggesting that interventions could be more effective if they address the cues reinforcing habitual behavior. Future work will extend this approach across diverse stores and categories to deepen our understanding of habit-driven responsiveness in real-world settings.

ABSTRACT. Consumer minimalism has emerged as a response to the flawed social system in today’s precarious economy, promoting sustainability and enhancing personal well-being. This lifestyle encourages simpler, more mindful consumption by reducing possessions and focusing on quality over quantity. Despite its growing popularity, our understanding of consumer minimalism remains still limited. Previous studies have focused too much on either the factors influencing minimalist consumption or the benefits of this lifestyle, leaving gaps in our knowledge. We believe more research is needed to fully grasp the diverse impacts of minimalism on consumer behavior, especially potential downsides like increased decision fatigue, feelings of deprivation, over-optimization of possessions, and regret. The current research aims to test the hypothesis that a minimalist mindset can lead to negative feelings such as dissatisfaction or regret. Using a simple coloring task to manipulate a minimalist (vs. maximalist) mindset, we found that participants guided to adopt a minimalist mindset reported spending similar amounts of time but experienced lower satisfaction and received more negative feedback on their outcomes compared to those with a maximalist mindset. We conclude by discussing the implications and suggesting directions for future research.

ABSTRACT. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) – Responsible Consumption and Production – emphasizes the importance of reducing resource-intensive consumer behaviors, which is the primary driver of environmental degradation. In this context, it was argued that mindfulness can serve as a mechanism to assist individuals in making a decisive shift toward sustainable behaviors. Social network sites, particularly TikTok, have emerged as influential platforms for promoting sustainable awareness and practices, leveraging user-generated content with informative, affective, and normative cues to shape consumer behaviors. This study examines how sustainable TikTok content can catalyze mindful consumption behaviors. Drawing on signaling theory and the theory of mindful consumption, this research aims to shed light on the role of social media in supporting SDG 12 by fostering consumers’ mindfully responsible behaviors. The study underscores the importance of affective cues in fostering mindful consumption, as they effectively promote awareness of consequences and responsibility, while information and normative cues alone may be less impactful. The findings also highlight that a personal sense of obligation plays a crucial role in reinforcing the link between awareness of adverse consequences and mindful consumption, emphasizing the need for both emotional engagement and moral commitment in promoting sustainable consumer behavior.

ABSTRACT. Consumer reviews have become increasingly prevalent, significantly influencing consumers’ decision-making, especially with the rising popularity of online shopping. Despite their importance, research on how consumers’ identity shapes their reliance on reviews remains limited. This research aims to fill this gap by examining the effect of local-global identity on consumers’ reliance on online reviews. Across five studies, including one secondary data analysis and four laboratory experiments, this research shows that individuals with an accessible local identity are more likely to rely on reviews than those with an accessible global identity. This effect is driven by a heightened desire for uncertainty reduction associated with a local identity. In findings consistent with the “desire for uncertainty reduction” logic, the authors uncover that review source (i.e., reviews from an influencer vs. those from a random consumer) attenuates the observed effects.

ABSTRACT. Consumers frequently encounter artistic works (such as music, films, and books) that are released after their creators have passed away. However, research on consumer attitudes and preferences regarding posthumous releases is still lacking. Utilizing symbolic immortality theory, this study encompasses seven investigations—employing secondary data, surveys, and experiments with both attitudinal and consequential measures. The findings reveal that consumers tend to view posthumous releases more favorably than those released while the creators were alive. The authors label this phenomenon and its underlying mechanism the “Lazarus effect.” This research enhances our understanding of symbolic immortality and consumer behavior in the creative sectors, offering valuable insights for publishers and managers in the movie and music industries.

ABSTRACT. This research seeks to understand the strategic significance of brand collaborations within the luxury industry, repositioning them as a long-term mechanism that extends beyond traditional branding tactics. By creating ad hoc categories, brand collaborations allow firms to pursue new opportunities while preserving their core identity. We argue that ad hoc categories, emerging from brand collaborations, provide a range of potential benefits—including amplification, adaptation, exploration, and diversification—which are contingent upon varying levels of within-industry coherence and cross-industry distinctiveness as discussed in the category literature in organization studies. Furthermore, we propose that these ad hoc categories, initially positioned outside the zone of viability, can dynamically transition into permanent classifications through strategic initiatives such as repetitive introductions, community building, anchoring prototypes or exemplars, and institutional affiliations. Our framework presents a new perspective on how brand collaborations, rather than being merely temporary, can contribute to competitive advantages through organizational initiatives.

ABSTRACT. This study explores how emerging luxury fashion brands navigate the challenges associated with their lack of longevity and history in a context where brand heritage is a crucial element of luxury branding and an important source of competitive advantage. Through two case studies – The Row and Jacquemus – the research identifies two primary strategies for these brands to develop heritage: first, by consistently articulating and nurturing core values and symbols over time, and second, through the practice of “heritage assimilation,” which involves associating the brand with entities rich in heritage, such as historical locations, artistic traditions, and personal narratives. The study introduces the concept of heritage assimilation as a meaningful practice that accelerates heritage construction by enhancing perceptions of longevity and authenticity. Ultimately, this research provides insights into how new luxury brands can effectively cultivate heritage and legitimacy in a dynamic fashion landscape.

ABSTRACT. Consumers have paid increased attention to sustainable development, ecological actions and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of companies. But what are their perceptions about the firms’ CSR’s actions and their behaviour? This research focus on Champagne Brands because even these brands are no exception to this trend, it may seem difficult to combine their high-end positioning (luxury box, glass bottle...) with the ecological imperatives. The CSR is often synonymous with sobriety for the consumers, but the champagne is associated with the image of luxury that can appear as a contradiction. The objective of this communication is to present the results of a qualitative study carried out among French consumers to analyze their perception of the CSR policy of Champagne brands. Based on the study’s results, we propose a conceptual framework presenting five dimensions of the CSR as perceived by consumers (CSRPC) and two variables (level’s expertise and consumers’ representation) that influence it. We develop consequences on buying ang brand image and propose to champagne Brands to adopt a proactive CSR strategy and not to be satisfied only with a marketing strategy.

