ABSTRACT. This paper demonstrates the strength of multisensory engagement in the context of brand advertisements. Specifically, sensory engagements leading to a spillover effect of sensory priming on an individual’s reaction to an advertised brand, can prove even stronger than affective engagements. In a series of three experiments, we show that positive sensory (vs. affective) engagement prior to viewing an ad will result in stronger self-brand connections with the advertised brand. In a parallel manner, negative sensory (vs. affective) engagement prior to viewing an ad will result in weaker connections with the advertised brand. Our research findings indicate that the use of multi-sensory engagement allows researchers to tap into consumers’ sensory representations, specifically with regard to consumers’ brand name and meaning associations, even more so than affective engagements. From the perspective of marketing practitioners, understanding multi-sensory research would lead to interesting real-world strategies. Specifically, our findings indicate that promotional messages that tap into multiple senses can be effective in triggering strong consumer-brand relationships, even more so than affective messages. In this regard, marketers concur that consumers connect with brands at a sensory level.

ABSTRACT. This paper investigates how participation in communal coping among brand community members influences their likelihood of exiting the community after a brand scandal, with a special focus on the moderating role of membership duration. Using the Volkswagen emission scandal as the study context, we collected and analyzed longitudinal data from the VW Vortex online brand community. Our results reveal that while direct, scandal-focused communal coping increases the likelihood of exit, indirect communal coping through peer interactions within the community reduces this risk. Surprisingly, longer membership duration amplifies the negative impact of direct coping on member retention. By studying brand community members who are often overlooked in scandal research, this paper extends the literature on brand scandals and provides empirical evidence from a natural setting to elucidate the outcomes of communal coping. The findings offer critical insights into how communal coping may affect brand recovery strategies and the long-term viability of brands after a scandal, thereby underscoring the essential role of brand communities in crisis management.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the role of social currency in driving consumer inspiration and its subsequent effects on purchase intention and brand advocacy. Drawing on the social currency framework and theory of inspiration, this research examines the impact of social currency on consumer states of inspiration—from "inspired by" to "inspired to." A scenario-based, quantitative methodology involving 525 structured surveys was employed, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) to analyze complex relationships. Results indicate that social currency has a significant influence on consumer inspiration and brand advocacy. However, NCA findings reveal that social currency is critical for brand advocacy. The fsQCA approach provided additional insights, identifying three distinct causal pathways that differ from PLS-SEM results, and highlighting the complex nature of consumer behavior influenced by social currency. These findings offer valuable theoretical contributions, especially in understanding the varied outcomes of social currency on consumer decisions. Practically, the results underscore the importance for marketers to build strong social currency to drive brand advocacy and influence consumer decision-making effectively.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates the dynamics and antecedents of Negative Consumer–Brand Relationships (NCBR), an emerging area in consumer behavior research that contrasts with the extensive focus on positive brand interactions. The literature on consumer–brand relationships has primarily concentrated on favorable constructs like brand loyalty and attachment. However, negative relationships—such as brand hate, avoidance, and anti-consumption—reveal a complex spectrum of consumer sentiment that can significantly impact brand reputation and consumer engagement. Through a systematic literature review employing the SPAR-4-SLR protocol and TCCM framework, this research organizes and synthesizes insights from elite ABS-ranked journals. Key findings identify unmet expectations, ethical transgressions, and identity incongruence as primary drivers of NCBR. These factors often lead to adverse consumer behaviors, including negative word-of-mouth, brand boycotts, and decreased loyalty. Methodologically, this field is dominated by quantitative approaches, highlighting a need for more qualitative and longitudinal studies to deepen understanding of these adverse relationships’ emotional and behavioral aspects. The review also suggests the applicability of Crisis Management and Attribution Theories in addressing NCBR, emphasizing the role of proactive crisis communication and ethical alignment. This work aims to bridge knowledge gaps by providing a structured overview of NCBR drivers, implications, and potential brand strategies to mitigate consumer negativity, ultimately contributing to more resilient brand management in complex consumer landscapes.

ABSTRACT. The call for a new dominant logic for marketing requires a refining of the discipline’s “underlying concepts, models, and theories, and augmenting the knowledge of the phenomena with which it deals” (Gummesson, Lusch, and Vargo 2010, p. 8-9). It is this spirit of refinement that guides the discussion presented in the current research. If the market is to begin “evolving towards a new dominant logic for marketing” (Vargo and Lusch 2004), then it is imperative that the appropriateness of existing conceptualizations and measures of those constructs central to the phenomena that define marketing be fully reexamined. One such construct of primary importance to market exchanges is quality. Specifically, it is suggested that quality is perhaps the most important and complex component of business strategy today (Golder, Mitra, and Moorman 2012). The scant attention the marketing literature has paid to quality’s conceptualization and measurement over the last two decades is ill advised and unfortunate. While substantial attention has been paid to the co-creation of service value, as well as the service experience being offered as the focal point of provider – user exchange, there has been no consideration as to users’ impact on service quality perceptions

ABSTRACT. Servitization, the transformation of product-centric firms into service-oriented businesses, is increasingly recognized as a strategic pathway for firms seeking sustainable competitive advantage. While substantial evidence links servitization with improved firm performance, variability in outcomes across different cultural contexts suggests the influence of cultural factors. This study presents a meta-analysis of 95 studies examining the servitization-performance relationship, focusing on the moderating role of cross-cultural dimensions. By synthesizing findings from diverse contexts, we aim to identify which cultural attributes amplify or dampen the performance outcomes associated with servitization. This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the servitization-performance linkage, highlighting the strategic implications of cultural alignment in servitization efforts and offering managerial insights for firms operating in varied cultural environments.

ABSTRACT. The fast-changing and dynamic environment, especially post-COVID, has impacted customers in changing their demands of products and services fast to meet the new environment dynamics, which in turn places increasing emphasis on agility—a firm’s ability to sense and respond to changes quickly. Agility serves as a key determinant of organizational success. However, there is an ongoing debate regarding the impact of agility on performance as there are conflicting findings across studies. These mixed results also suggest the potential contingent effects of agility on performance. Drawing from dynamic capabilities theory, this study conducted a meta-analysis with a dataset of 136 effect sizes from 98 studies (N= 31,060) published between 2003 and 2024. The finding shows a clear overall trend that agility has a positive impact on organizational performance. Moreover, with external-focused agility (vs. internal-focused agility), the impact of agility on performance is stronger. When considering the organizational levels, employee level agility has a stronger impact on performance compared to agility at the functional or organizational levels. This research offers a comprehensive analysis of how agility impacts organizational performance by synthesizing existing empirical studies. It extends beyond prior empirical studies by uncovering previously overlooked moderators in the above relationship. This integrated understanding moves scholarship forward. The findings in this study also provide considerable practical implications. It also proposes future research questions based on the meta-analysis findings.

ABSTRACT. Understanding the impact of customer experience (CX) on organizational success has been a focal point for both academic research and corporate strategy. Customer experience measurement (CEM), customer centricity, and the adoption of customer experience standards are emerging as critical drivers of organizational effectiveness, directly impacting customer loyalty, financial and organizational performance. Research has shown that companies with a strong focus on CX outperform their competitors both in financial returns and customer loyalty (Klink, Zhang, & Athaide, 2021). Accordingly, the integration of CEM and CX standards within a firm’s operations fosters a consistent and cohesive customer experience, aligning organizational goals with customer expectations to deliver sustained value (Gounaris & Almoraish, 2024; Lemon & Verhoef, 2016). However, despite this recognition, establishing clear, replicable links among CEM, customer centricity, and CX standards to drive organizational and financial performance remains a primary challenge for organizations aiming to implement CX strategies at scale. In view of this, firms often encounter difficulties in assessing the impact of customer experience efforts and integrating these insights into strategic decision-making processes (Arkadan et al. 2024). This paper seeks to bridge this gap by examining the correlation between CEM, customer centricity, customer experience standards, and analyzing how these elements together contribute to measurable improvements in both organizational and financial performance metrics.

The results will enhance the existing literature on customer experience (CX), providing a framework that connects experience-oriented initiatives with performance indicators in a manner that is both actionable and adaptable across many industry contexts.

ABSTRACT. As the urgency to address climate change intensifies, sustainability has emerged as a critical focus within marketing education. This session, “SustainAbility Marketing from Research to Teaching,” aims to explore innovative strategies for embedding sustainability into marketing curricula, aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By addressing the challenges of integrating sustainability into educational frameworks, we will present three interconnected areas for experimentation: curriculum, campus, and community. Additionally, we will introduce the 3Es framework (Engage, Embed, Enact) to facilitate the systematic integration of sustainability into marketing education, offering practical tools and actionable insights for educators. Through this framework, we will explore how to engage students with sustainability concepts, embed these principles within the curriculum, and enact effective teaching practices that inspire action. The session will emphasize the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of online communities to cultivate sustainability learning among students and educators alike. Ultimately, this session seeks to motivate attendees to reflect on their teaching while providing tools and frameworks for embedding sustainability and the SDGs in their curricula, equipping future marketers with the competencies necessary to thrive in and contribute to a sustainable economy.

ABSTRACT. Pedagogic approaches used to introduce the SDGs are diverse, especially around whether to embed across all teaching or focus on selected modules. This affects theories used to frame the concepts. Recent research argues that a mixed approach to teaching and learning is needed to recognise, navigate and engage with this discourse. Research that examined ways in which the SDGs have been embedded in the marketing curriculum led to the development of the 3Es framework: Engage, Expand and Enact. The research has also been extended into exploration of pedagogy better suited for Enterprise education, such as application of the sustainable mindset principles. While some authors talk of the systematic integration of sustainability beyond the curriculum level, the 3Es framework adds to this by considering ‘how to’ from the perspective of a course, level and module and how sustainability is articulated through, for example, the SDGs.

ABSTRACT. This presentation provides a framework for embedding sustainability in marketing education across three critical areas: Curriculum, Campus, and Community (3Cs). Through experiential learning, interdisciplinary projects, and collaborations with local organizations, students are empowered as co-creators of knowledge, actively engaging with real-world sustainability challenges. The session highlights actionable strategies for integrating sustainability into teaching practices, preparing future marketing professionals to drive sustainable change.

ABSTRACT. We need to go beyond utilising research to teach future marketers about sustainable marketing in the classroom to make a true impact. Consumers increasingly look at businesses to implement sustainable solutions in order to ease the pressure on the planet (Mintel, 2024). Since mistrust towards brands’ environmental initiatives is growing, companies must demonstrate the impact of their eco-claims (Hooker, 2024). With the rise of the green economy and increasing consumer awareness (Badhwar et al., 2024) brands are seen as educators of sustainability (Burke, 2023). With 62% of the world's population using social media and 93.3% of internet users engaging with it, the average daily time spent on these platforms collectively is 2 hours and 23 minutes (Chaffey, 2024), brands should utilise social media, as powerful marketing tools for educating consumers about sustainable behaviours. Consumers already seek sustainability information through social media, for example, 75% of respondents to Unilever’s study said they are more likely to take up sustainability behaviours after watching social media content and 83% think TikTok and Instagram and good places to get advice on sustainable living (Unilever, 2023). This talk focuses on how brands can utilise social media brand communities (SMBCs) - virtual spaces embedded in social networking sites, where consumers connect with other ‘brand fans’ (Marchowska-Raza and Rowley, 2024) - to educate their consumers about sustainable behaviours they could implement in their daily lives. SMBCs are powerful business tools as they strengthen consumer-brand relationships, foster loyalty, improve brand experience and build trust (Kaur and Kumar, 2022).

ABSTRACT. This article investigates the emotional impact of consumer-to-consumer (C2C) bullying incidents on consumers within online brand communities (OBCs). Utilizing online observation and hybrid thematic analysis of 16 Facebook brand communities over a one-year period, we analyzed the emotional content of 130 C2C bullying episodes. Our deductive findings identify nine basic emotions aligned with Ekman’s extended basic emotion framework (2015), which includes anger, disgust, fear, happiness, surprise, contempt, shame, guilt, and pride, alongside the additional emotion of gratitude. Additionally, we explore seven moral emotions based on Haidt’s framework (2003)—anger, contempt, disgust, compassion, guilt, elevation, and gratitude. We inductively categorize these emotions according to their forms of expression: self-expressed emotions, perceived emotions, and anticipated emotions, thereby providing a nuanced understanding of how emotions are felt, observed, or expected during interactions. Furthermore, we classify moral emotions into topic-related and bullying-related categories and introduce a theme for immoral emotions. This research contributes to the literature on digital consumer behavior by addressing calls for investigations into the emotional dimensions of C2C bullying in OBCs. From a managerial perspective, our findings enhance the understanding of consumer emotions in OBCs in the context of C2C bullying.

ABSTRACT. Consumers use the descriptive language in marketing communications to help them evaluate and chose consumption experiences. This research establishes that language conveying extraordinariness—an experiential quality capturing spatial and normative engagement, intensity, and infrequency—has positive effects on consumer evaluations and consumption. After developing a four-dimensional lexicon that captures extraordinariness, we demonstrate this effect across a longitudinal panel study (n = 1.37M), two cross-sectional secondary data studies (n = 24,923) and four experiments (n = 1,049). This effect occurs because linguistic extraordinariness facilitates the savoring of upcoming experiences. Two studies support the proposed process of savoring using both a measured mediation and a moderation-of-process paradigm. Moreover, the originality of the attributes of the content promoted act as a boundary condition, such that experiences low in originality decrease savoring and consumer evaluations when promoted with high linguistic extraordinariness. The effect replicates across both an externally valid secondary data study and an internally valid online experiment. The findings contribute to literatures on extraordinary experience, customer experience qualities, and consumer language research. Practically, they equip marketers and consumer-entrepreneurs with actionable tools and usage recommendations to improve the persuasiveness of messages promoting experiences.

ABSTRACT. C2C bartering, consumers swapping goods in exchange for other goods instead of currency, has grown in popularity online, including on websites such as Gumtree, craigslist, Depop, and Vinted. This increasingly popular online consumer activity has not yet been studied in much detail in the marketing academic literature, though it has gained attention in the business press. Users of the bartering websites can choose profile elements to represent themselves, including an image of themselves, something else, or no image. Further, they can choose to offer value (price) information for the objects they are bartering with, or not. Data were collected from My Subscription Addiction (MSA), a website that allows users to swap items they have received from subscription boxes, which are typically assortments of products from different brands delivered at regular intervals. On this site, we were able to collect publicly available online behavioral data of 118 C2C exchanges/barters. From this online behavioral trading data, we found that users can be less transparent about the value of their trade when they provide more transparency in their profile image. Additional experimental work is underway as we seek to further explore these bartering exchanges, contributing to an interesting and novel area of marketing academic research on the growing phenomenon of C2C online product bartering.

