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This paper aims to address the role of product involvement in the brand preference formation of men and women. Product involvement can be defined as a consumer’s motivation for product purchase that affects their information processing strategies when forming a brand preference (e.g. more automatic at low levels vs more deliberative at high levels). Given that gender differences are found to be context-dependent, it was expected that, when forming a single brand preference, men would emphasize instrumental aspects (functional and socially conspicuous utilities) and women the experiential utility of the brand only with high-involvement-level products.

A descriptive survey (n = 459) using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was used following an online experiment where involvement level was manipulated (n = 255) to validate the results.

Stereotypical gender differences appeared at high, but not low-involvement levels. Theoretically, these findings question the evolutionary basis of gender differences, as differences were not consistent at both levels.

The findings raise questions about the efficacy of segmenting by gender when aiming to increase brand preference of low-involvement products, whereas stereotypical targeting seem to be effective for increasing preference for high-involvement ones.

For the first time, the role of product involvement and gender was examined in brand preference formation. This can theoretically clarify whether gender differences are consistent or dependent on the level of involvement. This information can help in designing efficient marketing strategies for products with different involvement levels.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the connection between the degree of religiosity and the product involvement level in determining the various constructs of consumer behavior.

On the basis of a small survey, clothes were selected as a high involvement product, and snacks were selected as a low involvement product. A modified version of Sproles and Kendal's Customer Style Inventory scale was used to profile the behaviour of consumers, using confirmatory factor analysis approach. Worthington et al.'s Religious Commitment Inventory scale was used to measure the religiosity levels. Data were collected from students of five universities located in different regions of Pakistan.

Consumer behaviour varies with the level of involvement and the degree of religiosity. In the case of high involvement product category, the highly religious group was found to be less recreational, fashion conscious and impulsive in their shopping orientations. It was also determined that the higher religious group was more socially influenced in making purchase decisions, more conscious about their lifestyle and less confused by information over choice, as compared to the less religious group. In the case of the low involvement product category, it was determined that religiosity negatively influenced the brand consciousness of consumers. The results indicated that higher religious consumers were less impulsive and did not give much consideration to advertisements in making purchase decisions; but it was opposite for the less religious consumers. Highly religious consumers in the low involvement product category were also found to be more socially influenced and not as confused by excessive information in making their purchase decisions. Overall, it was established that in order to better understand the intricacies of the behaviour of consumers, their purchasing habits should be studied in the context of varying levels of religiosity and product involvement.

This study focused on youth only, so results derived might not be generalized to the other segments of the population.

The current study aims to understand how religiosity and involvement level complement each other in determining the behaviour of consumers and whether the level of religiosity equally determines the behaviour of consumers in the low involvement product category and high involvement product category or not. No previous study has been conducted to explore this dimension of consumer behaviour, and this paper categorically strives to fill this gap.

The main purpose of this study is to explore the influence of the country‐of‐origin image, product knowledge and product involvement on consumer purchase decision.

Taiwan, China and the USA were the three countries selected for research into the country‐of‐origin, insurance and catering services. Structured questionnaires and convenience sampling were used. Samples were collected from consumers in the Taipei area. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed with convenience sampling method, and 369 effective samples were collected, the effective rate being 92.25 percent. Stepwise regression analysis was adapted to test hypothesis.

The main findings were listed as follows: the country‐of‐origin image, product knowledge and product involvement all have a significantly positive effect on consumer purchase decision; the country‐of‐origin image has a significantly positive effect on consumer purchase decisions under different product involvement; and product knowledge has significantly positive effect on consumer purchase decisions under different product involvement.

Limitations of the study are: it is unable to infer to national consumers and to other service areas and the explanatory power of some empirical models is relative low. Implications of the study are that: a more thorough structure about consumer purchase decisions should be provided and the relationship between product knowledge and information search quantity should be verified.

Practical implications pf the study are that the company must face competitive strategies from many countries and also the effect of consumer product knowledge on business competitive strategy.

The added value of this paper is to link between theory and practice, and explore the different country‐of‐origin image, product knowledge and product involvement on consumer purchase decisions.