ABSTRACT. Adherence by patients to healthcare advice for wellness behaviors, taking medication, and agreeing to medical treatments in the US is generally low and not improving. Families suffer significant reductions in well-being. Providers experience enormous cuts in reimbursement in the new pay-for-performance environment. Pharmaceutical companies lose a staggering amount of revenue on medicine prescribed but never taken. Businesses see lower productivity and profits due to absenteeism and higher health insurance costs. The total loss to society is immense and likely growing. Researchers and practitioners alike have struggled to find ways to raise rates of adherence. This conceptual research addresses the possibility of using narratives to improve adherence. First exploring patient-provider encounters provides a necessary background. Second, the many additional barriers inherent in the US healthcare system are outlined. Third, an examination of narratives establishes possible avenues toward higher adherence. A framework of the system and possible uses of narratives to improve adherence follows.

ABSTRACT. Background: In 2023, it was estimated that at least 65 million individuals had Long Covid (LC). Yet the literature reveals a dearth of knowledge on individual’s perceived symptoms and manifestations of LC. This research aimed at filling this gap while investigating narratives posted on a peer-to-peer online community dedicated to LC. Methods: A netnographic approach was conducted on 63 selected participants in France from April 2020 to December 2022. The narratives were analyzed in a phenomenological approach using TROPES software. The verbatims were then analyzed using a content analysis with NVivo12Pro and organized around the individuals’ symptom experience dimensions, hence physical, cognitive, sensorial, affective, social, behavioral. Results: The study revealed that the most frequent symptoms identified include bodily pain, respiratory issues, chronic fatigue, sensory and cognitive disturbances, and significant emotional and social challenges. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the impact of Long Covid on patients' lives, highlighting the need for a holistic approach to its management, considering affective, cognitive, behavioural, physical, and social dimensions to improve patients' quality of life. Practical implications: Identifying the individual experience of Long COVID symptoms will help improve the management of these patients by health services and provide avenues for health workers to best support them.

ABSTRACT. The Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 specifies the eradication of epidemic diseases like AIDS. Many countries are striving towards HIV free society with multiple interventions. Health communication plays a critical role in addressing such diseases, specifically those that are associated with high stigma. Drawing upon the health belief model and theory of planned behavior, and theory of reasoned action, this study explores the effectiveness of health workers, schoolteachers, religious leaders, and political leaders as social marketers in bringing awareness and reducing stigma related to HIV/AIDS. The findings from NFHS 4 and 5 indicate that these four social marketers have a positive effect on bringing awareness, whereas they have differential effects on reducing stigma. The insights from the study can guide policymakers to identify targeted interventions specific to HIV/AIDS. The study contributes to the social marketing area by utilizing social marketers to bring desired behavioral change and attitudes among people related to HIV/AIDS.

ABSTRACT. Researchers have long studied how context affects consumer decision-making, with one of the most prominent areas of research considering context effects such as attraction and compromise effects. Despite the prominence of this research area, the relationships between context effects have been little studied, and findings that might allow inferences about the co-occurrence of context effects have been inconsistent. As a result, we know little about whether individuals are susceptible to multiple context effects simultaneously. We aim to address this question with a systematic literature review and three empirical studies. Specifically, we outline how previous consumer behavior research has often focused on the factors that separate attraction and compromise effects, while quantitative choice models have tended to conclude that the effects are positively correlated. In response to this theoretical tension, we conducted three studies examining the relationships between context effects at the individual level. The studies suggest that attraction and compromise effects tend to correlate positively when all alternatives are available (Study 1, Study 2), but not when not all alternatives can be chosen (Study 3). Study 2 extends these findings to the relationships between six context effects. We discuss the implications of these findings and outline further research directions.

ABSTRACT. Attending to consumers’ preference for reversible decisions, firms offer increasingly lenient yet costly return and cancellation policies. Despite preferring reversible decisions, consumers evaluate choices they can reverse less favorably. Thus, retailers are in a catch-22 – reversible decisions attract customers yet diminish their post-choice evaluations. Addressing this impasse, we propose that how reversibility affects post-choice evaluations depends on whether decisions are a matter of taste or quality. An analysis of thousands of Airbnb listings and four experiments reveal that (1) although consumers prefer reversible decisions, they evaluate their reversible choice less favorably when it is based on quality (but not taste), (2) basing decisions on taste attenuates the negative effect of reversibility on evaluations, and (3) the effect is driven by choice criticism. Thus, making decisions more irreversible boosts post-choice evaluations. An analysis of over 40,000 Airbnb listings externally validates our predictions. Increasing a listing’s cancellation policy strictness increases occupancy rates more for listings promoted in terms of quality rather than taste. The findings reveal boundary conditions of decision reversibility’s detrimental effects on post-choice evaluations and facilitate optimal return and cancellation policy design and message framing.

ABSTRACT. This study explores how construal framing—desirability-focused (abstract "why") versus feasibility-focused (concrete "how") messaging—affects attitudes and intentions toward sustainable products across different consumer segments. Targeting Dark Greens, Light Greens, and Non-Greens, two experiments were conducted in both riskless (e.g., refillable shampoo) and risky (e.g., sustainable investing) choices to assess segment-specific responses. Results showed Dark Greens and Light Greens were not significantly influenced by framing; their favorable attitudes toward green products remained consistent. However, Non-Greens exhibited notable sensitivity to framing: in riskless contexts, feasibility-focused messages significantly improved attitudes and intention by reducing perceived complexity, while in risky contexts, desirability-focused messages increased appeal by linking the product to future-oriented values. This framing sensitivity among Non-Greens highlights the importance of customized messaging to engage this often-overlooked consumer segment. Findings suggest that strategic framing in sustainable marketing could enhance engagement with Non-Greens, who are traditionally challenging to reach, by adapting messaging to match their decision-making context. The study offers new insights for sustainable marketing practices, emphasizing the value of tailored framing to bridge the attitude-behavior gap in non-green consumers, thereby broadening sustainable adoption.