ABSTRACT. In an attempt to precisely capture the dynamic nature between influencers and their followers/consumers, along with its marketing implications, this research develops the Trans-Parasocial Relations Scale to demystify the intricacy of influencer-consumer relationships beyond traditional parasocial theories. Through a series of empirical studies in the context of social media marketing, the results demonstrate the reliability, validity, and effectiveness of the scale to measure consumers’ engaging behavior with influencers. The findings contribute to further refining and validating the construct of trans-parasocial relations for filling both the theoretical and methodological gaps in influencer marketing.

ABSTRACT. Brands are finding it increasingly challenging to enlist preferred influencers, as influencers have become more selective with endorsements. This highlights the need to understand how influencers evaluate and choose brand partnerships—a topic currently underexplored in influencer marketing research. Using a series of studies involving in-depth interviews with 42 diverse influencers and analysis of 41 actual brand offers, we develop an influencer evaluative model. The model is based on four criteria: Congruence of values, Relevance, Transactional value, and Relational value. Audience expectations significantly influence the evaluation of these criteria. Through our research, we identify a notable gap between what brands offer and what influencers prioritize. Addressing this gap can help brands improve their success in enlisting their preferred influencers. Overall, this paper responds to calls to bring a greater influencer perspective to influencer marketing.

ABSTRACT. In this paper, we demonstrate the impact of assertive versus non-assertive language used by male vs. female influencers on consumer attitudes, with a novel application of the language expectancy theory as the theoretical framework. We find that consumers prefer that male influencers use assertive and female influencers use non-assertive language in their social media communication. We confirm this by analyzing thousands of posts gathered from Instagram (Study 1) and a lab experiment (Study 2). We find that self-influencer congruence explains this relationship (Study 2). Next, we wanted to understand if there were any conditions when a female influencer could assertively post a message. We find that viewers accept assertive messages from a female influencer if they see them as a credible source of information (employee vs. celebrity) (Study 3). Thus, the paper contributes to assertive language, advertising, and influencer marketing literature through the three studies.

ABSTRACT. Marketers consider social media influencer size (i.e., the number of followers) among the most powerful influencer characteristics to determine influencer’s marketing effectiveness. However, the psychological mechanism explaining why influencer size affects consumer behavior remains poorly understood. We develop a congruency framework which suggests that two types of influencer-brand fit, (i) influencer fit with the brand community and (ii) influencer fit with the brand personality explain the effect of influencer size on consumer perceptions of influencer credibility and purchasing intentions. We test related hypotheses in an experimental study with 203 participants. The results show that influencer fit with the with the brand personality, but not brand community fit, mediates the influencer size effect on consumer reactions. This study contributes to the evolving literature on social media influencer marketing by providing new insights into the influencer-size effect.

ABSTRACT. As the use of AI agents in various service contexts continues to grow, recent studies have focused on understanding when consumers are more inclined to adopt these AI agents. This research takes a closer look at the interactions consumers have with service agents and investigates whether their responses differ based on whether the agent is human or AI. To explore this question, the study draws on Social Exchange Theory to explain the differences in consumer responses to AI compared to human service providers. The findings of three experimental studies reveal that consumers tend to have more positive evaluations of services provided by human agents than by AI agents. This preference is primarily driven by consumers’ perception that the human service agent has exerted effort. Additionally, the level of empathy displayed by the service agent plays a significant role in moderating this relationship.

ABSTRACT. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly deployed in service management. While AI automation can lead to greater service efficiency, the adverse effects of AI are a concern for organizations. The main concerns are the loss of jobs due to automation and AI effectiveness in achieving firm performance. Few scholars have recommended that AI automation-augmentation can simultaneously help achieve service productivity and excellence. Most of the work highlights the benefits of AI automation-augmentation anecdotally and theoretically. There is an inherent need to empirically examine the impacts of AI automation-augmentation in the service industry. This research study conceptualizes a psychometric scale to measure the AI automation-augmentation deployment based on the congruence of AI types with the nature of the service task. This study also conducts the predictive validity of the AI deployment scale for service management. This study substantiates theoretically the theoretical framework of AI automation-augmentation and AI types. This is among the few studies done to develop a scale for AI deployment in service management. The study findings can provide organizations with decisions on service tasks that can be performed through automation and tasks that humans should perform but are augmented using artificial intelligence.

ABSTRACT. The growing use of generative AI in consumer decision-making introduces both facilitation and constraints on choice autonomy. This paper investigates the impact of AI-driven recommendations on consumer decision processes, specifically how differing architectures of generative AI platforms influence consumer choices. Grounded in consumer choice and autonomy theories, we conduct an exploratory analysis comparing different generative AIs platforms. The findings reveal distinct parameters of "choice architectures," and two main generative AI axes. Information-oriented generative AIs offer functionalities as practical info, visual elements, websites links and user ratings to enhance the user decision efficiency. Consultation-oriented generative AIs, in contrast, provide more decisional guidance but with limited data sourcing transparency, encouraging more supportive but potentially directive interactions. This study suggests a first conceptualisation of generative AI choice architecture grounded on these axes. It underscores the need for further research into the implications of AI recommendation systems on consumer autonomy.

ABSTRACT. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, enhancing service delivery, and increasing operational efficiencies. However, the occurrence of AI failures can severely disrupt service quality and damage brand reputation, necessitating effective corporate communication strategies. This study aims to address the gap in understanding the types of AI failures and the corresponding organizational responses by analyzing 15 AI failure cases from 2020 to 2024. Using content analysis, this research employs thematic extraction through Atlas.ti to identify major patterns in AI failures, followed by manual concept coding. Subsequently, keyword extraction is performed using KeyBERT to capture relevant terms associated with each failure type facilitating the selection of excerpts. Choi's typology of AI failures provides a framework for categorizing these failures. Additionally, Benoit’s Image Repair Theory serves as a lens through which to examine the corporate communication strategies implemented in response to these failures. The findings reveal that failures like common sense and established crisis management strategies like reducing offensiveness are effectively used in most of the cases. However, failure like catastrophic forgetting and mortification strategies are used the least. These insights contribute to the ongoing discourse on best practices in corporate communication in the era of AI.

ABSTRACT. The objective of our study research was to investigate the factors influencing consumers to discontinue sustainable behavior. This study utilized the expectation-confirmation theory (Oliver, 1989) to understand how consumers’ dissatisfaction arising from unmet expectations leads to the discontinuation of sustainable behavior among consumers (Bhattacherjee and Premkumar, 2004). Moreover, we extended the expectation-confirmation theory by incorporating two identity-related factors as green self-identity and green social-identity expectation-confirmation through the lens of self-identity and social identity theory (Stryker and Burke, 2000; Tajfel and Turner, 1979). Further, we examined the medicating effect of distrust and dissatisfaction on discontinuous sustainable behavior (Darke et al., 2010). To test this, we collected the data from electric vehicle users in the USA using Prolific Academia and analyzed it through structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate less confirmation of green self-identity and green social-identity expectations influence dissatisfaction. Accordingly, dissatisfaction has a direct and indirect effect on discontinuous sustainable behavior via distrust. Meanwhile, distrust has a direct impact on discontinuous sustainable behavior. The findings of this study provide significant and valuable insights into the post-adoption stage of sustainable consumer behavior in the context of electric vehicles and have both theoretical and practical contributions.

ABSTRACT. Among various value differences, sustainability stands out as a key concern for Gen Z consumers. This generation is increasingly interested in making responsible consumption choices that promote a fair exchange of goods between producers and consumers, contributing to a balanced circular economy. Fair trade (FT) has emerged as a movement aimed at improving trading conditions for disadvantaged producers worldwide through consumer actions. Despite the many challenges faced by fair trade, it has demonstrated steady market growth and consumer attention in developed markets. However, it remains relatively unknown in emerging markets. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theories, we conceptualize Gen Z consumers' fair trade-related mindset (FTRM) as comprising three dimensions: FT beliefs, FT knowledge, and cultural disposition (collectivism). We investigate how these dimensions influence their intentions to purchase FT products. Data for the study (n=236) were collected from college students under 25 years old in one of the largest metropolitan cities in Türkiye. Using a structural equation model, our results show that Gen Z consumers’ purchase intentions for FT products are influenced collectively by their FT beliefs, FT knowledge, and cultural values (collectivism), which together constitute their FTRM. To increase Gen Z consumers' intention to purchase FT products, it is essential to promote all three components of FTRM. Practical and research implications are discussed.

ABSTRACT. Faced with the environmental problems posed by food waste, recycling food leftovers within the household is a solution to be encouraged. Within the framework of the model of social norms activation, the present study examines the compared effects of intrinsic religiosity and eco-spirituality of consumers in activating an injunctive social norm favorable to food waste recycling behaviors within the household. The results of a survey conducted among over 500 consumers representative of the French population show that only eco-spirituality would be likely to activate this injunctive norm, thus leading to food leftovers recycling behaviors; the effect of the norm on behaviors being partially mediated by anticipated guilt. Societal recommendations are drawn from these results.

ABSTRACT. There is a growing consensus on the need to reduce red meat consumption, particularly for environmental reasons, but also in relation to health and animal suffering. What factors lead consumers to reduce their meat consumption? While there are studies highlighting the difficulties, obstacles and motivations involved in flexitarianism (reducing meat consumption), few studies have examined the effects of behavioral spillover. Behavioral spillover is defined as the influence of one behavior on another behavior that is similar and shares the same intrinsic motivations. The existence of a spillover effect when it comes to reducing meat consumption was highlighted in the literature review. Pro-environmental behavior and behavior that takes animal welfare into account have a spillover effect on meat consumption reduction. It has also been shown that meat consumption is strongly influenced by gender. However, there are no studies on the spillover effects of reducing meat consumption according to gender. The aim of this research is to see to what extent gender is able to highlight a specific spillover effect. This study shows, for example, that the spillover effect that leads women to reduce their meat consumption comes from ecological consumption behavior, whereas for men it comes from consideration of animal welfare. The results highlight the need not to work on the spillover effect as a whole, but by taking gender into account.

ABSTRACT. Corporate Sociopolitical Activism (CSA) involves brands publicly supporting divisive social and political issues, reflecting alignment with specific values and groups. While consumers increasingly expect brands to align with their personal values, CSA’s impact on brands is complex. Research indicates that CSA can lead to consumer (dis)identification, often causing existing customers to leave if a brand's stance conflicts with their values, rather than attracting new supporters. Studies generally find that CSA has a net negative effect on brands, though specific factors may mitigate this impact. This study examines how product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian) and relationship norms (communal vs. exchange) moderate CSA’s effects on consumer choices. Different consumer goals for hedonic (emotional experience) versus utilitarian (functionality) products may shape responses to CSA. Additionally, brand relationship norms, defined as communal or exchange-based, influence consumer expectations regarding brand behavior. By assessing these moderators, the study provides strategic insights for brands to potentially reduce CSA’s negative effects, aligning activism efforts with product types and relationship norms to improve consumer response.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates the impact of eco-labeling claims on firm financial performance, focusing on abnormal stock returns from new product launches in the U.S. food and beverage industry. Drawing on signaling theory, we analyze how the quantity and quality of eco-labels influence investor response, moderated by product innovativeness. Our analyses, based on a panel data set comprising 1,071 product launches between 2011 and 2018 reveal that an excessive number of eco-labels negatively affects stock returns, likely due to consumer skepticism. In contrast, high-quality, specific claims have a positive relationship with firm value. Moreover, product innovativeness moderates these effects, mitigating the negative impact of label quantity and enhancing the positive influence of label quality. This study contributes to the marketing-finance literature by providing insights into the strategic use of eco-labels in enhancing firm value. Our findings suggest that firms should focus on the quality and credibility of environmental claims rather than simply increasing their number and align eco-labeling with product innovation to maximize shareholder value.

ABSTRACT. Facing pressing environmental and social crises, there is a growing need to transform both business and consumption practices. Marketing can drive this change and sustainable SMEs serving as experimental laboratories. However, consumer perceived legitimacy remains essential for these efforts to succeed. This research, through an experimental study, examines the effects of three marketing practices on consumer perceived legitimacy and subsequent behavior toward born sustainable SMEs (BS SMEs). Findings reveal a disconnect between marketing practices and consumer perceived legitimacy: pragmatic and moral legitimacy do not mediate the relationship between practices and consumer behavior toward BS SMEs. However, cognitive legitimacy does play a mediating role.

ABSTRACT. The sport merchandise brand (SMB) market in China is highly homogeneous and transparent. Both foreign global SMBs and Chinese SMBs are striving to adapt their marketing strategies to enhance their competitive advantages. Localised marketing strategies can effectively provide local consumers with a sense of uniqueness (De Vries & Fennis, 2020) and successfully enhance their perceived brand localness (PBL; Han, 2023). Consequently, both practitioners and researchers are actively calling for the development for comprehensive localised marketing strategies to help SMBs expand in the Chinese sport market and strengthen the connection between Chinese consumers and SMBs. By employing a qualitative approach using interviews, this study identifies four key localised marketing strategies for enhancing PBL: local cultural authenticity, local community relationship, localised social commerce, and place attachment. The study not only defines each strategy but also explains how to implement these localised marketing strategies. While most research explores brand localisation from either the consumer or brand manager perspective, this study draws on in-depth interviews with both consumers and experienced managers to offer practical, actionable strategies, thus complementing existing research. From a practical standpoint, SMB managers can adjust their marketing strategies to better fit the Chinese market and align with Chinese consumer preferences. This study helps foreign global SMBs better understand market dynamics in China, identifying how local customs can be effectively incorporated into localised marketing strategies to appeal to Chinese consumers. Additionally, it provides guidance for Chinese SMBs on how to design more creative marketing strategies to compete with foreign global SMBs.

ABSTRACT. Since the publication of the seminal scholarly piece by Schooler (1965) on product bias in the Central American Common Market, the field of consumer behaviour had been flourishing with the studies investigating the effects of product place origin, or country-of-origin (COO), on consumer decision making process. The studies have shown that with the increased number of foreign products, consumers use COO cue as a surrogate indicator of the quality. However, the COO effects are found to be dependent on specific classes/types/brands of products. Further exploration of the field of consumer behavior revealed that consumer decision making is also influenced by the notions of ethnocentrism, patriotism and nationalism that impact consumers’ preferences for domestic vs. foreign products and have a particular impact on a country associated with a crisis. However, the majority of studies on this topic remain largely focused on Western or Asian consumers leaving the Central/Eastern Europe and post-Soviet countries a largely untapped territory. The current in-progress study aims to contribute to the existing literature by investigating attitudes of Armenian consumers within the context of pre- and post-Artsakh war of 2020 (i.e., Azerbaijan - Nagorno Karabakh war). The study participants reflected on one of the three categories of products (convenience (chocolate), shopping (shoes), and luxury (jewelry) made in four countries (i.e., Armenia, Russia, Italy, and Turkey). Each of the chosen product types is produced locally, however, there is an increase in imports in each of the product types from main importing countries (i.e., Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Iran, Turkey, etc.).

