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The purpose of this study is to illustrate how means‐end chain theory can inform communications that effectively convey the health messages of vegetable consumption to various publics.

Laddering interviews were conducted with 61 participants who consumed at least two serves of vegetables a day and were responsible in part or whole for shopping in their household. A means‐end chain value map was then constructed using mecanalyst software.

Using means‐end theory, an example communications strategy was developed from the dominant chain. The health and wellness features that respondents associated with vegetables were “freshness”, a “source of vitamins and minerals”, and “high nutritional value”. In the mind of the consumer, these features were linked to the benefit concept “maintain energy and vitality”, which in turn was connected to the consequence “maintain an active life”. The end‐states or goals participants ultimately connected to the health and wellness features of vegetables were that of “enjoy life” and “achieve goals”.

The research is limited in so far as subjects who consume less than two serves of vegetables are not recruited for this study.

It is suggested that social marketing initiatives designed to increase vegetable consumption may base messages on health‐related values or end‐states of being to resonate more effectively with consumers.

High vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease. Effective strategies designed to increase vegetable consumption amongst populations may reduce the burden on health systems.

This study illustrates how consumers' cognitive processes can inform social marketing communications.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivational effects of personal values on benefits, attributes, and re‐patronage intention in the context of online shopping.

Using means‐end chain theory as a basis for the theoretical framework, the paper proposes and tests a conceptual model of the relationships among the constructs of personal values, benefits, attributes, and re‐patronage intention. Hypotheses are proposed, and these are then tested using structural equation modelling on data from 279 experienced online customers in South Korea.

A personal value of “social affiliation” acts as an enduring belief in motivating a customer to seek hedonic and utilitarian benefits, whereas a personal value of “self actualization” produces motivation to seek only utilitarian benefits. The seeking of hedonic and utilitarian benefits leads customers to evaluate certain attributes of online stores – such as visual design, product assortment, information quality, and after‐sales service. The attributes of online stores have a positive effect on re‐patronage intention.

Limitations include problems associated with convenience sampling (dominated by extrinsically oriented shoppers) and measurement errors (with respect to the construct of personal values). Future studies could examine a more diverse range of personal values and online shopping benefits and attributes.

The present study is the first to investigate personal values as enduring and underlying sources of motivation with respect to online shopping. The paper presents an original conceptual model of personal values, shopping benefits, shopping attributes, and re‐patronage intention.

The purpose of this study is to construct consumer value structures for clothing.

Using content analysis, a total of 301 advertisements from the New Yorker and Esquire magazines are analyzed during one representative year out of each of the last four decades.

Consumer values reflected in clothing ads are identified as functional, social, emotional and epistemic. Functional value dominated throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but showed a decreasing trend. By the 2000s, emotional value had overtaken functional value in emphasis. Consumer consequences and product attributes, which fell under each of the consumer values, are also revealed. Of all the consumer consequences, high quality was connected the most frequently with functional value. At the same time, high quality served as an intermediary qualifier for symbols of social status, a consequence of social value. Fabric was the attribute linked most frequently to functional and social consequences.

Clothing companies can use the values, consequences and attributes presented here to differentiate between values, to determine the most effective attributes to emphasize, and to target certain audiences for their marketing and advertising strategies.

The essential contribution of this paper is that this study reveals a hierarchical dimension to clothing value and is the first study which attempts to construct a means‐end chain through the content analysis of advertisements.

The fashion industry has been accused of being the second largest environmental polluter in the world. Millions of tons of post-consumer waste are dumped in landfills and garbage disposal sites each year. However, environmental concerns are emerging as a mainstream issue among modern-day consumers. This critical problem has prompted fashion retailers and brands to embrace sustainable practices to address consumers’ environmental concerns by reducing pollution. Given this background, this research aims to understand consumer’s perceptions of value towards second-hand fashion consumption in the context of Sri Lanka.

This exploratory study uses a qualitative approach to understand consumers’ perceptions of value towards second-hand fashion consumption.

This research uses the theoretical model of the means-end chain model and shows five consumer’s values of second-hand consumers: price-consciousness, consciousness on emotional bonds, comfortability consciousness, quality and brand consciousness and social and environmental consciousness. Furthermore, the authors show non-second-hand fashion consumers’ values as social status consciousness, hygienic consciousness, comfortability consciousness, quality and brand consciousness and self-expressive consciousness.

This research sheds some light on the emerging knowledge of second-hand consumption. This research further points out certain practical implications by drawing attention to a few opportunities and challenges associated with the second-hand fashion business within the Sri Lankan fashion retail sector, in particular when launching new fashion brands catering to second-hand fashion consumers.

The students will get a hands on research techniques like mental mapping, laddering and means end chain (MEC) model for value proposition and survey techniques.