ABSTRACT. This study aims to better understand food well-being (FWB) conceptualization from a consumer perspective by exploring their perceptions of five domains of FWB (food socialization, literacy, marketing, availability, and policy). To this end, a two-step exploratory study was conducted: a qualitative study relying on 15 semi-structured interviews and a focus group to identify consumer perceptions of FWB. Then, an online survey was conducted with 115 consumers to evaluate the measurement and structural model. The qualitative study reveals the gap between consumer perceptions and FWB definitions. A thematic analysis identifies emerging themes defining FWB from a consumer standpoint. The factor analysis provides a new measurement for FWB, including 34 items corresponding to five dimensions (food literacy, marketing, concern, food-related goal, and policy). PLS-SEM shows that food literacy and policy positively relate to Purchasing intention. Food marketing, concern, and food-related goals are unrelated to purchasing intention. This study provides a new measurement of FWB. It explores the effects of FWB dimensions on consumers’ intention to purchase sustainable food. It offers practical suggestions for consumers, food designers, retailers, and policymakers to improve FWB.

ABSTRACT. This paper introduces a new, open-source pedagogical approach highlighting the empathy factor to enhance transformative learning outcomes for sustainable marketing education in undergraduate education. It is grounded on the principles of transformative learning that we revamped infusing empathy within each pillar to tackle sustainable marketing issues. This is achieved through innovative tools such as the Fresco, which facilitates cognitive empathy and experiential learning, the creation of avatars and podcasts, which enhance emotional connections and broaden students' perspectives on diversity, inclusion, and ecological transitions. Case studies include developing an avatar to encourage more inclusive branding strategies, and producing a podcast to raise awareness about ecological and social transitions. Both projects were implemented amongst 130 undergraduate students at a large French university and the findings demonstrate that this pedagogical approach significantly increased students’ empathy and knowledge about Diversity and Inclusion topics and sustainability issues. It also improved students’ understanding of strategic marketing tools and process. It had a trickledown effect as students leveraged their understanding to actively modify their own lifestyles for other projects. The pedagogical approach was rewarded by the French Marketing Academy Pedagogical Innovation Prize 2024 and certified “innovative tool” by the National Federation for the Teaching of Business Management.

ABSTRACT. In higher education, the traditional model often positions professors as the primary knowledge providers, with students assuming passive roles. However, embracing a marketing service-dominant logic fundamentally transforms this perspective. In this era of information parity, students increasingly function as discerning consumers, while professors adopt the role of service providers, jointly co-creating value throughout the educational journey. This paradigm shift underscores the critical importance of meeting the diverse needs of today’s students, particularly the post-pandemic Gen Z cohort, by providing a sense of community and belonging through collaborative efforts between student and professor, as well as student-to-student.

Our paper delves into the efficacy of transitioning to a student-led, dialectical pedagogy—an approach that effectively addresses the unique requirements of today’s student populations. By examining the foundational principles of service-dominant logic, co-creation, as well as contemporary pedagogical models that embody this shift, we describe a method to revolutionize the learning experience. Specifically, we contend that fostering student-to-student co-creation and connectedness, within the framework of service-dominant logic, can yield transformative outcomes, both in and outside of the classroom. This approach contributes to higher university retention rates and better equips students for real-world challenges—a compelling competitive advantage in higher education.

ABSTRACT. Authors often rely on various extrinsic factors such as author, institution or journal name and fame when citing an article, because references cited in an article are a way to send signal to readers (e.g., knowledge of a topic, an author or a journal). Following this view, ranking (e.g., Academic Journal Guide, Harzing, etc.) and journal ranks may be used by authors to signal the quality of their own research. For instance, an article citing more upper-ranked journals may suggest that it possesses a good scientific quality. Empirical evidence suggests this practice is widespread, as articles from a given rank tend to cite more upper-ranked references and less lower-ranked references. However, the effectiveness of such a strategy to increase the citations received is unknown. In this article, we investigate whether and to what extent citing more upper- and lower-ranked journals influence the citations an article will receive later. Our results, based on more than 3 million references cited by 49,159 articles from 75 journals in the marketing field, revealed that citing upper-ranked journals exert a negative influence on citations received by an article, while citing lower-ranked journals exert the opposite effect. We discuss the practical implications of these counterintuitive results.

ABSTRACT. Sustainability and green marketing practices are important for consumers, firms, and society, and these topics have been noted as critical for marketers to consider (White et al. 2019). This focus on sustainability has been mirrored by leading global and international organizations. For example, the United Nation has developed and distributed its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mirroring this focus on sustainability and green marketing, leading marketing Journals often aim to contribute to public policy and policymakers’ discussions on these initiatives.

For example, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science’s mission is to publish research that explores “legal and public policy issues." While there is undoubtable and increasing interest in the marketing literature surrounding sustainability, green marketing, and related topics, to date, there has not been an empirical approach that clearly categorizes and synthesizing past research in this area. While some past articles have aimed to review the sustainability literature conceptually, such reviews have not been systematic, temporally exhaustive, conducted empirically, or linked to the UN SDGs.

ABSTRACT. Negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) about a firm’s products can have detrimental effects on firm performance. However, the factors that moderate the influence of NWOM are underexplored. This study investigates how the financial effect of NWOM on tangible product attributes varies conditional on a firm’s intangible asset, corporate social responsibility (CSR) reputation. By analyzing cross-sectional time-series panel data on Korean firms listed in KOSPI200 over three years, the research reveals asymmetric moderating effects of a firm’s reputation in various types of CSR (philanthropy, sponsorship, and environmental sustainability). While certain types of CSR reputation effectively reduce the negative effect of NWOM on stock return, others do not or even backfire. CSR reputation’s moderating roles are further contingent on firm and industry-level factors such as firm innovation asset and industry growth. The findings provide nuanced insights into whether and when CSR reputation pays off, and add a contingency perspective to the word-of-mouth literature which has largely focused on its main effect.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates the unintended environmental impacts of digital advertising through a cross-national analysis, applying the General Theory of Competitive Rationality (GTCR) and institutional economics. As digital advertising expenditures continue to climb, driven by its efficiency and precise targeting, the energy-intensive infrastructure supporting this ecosystem—such as data centers and servers—leaves a notable carbon footprint. Employing a panel dataset across 36 countries from 2014 to 2021, our findings show that increased digital ad spending is positively associated with consumption-based CO₂ emissions at the national level. This association is further influenced by institutional factors: environmental policy stringency (formal institutions) amplifies this relationship, while the cultural value of egalitarianism (informal institutions) mitigates it. These results reveal how both regulatory pressures and cultural values shape the environmental outcomes of digital advertising. Implications for marketers and policymakers include the importance of environmentally mindful advertising strategies and the integration of renewable resources to reduce emissions. By addressing the "rationality trap" where firms overlook broader ecological costs, this study expands GTCR to include environmental consequences in strategic decision-making.