ABSTRACT. Jamaica enjoys strong support from a large and engaged diaspora community. Although, the diaspora is expected to contribute significantly to the long-term survival of the island’s philanthropic organizations, there is an opportunity to improve the engagement of the diaspora to promote the sustainability of philanthropic organizations and address regional disparities in Jamaica’s philanthropic infrastructure by enhancing Jamaica’s diaspora strategy and the current mechanisms used to implement it. The success of philanthropic marketing strategies for the diaspora depends on the mind-set of members of the diaspora and national culture has a role to play. A content analysis of the Jamaican Diaspora Engagement Model (JAM-DEM) and the Jamaica Social Stock Exchange portals is conducted to gain insights into the diaspora strategy. Areas of emphasis, project selection, imagery and message appeals are examined in the context of regional philanthropic disparities, Jamaican cultural dimensions, and the role played by cultural tightness/looseness in donor reactions. The current selection of projects favour larger local or international non-profit organizations, with a greater footprint in the capital of Kingston, and social class and religious affiliation remain important factors when engaging the diaspora in philanthropic efforts.

ABSTRACT. Climate change is radically disrupting the conditions for wine growing and thus the entire global wine business. This disruption has large-scale socio-economic effects all over the globe. Traditional old world wine countries face unprecedented challenges while new, cooler climate or higher altitude markets emerge. This study looks at the discourse around one emerging wine country, Finland, via a lens of market-shaping theory and discourse analysis of media coverage both on a local and international level. The study identifies trends, agendas, power structures and subtle methods of market-shaping when emergence occurs.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores how blockchain-enabled traceability systems can solve logistics challenges at South African ports, with a focus on the wine industry. We examine the role of a traceability’s blockchain platform in addressing issues like congestion, counterfeiting, and inefficiencies that impact wine exports. As a pre-survey, interviews with 3 wine industry stakeholders were conducted to gather insights. Case studies of South African wine exports were analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of blockchain in supply chain optimization. Blockchain traceability solutions can significantly enhance transparency, reduce delays, combat counterfeiting, and improve overall supply chain efficiency. The system facilitates faster customs clearance and ensures sustainability by minimizing unnecessary physical exchanges. This study offers a novel perspective on integrating blockchain with port logistics to address industry-specific challenges in a critical export sector. It highlights the untapped potential of digital technologies in transforming port operations, particularly in emerging markets.

ABSTRACT. The production and consumption of meat has negative consequences for the environment as it plays a major role in climate change, loss of biodiversity, water depletion and pollution. Further, conventional meat production practices often raise ethical questions concerning animal welfare. Despite these issues and the rise of plant-based meat alternatives, many consumers continue consuming meat. In-vitro meat, also known as “cultured meat”, “clean meat” or “lab grown meat”, could be a suitable substitute as producers aim to imitate the color, nutritional value, flavor, aroma, texture and palatability of conventional meat. However, research on the factors influencing consumer adoption of in-vitro meat is limited. As the successful introduction of in-vitro meat into the diets of consumers hinges on actually trying it, the present study investigates the determinants of consumers´ willingness to try in-vitro meat.

We develop and test a conceptual model based on the Theory of Consumption Values, integrating food neophobia as a moderator. Our results show that the functional, emotional and epistemic values of in-vitro meat are positively related to willingness to try. However, the positive effect of epistemic value is inhibited by food neophobia. Marketers should thus highlight the functional (i. e. nutritional) and emotional benefits of in-vitro meat in comparison to conventional meat. Future research should more closely investigate food neophobia and how to alleviate its negative impact on the adoption of novel foods. Further, the impact of other individual difference constructs pertaining to food consumption could be explored.

ABSTRACT. This research delves into the role of sustainability in Generation Z’s food consumption, offering insights valuable to consumers, retailers, and marketers. Through detailed interviews with French Generation Z consumers, we investigate the underlying factors shaping their dietary attitudes, behaviours, and motivations. Employing lexical, thematic, and semiotic analysis, we construct a consumer profile taxonomy that reveals Generation Z’s diverse values in food choices, highlighting the significance of well-being that transcends health and ecological concerns. This approach bridges the green attitude-behaviour gap noted in literature. By applying consumption value theory and semiotic analysis, we identify four unique consumer profiles: the Z Wellbeing Advocate, the Z Practical Realist, the Z Hyper-Connected Social Geek, and the Z Eco-Conscious Enthusiast. The findings contribute to academic discussions on Generation Z’s sustainable behaviours, with a focus on French consumers, and set the stage for comparative studies in different cultural contexts. The study equips brands and retailers with a deeper understanding of Generation Z, helping them fine-tune products and sustainability messaging for increased engagement and market relevance. This research serves as a practical guide for brands aiming to align their sustainability strategies with the expectations of the next generation of consumers.

ABSTRACT. Eco-labels, prominently displayed on product packaging, serve as visual indicators of a product's environmental attributes and are hypothesized to influence consumer intentions to purchase green products. This meta-analysis synthesizes findings from a comprehensive review of existing literature to examine the effectiveness of eco-labels in shaping consumer intentions to purchase green products. Our analysis includes 10 effect sizes from 9 studies with a total of 12,417 subjects. Results reveals a significant and positive main effect, indicating that the presence of eco-labels consistently enhances consumer intentions to purchase green products across various contexts and product categories.

ABSTRACT. Firms use various tactics to entice customers to try new products – including free samples, advertising and celebrity endorsements. The hope is that once the consumer tries it, loyalty ensues. However, new product adoption is not as easy as getting the product in the consumers hands. Donavan, Janda and Schmidt (2023) discovered that Willingness to Try New Products (WTNP) was predicted by a combination of consumer’s defiance (i.e., going against societal norms) and compliance (i.e., complying with societal norms). We advance the work of Donavan, Janda, and Schmidt (2023) by looking at the dispositional facet of risk-taking in consumers. Impression management, as discussed shortly, may encourage consumers to take the risk of trying an unproven new product. By being the first to try a product, the consumer gains social status. Risk-taking appears to be driven by two constructs which may enhance one’s identity: variety-seeking and search for uniqueness.

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of temporal landmarks on consumer perception of self-improvement products and its underlying psychological mechanism and the boundary condition. Four experimental studies were conducted, each with a single factor (temporal landmarks: start vs. control) between-subjects design. This was followed by two additional experiments, each with a 2 (temporal landmarks: start vs. control) × 2 (desire for subjective vitality: low vs. control) and 2 (temporal landmarks: start vs. control) × 2 (self-acceptance: high vs. control) between-subjects design, respectively. Results show that start temporal landmarks increased consumer preferences for self-improvement products and this process was mediated by one’s desire for subjective vitality while self-acceptance moderated the impact of desire for subjective vitality on preferences for self-improvement products. This study enriches the existing theory and literature by illustrating that start temporal landmarks increased consumer preferences for self-improvement products via arousing consumers’ aspirations for subjective vitality and self-acceptance moderated the process.

ABSTRACT. This study addresses an important gap in marketing literature by focusing on consumer-based perceived brand legitimacy (PBL), a concept that has received limited attention compared to brand reputation and brand status. Recognizing that individual consumers are critical evaluators, we develop a comprehensive PBL scale to measure how consumers perceive brand legitimacy and its impact on consumer behavior. Our scale development included item generation through consumer interviews, followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, establishing the scale’s reliability and validity. Using representative samples (N=1,177), we examine the effect of PBL on brand equity, demonstrating that brand legitimacy significantly influences consumers. Moreover, we investigate key antecedents of PBL—brand activism and brand heritage—offering insights into factors shaping legitimacy perceptions. This research advances the field by providing a validated, multidimensional PBL scale, addressing pragmatic, cognitive, and moral legitimacy. Our findings underscore the broader implications of brand legitimacy on brand related outcomes (e.g., brand equity), providing a valuable tool for academics and practitioners to assess legitimacy and test related theories, as well as responding to Kates’ (2004) call for further exploration of brand legitimacy within the consumer context.

ABSTRACT. Drawing on organismic integration theory and generation cohort theory as lens, this study investigates the impact of extrinsic motivation (intrinsic, introjected, identified, and external) on consumers’ willingness to purchase vintage products. Additionally, this study suggests generations’ cohort (Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z) and need for uniqueness as important boundary condition in relationship between extrinsic motivation factor and willingness to buy vintage products. Data were collected through a survey from a sample of 316 vintage consumers, and hypotheses were tested using SPSS and AMOS. Structural equation modeling, moderation analysis was performed to validate the proposed theoretical model. The results reveal that intrinsic motivation has strong impact on consumer’s willingness to buy vintage products followed by identified and external motivation. While this this study does not find the support for introjected motivation. Similarly, the moderating impact of generation cohort showed that for X-ers the intrinsic motivation is important, for Y-ers, the external motivation and for Z-ers the identified motivations are main driving for the consumers’ willingness to buy vintage products. Additionally, the moderation impact of need for uniqueness is more salient for external motivations on consumers’ willingness to buy the vintage products when the NFU was higher. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of brand management and consumer behavior by elucidating the complex interplay between motivational factors (intrinsic motivation, identified motivation, introjected motivation and external motivation), generation cohorts and NFU on consumer willingness to buy vintage products.

ABSTRACT. Roehm and Roehm (2004) investigated the relationship between variety-seeking behavior and the time of day at which choices are made. Using two experimental studies in the US, they found variety-seeking was lower in the afternoon than in the morning. However, Gullo, Berger, Etkin, and Bollinger (2019) found a different effect. Using one empirical and three experimental studies in the US, the authors showed that variety-seeking increased throughout the day. To shed light on the different findings, we revisit this relationship using a unique dataset from the UK, which tracks individual purchases of food and drinks for out of home consumption over a period of three years. Similar to Gullo et al. (2019), we found variety-seeking increases from the morning to the afternoon. Additionally, we found a post-lunch dip. The dip is more consistent with previous research on diurnal level throughout the day (Blake, 1971; Rutenfranz & Colquhoun, 1979). Our results as such lend further support to the matching mechanism between variety-seeking and diurnal level proposed by Gullo et al. (2019) rather than the compensating mechanism suggested by Roehm and Roehm (2004).

ABSTRACT. Semantic content is central in the priming effect that influence consumer behaviour. It has been long viewed as static, overlooking its contextual-dependent nature. This systematic literature review of 46 peer-reviewed journal articles aims at mapping the role of semantic content and its impacts on consumer behaviour, thereby identifying important research gaps for further studies. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol, we develop a comprehensive framework that conceptualizes the identification and processing of semantic content, depicting its influence on consumer behaviour. This review summarizes the multi-dimensional sources, the perceptual and cognitive processes, and the engagement of contextual elements in the interpretation of semantic content. We emphasize the dynamic, context-dependent nature of semantic content and the automatic nature of its processing. Finally, based on the framework, this review suggests future research questions to be addressed in this field. This paper provides a deep understanding of semantic content in marketing and consumer research, offering both theoretical and managerial contributions.

ABSTRACT. This study examines how assortment color strategies—specifically, multi-colored, mono-colored, and mixed-colored assortments—affect consumer perceptions. It hypothesizes that multi-colored assortments are perceived as offering greater variety than mono-colored assortments, thereby enhancing aesthetic appreciation and attractiveness. Using a between-subjects design, 102 participants (aged 19–25) evaluated three assortment types for a fictitious chocolate brand: one assortment consisted of bars with a single-colored (white) background (mono-colored condition); another assortment had multi-colored backgrounds, with a different color for each product in the line (multi-colored condition); and the third assortment featured a split background—each bar had a unique color in the upper part, while the bottom part remained consistently white across all products (mixed-colored condition). ANOVA results showed that multi-colored assortments significantly increased perceived variety, aesthetic appreciation, and assortment attractiveness compared to mono-colored assortments, with mixed-colored assortment showing similar effects to the multi-colored one. Mediation analysis further confirmed that perceived variety and aesthetic appreciation mediate the relationship between assortment color and assortment attractiveness, validating a serial mediation model. Increased assortment attractiveness was also found to positively influence behavioral intention. To date, research on assortment perception has primarily focused on the number of products displayed and their arrangement. This study highlights the importance of also considering factors related to the visual design of products in the assortment.

ABSTRACT. Construal level theory suggests that an abstract mindset leads people to neglect situation-specific details and idiosyncratic differences. Therefore, abstract (vs. concrete) thinkers consider categories more inclusive and perceive objects as more similar. Several individual studies tested this construal-similarity link (CSL) but are fragmented across different research contexts. Consolidating their results, this meta-analysis considers 173 effect sizes from 59 articles and identifies a small to medium-sized but heterogeneous positive CSL for non-egocentric measures (i.e., objects appear more similar in abstract, high construal levels), while testing egocentric measures yields a negative CSL (i.e., higher similarity perceptions in concrete, low construal levels). The CSL helps explain why people disregard or overvalue differences between choice options and holds implications for academic research and practical challenges that arise from biased information processing.

ABSTRACT. Interactions between service employees and customers have long been suggested to have a tremendous impact on customer assessment of service delivery. Among a variety of constructs in the studies of employee-customer relationships, rapport is an important issue for service organizations. Researchers have found customer-employee rapport is influential in the creation of customer satisfaction and loyalty (Yim et al. 2008). Increased customer perception of rapport also positively influences customers’ judgments about the service and commitment toward a service relationship (Gremler and Gwinner 2000, 2008). Customer-employee rapport could be achieved in the very first service interaction (Gremler and Gwinner 2000). In building a customer relationship, a service employee’s interaction with a customer in the initial encounter is critically important in creating the customer’s impression of the firm and thereby his/her desire to have future interactions with the firm (Bitner 1995).

While researchers have addressed the significant consequence of rapport in the service settings, seldom do we know the emergence of instant rapport between customers and service providers. Concerning the rapid assessment of rapport and the important outcome of the construct, this study attempts to develop and test a model that describes the building of instant rapport and customers’ perception of rapport in the first service interaction. Dyadic survey data collected from 257 customer-employee pairs in various service industries was examined through structural equation modeling (SEM) and hierarchical moderated regression analysis.

