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1 – 10 of over 18000Rong Zhu, Yaoyao Fu, Ao Wen and Jiaxin Zhao
This study aims to examine an emerging product–place co-branding marketing practice in China’s rural areas. The role of this practice in inclusive development is analyzed from the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine an emerging product–place co-branding marketing practice in China’s rural areas. The role of this practice in inclusive development is analyzed from the perspectives of value proposition innovation, market legitimacy, media coverage and brand value. Both research and practice indicate value proposition innovation to exert an important influence on brand value enhancement, but little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation.
Design/methodology/approach
A moderated mediation model is constructed to examine whether market legitimacy mediates the relationship between value proposition innovation and brand value. vWhether this mediating process is moderated by media coverage is also examined. The primary data are collected from semi-structured interviews and observations conducted with two common cases to develop proper scales for value proposition innovation and market legitimacy. The research includes 100 product–place co-brandings published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2019. Hypotheses are tested using hierarchical regression and a Bootstrap model.
Findings
Value proposition innovation has a positive effect on brand value, and market legitimacy partially mediates this relationship. Media coverage positively moderates the relationship between value proposition innovation and market legitimacy, and positively moderates the mediating effect of market legitimacy; the higher the media coverage, the stronger the mediating effect of market legitimacy.
Research limitations/implications
Based on data availability and accessibility, the study sample focused on indicators from 100 brands in 2019. If the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs discloses consecutive annual information for other years, future studies could explore panel data to further test the study’s conclusions from a longitudinal perspective.
Originality/value
First, this paper adds to the emerging literature on product–place co-branding business models by examining the relationship between value proposition innovation and brand value. Second, this paper enriches institutional theory by including market legitimacy as a mediator between value proposition innovation and brand value. Third, this paper identifies the moderating role of media coverage, thus broadening the theoretical implications of institutional theory with respect to improving market legitimacy.
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Andreas Aldogan Eklund, Adele Berndt and Susanne Sandberg
This paper aims to advance the theoretical knowledge of how manufacturers develop a multisensory value proposition.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to advance the theoretical knowledge of how manufacturers develop a multisensory value proposition.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory case study with a global automotive manufacturer was conducted. Personal in-depth interviews with key informants within a manufacturer were performed to obtain in-depth knowledge and insights on how the manufacturer plans and designs a value proposition.
Findings
This paper reveals how a value proposition is created from a sensory marketing perspective, which includes orchestrating the sensory experience, harmonising sensory cues to ensure they provide a consistent experience, thereby providing a memorable experience.
Practical implications
Understanding how to offer value might assist managers in tailoring a unique experiential value proposition to position the brand.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a theoretical framework, enriching the understanding of the underlying mechanisms used to create an experiential value proposition. The framework illustrates that harmonising sensory cues based on brand-related stimuli fosters a memorable experience, which enables consumers to (sub)consciously infer value.
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Helena Elisabeth Liewendahl and Kristina Heinonen
Customer value creation is dependent on a firm’s capacity to fulfil its brand promises and value propositions. The purpose of this paper is to explore frontline employees’ (FLEs’…
Abstract
Purpose
Customer value creation is dependent on a firm’s capacity to fulfil its brand promises and value propositions. The purpose of this paper is to explore frontline employees’ (FLEs’) motivation to align with value propositions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper explores FLEs’ motivation to align with a firm’s value propositions as operationalised brand promises. A longitudinal, three-phase case study was conducted on a business-to-business company in the building and technical trade sector.
Findings
This study reveals factors that foster and weaken employees’ motivation to align with a firm’s brand promises and value propositions. The findings show that co-activity and authentic, practice-driven promises and value propositions foster FLEs’ motivation to uphold brand promises and value propositions, whereas an objectifying stance and power struggle weaken their motivation.
Practical implications
The study indicates that a bottom-up approach to strategising is needed and that FLE is to be engaged in traditional managerial domains, such as in developing value propositions. By creating space and agency for FLE in the strategising process, their motivation to align with value propositions is fostered. Four motivational modes are suggested to support bottom-up strategising.
Originality/value
The paper is unique in its focus on FLEs’ motivation. Developing value propositions traditionally falls within the domain of management strategising, while employees are ascribed the role of enactment. Contrary to the established norm, this paper highlights employees’ active role in strategising and developing value propositions.
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Y.L.R. Moorthi and Bijuna C. Mohan
The purpose of this paper is to relate the customer value proposition offered by a bank with its structure of ownership.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to relate the customer value proposition offered by a bank with its structure of ownership.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a combination of exploratory and descriptive approaches. The attitudes and opinions of bank customers were gauged through a survey. Based on literature, a pool of items was identified to measure the construct of value proposition. It was hypothesized that different types of banks in India are chosen for different benefits offered by them. The relationship between value proposition and its constituent variables functional, emotional and self-expressive benefits was analyzed using multiple regression.
Findings
Results prove that while self-expressive benefits drive the choice of foreign banks (FBs), functional benefits are important for all types of banks.
Research limitations/implications
The research intends to study only the perceptions of customers having an account in Indian public sector banks, private sector banks or FBs.
Practical implications
The study helps to relate the type of bank (public, private or foreign) a customer chooses, with the value proposition it offers. Using this study, banks can configure the value proposition that is appropriate for their target segment.
Originality/value
The paper examines the value proposition offered by the three different types of banks (public, private and foreign) empirically. It links bank choice of the customer to the benefit assortment offered by different types of banks.