ABSTRACT. This research investigates the effect of marketing techniques to promote sustainable innovations, which we define as sustainable really new products (SRNPs). Central to this research is the concept of trust, which is seen as a crucial driver in reducing the uncertainty of SRNPs. This research uses a self-developed sustainability label to better understand if it could enhance trust and, in turn, usage intention for SRNPs. Social norms and analogies further accompany the label to see which technique is most promising in promoting SRNPs. Across one pre-study and six studies using US and German participants, we show that consumers seem to mentally tick a box if a sustainability label is shown. More information on the label or the certification scheme does not significantly affect consumers. Additionally, while consumers who differ in their political ideology and environmental consciousness show significant differences in their trust and intention to use the label, no differences exist in the level of understanding. Furthermore, results indicate that norms and analogies do not significantly affect consumers’ intention to use SRNPs. These findings show that trust, not understanding, is the central aspect of enhancing the usage of SRNPs.

ABSTRACT. The scope of this panel discussion is to explore the “Future of the Sharing Economy” and discuss the emerging issues, consumer and firms efforts, and trends with the goal of pushing existing Collaborative Consumption (CC) research agenda past its focus on larger firms like AirBnB and Uber.

Topics of discussion will include the following themes: Consumer Roles in CC (Albinsson), Ethics in the Sharing Economy (Perera), How established brands integrate various components of sharing systems into their business models (Lawson), The Roles of Gig workers as providers (Gleim and Davidson), and How the Social, Economic, Environmental, Developmental (SEED) framework can be used in answering questions related to sustainability in the sharing economy (Griffiths). The session will be concluded with a macromarketing perspective to emphasize the importance of considering the societal aspects of the sharing economy (Peterson).

ABSTRACT. Building on provocative advertising literature and the projection theory, the current research investigates the impact of taboo breaking awareness ads exposure on young people attitude and donation intention. This work focuses on the second generation of digital natives (born after 1990), very exposed to shocking images and others’ opinions on the Internet. This study examines whether ad execution (provocative or not) can predict attitude, then intention, via the self-reported taboo perception. Furthermore, it explores the mediating role of perceived taboo in others, suggesting that the way individuals perceive their peer’s taboo perception may influence their own reactions. In a nuanced analysis, this research also delves into serial mediation, scrutinizing the perceived taboo in others as both a reflection of self-perception and a precursor to individual taboo perception. Findings advance that digital natives appear unfavorable to taboo breaking in advertising, advertisers must take account these results for maximizing the efficacy of their future campaigns.

ABSTRACT. Complaints about offensive advertising are increasingly common. The current research examines how initial social media complaints can enlist the support of other observing consumers and turn this audience into allies that oppose brands that engage in offensive advertising. The emotional tone of initial complaints (angry, humorous, or unemotional) is manipulated in a series of experiments, and their relative ability to persuade observing consumers to dislike the brand and engage in negative word-of-mouth are examined. An emotional appropriateness mechanism is proposed, where audiences judge whether the tone of complaints seems warranted given the severity of ad offensiveness and complaint source (from victims or allies). Results show that angry and humorous complaints about offensive advertising can backfire by causing observing consumers to actually like the offending brand more when considered inappropriate. In contrast, unemotional complaints were always among the most appropriate/persuasive across sources and contexts. This research has theoretical implications for the complaints, social influence and offensive advertising literatures, as well as important consumer welfare and managerial implications.

ABSTRACT. This research explores how anthropomorphism, specifically through the evocation of different types of cuteness, impacts prosocial behavior. Across two main experiments and supplemental studies, we investigate whether anthropomorphized advertisements designed to trigger Kindchenschema cuteness, characterized by baby-like features, are more effective in fostering prosocial behaviors compared to those eliciting whimsical cuteness, associated with playfulness, or no anthropomorphism. Our findings demonstrate that anthropomorphism that triggers Kindchenschema cuteness enhances compliance with prosocial appeals by activating nurturing instincts, leading to increased donations and positive prosocial responses. In contrast, anthropomorphism that evokes whimsical cuteness shows limited effectiveness in promoting prosocial behavior. By examining these distinctions, we extend the literature on both anthropomorphism and cuteness, revealing the critical role of Kindchenschema cuteness in enhancing prosocial actions, while identifying the limits of whimsical cuteness. These insights provide valuable implications for practitioners in prosocial and marketing domains seeking to optimize their messaging strategies.

ABSTRACT. In recent years, the availability of online grocery shopping (OGS) has increased globally; however, uncertainty remains regarding its future development and associated economic challenges. On one hand, OGS providers need to pursue growth in a highly competitive market. On the other hand, they must achieve long-term profitability. As a result, some OGS providers have had to lay off employees, withdraw from certain markets, or even be acquired by competitors. This research seeks to mitigate this uncertainty by providing an overview of Environmental circumstances (i.e., Global, Market-Specific, and Consumer-Specific) and Organizations’ Internal Factors (i.e., Organizations’ Strategy and Organizations’ Operational Effectiveness) relevant to OGS. This overview can serve as a foundation for further academic analysis of OGS implementation. In practice, we recommend using our schematic overview for the development of OGS to systematically adapt to Environmental Circumstances and influence Organizations’ Internal Factors. Ultimately, the application of this framework aids both academia and industry in better understanding OGS deployment and planning its implementation with greater assurance.