ABSTRACT. Mobile shopping has seen a significant increase in acceptance over the past decade, with e-commerce offering more options to buy online through mobile devices. Smartphones have become a personal and intimate interface for many consumers, conferring trust and reassurance feelings. As consumers become more reliant on shopping with their mobile phones, augmented reality (AR) has become more common. Previous research shows that AR provides added value to customers and retailers in terms of service, enhancing brand perception. However, less is known about how consumer sensory-based perception of the product offering through AR settings modifies behavioral outcomes. Mobile shopping presents a unique setting where consumers can experience a variety of sensory experiences, such as audio, visual, and haptic stimulation, through sensory-enabling technologies, such as AR settings. Heller et al. (2019) provided one of the few studies known to date on the effect of sensory-enabled experience, specifically haptic stimulation, in AR settings on customer purchasing behavior. The authors investigated the mental intangibility that these environments induce due to the lack of physical interactions with the products and content, responding to the call for research to alleviate this intangibility.

ABSTRACT. Creating superior customer satisfaction has been the primary objective for service firms. The importance of service employee satisfaction in enhancing customer satisfaction has been emphasized in past research, yet there is limited research exploring the mechanism linking them. As service employees are mainly responsible for service delivery, the interpersonal interaction between customers and service employees has been found to substantially affect customer perceptions of services and considered as the key to customer satisfaction (Brown and Lam 2008). Past research also indicated that employee satisfaction can enhance customer-employee interactions, which, in turn, increases customer satisfaction (Homburg et al. 2009). Thus, there has been particular academic call for exploring the mechanisms linking employee and customer satisfaction. Integrating emotional labor and emotional contagion theories, this study attempts to bridge this research gap by developing and testing a framework that includes the mediating emotional mechanism through which employee satisfaction affects customer satisfaction in service context. A theoretical framework was developed to explore the employee-customer satisfaction linkage mediated by emotional labor and contagion. Dyadic survey data collected from 388 customer-employee pairs in fashion apparel industry was examined through structural equation modeling. Results demonstrated that employee’s satisfaction affects the employees’ emotional labor strategies (i.e., deep acting and surface acting). Emotional labor, in turn, influences the emotional contagion between the employs and customers (i.e., employee affective delivery and customer emotion), which affects customer satisfaction.

ABSTRACT. We are excited to propose our special session titled “Conserve, Reduce, and Repair: Perspectives on Sustainable Consumer Behavior in Dynamic Marketplaces” which aligns well with the AMS World Congress theme “The Role of Marketing in Reshaping the Dynamic Landscape of Business: Innovation, Sustainability, and Legitimacy.” While our session contains four separate presentations, they are connected through their focus on sustainable marketplace practices such as conservation, reduction in consumption or consumption of products with lower carbon emissions, and extending the product life through repair. In addition, the contributing scholars bring various global perspectives to this session as the sessions include studies and data from Belgium, the UK, the US, and New Zealand.

ABSTRACT. Consumer behavior is increasingly impacted by animal welfare concerns. Addressing the calls to address associated issues, present research considers optimal features of virtual reality (VR) appeals for animal conservation. Specifically, we aim to answer the following questions: Can visual proximity within VR influence charitable giving for animal conservation? If so, why? Can fear moderate these effects, such that higher fear increases charitable giving when the animals are closer (vs. further) within VR? We conducted two lab- and one field experiment with a custom-made virtual environment featuring an animal conservation appeal created in collaboration with a European Aquarium. This research is the first, to our knowledge, to explore the impact of visual proximity within VR on charitable donations. We extend prior work on metaphorical thinking and on fear and rule out a number of possible underlying mechanisms contrary to prior research. Our work informs organizations looking to deploy VR to encourage action for animal conservation.

ABSTRACT. In recent years, sustainability in pet food has caught consumers (pet parents) attention and the sustainability concerns have grown in the pet care industry (NielsenIQ Report 2023). Pets are seen as family and consumers' close relationship with their pets may influence some consumer segments to make more sustainable purchase choices for their pets reflecting their personal lifestyle choices. However, the limited research that has focused on pro-environmental value and perceived nutritional value in pet food decision making found that only nutritional value increased interest in sustainable dog food products (Van Prooijen et al. 2024). This further illustrates the challenges facing the actors in the pet food industry that aim to reduce their overall carbon emissions. The established green gap between consumer attitude and pro-environmental actions, may be even wider in pet food.

ABSTRACT. The third presentation continues with the topic of reducing carbon emissions. Titled “CO2-labeling: An Assessment of Sustainability Literacy” the authors (Lawson, Northington, Albinsson) present findings from a multi-method, multi-year study where they examined how young consumers view carbon emissions, if they recognize various carbon/ environmental labeling, and whether these labels affect their everyday consumption practices.

ABSTRACT. Despite the contemporary societal interest in repair , consumer research has, until recently, overlooked this phenomenon. Consumer research conceptualizes repair as a spectrum of interventions through which people seek to affect the capacities of objects in ways that correspond to their material readiness to enable routinized patterns of action (Godfrey, et al., 2021). However, existing studies have failed to consider the forms of scarcity that might create impediments to self-repair and the motivation to partake in repair cafes. Thus, this exploratory qualitative study answers the following two research questions: How does scarcity inform impediments to self-repair experienced by consumers? and What motivates consumers to participate in repair cafes?

ABSTRACT. Amid the technological revolution, service robots have attracted significant attention for their potential to enhance consumer services. These robots, designed as autonomous agents, aim to assist and interact with consumers. To effectively replace or complement human service employees, robots must achieve social acceptability and effectiveness. One critical factor for successful service employees is their ability to engage closely with consumers, which includes both psychological rapport and physical closeness, such as spatial proximity and tactile interactions. Research shows that physical touch from service employees often results in more positive evaluations. We conducted a lab experiment to investigate the impact of human-robot proxemics, specifically, proximity and touch, on consumer perceptions of service robots. Findings indicate that these proxemics significantly affect how service robots are perceived. For instance, the presence of robots in close proximity can diminish the perception of humanness and increase feelings of eeriness, particularly among consumers with a strong desire for interaction. Similarly, touching robots enhances attractiveness perception but can also elevate eeriness for some consumers. These results underscore that spatial proximity and touch influence consumer perceptions of service robots, ultimately affecting consumer loyalty. Our research offers valuable insights into optimizing human-robot interactions to improve consumer experience in service contexts.

ABSTRACT. We explored customer behavior in response to sales interactions managed by algorithmic marketing agents, focusing on the dynamics between agent type (human or algorithm), the nature of responses (positive or negative), and customers' hedonistic values. Across two studies with 557 participants, we investigated their willingness to engage in promotional activities related to purchasing real estate and vehicles. Our findings revealed a significant three-way interaction: customers with lower hedonistic values were more responsive to algorithmic agents following negative responses. This suggests that algorithms might serve as a more effective communication method with customers of lower hedonistic values facing negative scenarios.

These insights offer practical benefits for businesses, particularly in marketing automation. Companies can use this knowledge to tailor customer touchpoints based on consumer profiles, enhancing the overall customer journey. The study also highlights the importance of understanding how different customers, particularly those with varying hedonistic values, interact with algorithms. Further research in this area is crucial for designing algorithmic systems that cater to emotional needs, allowing businesses to bridge the gap between human expectations and the emotional experiences AI can provide. By doing so, companies can develop marketing systems that not only meet functional needs but also offer emotionally enriching interactions.

ABSTRACT. In recent years, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the increasing AI-powered products and services and prompted firms and consumers to actively follow the fast-changing trends. The generative AI, particularly ChatGPT, has become the research focus in the global AI application markets. However, research on the consumer behavior issues of AI-based ChatGPT remains seldom and warrants further study. To bridge the research gaps, this study explores the antecedents and consequences of consumers’ ChatGPT reuse behavior. Questionnaire survey method was applied in this study and questionnaires were distributed to ChatGPT users in Taiwan. The study used convenience and snowball sampling methods to collect questionnaire data, resulting in 390 valid responses. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SPSS and SmartPLS statistical software was adopted to analyze the data, test the hypotheses, and justify the research model.

The findings indicate that consumers’ flow experiences have significantly positive impacts on confirmation, satisfaction, and intention to reuse ChatGPT. Consumers’ confirmation positively affects their satisfaction which has positive influences on reuse intention and subsequent reuse behavior. However, confirmation and satisfaction do not directly influence consumers’ reuse behavior. Moreover, satisfaction and reuse behavior significantly and positively affect consumers' word of mouth. The research contribution is to propose an integrated model to disclose the antecedents and consequences of consumers’ ChatGPT reuse, and to extend the applications of flow theory, ECT, and BAO framework. This study also provides managerial implications and recommendations for ChatGPT marketing practices.

ABSTRACT. Live streamer commerce (LSC) is transforming digital marketing by integrating real-time interaction with shopping, creating environments that significantly influence consumer behavior. This study investigates the impact of live streamers’ attributes on followers' engagement and impulse buying, focusing on how sense of presence, streamer-follower-brand congruence, and dynamic brand experiences act as mediators. Using Source Credibility Theory, Self-Congruity Theory, Sense of Presence & Flow Theory, and Experiential Marketing and Consumer Engagement Theory, this research establishes a conceptual framework to understand the mechanisms linking streamer attributes to behavioral outcomes. A survey conducted among 600 participants from China and the UK, utilizing platforms like Taobao Live and TikTok Live, provides insight into the role of cultural differences in LSC. Results reveal that credible and relatable streamers, immersive experiences, and alignment in brand messaging enhance follower engagement and drive impulse purchases. While Chinese followers tend to favor entertainment-driven streams, British followers prioritize content quality. These findings highlight the need for brands to adapt strategies to diverse audiences by investing in dynamic, culturally responsive content that resonates with followers' values and preferences. This research contributes to digital marketing theory by illuminating the complexities of LSC and offers actionable insights for global brands seeking to optimize live streaming strategies.

ABSTRACT. Live streaming platforms allow streamers to reply to viewer comments during their streaming sessions. The synchronous interaction enables the streamer to adjust the streaming content in real-time, catering to the specific needs and desires of the viewers (Gua, et al. 2022). Furthermore, the platforms provide streamers with an opportunity to monetize their viewership during their streaming sessions, and viewers “pay” to maintain their relationship with streamers (Chou & Nguyen, 2023). Existing live streaming research primarily focuses on usage motivations and e-commerce aspects, the motivations and intentions to gift remain largely unexplored. Drawing on existing consumption theory, this study aims to develop a model investigating the determinants of online users’ gifting motivations and their effects. The distinct contribution of this study lies in the consideration of the dynamic interaction of online users with streaming, focusing on the dynamic interaction and relationship between the viewers and streamers, and accounting streaming quality and perceived values of gifting behaviors.

ABSTRACT. Advances in technology have spurred the widespread use of personalization in marketing, with personalized promotions often deemed to deliver superior value to customers. However, name personalization, in which recipients’ names appear in marketing messages, can lead to contradictory consequences. This research documents the negative effects of name personalization and explores how coupling name personalization with sender personalization and content personalization can counteract or overturn the negative impact of name personalization on purchase behavior by increasing message credibility. Furthermore, the authors investigate the heterogeneous effects of personalization strategies across customer relationship stages (new vs. repeat customer). Empirically, they conduct two field experiments on WeChat, followed by three lab experiments. The first field experiment reveals that name personalization decreases coupon redemption rates and that sender personalization mitigates this negative effect, more so for new customers. The second field experiment replicates these findings and also demonstrates that content personalization can effectively overturn the negative impact of name personalization for repeat customers. The three lab experiments verify the field experiment findings and further confirm credibility as the mediating mechanism. This research offers managerial implications for the optimal personalization designs of promotional messages catered to different customer stages.

ABSTRACT. Social media has become a crucial part of marketing strategy worldwide and many scholars have been investigating how luxury brands may effectively use it (Aldhamiri et al. 2024; Wong 2023). But there is a paradox between the exclusivity of luxury brands and the accessibility of social media, to such an extent that the inadequate use of social media may be harmful for the portrayal of luxury dimensions and brand image (Duong and Sung 2021; Park et al. 2020). Due to the increased importance of social media and the need to further understand the impact of luxury brands' social media marketing strategies on consumer behaviour (Kyrousi et al. 2022; Zha et al. 2023), the current paper adopts a multimethod approach to investigate different social media strategies adopted by luxury brands and their impact on brand awareness, brand image, and overall brand equity. First, social media experts within the luxury industry were interviewed; second, social media accounts and posts of luxury brands were content-analysed; and finally, 147 consumers were surveyed. Results show that reducing brand communication by decreased or absent social media activity could be negative for brand awareness. Detailed strategies for social media are addressed.

ABSTRACT. This research examines the ethical and innovative implications of implementing generative AI (GenAI) in educational institutions, focusing on business schools. Through two experimental studies, we explore how different AI policies—no AI usage (no-GenAI), unrestricted AI usage (use-GenAI), and regulated AI usage (use-GenAI+)—impact stakeholder perceptions of ethicality, innovativeness, and intention to support the school. The results show that institutions allowing unrestricted use of GenAI are perceived as more innovative but less ethical, while those implementing regulation policies are viewed as both highly innovative and ethical. Furthermore, regulation policies enhance support intention from stakeholders, demonstrating that clear guidelines can mitigate ethical concerns while maintaining perceptions of innovation. These findings suggest that balancing innovation with ethical responsibility is key to gaining stakeholder trust in the adoption of GenAI. The study contributes to the fields of educational technology, business ethics, and stakeholder theory, offering practical implications for AI governance in educational settings.

ABSTRACT. The rise of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping both individual and collaborative learning, yet research on students' perceptions of generative AI is limited. This study fills this gap by examining three key questions: the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations behind students' use of generative AI, factors influencing their satisfaction, and how individual characteristics shape their perceptions. Using a mixed-method approach, the study begins with qualitative analysis of students’ experiences in a classroom setting, followed by a quantitative survey (N=250) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Drawing on Self-Determination Theory and Two-Factor Theory, the findings show that students' personal traits significantly influence their motivations. Students with high self-esteem and those with anxiety both find AI beneficial for enhancing creativity and enjoyment, but for different reasons. High self-esteem leads to increased performance, greater AI reliance, and higher satisfaction, while diminishing concerns about work legitimacy and fears of automation. In contrast, anxious students rely on AI more but worry about the legitimacy of their work and the potential for AI to replace them. These insights provide valuable implications for educators and institutions seeking to implement generative AI in a way that addresses diverse student needs and enhances personalized learning experiences.

ABSTRACT. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has seen remarkable growth in recent years, driven by advancements in computational power and Big Data technologies. AI applications have become integral to decision-making, enabling companies to make informed strategic decisions. However, there needs to be more understanding of AI's use of AI in business marketing strategies. This systematic literature review aims to investigate the roles of AI in influencing decision-making within the strategic organizational contexts of marketing, identify emerging AI applications in strategic settings, and explore how AI is influencing decision-making processes within organizational strategies. The study utilizes a framework categorizing organizational decision-making into strategic, tactical, and operational levels. A Large Language Model (LLM) is employed to classify the collected articles. The findings highlight the descriptive analysis of the research and details of the approaches used in the examined studies. The review discusses articles identifying relationships pertinent to the study's central questions. Suggestions for future research are provided, pinpointing areas where further investigation could enrich the understanding of AI's strategic implications in organizational settings. The study contributes to expanding the knowledge of strategic decision-making with the application of AI, offering new insights into this critical organizational process.

