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This paper proposes a framework for connecting the involvement construct’s antecedents of Internet marketing, measured involvement degree, related constructs and consequences of consumer behavior. The research first determined the factors that influence the degree of Internet marketing involvement then established the different involvement degree clusters by measured involvement. Finally, the relationship among influence factors, Internet marketing involvement degree, and consequences of consumer behavior was analyzed. Based on the research findings, this paper discusses the possible Internet marketing strategies for a variety involvement degree clusters.

This study aims to examine the effects of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement on privacy concern and the effect of privacy concern on the frequency of online transactions. The study also seeks to examine the direct effect of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement on the frequency of online transactions.

A structural equation model was developed to test the hypotheses. The model was tested using the LISREL 8.8 software and both structural and measurement parameters were estimated.

Findings suggest that internet self-efficacy and internet involvement affect privacy concern negatively; and privacy concern, in turn, affects frequency of online transactions negatively. Findings also indicate that the direct effect of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement on the frequency of online transactions is positive. All parameters are significant and in the hypothesized direction.

Findings highlight the significance of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement in explaining both privacy concern and online transactions. The negative impact of privacy concern shows strategically why businesses should take measures to protect privacy of consumers and assure them that the information they provide is protected and secure.

This research contributes to the debate on privacy concern and adds to the growing body of literature on the impact of privacy concern on online transactions. Both antecedents and consequence of privacy concern are examined in the study.

Internet celebrities have become key resources for consumers making purchase decisions. An increasing number of internet celebrities have begun to exert their influence by creating self-branded products. This study aims to examine the antecedents of consumer attitudes and purchase intentions towards internet celebrity self-brands by integrating cognitive consistency theory, cue utilisation theory and the literature on brand authenticity and celebrity involvement.

Two sub-samples of different social media brand communities were collected via online surveys of consumers with experience purchasing targeted internet celebrity self-brands. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data.

The results of the two sub-samples provide convergent evidence that brand–consumer congruence, brand authenticity and internet celebrity involvement have positive correlations with consumer attitudes towards internet celebrity self-brands, which then positively correlate with purchase intentions in both psychological (Sub-sample 1) and social (Sub-sample 2) brand communities.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to develop a comprehensive model of consumers’ attitudes towards internet celebrity self-brands, which predict purchase intentions. The model is empirically tested in different social media brand communities, and the convergent results show the power of the proposed model. Internet celebrity involvement is proposed as a key driver of brand attitudes, which has received little attention. We conceptualise internet celebrity involvement and develop a scale to measure it. Based on the findings, we propose strategies to improve the marketing effectiveness of internet celebrity self-brands.

The purpose of this paper is to provide some insights regarding the adoption of internet advertising by Iranian small and medium‐sized enterprises. The recent negative trends leading to a lack of competitive advantage in small businesses and the advantages of internet advertising makes it imperative to study various factors affecting this area of marketing.

This study reviewed 59 previous related studies, resulting in a comprehensive theoretical framework which explains the advantages of internet advertising for small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Via questionnaire, the paper compiles 346 Iranian experts’ opinions in order to test the validity and applicability of variables in Iran. A structural equation model and LISREL software were used to analyze the data.

A total of seven latent variables of internet advertising adoption were examined: advertising agencies, internet publishers, small and middle‐sized enterprises, government role, e‐commerce development and user types. The paper found that these constructs successfully explain internet advertising adoption by incorporating readiness and globalization stages. The small and medium‐sized enterprises were found to be the most significant for explaining internet advertising adoption.

The sample was restricted to Iranian experts.

This study offers one of the first attempts to build a comprehensive theoretical model explaining internet advertising adoption. Second, this study offers a new scale for internet advertising adoption with higher content validity.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how an E-retailer's assistive intent impacts the perceptions and behaviours of online shoppers. The paper introduces a model that explains and examines the process through which the perceived assistive intent of an E-retailer leads to improved patronage intentions towards the web site.

A survey on the most recent e-purchase experiences of more than 600 individuals in North America was conducted. Structural equation modelling based on EQS 6.1 was used to assess the measurement and structural models.

Results indicated that customers’ impressions of an E-retailer's assistive intent positively impact web site patronage intentions both directly and indirectly through two key constructs of e-shopping, including web site involvement and web site attitudes.