ABSTRACT. Understanding virtual stores as a new shopping channel is essential for creating future online shopping experiences and engaging Generation Z as a brand. This study explores the characteristics and features of virtual stores and their impact on customer experience, compared to physical retail and e-commerce stores. Through an analysis of 95 existing virtual stores, eleven distinct store types were identified, and their characteristics and features were mapped to key dimensions of the customer experience in virtual stores. A representative standardized online survey of Generation Z shoppers in Germany (N = 302) was conducted, with data analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results reveal that sensory, social and immersive experiences significantly influence the customer experience in virtual stores, while emotional and cognitive dimensions show no significant influence. This study contributes to the understanding of virtual stores as an important channel for future engagement with customers, in particular Generation Z, and provides both theoretical insights and practical guidance for retailers and brands in designing immersive virtual shopping experiences. Retailers and brands looking to create virtual shopping environments in particular will gain valuable implications that will resonate with Generation Z.

ABSTRACT. Vulnerable consumers, regardless of the primary sources of their vulnerability, often face financial constraints that significantly impact their consumption behavior. While they have diverse preferences and needs, financial limitations exacerbate their challenges in navigating the marketplace. This paper introduces the Budget-Aware Next Basket Recommendation (BANBR) system, a novel AI-driven tool designed to assist financially vulnerable consumers in grocery shopping by integrating individual preferences with dynamic budget constraints. While traditional recommender systems excel at incorporating consumer preferences, they typically overlook critical factors such as fluctuating budgets and price sensitivity. BANBR addresses this gap by combining personalized recommendations with a soft budget constraint, enabling users to manage their spending more effectively while still receiving tailored suggestions. The system operates in two stages: first, it identifies candidate items based on consumer preferences; second, it applies a flexible budget constraint to ensure recommendations align with financial limitations. We validated our approach through two experiments using both public consumer data and proprietary loyalty datasets. Our findings demonstrate that BANBR significantly outperforms traditional recommendation models, providing more accurate and budget-conscious recommendations. This work has broad implications for service firms, social organizations, and policymakers, offering a practical solution for addressing consumer vulnerability.

ABSTRACT. AI social companions are rising worldwide. These virtual companions provide consumers with synthetic interaction partners and offer psychological and social support to the users. Existing research shows that people often form strong attachments to these synthetic companions and use them to improve mental health, manage stress, and achieve psychological security. However, studies also highlight potential risks, such as intrusion, dependence, and addiction, arising from excessive attachment to chatbots. Thus, it is unclear whether relationships with virtual companions increase or deteriorate individuals’ wellbeing. Our study tackles this issue and examines how the use of AI, as a social companion, enhances (or harms) individuals' well-being. We investigate both positive and negative dynamics of human-AI companion relationships by identifying factors that facilitate a close attachment to AI companions and those which may give rise to states of vulnerability. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach. First, we conduct a netnography of the official Replika’s Reddit channel to identify themes and factors. Second, we develop a theoretical model and test our hypotheses through structural equation modelling. Our findings have relevant social implications that provide guidance to AI developers which seek to retain their engaged customer base, as well as policymakers regulating such applications.

ABSTRACT. Loneliness is widespread in the United States afflicting an estimated 58% percent of American adults. Past research has found that loneliness may motivate individuals to compensate for their need for social fulfilment with materialism, however, why, and how this relationship occurs is still unclear. This research uses the compensatory consumer behavior model to reveal the process by which this occurs, specifically finding mediating roles of emotion regulation, self-enhancement, and escapism. Results from this study demonstrate how consumers seek to reduce their loneliness-triggered self-discrepancy through compensatory consumer behavior with a consumption outcome of materialism. The key contribution of this research is to shed light on the under researched mechanism via which loneliness leads to materialism. It also contributes to the growing body of research on the psychological underpinnings of compensatory consumer behavior.

ABSTRACT. In peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing arrangements, such as renting a car through Turo or booking a home on Airbnb, owners often communicate with renters using language that frames the rented assets as temporarily “theirs.” These messages are intended to create a welcoming experience and encourage a sense of care and responsibility (Beldona, Yoo, & Baiomy, 2023; Kang & Baker, 2022) and are designed to promote positive outcomes by making users feel more connected to the product, a phenomenon known as psychological ownership (Morewedge, Shu, Gilbert, & Wilson, 2009). However, the consequences of these ownership messaging cues on subsequent consumer behaviors remain unclear. For instance, do renters who perceive a rented car as “theirs” take extra steps to care for the car, or does this perceived ownership diminish impression management concerns and subsequent efforts?

ABSTRACT. This study explores the authentic affective responses that underlie pro-environmental persuasion, utilizing a neuroscience-based mixed-method approach. To objectively capture participants' emotional and cognitive states, we integrate four advanced measurement tools: eye tracking, galvanic skin response (GSR), electroencephalography (EEG), and facial coding. These neuroscience techniques provide real-time insights into visual attention, autonomic nervous system reactions, and cortical activity, capturing responses that self-reports may not fully reveal. Additionally, participants will complete a post-experiment questionnaire to offer complementary self-reported measures. By combining physiological and self-reported data, this study aims to deepen our understanding of the emotional drivers behind pro-environmental persuasion intentions, especially how different affective states interact with gain- and loss-framed messaging to influence these intentions. The data will be analyzed using quantitative methods, emphasizing statistical interpretation to uncover nuanced affective and cognitive patterns that traditional methods may overlook. Our findings will contribute to the fields of environmental psychology and behavioral science, offering practical implications for designing effective green communication strategies that resonate with diverse emotional states.