ABSTRACT. In seeking to optimize the alignment between corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and firm limited resources, firms often make difficult decisions about focusing on certain CSR domain or satisfy most of the stakeholder group. While prior research has largely emphasis resource-procession angle of antecedent of CSR structure, relatively little is known about the marketing-oriented capabilities and external market contingencies in shaping CSR specialization. Drawing from resource advantage (R-A) theory, this research addresses this gap by examining how relative marketing capability (RMC) positively influences CSR specialization. This research also argues that this positive relationship is moderated by different market conditions. By using a endogeneity-robust dynamic estimation method, our results confirm that firms with higher RMC are more likely to adopt specialized CSR structures in less munificent, more concentrated, or more dynamic markets. These findings contribute novel insights into the factors influencing CSR specialization and the market contingencies under which firms prioritize specific CSR activities.

ABSTRACT. Purpose – A structured literature review explores how the materiality concept is understood in the Stakeholder theory (ST) literature and how this understanding impacts sustainability understanding and potential achievement. The study then proposes a revision of the ST model for the context of corporations that want to achieve sustainability. Method – We conducted a systematic literature review following Tranfield et al.’s (2003) guidelines to ensure transparency, rigor, and relevance. This method was chosen for its ability to synthesize a broad range of literature while minimizing potential biases. We selected the Web of Science database as the source for its comprehensive coverage of management and ST literature. Findings –It differentiated three materiality definitions (economic value creation, stakeholder value creation, and socio-materiality value creation), how it impacts theory discussion, ST, and practices toward sustainability. The study suggests a revisited Stakeholder Theory that overcomes weaknesses found in the original model when sustainability is a goal. Originality – Our study offers two significant contributions. First, we provide three distinct understandings of materiality concept: Economic Value Creation (EVC), Stakeholder Value Creation (SVC), and Socio-materiality Value Creation (SMVC). These conceptualizations differ in their approach to sustainability, stakeholder definitions, value creation logic, and sustainability achievement criteria. Our second contribution is the development of an extended stakeholder theory framework that integrates these insights with ecological dominant logic and ecocentric management principles. This framework advances existing theory by explicitly incorporating nature and social issues as stakeholders, challenging a firm-centric view of stakeholder theory that do not consider “place”.

ABSTRACT. In the current complex socio-political landscape, corporations engaging in controversial societal issues navigate a precarious balance—their involvement can either resonate deeply with stakeholders or result in significant backlash. Drawing from attribution theory, this study extends the burgeoning literature on corporate sociopolitical activism (CSA) by unravelling the critical antecedents, mechanisms, and consequences underpinning how employees attribute company motives to these controversial initiatives. Through a methodically designed empirical investigation involving a sample of full-time employees in the United States, our findings reveal the pivotal role of internal marketing strategies in CSA implementation. Specifically, openness internal marketing practices, i.e., transparency in communication and the inclusion of employee voice emerge as crucial factors in fostering favorable attributions of company motives. organizational values with employee beliefs. Moreover, our research also contributes to the broader discourse by elucidating the mediating role of organizational capacity in leveraging employee affective commitment and igniting their ambassadorship behaviours. This research enriches the CSA literature and provides insights to managerial in the aspects of internal marketing and employee branding.

ABSTRACT. This paper provides an assessment of the distribution of state advertising to private media organizations in nine European countries. State advertising represents an indirect form of state aid wherein public funds are channeled to media outlets for purchase of specific advertising services. The regulation of state advertising as a form of indirect state sponsorship was scarcely studied in prior research. Attention was paid to the nexus between public sector communication and its role in building public value, and the relationship between public sector organizations and citizens mediated by institutional advertising. Depending on the national legal systems, a variety of concepts are used to refer to this type of state aid: institutional advertising, institutional communication, marketing communications, public government advertising, state assistance for the media, government-sponsored advertising and government communications. This study introduces a cross-country comparative analysis of government data on state advertising in nine countries that represent media systems models: the Polarised Pluralist system which is active in Spain and France, and the Democratic Corporative system, which is used in Austria, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. The variables selected for analysis focus on the relevant legal frameworks and regulations ensuring institutional transparency in the process of preparing tenders and awarding of advertising contracts. Data were collected between 2019 and 2022 within the context of an R&D research project funded by the Spanish Ministry for Science, Innovation and Universities. Results show significant cross-country variations regarding the level of institutional transparency in the allocation and distribution of state institutional advertising.

ABSTRACT. At the end of the qualitative study carried out within the Manufacturer (M)-Distributor (D)-End customer (EC) ecosystem with their business actors, the effect of digital transformation is that of an accelerator of the relational and interactional dynamic that leads to the commitment of its players in business relationships. The evolution of the ecosystem's functioning is driven by a "phygital" approach to its players, based on a central end-customer-distributor commercial relationship. The dynamics of relationships and interactions are differentiated between players, but are polarized around the end customer, the ultimate beneficiary, extended to include all his teams and customers, who have become increasingly demanding. However, this balance is conditioned by a "good relationship" based on human trust, coupled with products and services that integrate digitalization, are renewed and adapted to the end customer's need for innovation, for which the manufacturer must be the guarantor. Finally, it follows that commitment, under the effect of digital transformation, is based on the coexistence of a triple dimension in a marketing and service ecosystem. In the manufacturer-distributor relationship, it's a commitment based on the perceived value of products and solutions, which can incorporate digitized services. Distributor-end-customer interactions are a phygital, iterative relationship of commercial commitment based on trust. Finally, between distributor and manufacturer, the relationship is one of cooperative partnership, with digitalized tools optimizing the transparent transmission of data.

ABSTRACT. As the digitalization grows fast, people will have more chances to choose different channels to make a purchase during their shopping journey. As a result, it is a must for retailers to come up with strategies during the omnichannel scenarios to provide customers with seamless and integrated services. In the past, literature mainly focused on the strategies to attract customers from the company’s perspective. It is relatively few literature discussing it about customer engagement from the customer’s perspective. For helping the retailer better design the omnichannel strategies, this study summarized omnichannel elements, and put product attributes as moderators to see if these elements are positively related to customer engagement. The results indicated that integration, interaction, and immersion are positively related to customer engagement. In addition, the impact of integration and immersion is most significant. As for the moderating effect, integration is positively related to customer engagement for search product, which means that the retailers who sell search products might put much effort on integration. Enterprises should take these elements as consideration when coming up with strategies to enhance the customer engagement.

ABSTRACT. The purpose of our study is to develop a conceptual framework of how firms can obtain customer need knowledge for organizational innovation processes through customer linking practices. Although prior work has advanced the understanding of customer involvement in innovation processes, little is known about when and how going beyond firms’ direct customers affects innovation success. This article distinguishes between direct and indirect customers as they provide different kinds of customer need knowledge, which is critical for successful innovation. This study involved a two-step process by first conducting a literature review to aid the development of the conceptual framework, followed by a series of interviews with managers in the manufacturing sector in the UK to empirically juxtapose and enrich the conceptually farmwork. The framework explicates the linkages between firms’ customer linking practices, customer need knowledge and innovation performance as well as the influence of organizational and environmental contingency factors. Our article extends the notion of customer linking for the purpose of innovation by considering both direct and indirect customers in the conceptualization and provides vision for different types of customer linking practices. The conceptual framework provides impetus for further research and guide managers in integrating customer management and innovation management to increase innovation performance.

ABSTRACT. Understanding the dynamics between organizations and participants requires adaptive theories that account for ever-changing market conditions. However, existing studies lack comprehensive theories that fully explain organization-participant relationships. The current study introduces the metaphor of ‘attraction’ to conceptualize these relationships. Grounded in a fundamental scientific principle, we posit that organization-participant relationships emerge from a bidirectional attraction. While the basis of this attraction is influenced by the sector, conditions, and the type of relationship, the characteristics of the organization and the participant are the principal determining factors. The study adapts Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation to marketing by borrowing one of the most fundamental principles of physics. The study fills gaps in the literature by understanding the multifaceted relationships between organizations and participants and addressing diverse practical needs, thereby creating a solid foundation for marketing and branding scholars. It assists organizations in determining and implementing effective strategies in practice and evaluating whether they are truly reaching their target audiences. Its flexibility allows application in various scenarios, including business-customer relationships, higher education institutions, prospective student relationships, B2B markets, employer-employee dynamics, and the luxury segment. It addresses the limitations of one-dimensional models in two-way market relationships and supports the non-linear dynamics of relational distance and attraction between organizations and participants. The study offers organizations a better understanding of industry conditions and their positioning within the market. It enables them to comprehensively examine their relationships with participants in various industry and market contexts.

ABSTRACT. In an era of increasing global competition and institutional voids in emerging markets, understanding the nuances of B2B relationships is crucial. This study advances brand personality theory by examining the curvilinear effects of brand personality congruence on B2B relationship outcomes in emerging markets. Despite the growing importance of branding in B2B contexts, research on how brand personality congruence operates in emerging market B2B relationships remains scarce. Drawing on social exchange and institutional theories, we investigate direct effects, mediating mechanisms, and boundary conditions using data from 377 B2B relationships in two African Countries. Our findings reveal that brand personality congruence has an inverted U-shaped relationship with loyalty, perceived financial performance, and collaborative innovation. These effects are mediated by trust and relationship quality, with the impact being stronger in less mature markets and for smaller firms. Cultural dimensions (power distance and uncertainty avoidance) significantly moderate these relationships. Notably, our necessary condition analysis reveals that moderate levels of brand personality congruence are necessary but not sufficient for high relationship performance. These findings challenge linear assumptions in congruence research and provide crucial insights for developing effective branding strategies in emerging markets. As firms increasingly seek competitive advantages in diverse global markets, our results offer timely guidance for managing B2B relationships in complex institutional environments.

ABSTRACT. Exporter’s relationships with their importers play a critical role in entering foreign markets, increasing their involvement in those markets, gaining both internationalization knowledge in general specific market knowledge in particular (Leonidou, 2003). Exporters depend on importers’ resources (e.g., information) and capabilities (e.g., distribution) in order to create value for foreign customers and perform well in foreign markets (Leonidou et al., 2014). On the other hand, importers also depend on exporters’ resources (e.g., technology) and capabilities (e.g., new product development) to serve their market with innovative, unique, high quality, and low-cost products that will contribute to their business success (Leonidou et al., 2022), which makes choosing their exporter and managing relationships with them a critical decision which is affected by the exporter’s country’s image (Durand et al., 2016). Although exporter-importer relationships research has dealt with many topics ranging from their initiation and termination and their antecedents to their behavioral dimensions and performance implications (Aykol & Leonidou, 2018), country image of the exporter as an exogenous factor with a potential to affect foreign partner relationships has received very little attention (e.g., Schätzle & Jacob, 2019). As a response, the objective of this study is to explore how an exporter’s country image affects business relationships with its foreign customers.

ABSTRACT. While destigmatization significantly influences market dynamics and consumer behavior, limited research has explored how a stigmatized market can shed its negative associations and gain legitimacy. This paper addresses this gap by examining the case of the Tunisian dengri, once stigmatized but now a desirable choice. Using an exploratory research approach, our findings reveal that destigmatization unfolds through community belonging, proactive support from institutional custodians promoting the dengri, and product recategorization that elevates its status.

ABSTRACT. This study employs a consumer experience theory to explore terroir product consumption's emotional and symbolic dimensions. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, the research focuses on tea—a globally significant terroir product—within the context of Taiwan, known for its deep-rooted tea culture. In-depth interviews are the primary data collection method, aiming to uncover how terroir products shape consumer experiences and the meanings consumers attribute to them. The study identifies four key experience stimuli in terroir product consumption: the product, the land, the people, and the rituals associated with consumption. Findings suggest that the consumption of terroir products is an immersive journey encompassing four types of experience: sensory, emotional, sociocultural, and spiritual dimensions. This journey begins with sensory engagement, evolving into emotional resonance, and sociocultural connection, and culminating in spiritual fulfillment and a sense of personal growth. These four experiential dimensions are interlinked, and mutually reinforced to create a multifaceted and enriching consumer experience. To represent this process, the study introduces a hierarchical pyramid model of terroir product consumption. By extending terroir research into tea products, this research broadens the scope of terroir studies and offers insights into the importance of emotional and symbolic aspects in terroir consumption. These insights align with broader consumer trends, indicating a preference for products that deliver emotional and experiential value in a world of material abundance.

ABSTRACT. Organic food offers significant benefits to both consumers (e.g., higher nutritional value) and the environment, yet sales have stagnated despite the growth of organic farming. This underscores the necessity for a better understanding of the determinants of organic food purchases and the expansion of the currently limited theoretical frameworks in existing research. In our research, we use self-consciousness theory to develop and empirically test a model of consumer organic food purchasing. The findings of a series of field and experimental research studies reveal that consumers’ self-consciousness is exceptionally important in promoting their decision to purchase organic food; it is unimportant for purchasing nonorganic food. In addition, the effects of both private and public self-consciousness remain robust for different cultural backgrounds (German, Dutch) and food categories (vice and virtue categories). The results of this research suggest that marketers and policymakers should consider consumer self-consciousness strategically.

ABSTRACT. This research examines trust in the context of food industry. The aim of the study was to create a typology of consumers on the basis of their sustainable food practices and their level of trust in food products and food system operators. A quantitative study was carried out and involved a sample of 1233 people representative of the French population. The results revealed that French consumers have a high level of trust in the food they eat and that they pay particular attention to where it is sold. Four groups were identified: the organised mistrustful (24.16%), the uninvolved mistrustful (28.62%), the sustainable selective (35.85%) and the highly committed and trustful families (11.33%). The managerial implications of this research suggest that stakeholders in the food system should work together and collaborate to improve access to healthier, more sustainable food and, in a sense, rebuild trust.

ABSTRACT. Recent years have seen an increase in demand for organic farming. While the past decade has seen a significant shift in consumer behavior towards organic produce, there is need for more research on consumer attitudes and beliefs to identify the factors influencing consumers' decision-making process in Canada. Employing inductive interviews with 20 participants in large metropolitan areas and smaller urban community in provinces of Ontario and Quebec (10 per province) and applying exploratory inductive qualitative approach the study aims at developing a better understanding of consumer’s organic produce purchase behavior in Canada. The results lead to a suggestion that although organic consumers in Canada have a somewhat clear conception of organic produce, they have varying means of spotting organic produce. This is heightened by consumers’ levels of trust towards the sellers (groceries), farmers, certification, and policy. Further this study highlights the various motivators and barriers to the purchase of organic produce. Among which health concerns and benefits, social responsibility and socio-cultural influences positively impact the decision to purchase, whilst convenience, affordability, quality and environmental concerns (regarding packaging) act as barriers to purchase organic. The result of this study benefits the professional community by profiling organic consumers highlighting drivers and impediments of the decision to purchase organic produce. This understanding is instrumental to initiate behavioral changes and develop strategies focusing on this sector. As well, this study benefits the academic community by highlighting the motivators, barriers and other influencers that impact the decision to purchase organic produce.