Market Research has always acted as one of the major driving force behind the successful launch of any product in any market. There are several evidences of how market research and thorough understanding of the consumers in and out has lead companies reach new peaks and acquire market share. This case deals with a company called Eco-Remedies, based in Nashik, India, which is in the business of providing eco-solutions to different health ailments and also general purpose health supplements like health drinks. The major concentration is on the product called “AnjaNeya-The Graviola fruit drink” from Eco-Remedies, where in different research techniques were used to gather information so that appropriate strategies could be implemented in order to increase the market share of the product and create a strong position in the minds of the customers. The case deals with gathering consumer insights and then developing appropriate positioning strategies for Eco remedies based on consumer value proposition using the MEC theory, mental mapping, blind tests and general consumer survey.

The study is applicable to Masters level Marketing Management and Marketing Research Studies.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Marketing.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the different dimensions of involvement and customer engagement (CE) and analyze the influence of CE on loyalty in an online retail context. The study also tests the mediation of CE between the facets of involvement and loyalty.

The study employed a survey for data collection from online retail website users and analyzed the data with partial least squares – structural equation modeling.

The results reveal that the dimensions of involvement drive engagement differently. The risk importance and risk probability do not influence CE whereas the sign, interest, and pleasure are positively associated with CE. Furthermore, CE mediates the link between sign, interest, and pleasure dimensions of involvement and loyalty.

This study provides insights for the managers that the perception of value from a brand starts at its product category level and values like sign, interest, and pleasure can be provided to the customers by not only brand consumption but also by engaging them with the brand.

This is among the first studies to have empirically tested the effect of dimensions of involvement on CE and explain the role of engagement as a means for the customers to achieve expected values. It also contributes to the extant CE literature by testing its mediating role between involvement dimensions and loyalty, thus augmenting the studies, which have explored the antecedents and consequences of CE.

This paper aims to inform the promotion of sustainable modes of transport. For this purpose, it deploys a means-ends framework as a type of second-order cybernetics and uses it to explore cognitive transport mode choice structures.

The empirical study relies on a purposive sample and a qualitative research methodology known as laddering. It is aimed at the identification and comparative analysis of the cognitive means-ends structures of transport users.

The results reveal more positive and complex associations for the car than for public transport. Two main positive means-ends structures are identified for public transport, one related with the relaxation and the other with doing useful things while travelling. Dominant positive structures for the car are related with self-confidence, satisfaction and personal freedom. Negative means-ends structures in addition reveal important justifications and rationalizations for car use.

Based on the identified distinct means-ends elements and structures, this study holds important implications for developing a communications strategy and policy interventions seeking to promote public transport.

Means-ends theory is proposed as an integrative cybernetic framework for the study of stakeholders’ (customers’) mental models. The empirical study is the first to concurrently and comparatively examine positive and negative means-ends chains for the car and for the public transport modes.

Previous studies on cyberloafing have so far not focused on the interlinkages among push factors, pull factors, consequences of actions and value orientations of the employees in a comprehensive manner. The purpose of this study is to close that gap by integrating push-pull theory with means-end chain framework.

Using a soft-laddering technique, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 Indian employees from various organizations with prior written consent. After performing the content analysis and preparation of ladders, an implication matrix and a hierarchical value map were constructed using the LadderUX tool.

“Upholding conversational conformity,” “achieving efficiency through noise cancellation,” “addressing occasional requirements,” “social networking as a coping mechanism,” “staying informed and sharing opinions,” “attempting job or profile alteration” and “fulfilling transactional obligations” turned out to be the seven prominent means-end chain patterns, with their respective push-pull factors, consequences and value orientations. This study also suggested the multifaceted character of cyberloafing in a continuum, from “serious-destructive” to “minor-positive” to “facilitative-productive.”

This study has been conducted by focusing on cyberloafing at physical workplaces and not in the context of distributed work environments.

The findings of this study will enable organizations to frame an appropriate set of guidelines to control this behavior.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to integrate the push-pull theory and means-end chain framework to explore the nuances of cyberloafing among employees.

Introduces a new approach to the investigation of consumers' reasons for purchasing (or not purchasing) products. The Means‐End Chains model, by shifting attention from product attributes to consumers' personal values, is particularly applicable to segmentation and positioning strategies for high involvement products like sparkling wines. Reports structured depth interviews with 27 consumers uncovering their means‐end chains in relation to sparkling wines. Responses differ noticeably by usage: heavier users prefer dry products as more sophisticated are willing to pay a premium price, and have more complex psychological needs to be fulfilled with the product including more socially oriented reasons for usage. Suggests insights from the means‐end approach may allow producers of premium sparkling wines to maintain a healthy position even in a decreasing market.