ABSTRACT. Emotions are central to marketing exchanges and relationships and have been shown to shape buyer-seller relationships and influence decision-making. Emotionally charged content have an effect on user engagement on social media which has been associated with firm performance. Consequently, our research question is: How do emotions influence engagement with B2B social media posts? Social media present the challenge of analyzing unstructured data, such as text, which can vary in word length, convey rational or emotional messages, and target different audiences. Natural Language Processing (NLP) has been widely adopted to address this challenge. Therefore, we used NLP to analyze 65,027 Facebook posts from 439 Canadian business-to-business (B2B) companies. For the independent variables, we employed a model trained with the RoBERTa-base language model on the GoEmotions dataset comprised of 27 emotion categories, and one neutral category. The dependent variable, User Engagement, was calculated by summing each post’s likes, comments, and shares to obtain a total engagement score per post. All positive emotions demonstrate a statistically significant correlation with engagement while posts lacking emotional content show a negative relationship with engagement. These insights suggest that B2B companies should consider incorporating positive emotions into their social media posts to enhance engagement.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates user interaction patterns and sentiment dynamics on YouTube, exploring the relationship between network structure, sentiment, and content engagement. Our findings reveal a dual role for highly connected users: while they facilitate both content consumption and co-creation, bridges—nodes linking diverse communities—tend to reduce content consumption. Interestingly, individuals connected to influential peers within the network predominantly drive content co-creation through collaborative and influential ties rather than sheer network size. Sentiment analysis shows that positive sentiments encourage content consumption, with users more likely to watch, like, or share videos. However, such positive sentiment does not necessarily lead to greater participation in co-creation activities, such as commenting or replying. Instead, these co-creation efforts often require more intensive engagement and are typically prompted by negative sentiments, spurring deeper, topic-driven discussion. These insights highlight the types of interactions that encourage engagement and uncover hidden ways that sentiment shapes user behavior, addressing gaps in engagement research.

ABSTRACT. The rapid growth of social media has significantly impacted how brands promote their products and interact with consumers. Consumers increasingly use the internet to gather information about products and brands. This fact has led brands to invest heavily in influencer marketing to boost brand awareness. Therefore, identifying influential figures who can help spread brand messages is crucial, and one effective way to achieve this is by calculating social network analysis’ centrality measures. This study explores the alignment between those identified through centrality measures in online social networks (OSNs) and self-proclaimed influencers. To validate the proposed methodology, this exploratory study uses Instagram data from the Portuguese brand Oliva Store as a case study. The analysis revealed a significant misalignment between self-identified influencers and those identified through network centrality measures. Among the various centrality measures, PageRank Centrality was the most effective, accurately identifying around 23% of self-proclaimed influencers. These findings challenge the notion that self-proclaimed influencers hold the highest influence. They highlight the complex dynamics of OSNs, where organizational entities can also play significant roles. This study provides critical insights for marketers and social media professionals, emphasizing the need for a nuanced approach to identifying and leveraging influencers to optimize marketing strategies.

ABSTRACT. Maximum difference scaling (MaxDiff) is a prominent market research technique. While it was initially introduced as an alternative to ranking and rating tasks, MaxDiff is nowadays often discussed in the same breath as other research techniques, such as choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis.

Although both methods aim at measuring and predicting consumer preferences, they differ substantially in some aspects. One of the main advantages of a CBC is the possibility of assessing the utility of the outside good (i.e., no-buy option), which allows practitioners to conduct sophisticated what-if-market simulations. This is not possible within traditional MaxDiff but with newer anchored MaxDiff approaches. While the direct and indirect anchoring approaches are the most commonly commercially offered anchoring variants (see, e.g., Sawtooth Software or Qualtrics), other approaches have been neglected in the research.

This, preregistered and incentive-aligned, large-scale online experiment (N = 1764) evaluated the performance of six anchored MaxDiff variants in predicting the product choices of a validation sample of consumers in a Bayesian framework. The results highlight that a status-quo anchoring, in which the outside good is one of the regular MaxDiff items, provides the highest predictive validity. Further guidance in selecting an appropriate anchoring method is provided.

ABSTRACT. Contingent valuation and discrete choice studies are econometric methods used to assess consumers' value for both market goods and non-market goods, such as environmental resources or policy actions. While both types of studies utilize survey responses, contingent valuation studies are simpler in that they typically involve a survey response of yes/no answers to questions. These types of studies are essential to marketing professionals in order to predict consumers' willingness-to-pay (WTP), make informed pricing decisions, and understand what features impact WTP.

In this work, we add to existing literature by proposing an alternative method for estimating WTP using Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART) as a flexible approach that also provides a natural framework for quantifying uncertainty around estimates. Traditional methods such as the probit model are enjoyed for their roots in utility theory as well as their ease to implement. However, they are limited by their reliance on strict parametric assumptions, such as linearity and the requirement that the researcher to pre-select important covariates. While these methods are widely used, they may fail to capture complex relationships, particularly in situations involving nonlinearity or interactions among variables.

ABSTRACT. A construct of central importance to marketers is what consumers will pay for a product or service, which has key implications for pricing. Understanding how different methods of measuring willingness-to-pay (WTP) can affect consumers’ construction of WTP judgments is thus critical. This research compares the BDM (Becker, DeGroot & Marschak, 1964) method, considered a gold standard in the literature, and the recently introduced Comparative Method of Valuation (CMV), finding that these procedures evoke different psychological processes and thus yield different conclusions about WTP. These methods 1) evoke different judgment mindsets, 2) cause consumers to weigh attributes differently, and 3) correlate differently with factors such as need states and preferences.

ABSTRACT. The importance of pricing in companies’ performance can barely be overstated. In that realm, accurately assessing consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP)—especially in the early stages of product development—is a crucial cornerstone in determining optimal prices. One of the most popular elicitation methods to learn about consumers’ range of acceptable prices is van Westendorp’s Price Sensitivity Meter (PSM). The present study highlights that choices regarding its implementation can influence consumers’ responses, derived price points, and subsequent pricing decisions. More precisely, in a large-scale experiment (online + lab, net n = 713), we show that the order in which the PSM questions are presented impacts PSM outcomes: Low-er responses are given when the order is high-to-low (i.e., starting with the too expensive question) vs. low-to-high (i.e., beginning with the too cheap question). Furthermore, our results show that the optimal price point recommendation—arguably the critical insight obtained from the PSM—is significantly lower in the former (vs. the latter) question order. These results support the notion that consumers’ internal reference prices—which likely fall somewhere in the middle of the price range that the PSM questions address—serve as anchors that subsequently influence consumers’ responses.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates the impact of song placements in video games on both the popularity of the songs themselves (Study 1) and the reviews of the games that use them (Study 2). In study 1, we use individual growth models to analyze a database of 3,292 songs across 94 games, examining how game releases affect song popularity on Spotify. Key findings from S1 reveal that song placement boosts daily streams by 32%, with effects at least 12 weeks. Surprisingly, less popular artists see greater benefits, with daily streams increasing by 58%. Peripheral song placements, such as in menus, prove more effective than central placements, contradicting previous literature on product placements. In Study 2, we explore the impact of song placements on game reviews using NLP techniques. Analyzing over 330,000 Steam reviews, we find that approximately 9% of reviews discuss music; moreover, when gamers mention music in their reviews, they are 1.21 times more likely to recommend a game. This research challenges traditional assumptions about product placement and demonstrates that video games offer a unique platform for music discovery.