ABSTRACT. In today’s omnichannel retail environment, customer safety is a key factor influencing perceptions of personal and community well-being. This study examines how customer perceptions of safe customer experience (SafeCX) are associated with well-being and retailer performance outcomes. Using a mixed-method approach across five studies and seven phases, the authors develop and validate comprehensive scales for measuring SafeCX and customer well-being. The research identifies twelve essential SafeCX dimensions for retailers and researchers aiming to enhance customer safety in omnichannel settings. The findings indicate that customers’ positive evaluations of SafeCX are linked to higher engagement with retailers, including financial commitment (shareof-wallet) and time spent (share-of-time), with customer well-being perceptions serving as a mediator. Additionally, the results suggest that all SafeCX dimensions play a significant role in achieving favorable outcomes, highlighting the importance of maintaining high levels of customer well-being for retailers seeking to improve engagement and performance. This research offers strategic insights for omnichannel retailers, emphasizing the value of investing in customer safety initiatives to enhance well-being and drive success in competitive markets.

ABSTRACT. This study develops a framework, which could be useful to both academics and practicing managers for designing and assessing omnichannel performance. The primary research question is as follows: what components need to be included in the omnichannel retailer framework? This study develops an integrated framework. First, although the omnichannel retailing has been acknowledged as a beneficial retail strategy, empirical studies on the determinants of customer inspiration on retailers are lacking. Therefore, this study attempts to examine the relationship between these antecedents and consequences of omnichannel capability in omnichannel context. Second, exploring the determinants of omnichannel capability and relationship investment across channels should provide retailers with insights into this important area. This knowledge enables managers to systematically coordinate efforts among channels to maximize the effectiveness of omnichannel capability. Understanding how customers evaluate marketing strategies will result in developing customer inspiration toward retailers

ABSTRACT. From an omnichannel perspective, a chatbot is often one of the touchpoints consumers can interact with during the consumption journey. This study investigates the impact of empathic AI, particularly chatbots, on consumer satisfaction and word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions when interacting with conversational agents. AI is traditionally linked to cognitive functions, but integrating empathy could bridge the human-AI interaction gap, enriching customer experiences and enhancing satisfaction and loyalty. We conducted three experiments across different service contexts (delivery, restaurant, and hotel) to assess whether empathic responses from AI agents influence consumer perceptions and behaviors.

Findings reveal that empathic chatbots significantly enhance consumer satisfaction and WOM intentions, with warmth and competence serving as key mediating factors. Participants interacting with highly empathic chatbots reported higher satisfaction and were more likely to engage in positive WOM compared to those interacting with low-empathy agents. These results highlight that AI agents perceived as empathic can evoke positive consumer responses similar to human interactions, supporting their role in omnichannel strategies for customer engagement.

Our research provides theoretical insights into the social cognition of AI interactions and offers practical recommendations for deploying empathic AI in customer service. By adapting language and demonstrating empathy, AI-based touchpoints can foster stronger consumer relationships, contributing positively to brand perception and consumer satisfaction.

ABSTRACT. Companies increasingly invest in social media marketing, through methods such as influencer marketing. The role of influencers in social media advertising is now crucial, as they can connect with audiences in ways that traditional advertising cannot. Literature notably has attributed influencers’ positive effects to the ability of online media personas to create, personal relations with their followers: parasocial relationships.

Thanks to its efficacy, influencer marketing has given rise to a three-part multi-stakeholder model, in which third-party companies offer financial support to influencers to create content, so that the audience then is exposed to this sponsored content. In recent years, however, a specific practice added another layer to the existing multiparty model: direct monetary support from followers to media personas. These acts of direct support give very little practical benefits to viewers, as no monetary payment is required for users to watch the content. Considering the parasocial relationships that frequently arise between these media personas and their followers, the interplay between perceived relationships and monetary dimensions of the influence-audience link deserve more attention and understanding.

The present paper then focuses on the following research question: “Through which process does the presence of a parasocial relationship influence the willingness of followers to give direct monetary support to the media persona in question?” This paper then provides academic contributions, connecting the practice of direct support to the parasocial relationships (to reinforce these) and the gifting literatures, and managerial contributions, by adding the practice of direct support to the multi-stakeholder model.

ABSTRACT. Purpose – This research has a twofold mission; first, to provide a detailed understanding of the phenomenon of taking and sharing selfies (TaSS), and second, to demonstrate the relevance and process of gaining depth in in-depth interviews (IDIs). Design/methodology/approach – Twenty-two IDIs were conducted, and the data was analyzed using a thematic analysis protocol to theorize three levels of IDI stimuli (distal, proximal, and intimate stimulus). We further use the well-known selfie generator campaign tied to the Barbie movie for illustration of the research model. Findings – This research establishes a clear theoretical and empirical connection between interview stimuli and data depth, demonstrating how the improvements in data depth enhances insights into the phenomenon of TaSS. We shed light on insights about TaSS across three levels of abstraction. The study explains both managerial and theoretical relevance, while also exploring intriguing avenues for future research. Originality/value – The study provides latent insights into the complex world of TaSS, contributing to both the IDI research method and our understanding of the selfie phenomenon as a socio-individual process.

ABSTRACT. Negative consumer experiences may not always be due to chatbot shortcomings; they can also arise from external issues, such as product or service quality, beyond the chatbot's control. This raises the question of whether chatbot anthropomorphism can mitigate or intensify negative consumer responses when issues are unrelated to the chatbot. There is a research gap in understanding how consumers respond to anthropomorphized chatbots during negative experiences and what role the emotional tone plays. The conflicting findings make it unclear whether consumers prefer more or less anthropomorphism in high-intensity negative situations. The current study relies on the Uncanny Valley and CASA theories. The 2x2 between-subject online experimental design study (with 250 subjects) found that chatbot anthropomorphism improves consumer responses such as satisfaction, emotional response, and attitude toward chatbot but has no significant effect on purchase intentions. Contrary to expectations, the emotional tone in negative experience situations did not moderate the effect of anthropomorphism on consumer responses. These patterns demonstrate that chatbot anthropomorphism positively affects consumer affective and cognitive responses, regardless of the emotional tone of the situation.

ABSTRACT. Every behaviour we study happens in a socio-cultural, economic, political and physical context that is shaped by geography. Put differently: where we are matters for who we are, whom we meet and whom we identify with. Geography, combined with Generative AI, offers a powerful mean to create personalised and relatable content. As part of our pilot study, we utilised GenAI to create location-based personalised educational content, that we compared to non-location-personalised GenAI created content, as well as to generic non-GenAI created content. This study aims to understand i) changes in efficacy, defined as objective recall, as well as subjective experience measures, ii) the underlying process of those changes, measured through webcam-based eye tracking to understand how consumer engagement patterns change, as well as the iii) boundary conditions of these changes, investigated through a personality lens. Pilot results highlight different attention patterns when engaging with personalised content, as well as changes in retention of the material, highlighting the potential of personalised content at scale based on location.

ABSTRACT. The rapid growth of aging populations has intensified the demand for long-term services and supports (LTSS), increasing the pressure on society to deliver person-centered care across institutional and community-based settings. Frontline professional employees—such as nurses, social workers, and therapists—play a vital role in sustaining these services, but high turnover rates present significant retention challenges. This study aims to investigate how intra-organizational social media use influences the retention of frontline employees in LTSS service organizations through the lens of social capital theory. We categorize social media use into two types: cultivation-based (focused on professional development and knowledge sharing) and collaboration-based (centered on communication and coordination). Drawing on data from 369 respondents and applying structural equation modeling, we empirically test the conceptual framework. The findings demonstrate that both cultivation- and collaboration-based social media use enhance social capital (i.e., social interaction ties, social trust, and shared goals), which, in turn, positively impacts employee retention. Notably, collaboration-based social media use has a stronger influence on social interaction ties and social trust, while cultivation-based use has a greater effect on shared goals. These insights highlight the importance of fostering strong interpersonal connections and professional alignment through intra-organizational social media. For LTSS management, the results emphasize the value of implementing targeted social media strategies to strengthen trust, promote interpersonal connections, and align individual and organizational objectives, ultimately enhancing the retention of frontline professional employees and ensuring continuity in LTSS delivery.

ABSTRACT. In the extant B2B digital platform research, the discussions mainly focus on product-, software- and innovation platforms, although international services play an essential role in the global value chain. The discussion here adopts social network theory and a resource-based view and aims to discuss why it is beneficial for B2B service complementors and prospects to interact in digital platforms. The second goal of this paper is to discuss what mechanisms should be added to the current digital platform models to facilitate B2B service transactions. Based on the theoretical reasoning, a prototype of B2B service online marketplaces is established.

ABSTRACT. Online brand communities are a vital services marketing channel and relationship marketing tool. Community members share a common interest and actively engage in community activities, such as content engagement, product, experiences and ideas sharing. These online brand communities offer a range of benefits including enhanced customer service, incentives for active members, and strengthened brand loyalty, etc. We particularly focus on customer service aspect of online brand communities and investigate how membership types and product categories affect the resolution rate of consumer problems. Using a machine learning approach, we explore dynamic interactions among members within the Apple Support Community over a time span of one year from 2023 to 2024. We investigate the contribution from varying membership types, examine variation in consumer experiences across different product categories and discuss the implications for marketers of consumer service strategies.

ABSTRACT. A large number of academic research findings in marketing never find their way into practice. In this research, we focus on intermediaries that can help to bridge this research-practice gap. We first conceptualize and define intermediaries and identify and categorize intermediaries and their bridging activities. Using qualitative interviews in Germany and Australia with all actors in the marketing science value chain, we aim to provide a holistic overview of the different intermediaries and intermediary activities, identifying success factors and obstacles for knowledge generation and transfer. We will provide implications for improving knowledge generation and sharing in the marketing science value chain.

ABSTRACT. The study examines the impact of an augmented reality-featured online retail store in the beauty industry on online purchase intention. The results of an online experiment (N=151) reveal that – compared to a traditional online retail channel – the augmented reality-featured online retail channel is more effective in stimulating ease of imagination, reducing product uncertainty, and enhancing anticipated emotions. While anticipated emotions further positively affect attitude toward purchasing online, uncertainty reduction does not have any significant impact, highlighting the relative importance of emotions in beauty shopping.

ABSTRACT. To enhance the online shopping experience, a growing number of companies are implementing immersive technologies such as augmented reality. This study investigates how augmented reality features influence web user behavior, drawing on an exploratory approach that includes 30 individual semi-structured interviews and utilizes the protocol method. Our findings indicate that users often experience irritation with photo-based augmentation, while real-time augmentation is crucial for creating a sense of immersion. As for purchase intentions, these differ based on the type of augmentation: video or real-time augmentation tends to encourage purchase, whereas photo-based augmentation may result in negative purchase intentions.

ABSTRACT. From a gaming industry perspective, this research explores the influence of a busy mindset on consumer preferences for retro versus modern video games. We hypothesize that busyness induces emotional instability, prompting individuals to seek solace in retro gaming. By employing various manipulations of busyness, diverse game types, and different experimental designs, this research presents five studies demonstrating a heightened preference for retro games among individuals with a busy mindset. This paper provides evidence supporting the proposed mechanism of emotional instability driving the focal effect and addresses alternative explanations. The findings underscore the therapeutic value of retro video games in today's fast-paced world, offering insights for marketers and game developers on tailoring their strategies and products to align with consumers' mental states and emotional needs.

ABSTRACT. The increasing integration of Virtual Reality (VR) features into social-networking (SN) environments has provided new opportunities for developing virtual-fashion products. These products are intended to be “worn” either on “real” bodies through Augmented Reality features, or on virtual avatars in gaming environments and the like. These virtual clothes are often worn to show-off status, achievement, and purchasing power in these VR environments. We focused on the emerging category of virtual luxury (VL) products and investigated which consumer segments, based on their personality traits, would be more willing to (partially) switch from physical luxury products to their virtual counterparts in their status-signaling activities through SN posts. We found that consumers with (a) higher self-efficacy regarding SN and VR environment, (b) more positive attitude towards SN and VR environments, (c) higher need-for-status, and (d) higher novelty-seeking motives tend to evaluate status-conveying potential of VL products more positively. Age (negatively) and income (positively) affect such evaluations. Moreover, the perceived status-conveying potential mediates the effect of consumer traits on their intention to switch to VL in their SN posts.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines how self-idealized content on social media influences consumers' well-being and goal pursuit. Through a series of studies, including text mining and experiments, we reveal that self-idealized content portraying unattainable standards negatively impacts self-esteem and well-being, while realistic content fosters more favorable reactions. The research further explores how goal orientation (mastery vs. performance) moderates these effects, showing that individuals with mastery goals respond more positively to realistic content, while performance-oriented individuals engage more with idealized content. Our findings contribute to the literature on social media, goal orientation, and well-being by identifying the conditions under which self-idealized content can harm or support goal pursuit, and suggesting that perceived separation from one's own goals may mirror the perceived distance from an idealized influencer, which affects goal-engagement and well-being.

ABSTRACT. Social media influencers, trusted for their niche expertise, heavily influence their followers' purchases, leading brands to increasingly partner with them. This has sparked significant interest among Gen Z in pursuing influencer status on digital platforms like TikTok and Instagram, thus actively seeking online popularity. However, the pursuit of online popularity presents challenges such as social media fatigue and mental health risks, leading to issues like emotional exhaustion, a phenomenon that has extensively been highlighted in the news media but not been sufficiently studied in literature. This study utilizes 711 responses, applying the Stressors-Strain-Outcomes (SSO) framework to examine how the need for popularity and social media addiction serves as stressors, leading to emotional exhaustion. This condition manifests as emotional distress, physical ailments, and decreased performance, further impacting mood and behaviour, including displaced aggression. The research contributes significantly to understanding the complexities influencers face in achieving digital prominence and its effects on mental health. It offers insights into the cascading effects of popularity failure, providing valuable information for developing effective digital and social media marketing strategies.