The student sample is not representative of the population. Students are familiar with internet and feel less need for assistance online. Another shortcoming might be its settings. Since the survey was on the respondents’ most recent online experiences, the data quality depends on the amount and accuracy of the information they could retrieve from memory.

The findings suggest that E-retailers would highly benefit from investing in the development of an assistive image. To do so, E-retailers should leverage the interactive nature of the web and provide supportive tools that facilitate the e-shopping task of clients.

Developing impressions of the site's assistive intent is highly rewarding for E-retailers that are new to the business.

This paper represents the first effort to link the newly developed construct of E-retailer's assistive intent to two fundamental variables of online shopping, including web site involvement and web site attitudes. This work would also be an extension of the past studies that call for further investigation of the link between customer orientation and customer's loyalty intentions.

To explore the factors that affect the implementation of Internet technologies and to what extent the size of the company, as an organizational factor, influences that process.

According to the innovation adoption theory, it was found that Internet adoption in firms is a process with different stages where a company is in one of a number of development stages depending on some variables related to organizational factors, such as the availability of technology resources, organizational structure, and managerial capabilities. The paper identified empirically different stages in the Internet adoption process and linked them with those factors. It analyzed questionnaire‐based data from 280 companies, applying factor and clustering analysis.

Four main groups of companies were found according to their stage in the adoption of Internet technologies. The paper established that, contrary to the literature suggestions, the size of the company does not have any effect on the availability of these Internet technologies but it does for managerial capabilities. The smaller the size of the firm, the greater the possibilities of using external advice in adopting Internet technologies, because small firms usually have fewer managerial capabilities. In the mean time, a more sophisticated technology development was identified in larger firms.

As in all empirical research, the characteristics of this study limit the applicability of the findings. First, the study concentrated in businesses that already were using Internet technologies, because they have registered their domain name. Consequently, the study firms that did not have a Spanish domain name were omitted; however, firms could have a “.com” or “.org” domain name and still be Spanish firms. Also, other companies without any domain name on the Internet were not included in the study. Second, the study applied a classification analysis with exploratory purposes about the characteristics of the business according to the cluster of pertinence. Nevertheless, a longitudinal study could be more useful explaining whether or not these companies follow the process described. Third, a more detailed questionnaire with more specific questions could be more helpful to gain a better description of the phases of a more sophisticated technology adoption (i.e. the acceptance/routinization and infusion stages).

This paper has some relatively important managerial implications. First, the fact of having a domain name does not mean that the companies are in the acceptance/routinization phase and even less in the infusion phase. From this, the paper identified how the majority of firms were in the so‐called initial stages of the Internet technologies adoption process. Second, it is possible that managers who do not perceive the strategic value of these technologies are managing the majority of these firms. Third, as more businesses implement these technologies in their processes, presumably more competitive pressure will exist to adopt Internet technologies.

This paper contributes to the research into the organizational factors that affect Internet adoption.

This paper looks at how two sports teams, hockey club the Toronto Maple Leafs and Football Club Barcelona, have each built and leveraged their brand equity. The main differences between the two clubs lie in how they position their brands. For TML, the affective and experiential sides of the product are emphasised to make the brand grow; for Barcelona, the cognitive and affective dimensions of the product are prioritised to nurture the brand. Differences between hockey and soccer also contribute to branding discrepancies in terms of exposure and global influences.

The purpose of this study is to examine the potential of the internet to address nutrition topics.

From a survey posted on the Dietitians of Canada Website, 870 questionnaires were retained. Subjects indicated how frequently they used different sources to obtain information on healthy eating and what level of confidence they had in these sources. They also identified nutrition topics which were of the most interest to them.

Internet was reported to be often used as a source of nutrition information by 40 per cent of respondents, from time to time by 47 per cent of respondents and rarely or never by 14 per cent of them. In terms of credibility, 34 per cent of respondents reported being very confident in internet as a source of nutrition information, 62 per cent being slightly confident and 4 per cent being not confident at all. Findings were obtained between nutrition topics, frequency of use of the Web as a source of information and the level of confidence in the internet.

Future research on differences in terms of how populations from different countries search for and assess the credibility of nutrition information on the Web is required.

Among the possible ways of informing consumers on food and nutrition issues properly and in time, the Web technologies represent an interesting avenue. However, our findings suggest that specific nutrition topics dictate different strategies if internet can be used as a source of information.