ABSTRACT. With the prevalence of competitive gaming in the digital entertainment environment, this study proposes and examines a model of consumer loyalty toward playing an esports game from the perspectives of achievement goal theory and self-determination theory. After analyzing data collected from 528 consumers in a globally-leading esports game, the results revealed that mastery and approach goals are related positively to three basic psychological needs, including autonomy, competence, and relatedness. However, the avoidance goal has a negative impact on competence. Furthermore, these three psychological needs enhance consumer loyalty toward the esports game significantly. This research contributes to digital entertainment literature by demonstrating how achievement goals affect need satisfaction and provides practical implications for esports marketing practitioners.

ABSTRACT. This study explores how esports fans engage through social media during live events, focusing on the Tekken 8 tournament at the 2024 Esports World Cup. Employing netnography, the research analysed 45 hours of video, including around 10,000 chat discussions and 3,000 comments on Twitch and YouTube. These platforms are key in building fan engagement and highlight unique affordances that shape user interactions. The findings reveal that social media platforms facilitate distinctive fan engagement experiences by fostering community through interactive discussions, enhancing both the fan experience and the in-game atmosphere. By applying Social Capital Theory, the study depicts how fans contribute to a shared network of knowledge and support, thus enhancing social cohesion within the esports community. Practical recommendations are proposed for esports event organizers to optimise fan interaction across different stages of live events, enhancing overall engagement and satisfaction. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of Social Capital in esports and provides insights for future research in online fan engagement and digital community dynamic.

ABSTRACT. With the rapid rise of esports, understanding how engagement impacts loyalty has become crucial for sustaining player retention and brand success. While player engagement as a mediator between gamer satisfaction and loyalty, encompassing behavioral, cognitive, and affective dimensions, remains unexplored in the esports domain. Thus, this study examines the mediating relationships of esports players’ engagement dimensions (e.g., cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement) between gamers’ satisfaction and loyalty based on social exchange theory in Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 290 students aged 18–25 from three Malaysian universities who were selected through random sampling. Participants, all active esports gamers, were recruited based on specific criteria, including gaming frequency. Structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings reveal that behavioral and affective engagement significantly mediates the relationship between consumer satisfaction and loyalty, while cognitive engagement does not influence. These insights emphasize the importance of personalized engagement strategies for enhancing loyalty in esports gaming. This study contributes to the literature on esports consumer behavior and offers practical implications for gaming companies to build stronger, loyalty-driven relationships with their user base.

ABSTRACT. Existing studies have identified the relevance of brand competitiveness in achieving customer-related outcomes. However, a gap in current research is related to its effect on employees, who are strategically relevant to a firm’s success. Evidence from internal branding, organisational behaviour and HRM literature shows that employees’ perceptions of their company brand affect their attitudes and behaviours. This study adapts the notion of customer-based brand competitiveness (CBBC) to the internal context. It introduces employee-based brand competitiveness (EBBC) as an employee’s evaluation of a company brand’s outperformance of competing brands and develops a conceptual framework for the effect of EBBC on employee-based brand equity. It also identifies brand pride, psychological brand ownership, motivation, career opportunities, employability and job insecurity as potential mediators of this relationship to understand the underlying mechanism. To empirically test the conceptual framework, this research uses a mixed-method design with a qualitative and quantitative study. The qualitative study with 20 Australian employees delivers initial evidence for the main effect of EBBC on employees, as well as for the proposed mediators. It also provides insights into relevant sources, types of information and channels that employees use to evaluate their company brand’s competitiveness.

ABSTRACT. This empirical study with a diverse sample of 257 UK-based third sector organisation volunteers, sheds light on the volunteering journey with cause brands. It proves that internal branding (training and brand knowledge) positively affect brand respect, and result in conative outcomes including volunteer's propensity to endorse the cause brand and their intention to remain in their role as volunteers with the brand. This research contributes to the literature on internal branding, consumer-based brand communities and brand respect, and offers crucial implications for brand managers. Brands in the third sector should be seen by those supporting them much more than just a business. They should represent a hopeful path towards a future defined by collective progress and cultivate an environment that volunteers, as working consumers, positively interact and feel they make a difference in the world through their involvement with this activity, leading to respect towards these brands. If these brands fall short of their commitments, they are unlikely to earn long term behavioural support from their volunteers.

ABSTRACT. Professional football players increasingly transfer from prestigious European top leagues to less renowned emerging leagues, such as the Saudi Professional League. This study investigates the impact of such transfers on the image of football players, who are not only athletes but also high-value human brands. In the first phase, we analyzed European fans’ associations with Cristiano Ronaldo before (n=794) and after (n=696) his transfer to Saudi Arabia. Results show little to no change in brand perception. This is intriguing given the insights from our second phase, where interviewees (n=15) emphasized their negative perceptions of such transfers. However, these perceptions strongly depend on the specific player. We identify four player profile dimensions (veteran vs greenhorn, superstar vs potential star, global player vs local hero, wealth-seeker vs ethical leader) that impact fan responses to such transfers. We validate this rationale with a conjoint analysis (n=291). Our study contributes novel theoretical insights into athlete brand dynamics and offers actionable branding implications for players, advisers, teams, and sponsors.