ABSTRACT. Social commerce, or the usage of social media as a medium for online commerce, is increasing substantially. To date, social commerce literature has focused on how platform stimulus, content, and brand/influencer trust impact consumer behavior in social commerce. However, few studies explore how social media commerce can influence a consumer’s quality of life and, therefore, the legitimacy of how consumers may perceive how organizations are acting with or against society’s norms. This gap in the literature requires more research to focus on consumer outcomes related to overall well-being. Thus, this study explores how consumers’ perceived meaning of life influences social media addiction (SMA) and how that, in turn, might lead to impulse buying in today’s environment. Leveraging PLS-SEM

ABSTRACT. This article examines the convergence of social marketing and behavioural change in Nigeria, highlighting the impact of digital disruptions on the transformation of social norms. It explores the intricacies of comprehending social standards in the digital era, emphasising the impact of technology on individual behaviours and societal expectations. The paper presents a thorough analysis of case studies that highlight successful social marketing campaigns utilising digital platforms to promote positive behavioural changes across multiple sectors, including health, gender, environment, and education. Nevertheless, the article also examines the ongoing challenges, including cultural opposition, misinformation, and the digital divide, which may impede the efficacy of social marketing operations. The article delineates prospects for future research and policy ramifications, endorsing a cohesive strategy that harmonises social marketing initiatives with overarching public health and social goals. Utilising the capabilities of digital technologies and comprehending the intricacies of social norms, social marketing can serve as an effective instrument for facilitating significant behavioural change in Nigeria.

ABSTRACT. This study measures the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) as captured by our Self Emotion Appraisal (SEA), together with personality, and four constructs of AI viz., Attitude toward AI, Trust toward AI, Effort Expectancy toward AI and Ethical concerns about using AI. Based on the extant literature, this paper proffers four hypotheses and empirically tests them. In so doing, we analyze data collected from the United States and China, two superpowers of AI, by means of a self-administered survey. A total of 247 usable responses were collected from the US and 103 from China. Our analysis of US respondents indicates a significant impact of EI and personality on several factors related to AI. Further, our analysis reveals significant differences between the US and China. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of the findings and recommendations for future research.

ABSTRACT. Recently, agile mindset was found as a crucial resource of marketing strategy effective implementation and international business (IB) success. This study advance the knowledge on agile mindset by investigating how organizational cultures (OCs) impact agile mindset and how in its turn, agile mindset impacts behavioral performance outcomes. Specifically, I examined how clan, hierarchy, adhocracy and market cultures drive agile mindset and how agile mindset impact psychological and social benefits of employees in the Export SBUs. Moreover, the moderating impact of tolerance for failure on the relationships between agile mindset and behavioral outcomes are revealed. Based on the competing values theory, I developed hypotheses, collected data from 174 managers, and analyzed it using structural equation modelling. The findings reveal that while hierarchy, adhocracy, and clan positively influence agile mindset, no evidence was found that market culture impacts agile mindset. In addition, an agile mindset strongly nurtures bonding and pride between employees while promoting a feeling of belonging to one big family. Interestingly, tolerance for failure culture weakens the positive effect of agile mindset on organizational commitment, while it does not impact the relationship of agile mindset with “esprit de corps”.

ABSTRACT. In recent years, companies across various industries have made digital business transformation a top priority for their management teams. Through this digital business transformation, firms expect to improve efficiency, enhance customer experience, and ultimately provide improved value propositions for customers, leading to better firm outcomes. Despite enormous investments in and expectations of digital business transformation, however, the results of these efforts differ greatly among firms. The wide variances in the outcomes of digital business transformation efforts imply the need for insights into why some firms receive a payoff from digital business transformation but others do not. Drawing upon resource-based theory, prior research has found that a firm’s digital transformation capability is the key to explaining and predicting the wide variances in the outcomes of digital business transformation efforts. Digital transformation capability refers to a firm’s ability to form and implement strategic responses that aim to improve its value proposition through combinations of digital technologies. Further, the impact of digital transformation capability on firm performance could also depend on the technological, organizational, and environmental contexts in which the firm implements its digital transformation capability following the TOE framework. To provide insights into how to maximize gains through digital transformation capability, we systematically combine relevant literature and propose a comprehensive conceptual framework that explains when digital transformation capability pays off.

ABSTRACT. This study systematically reviews dynamic capabilities (DCs) in the exporting context, aiming to taxonomize them based on prominent concepts and hierarchical order. Utilizing a systematic literature review approach, we identify 150 unique DCs across 57 articles, categorizing them into seven key concepts: calibration/integration/extension-oriented, entrepreneurial, functional, innovation-oriented, learning/knowledge-oriented, market-oriented, and networking-oriented capabilities. Our findings reveal that calibration/integration and innovation-oriented DCs are the most frequently examined, while lower-order capabilities across all groups remain underexplored. We highlight the relationship between various types of DCs and export performance. Our framework organizes existing literature, identifies significant research gaps, particularly in lower-order and intermediate-order DCs—and provides recommendations for future research. By offering insights into how DCs can be effectively deployed to improve performance in export markets, this study aims to enhance both theoretical understanding and practical applications for firms navigating complex global environments.

ABSTRACT. This study offers an empirical investigation of the neglected topic of targeting strategies. Empirical research on the actual targeting strategies of firms is rare if not completely missing. The aim is to shed ample light to the holistic concept of targeting strategies within the boundaries of the overall marketing strategy and to investigate the actual targeting alternatives pursued by firms. In addition, the neglected impact of the followed targeting strategy on firm’s performance is investigated. An empirically sound and verified framework for targeting strategies is developed, encompassing all its pivotal dimensions, i.e. timing of entry, number of segments and product variations. The authors suggest managers use this framework to form and implement the appropriate targeting strategy, taking into account not only the objective characteristics of markets and competition but also their interpretations through the lenses of regulatory focus orientation.

ABSTRACT. This study develops a framework to guide future research on anthropomorphism-based AI robots within the tourism and hospitality sectors. By emphasizing key themes related to anthropomorphic AI robots, the study identifies and organizes research agendas aimed at advancing understanding and fostering innovation in this emerging field. A systematic literature review was conducted using two prominent academic databases, Scopus and Web of Science, providing a broad and reliable pool of sources. The PRISMA 2020 checklist was applied to ensure a structured selection process. After a careful review based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 32 articles were selected from A and A* ranked journals according to the CABS list, ensuring the study is grounded in high-quality research.

The study highlights five themes that characterize anthropomorphism-based AI robots: (1) anthropomorphic attributes, (2) service contexts, (3) adoption intention, (4) interaction experience, and (5) post-interaction and ethical considerations. Building on these themes, specific research questions are proposed to deepen insights into each area. The study further integrates relevant theoretical perspectives, laying a robust foundation for future empirical investigations. This dual approach of examining both themes and theories establishes a critical starting point for advancing conceptual and theoretical frameworks in anthropomorphism-based AI research. Despite the growing body of research, many aspects within these themes remain unexplored, underscoring the field’s potential for impactful future studies. Addressing these gaps could yield valuable contributions to both academic understanding and practical applications, particularly as AI robots become increasingly prevalent in diverse service environments.

ABSTRACT. AI-based customer service has gained popularity among organizations in the quickly evolving digital ecosystem. This research article investigates the correlation between AI customer service and purchase intention, while also examining the mediating effects of trust and effectiveness in this correlation. Additionally, this study examines the role of recommended content variety as a moderator in the relationship between AI customer service and trust and effectiveness. We gathered data via a survey conducted online to comprehend the correlation between AI customer service, purchase intention, effectiveness, and trust. Data was gathered from a total of 542 participants. This study's findings enhance the existing literature by offering fresh perspectives on how AI customer service affects consumer purchase intention, and the mediating role that effectiveness and trust in AI play in this relationship. The findings of this study also have practical ramifications for marketers aiming to comprehend the influence of AI customer service on consumer purchase intention and how to effectively implement AI customer service into their organization. Ultimately, the study emphasizes the significance of taking into account elements such as trust, effectiveness, and recommended content variety when examining the connection between AI customer service and the purchase intention. The findings offer useful insights for businesses and advertisers aiming to enhance customer service and target their audience.

ABSTRACT. Understanding customer experience (CX) is steadily increasing. The current trends indicate the growing demand for hyper-personalisation and services that are highly relevant to individual customers. Neurophysiological observations enable in-depth research of cognitive, emotional and behavioural components of CX. However, a comprehensive guide to existing methods that can be reliably used as real-time indicators of CX is still missing. This ongoing study aims to conceptualise the methods of observing neurophysiological human reactions, which can be used as real-time biomarkers of CX. The study applies a cross-disciplinary approach and a systematic literature review methodology to provide a holistic overview of the currently known psychological, physiological and behavioural body responses to external stimuli (e.g. a service). It further aims to conceptualise these methods with a view on research objects (components and subcomponents of CX) and their capabilities. The study makes a methodological contribution by mapping possible triangulations of the methods, enabling researchers to use them effectively and reliably.

ABSTRACT. The present study investigates the effect of perceived recommender anthropomorphism, green customer citizenship behavior (GCCB), and AI vs. human recommenders on customers' intentions to visit green hotels in India. This is needed research at a time when within the hospitality industry, and more so in light of Society 5.0, there is a growing interest in finding ways of incorporating sustainable practices into operation. This research fills the gap in existing knowledge by assessing how GCC would moderate pro-environmental behavior in the context of AI-driven suggestions. The quantitative study employed convenience sampling to distribute an online questionnaire among 500 patrons across 11 hotels in India. The results show that, although there was a favorable significant influence from GCCB, AI recommenders did not significantly influence the intention to visit green hotels. Understanding the negative impact of AI recommender helps in taking steps to overcome these problems.

ABSTRACT. The tactile properties of containers have been shown to influence the evaluation of the food product they contain through a sensory transfer effect. Although the effect of these non-diagnostic (i.e. irrelevant to product evaluation) tactile cues is well documented in the literature, less is known about its boundary conditions. This research investigates perceived risk as a moderator of these sensory transfers. Two experiments were carried out to test whether affective sensory transfer (i.e., the transfer from the container's touch pleasantness to product liking) and cognitive sensory transfer (i.e., the transfer from the perceived quality of the container to the perceived quality of the product) were moderated by perceived risk at the time of beverage evaluation. Two types of risk were manipulated: a physical risk (experiment 1) and a social risk (experiment 2). As expected, risk moderates the influence of tactile container properties when sensory transfer is cognitive. The tactile properties of the container positively influence the intention to buy the drink through a transfer of perceived quality from the container to the drink, but only under conditions of high (as opposed to low) perceived risk, whether physical or social. This effect is not observed when the affective pathway is considered. Current research is making important contributions to the literature on food and sensory marketing, mainly by identifying some of the conditions that determine the emergence of sensory transfers, highlighting the role that perceived risk plays in their moderation, and providing empirical support for sensory transfers via the cognitive pathway.

ABSTRACT. Previous research show that awards are beneficial to product evaluations. Yet, we demonstrate depending on their source, awards can produce contrasting effects on consumer evaluations of food products. Building on social distance theory and four experiments using different food product categories, we demonstrate that awards given by ordinary consumers (vs. experts) reduces perceived social distance between consumers and the award source, hence resulting in greater purchase intentions. In Studies 1-2, we demonstrate that perceived social distance plays an important mediating role. In Studies 3-4, we identify subjective knowledge as a boundary condition of the effect of consumers-based awards on social distance. Namely, when consumers perceive themselves as product experts–, a consumers-based award does not differ from an experts-based one anymore (Study 3). Finally, we replicate the moderating role of subjective knowledge (Study 4). This paper provides implications for retailers and marketers involved in the wine, beverage, and food industry, and help them decide what types of awards to display on their product packaging.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the drivers, barriers, and determinants influencing the adoption of virtual kitchens (VKs) by restaurants, responding to calls for further research on this emerging business model in the food delivery sector. Virtual kitchens—dedicated facilities for online order fulfillment without traditional dine-in spaces—offer restaurants the potential to expand reach, diversify revenue streams, and test new concepts. Using a sequential mixed methods approach, this research began with qualitative interviews to identify factors impacting VK adoption. Key drivers identified include operational efficiency, cost-effective expansion, and the ability to tap into new markets with minimal investment. Barriers include operational complexity, quality control, and integration challenges.

The study’s quantitative phase employed a modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT/UTAUT2) framework, surveying 204 respondents. Results highlight Perceived Value (PV) and Performance Expectancy (PE) as primary determinants of adoption intention, with PV having the strongest impact. PV reflects the trade-off between monetary cost and benefits, with many restaurants recognizing VKs as a cost-effective way to increase capacity without significant overhead. PE underscores the perceived efficiency VKs offer by centralizing delivery operations, thus enhancing overall productivity.

These findings underscore the strategic potential of VKs in the restaurant industry and provide actionable insights for restaurateurs considering VK integration, emphasizing the importance of cost management and operational efficiency to maximize VK benefits.

ABSTRACT. To explore the factors influencing consumers’ suboptimal food (SF) purchase intention, the present study extended the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) by developing a TPB model that incorporates food waste awareness and personal norms to elucidate SF purchase intention among Taiwanese consumers; the moderating effects of health consciousness and price consciousness were also considered. A total of 305 valid questionnaire responses were collected for analysis. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis revealed that consumers’ attitudes toward purchasing SFs and perceived behavioural control in the TPB model were determinants of their SF purchase intention. The key driving factors that were included in the extended TPB model, namely food waste awareness and personal norms, played roles in consumers’ SF purchase intention. Health consciousness was an inhibiting factor for consumers’ SF purchase intention. The product term of personal norms and health consciousness was negatively significant. This means that health consciousness moderated and weakened the positive relationship between personal norms and SF purchase intention. By contrast, price consciousness was a facilitating factor for consumers’ SF purchase intention. The product term of personal norms and price consciousness was positively significant. This means that price consciousness moderated and strengthened the positive relationship between personal norms and SF purchase intention. This study contributes to establishing an extended TPB research model to shed light on the determinants influencing consumers’ SF purchase intention. The research findings provide marketing and management implications for encouraging consumers to purchase SFs to reduce food waste.

ABSTRACT. A consumer’s intent to purchase a product is increased when they are moved by a story. However, not just any story, but one with the key element of emotional resonance. Our domain of interest is of practical importance within a key domestic industry. As a high involvement purchase in which individuals rely on a number of cues and clues, our research question is whether the wineries in the appellation within the Niagara Escarpment, Niagara, Ontario, are taking advantage of the power of storytelling. In this, the first phase of our study, we drew from previous research and examined the extent to which 58 wineries were telling stories on their websites that had emotional resonance. Drawing from markers for emotional resonance we developed a content-analysis scale. We found that most of the wineries were not using emotionally resonating stories. A high proportion of the wineries were missing the opportunity by not telling a story at all (24 of 58 / 41%). Encouragingly, 10 wineries told stories that were moving portraits of their journeys, issues, and victories.