A high level of product involvement is typically assumed to accompany higher information search, a fewer number of acceptable alternatives, and a higher number of choice criteria than does low level of product involvement. Inferring the level of product involvement from these behavioral or evaluative characteristics is, however, potentially misleading. Two factors are identified as mediating the relationship between the high level of involvement and these characteristics: (1) product trial, and (2) the consumer learning stage. The results of the present study support this view. Even for high involving products, considerable variations exist in these characteristics, depending on product trialability and consumer learning stage. Several strategic marketing implications stemming from these results are offered.

In light of the core role of product involvement as a variable in consumer behavior, the current study seeks to examine which variables influence product involvement among young people. This paper aims to explore five variables: age, subjective product knowledge, influence of parents, influence of peers, and product category.

The research was founded on a quantitative field study, whose sample was comprised of 252 young people, ages 4‐15.

The findings among the entire sample imply that young people's product involvement is explained by all of the variables that were examined. Interesting findings came to light for each one of the age groups: Young children's product‐involvement level was influenced by parents and peers. The product‐involvement level for children was influenced by peers and product category. Adolescents' product‐involvement relies on subjective product knowledge and product category.

These findings expand the existing knowledge about young consumers' behavior patterns and show that the existing models provide a partial picture. In addition, the product‐involvement variable must be seen as a basis for market segmentation of the younger populations. The recommendation is to carefully create segments that examine the different product‐involvement levels among each age group.

The study aims to investigate customers' emotional and behavioral responses to price promotion in omnichannel retailing through the integration of the expectancy-disconfirmation theory, feelings-as-information-theory and regret regulation theory.

An online survey was designed in Qualtrics and distributed by an online survey to collect data from 786 (main study) and 150 (a follow-up study) customers from the USA. The participants were randomly assigned to different scenarios related to the need to purchase a toothbrush, laptop or health supplement. After the first purchase, the participants received a discount on the same product that has just been purchased. The discount can be used at an online store or a physical store. The three levels of price promotion after the purchase were 10% (low), 25% (moderate) and 50% (high).

The study found that consumers are likely to feel more surprised and less discontented when being offered a higher discount. The emotions further significantly impact their anticipated regret. Further, different discount levels influence patronage intention and omnichannel usage via emotional responses and anticipated regret. These relationships are moderated by product involvement.

The study extends knowledge of price promotion and provides insights that can assist retailers in increasing the effectiveness of their sales promotion strategy. Addressing the lacuna in the current literature, which predominantly focuses on the cost and benefits analysis of sales promotion, the study revealed that cross-channel price promotion results in consumers' sophisticated emotional responses.

This study aims to establish two aspects: first, whether green advertising through multiple media (repetition versus reversal) generates a positive purchase intention than green advertising with a single medium repeat one medium at different levels of product involvement (high versus low level). Second, whether a green advertisement presented through multiple media influences green message credibility, green advertiser credibility, green advertisement credibility, green brand credibility, green ad engagement, attitude toward the green brand and green purchase intention (GPI) than a green advertisement presented through single medium repetition under different level of product involvement, green advertising, media effects, consumer attitude, purchase intention and product involvement.

3 × 2 mixed factorial design is used to examine the audience exposure towards repetitive green ads on multiple media sources such as television, the internet and print. This has a more significant impact on environmental claims in terms of green message credibility, green advertiser credibility, green advertisement credibility, green brand credibility, green ad engagement, attitude toward the green brand and GPI compared to audiences exposed to the same ads on a single medium under high level and low level of product involvement.

The audience was exposed to several media situations, repeating green advertising, has a more significant impact on environmental claims in terms of green message credibility, green advertiser credibility, green advertisement credibility, green brand credibility, green ad engagement, attitude toward the green brand and purchase intention rather than for the audience who encounter a green ad with a high and low degree of product involvement in a single medium.

Only a few studies have measured media synergy effects, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no one has measured media effects on green advertisements. By examining different media combination effects of green ads on the audience, the knowledge of green marketing communication and its marketing strategies has been expanded.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of product and customer dimensions in the contribution of brand experience to the formation of true brand loyalty. The dimensions included are brand credibility, affective commitment and involvement. Synthesising past studies, the researcher proposes brand credibility and affective commitment to mediate the relationship between brand experience and true brand loyalty. Furthermore, the researcher investigates the variation in hierarchical pattern, i.e. brand experience-brand credibility affective commitment-true brand loyalty, under different levels of involvement.