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Jonathan J. Baker, Julia A. Fehrer and Roderick J. Brodie
The purpose of this paper is to clarify how brand meaning evolves as an emergent property through the cocreation processes of stakeholders on multiple levels of a brand's service…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to clarify how brand meaning evolves as an emergent property through the cocreation processes of stakeholders on multiple levels of a brand's service ecosystem. This provides new insight into the intersection between brands, consumers and society, and emphasizes the institutionally situated nature of brand meaning cocreation processes. It further lays a holistic foundation for a much-needed discussion on purpose-driven branding.
Design/methodology/approach
Combining the ecosystem perspective of branding with the concept of social emergence allows clarification of brand meaning cocreation at different levels of aggregation. Emergence means collective phenomena – like social structures, concepts, preferences, states, mechanisms, laws and brand meaning – manifest from the interactions of individuals. Drawing on Sawyer's (2005) social emergence perspective, the authors propose a processual multi-level framework to explore brand meaning emergence.
Findings
Our framework spans five levels of brand meaning emergence: individual (e.g. employees and customers); interactional (e.g. where work teams or friend groups interact); relational (e.g. where internal and external actors meet); strategic (e.g. markets and strategic alliances); and systemic (e.g. regulators, NGOs and society). It acknowledges that brand positioning is an inherently co-creative process of negotiating value propositions and aligning behaviors and beliefs among broad sets of actors, as opposed to a firm-centric task.
Originality/value
Service research has only recently embraced a macro–micro perspective of branding processes. This paper extends that perspective by paying attention to the nested service ecosystems in which brand meaning emerges and the degree to which this process can (and cannot) be navigated by individual actors.
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Tanya Bondarouk, Huub Ruël, Elena Axinia and Roxana Arama
HR professionals have identified the power of information sharing for employer branding that could be obtained through the rapid growth of social media usage. The growing interest…
Abstract
Purpose
HR professionals have identified the power of information sharing for employer branding that could be obtained through the rapid growth of social media usage. The growing interest in and power of social media seem to be important for companies that want to make themselves known as interesting employers and to recruit prospective employees, using techniques that are more common to job seekers and recruiters. This study aims to explore the immediate future of employer branding through social media, as envisioned by academics and HR practitioners.
Design/methodology/approach
To look into the future of employer branding, we use the Delphi technique for forecasting, planning, issue identification, and framework development (Bobeva & Day, 2002). Two groups of respondents participated in this three-part study: 11 academics and 20 HR professionals. They were selected because of their research into the integration of HRM and IT from the e-HRM Global mailing list. The panelists participated in the research via electronic communication. The data were collected in three rounds from November 2010 to April 2011.
Findings
Research has revealed differences in the opinions of academics and HR professionals on the impact of social media on employer branding. The academics see its general effect as the targeting of audience for recruitment, marketing/company brand, and ways of communication/HR competencies. The practitioners see the image of the employer, visibility of the company, and organization responsiveness. The study presents other findings within the boundaries of employer branding value proposition, internal and external marketing, and the role of HR professionals. According to the academics, HR professionals in the future will need to possess knowledge about marketing and communication studies and web-based applications/develop new skills. They think that social media will impact the image of HR in organizations. On the other hand, HR professionals think that the future of their activities will depend on their awareness of recruitment trends, HR innovative thinking, and HR networking skills. Although the object of their activity will remain recruitment, HR professionals will have to be continuously updated on what is new in the social media in terms of recruitment.
Originality/value
This study presents the results of the Delphi technique, which is itself considered an original research method and not widely accepted in the tough “publish or perish” world. The value of the research is its forecast about the future developments of employer branding through social media, as envisioned by academics and HR practitioners.
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Winfried Daun and Raffaela Klinger
The purpose of this paper is to review the ways in which premium hotel brands address the challenge of building and sustaining their value proposition and communicating the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the ways in which premium hotel brands address the challenge of building and sustaining their value proposition and communicating the essence of this value to their customers.
Design/methodology/approach
The article draws on commercial market research, published information sources and industry experience to identify the key issues that impact on the effectiveness of marketing communications.
Findings
The conclusion is that luxury hotel chains have worked hard to improve the effectiveness of brand management but that several key factors (such as market insight, differentiation, relative uniqueness) influence the long‐term effectiveness of the brand management approach.
Research limitations/implications
Practical measures for improving brand management practices are identified and explained.
Practical implications
The key success factors are explained, with suggestions for implementation.
Originality/value
The paper draws on consulting experience and contains analysis and practical suggestions that are especially relevant to practitioners.
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James Dobree and Anthony S. Page
Three principles are presented to help companiesachieve sustainable, differentiated service in the1990s. The “service brand” concept is introducedand the contrast made between a…
Abstract
Three principles are presented to help companies achieve sustainable, differentiated service in the 1990s. The “service brand” concept is introduced and the contrast made between a service brand and the conventional product brand. Practical methods to mobilise company‐wide support for the service brand are described, and the essential nature of brand contracts is outlined with a view to the new environment where forming a strong service network is of crucial importance.
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Ana Claudia Braun Endo, Luiz Alberto de Farias and Pedro Simões Coelho
The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical insights about service branding from higher education administrators (HEAs) perspectives and to identify the main factors…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical insights about service branding from higher education administrators (HEAs) perspectives and to identify the main factors involved in their strategic thinking in this sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting a qualitative approach, 22 in-depth interviews were performed in Brazilian HEAs to analyze service branding as a strategic institutional process in this context.
Findings
Findings reveal that service branding depends on several factors, e.g., in this case, deep integration between branding and services, leadership involvement, strong value propositions, sharing of strategic guidelines, branding experiences and, finally, credibility and reputation. Excellence of service is considered essential in higher education (HE) and, therefore, service branding faces the challenge of promoting the provision of quality services.
Originality/value
Although there have been many studies relating to HE and branding, few authors have studied service branding in educational sector and which issues must be observed in a competitive marketplace.
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