ABSTRACT. Early-stage entrepreneurs often confront critical branding and positioning decisions that can significantly impact their ventures' trajectories. Despite the strategic importance of these choices, existing research provides limited insights into the specific tensions founders navigate during venture development. Using a theories-in-use approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with founders, investors, and startup coaches, along with ethnographic observations within startup labs and venture capital firms. Our findings reveal that founders must balance competing priorities, adapting their branding and positioning strategies to navigate resource constraints, stakeholder expectations, and market dynamics. We identify four key positioning-related tensions - Exploration vs. Exploitation, Vertical vs. Horizontal, Founder vs. Company, and Vision vs. Product - that entrepreneurs encounter in the formative stages of their startups. We develop a comprehensive framework illustrating how these tensions manifest and influence strategic decision-making. This research contributes to the entrepreneurial marketing literature by integrating perspectives from resource management and stakeholder theory, highlighting the dynamic interplay between branding decisions and venture development. The proposed framework aims to offer practical implications for entrepreneurs and investors, providing guidance on navigating strategic trade-offs to optimize branding efforts across different stages of the startup journey.

ABSTRACT. Globalization has created numerous opportunities for startups abroad to expand their businesses into Japan. Despite the proactive efforts by the Japanese government to attract foreign companies through various incentives, the success rate of these companies in establishing a sustainable presence in Japan remains low. In fact, more companies tend to withdraw from the Japanese market than those that successfully establish new operations, highlighting the considerable challenges for foreign businesses aiming to thrive in Japan. This study explores key success factors through interviews with four experts supporting foreign startups’ entry into Japan from public and private perspectives. Findings suggest that for a company to succeed in Japan, it is crucial to introduce a unique and distinctive product at the right time and execute steady, culturally attuned promotional activities. Moreover, effective leadership requires a deep commitment to the product and seamless communication with headquarters. An understanding of the headquarters of Japan’s unique market conditions and respect for the local leader's efforts are also essential for enduring success.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates how individuals’ perceptions of health importance influence dimensions of mindfulness—specifically, attention to the body, environment, and feelings—and how these mindfulness dimensions, in turn, impact positive mental health. Using a structural model estimated with bootstrap resampling, we tested six hypotheses regarding the relationships among health importance perception, mindfulness dimensions, and mental health. All hypotheses concerning the effect of health importance on mindfulness dimensions were supported, with significant positive effects observed for attention to one’s body, environment, and feelings. Notably, while attention to the body showed a significant positive impact on positive mental health, attention to the environment and feelings did not demonstrate a direct influence on mental health. The findings contribute to mindfulness theory by underscoring the distinct effects of each mindfulness dimension on well-being, highlighting bodily attention as particularly impactful. Practically, these results suggest that mental health interventions could benefit from emphasizing bodily awareness within mindfulness practices, especially for individuals highly valuing health. This tailored approach may more effectively foster resilience and enhance well-being. This study offers new insights into the nuanced pathways linking health attitudes, mindfulness dimensions, and mental health, with implications for future research and practical applications in positive psychology and health promotion.

ABSTRACT. Previous literature suggests that experiential purchases yield greater and more enduring happiness compared to material purchases (Carter and Gilovich, 2010). Three main categories explain this phenomenon. Firstly, differences in tangibility affect post-purchase satisfaction maintenance. Secondly, experiential purchases provide greater social and conversational value. Lastly, they contribute more to self-understanding and representation. However, while this difference extends beyond hedonic well-being to eudaimonic well-being, prior research hasn't empirically connected it to meaning, which is crucial for eudaimonic well-being. This research insists that the stronger association of experiential purchases with meaning perception stems from post-purchase information processing. Consumers tend to engage in mental simulation more with experiential purchases, utilizing retrospective information and narrative structures to construct meaning (Waytz et al. 2015). Thus, while experiential purchases may not inherently provide ego developmental meaning, post-purchase mental simulations aid in meaning construction. Therefore, this research establishes that consumers feel greater meaning-based subjective well-being with experiential purchases compared to material ones. Additionally, this study suggests and validates that the sense of self-expansion and mental simulation serve as mediators between purchase type and meaning-based subjective well-being. Across three studies, we substantiate the common belief in the developmental benefits and heightened subjective well-being associated with diverse experiences, particularly experiential purchases. Also, this research proposes a practical strategy for practitioners to counteract the perceived inferiority of material purchases by facilitating consumers' mental simulation, easily primed in various contexts.

ABSTRACT. Current literature lacks any marketing mechanism to explain how mindfulness leads to more fulfilling life and the role of meditation experience in this relationship. We explore mindful consumption, the practice of making conscious choices about what and how we consume, as a bridge between mindfulness and life satisfaction, particularly for new meditators. We use conceptual replication across our studies by varying meditation levels, data collection methods, mindful consumption measures, and demography. Our counterintuitive results find mindful consumption as a mediator explaining the influence of mindfulness on life satisfaction only for new meditators, but not for experienced meditators. Flow theory supports these findings as experiencing a flow state through mindful consumption provides an accessible way to the new meditators to achieve some benefits of mindfulness that they may initially find challenging. Conversely, experienced meditators already achieve a state of optimal experience in their decision making that leads to a stronger direct effect of mindfulness on life satisfaction. Our findings suggest marketers to craft marketing strategies tailored for consumers’ mindfulness levels. These findings also inform policymakers to design policies and societal campaigns for sustainable consumption, consumer protection, and responsible advertising.

ABSTRACT. In response to a series of ecological and environmental crises, a group of individuals seeks to retrain professionally to develop an activity associated with their ecological values. The aim is to legitimize the new activity through a new way of life and responsible consumption. How do their reconversion trajectories influence their approach to ecology and their modes of consumption? Based on an ethnographic field study conducted in Chile and France, three types of behaviors associated with ecology were identified: an ecology of influence, an ecology associated with the renunciation of industry, and an ecology of reduced consumption. These different levels reveal different ways in which individuals reconstruct their identities and give sense to their trajectories

ABSTRACT. Given their boundary spanning roles and frequent customer interactions, frontline employees (FLEs) are often victimized by the uncivil behaviors of irritated customers. Despite this, FLEs are expected to maintain their composure and project a ‘customer is always right’ attitude when dealing with uncivil customers. The results suggest that customer incivility sequentially intensifies FLEs’ emotional exhaustion, moral disengagement, and counterproductive behaviors (service sabotage, organizational deviance, and turnover intentions). Unexpectedly, managerial exchange does not appear to buffer the intensity of customer incivility-induced emotional exhaustion and/or prevent the subsequent cascade of counterproductive consequences. Taken together, mistreated FLEs appear to deactivate their moral compass and seek restoration/retribution through a ‘fight’ (service sabotage, organizational deviance) and/or ‘flight’ (turnover intentions) response. Several managerial interventions are proposed to help mitigate the counterproductive outcomes of customer incivility.

ABSTRACT. There has been growing concern about increase in customer’s incivilities towards frontline employees. Against this backdrop, companies are increasingly responding with anti-incivility prevention campaigns. These initiatives have however received little attention in the literature, despite their potential boomerang effect: by threatening the customer in order to protect the employee, they challenge the notion that “the customer is king.” This research therefore examines the conditions under which customers accept such anti-incivility prevention campaigns. A qualitative study conducted among 13 front-line employees of the French post office (Study 1) and an experiment (N = 299) customers exposed to one of the last two campaigns of the above mentioned company (Study 2) suggest that these communications do not contradict a customer-oriented approach. On the contrary, results demonstrate they are widely perceived as a service to customers that contributes to fulfill their expectations of respect and civility. Nonetheless, service failure emerges as a turning point in both studies, as some customers expect flawless service quality from the company. An additional experiment with 354 Americans thus suggest that customer entitlement (Study 3) constitutes another boundary condition for the acceptance of such anti-incivility prevention campaigns.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates how perceptions of customer entitlement affect frontline employees (FLEs) and their interactions with customers. Customer entitlement, marked by the need to feel special, is a challenge for FLEs as they attempt to meet their exorbitant demands. By applying social categorization theory, we examine how FLEs view entitled customers as part of an out-group. We propose that customer demandingness and uncompromising attitudes lead to heightened perceptions of entitlement among FLEs, resulting in detrimental effects such as service sabotage and organizational deviance while also lowering service quality. Additionally, we explore how factors like customer status can exacerbate entitlement perceptions, whereas fostering a sense of common identity may help mitigate these effects. This research enhances our understanding of service dynamics and provides organizations with strategies to improve service quality and minimize customer entitlement perceptions.

ABSTRACT. As agility has garnered the attention of international marketing researchers only recently, there is very limited knowledge on how exporters can effectively employ agility to enhance their performance in export venture markets. This study aims to explore the impact of international marketing agility on export venture market share growth. The moderating roles of resilience capacity and competitive intensity on this link are also examined. Survey data are collected from 205 exporters based in the UK, representing various industries. The results reveal that international marketing agility increases export venture market share growth. This impact is positively moderated by resilience capacity and negatively moderated by competitive intensity. The paper offers important implications for international and export managers.

ABSTRACT. Export destinations shift over time, mainly due to strategic decisions of internationalized firms. These changes are part of the International Market Selection decision making of these firms and has received limited attention in the academic literature. This paper tries to address this issue and presents preliminary results of two identical surveys that took place within a decade. Furthermore, individual cognitive evaluations of 17 countries are related and juxtaposed against the exporting patterns to these countries as revealed through secondary data sources.

ABSTRACT. Adverse country-of-origin effects are an unfortunate liability faced by many companies and brands across the world. We propose that personifying the producer in marketing communications can attenuate unfavorable country-of-origin effects. Personification creates the perception of a more communal relationship between the consumer and the producer, which helps to counter country-level stereotypes. In six experiments (including one field study), we consistently found support for our theory while ruling out alternative explanations. We show that the positive effect of producer personification is a persistent (vs. fleeting) effect such that even after a product breakdown/service failure, personification helps the brand. However, the agency-communion orientation of a consumer’s personality moderates the positive effect of producer personification, with high agency consumers being less susceptible to the personification strategy. Our findings contribute to the literature on country-of-origin effects and can help marketers implement a low-cost intervention to counter the liability of country origin they may face.

ABSTRACT. This article reports the findings of a study, conducted among 206 Cypriot consumers, that aimed to examine the effect of personality on consumer stockpiling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using structural equation modeling, the authors confirmed that Extraversion, Neuroticism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy have a positive effect on stockpiling behaviour, while Agreeableness and Openness to Experience are negatively associated with it. Besides, the study revealed that Conscientiousness and Machiavellianism are not related to consumer stockpiling tendencies.

ABSTRACT. This article examines the convergence of social marketing and behavioural change in Nigeria, highlighting the impact of digital disruptions on the transformation of social norms. It explores the intricacies of comprehending social standards in the digital era, emphasising the impact of technology on individual behaviours and societal expectations. The paper presents a thorough analysis of case studies that highlight successful social marketing campaigns utilising digital platforms to promote positive behavioural changes across multiple sectors, including health, gender, environment, and education. Nevertheless, the article also examines the ongoing challenges, including cultural opposition, misinformation, and the digital divide, which may impede the efficacy of social marketing operations. The article delineates prospects for future research and policy ramifications, endorsing a cohesive strategy that harmonises social marketing initiatives with overarching public health and social goals. Utilising the capabilities of digital technologies and comprehending the intricacies of social norms, social marketing can serve as an effective instrument for facilitating significant behavioural change in Nigeria.

ABSTRACT. Although prior research has focused on how CMOs' presence, characteristics, and demographics relate to firm performance, very little is known on the mechanisms employed by CMOs to enhance firm outcomes. Drawing from the resource orchestration, top management teams, and knowledge management literature, this study underscores the role of CMOs as marketing knowledge orchestrators. Using data from 248 senior marketing executives, this study demonstrates that by effectively acquiring, reconfiguring, and disseminating marketing knowledge within the firm, CMOs can enhance the firm’s strategic flexibility, strategic performance, and financial performance. Further, this study demonstrates that firms can assist CMOs’ marketing knowledge orchestration efforts through creating a knowledge-oriented culture, knowledge integration mechanisms, and inter-functional connectedness.

ABSTRACT. The paper explores recent developments in authenticity marketing and sustainability issues in cultural and heritage tourism. While tourism scholarship has abundantly identified authenticity as a key factor in the evaluation of the tourist experience, most academic approaches conceptualize authenticity from the visitor point of view. Based on field research in the particular sector of literary tourism, this paper provides operational tools for practitioners to implement authenticity in literary destinations. It adopts the analytical lens of authenticity production by showing that authenticity can be staged through narrative processes. The methodology is grounded in a qualitative research design that encompasses empirical data from 32 literary sites in Germany and France. The results allow for the modelization of authenticity issues in the Authenticity Staging Matrix (ASM), aggregating immaterial and material forms of narrative staging through a diversity of texts, media, and communicative situations. The model provides valuable managerial cues for the planning and implementation processes of authenticity through socio-cultural narratives in literary destination marketing.

ABSTRACT. Meeting the demands of hotel guests and ensuring a high-quality lodging environment is a fundamental concern for all hoteliers. Consequently, this study aims to develop and validate the HIEQUAL instrument, designed to enhance the quality of hotel indoor environments. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 hotel managers from four regions in Thailand to gather qualitative data for scale development. To ensure the study's reliability, two independent coders were employed. Analysis of the semi-structured interview data yielded 73 key words, which were synthesized into ten concepts: spatial comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, visual comfort, lighting, acoustics, furnishing, facilities, cleanliness and maintenance, and Feng Shui. These concepts informed the development of the HIEQUAL scale's question items.

ABSTRACT. Fueled by broader social, technological and environmental developments, tourism research has seen an incredible growth in recent decades. Despite this broadened scope, though, revolutionary research has not risen in proportion, illustrating the need for a unified understanding of the field’s evolution to help further maximize its potential. To this end, we set out to examine and explain the past, present and future trajectories of tourism research. In particular, we have developed and deployed a novel mixed-method review approach, which complements frequently used bibliometric analysis methods with probabilistic techniques, that is, structural topic modeling and regression analysis. This tailored mixed-method review approach is then used to uncover and quantify tourism research’s – i.e., 2,320 Annals of Tourism Research articles, published between 1974 and 2023 – underlying topical structure, along with its respective evolutionary patterns. The results of our study suggest an underlying structure of 14 research themes, with (1) eight emerging research themes: policymaking; tourists’ perceptions of risks, threats and crises; trends and disruptions; the local environment; transformative tourism; dark tourism; mobility and space; and, young people tourism; (2) four stable research themes: authenticity; economics; information search; and, destination image; and, (3) two declining research themes: residents’ attitudes; and tourist motivations. Examining the key research foci underlying tourism research, including growing and declining research trends, and the prevalence of particular theoretical foundations, contexts and methodological approaches, allows us to outline future research directions in a more informed and structured manner.