The variations in hierarchy were compared by design. The authors investigated the variations in hierarchy on the basis of products which belong to different level of involvement, on the basis of individual differences in involvement, and on the basis of the interaction of product involvement and subject involvement. Multi-group invariance tests in SEM were used to explore model variations.

The hierarchy-of-effect model was found to vary based on the level of product involvement, subject involvement and interaction involvement. Three patterns of hierarchy have been observed: the first pattern was observed in high-high groups (both product involvement and subject involvement were high), the second pattern was observed in low-low groups (both product and subject involvements were low) and the third pattern among high-low or low-high groups.

The variation observed highlights the need to segment the market by interaction involvement. This would be useful for managers engaged in building sustainable consumer-brand relationships.

This study considered the interaction of product approach and subject approach in defining involvement which is rarely attempted in research. The study also integrates the variations in the role of customer dimensions, namely involvement, brand credibility and affective commitment with the relationship between the central constructs brand experience and true brand loyalty. The variations observed are among a socio-economically homogeneous sample of respondents.

This study aims to examine how young consumers perceive the advertising effectiveness of endorsements by virtual idols and how endorsements by virtual idols differ from endorsements by real human celebrities such as traditional celebrities and online influencers.

An experimental study was conducted with 400 randomly selected young respondents in China in December 2022. A 3 × 2 factorial design was used to test how the type of celebrity endorser and level of product involvement influence the persuasiveness of advertising aimed at young adults. Among 400 respondents, the average age was 21.5 years. A total of 193 male and 207 female respondents participated in the experiment.

Young consumers find virtual idols, online influencers and traditional celebrities attractive. Although virtual idols are the least credible among the three types of celebrity endorsers, young consumers tend to be more convinced by their endorsements of products with low levels of consumer involvement than those with high levels of involvement. Among the three types of celebrity endorsements, young consumers find traditional celebrities the most effective. In addition, young consumers’ attitudes toward celebrity endorsers mediate the impact of celebrity endorsers’ attractiveness and credibility on their attitudes toward the advertisements. The perceived level of product involvement moderates the transfer of meaning from the attitude toward the celebrity endorsers to the attitude toward the advertisement.

First, when choosing celebrity endorsers to advertise products targeting young consumers, marketing communication practitioners should give priority to the endorsers’ perceived credibility, as young consumers have a variety of views about them that can significantly affect their attitudes toward the advertisement. Second, real human celebrity endorsers are more effective than virtual idols in celebrity endorsements. However, virtual idols may be suited for use in advertisements to promote products with low involvement levels, such as soft drinks.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first experimental study to attempt to analyze the effectiveness of virtual idols in advertising aimed at young consumers. This is also the first comparative study to introduce virtual idols as celebrity endorsers in product advertising and to compare their effectiveness with that of the two other types of commonly discussed celebrity endorsers, traditional celebrities and online influencers.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of low task relevant cues presented on apparel web sites on consumer emotions (pleasure and arousal) that in turn influence consumer response behaviors (purchase intention and approach behavior) and examine the influence of product involvement as a moderator of the relationship between such cues and emotions.

A total of 157 female students participated in an online experiment using mock web sites. The paper employed a 2×2 between‐subjects factorial design: low task relevant web cues (presence vs absence) and product involvement (low vs high).

The results revealed that low task relevant web cues induce more pleasure and arousal for online browsers with low levels of clothing product involvement than for those with high levels of clothing product involvement. The results also showed that emotions mediated the relationship between low task relevant web cues and various consumer response behaviors.

The sample of the study was female college students. The relatively homogeneous sample may limit the generalizability of the results.

The paper provides an important implication for online apparel retailers developing web sites that may increase consumer pleasure and arousal and attract consumers with different levels of product involvement.

No study has examined a moderating effect of product involvement, an enduring involvement, between low task relevant web cues and consumer pleasure and arousal. The paper provides understanding of how low task relevant web cues influence consumers with different levels of product involvement.