ABSTRACT. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing education is rapidly evolving. In recent years, generative AI technologies have enabled unprecedented learning experiences and enhanced marketing outputs. This research introduces the novel concept of "Synergistic AI" - a framework capturing the transformative dynamics that emerge when multiple human users interact simultaneously with various generative AI models and knowledge sources within a shared digital environment. Informed by Collaborative Learning Theory, a conceptual model depicting three intersecting elements of Synergistic AI is proposed. Results from a baseline study reveal high student interest and perceived usefulness of Synergistic AI. Lastly, the paper highlights diverse practical applications of Synergistic AI across various marketing courses. These applications underscore the crucial role Synergistic AI plays in cultivating essential skills for future marketers operating in an AI-driven landscape where shared communication and collaboration are paramount. This research extends prior human-AI paradigms to reflect recent technological advancements that enable synergistic collaboration between multiple humans and AI agents.

ABSTRACT. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used in different marketing contexts. There are also several scholarly published articles on the subject. Nevertheless, until now, no articles have discussed AI's impact on marketing theories. This paper addresses two dominant marketing theories, transaction cost exchange theory and relational exchange theory, in connection with AI. This article aims to conceptually explore what AI means for our two biggest theories in marketing and, therefore, the research question: What does AI mean for transaction cost exchange and relational exchange theories? This article argues that AI has the potential to modify exchange theories based on its mechanical, analytical, and emotional features. While mechanical and partially analytical AIs have been developed and used in many marketing contexts, emotional AI is in progress and may never be realized. Therefore, this article shows that AI has altered and changed marketing theories because of its mechanical and analytical features. It argues that, in some respects, AI supports transactional cost exchange theory, while in other respects, it supports relational exchange theory. The results also revealed that the hypothetical scenario in which emotional features are developed will completely change our theories.

ABSTRACT. This study explores how implicit theories—growth versus fixed mindsets—affect attitudes toward AI- or human-driven personalized learning. People with a growth mindset may favor AI for its adaptability, while those with a fixed mindset might prefer human expertise for its reliability. An online experiment tested these hypotheses. Results revealed that individuals with a growth mindset had a more positive attitude toward AI-based learning. In contrast, fixed-mindset individuals did not show a preference for human-driven customization. These findings suggest that growth-minded individuals are more open to AI solutions, while fixed-minded individuals lean toward human-led approaches. This insight can help brands tailor their messaging to better engage different consumer segments.

ABSTRACT. In-product social interactions are integral to an increasing number of digital products, including online games and social media platforms. Social interactions happen during engagement with the product, making them not independent of outcomes such as intensity of product usage and customer churn. This endogeneity makes it challenging to measure causal (vs. correlational) peer effects. Strong causal peer effects are needed for developing marketing strategies, including customer retention management (CRM) programs, that employ social influence. Using data from a popular online game, we estimate a joint model of network formation and peer effects on user churn. Our key findings are: (i) Social connections are largely driven by unobserved (by the analyst) gamer characteristics. Ignoring this endogeneity leads to underestimating peer effects. (ii) Networks with more diverse gamer characteristics have less balanced social connections. (iii) Preference for diversity of network connections depends on the CRM objectives and design. A less diverse network is favorable for minimizing negative impact from popular user’s churn, while a more diverse network is favorable for leveraging positive influence of popular gamers. Companies seeking to rely on peer effects in marketing strategies should consider network composition and endogenous network formation in their product design and user community management.

ABSTRACT. In an era where brands are expected to champion societal causes, could something as small as an emoji hold the power to shift public engagement with brands' communications about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? This study explores the nuanced role of emoji symbolism in brand communication—using emojis as either icons or symbols. We examine how icon emojis representing direct and clear concepts versus symbol emojis representing abstract ideas affect active consumer engagement, measured by the number of replies. We also analyze emojis’ strategic placement (beginning, middle, or end) and mode (standalone, sequential, or both). By applying Media Richness Theory (MRT), we propose that icon emojis serve as rich media cues that enhance message clarity and reduce ambiguity, thereby increasing engagement with complex SDG topics. Utilizing AI models and regression analysis on 13,698 brand posts, we find that brands’ SDG messages receive lower engagement than non-SDG messages; however, using icon emojis reverses this effect, significantly increasing engagement. Placing icon emojis at the beginning of SDG posts maximizes engagement, and combining standalone and sequential emojis boosts interaction. These results highlight the importance of strategic emoji use, offering actionable insights for brands aiming to engage consumers with socially responsible messages.

ABSTRACT. Facilitating sustainability transitions to address climate change requires equitable solutions that shift consumer purchases toward sustainable products. Achieving large-scale transformation means all societal segments must adapt, ensuring no one is left behind. This highlights the critical link between equity and sustainability, often studied separately. This article examines the agri-food sector, emphasizing the need for consumers to shift from animal-based to plant-based diets, which have a smaller environmental footprint. Through longitudinal studies of food purchases in two countries, we analyzed how price sensitivity varied between plant and animal-based products (Study 1) and interacted with socioeconomic status (SES) (Study 2). We applied two-level mixed-effects regression models and within-study meta-analyses to analyze purchases by 29,131 Finnish and 55,693 Canadian loyalty cardholders over two years. Results showed no significant difference in price sensitivity between plant- and animal-based products (p=0.39), but SES moderated price sensitivity for animal-based products (p<0.01), not plant-based ones (p=0.89). These findings, robust across two countries, underline the need for strategies focused on affordable sustainable options to ensure equitable market access. This work contributes to marketing science topics in sustainability and price sensitivity.

ABSTRACT. Brands are increasingly letting consumers choose social responsibility initiatives and charities that they will support before or after their purchase through digital platforms or in physical stores. The present research investigates implications for brands linked to cause related marketing with choice, in which the consumer, instead of the brand, select the charitable cause to which the brand will give donations. While previous research has shown that cause-related marketing campaigns with choice positively impacts brand equity metrics (attachment, attitudes, and purchase intentions) when brand image is neutral or positive (Kull and Heath, 2016), we aim to address here more conditions under which introducing consumer choice is effective. Thus, relying on a series of experiments and a field study, we demonstrate that an intra-domain choice set, in contrast to an inter-domain choice set, obliges consumers to choose between highly similar and equivalent options, making the choice more incommensurable and difficult, leading to negative brand evaluation and intentions. We also identify a crossover effect: inter-domain cause set may be disadvantageous in scenarios with high brand-cause fit but advantageous under conditions of low brand-cause fit. Potential results could help managers better design characteristics of their CRM with choice campaigns.