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A prolific stream of research has demonstrated the unique potential of sports sponsorship to contribute to corporate image and to influence audiences around the world. Meanwhile, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increasingly been identified in the literature for its potential to deliver a degree of competitive advantage. This paper builds on both these theoretical fields to develop a conceptual framework linking the effectiveness of sports sponsorship with the sponsors' CSR commitment to both employees and consumers.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of retailer personality on consumer‐based retailer equity.

The authors developed a retailer personality scale and find its impact on consumer‐based retailer equity by adopting the scale developed by Pappu and Quester. A mall‐intercept survey was undertaken using a systematic sampling of department store shoppers of age 18 years and above in a metropolitan city, Kolkata, India. The questionnaire was used to collect data from seven department retail brands. The impact of each retailer personality dimension on each consumer‐based retailer equity dimension was explored, using structural equation modeling.

The study proposed a five‐dimensional scale to measure department store personality. Results indicated that the three dimensions of store personality, namely sophistication, dependability and empathy, have significant positive impact on each consumer‐based retailer equity dimension except one (empathy→retailer loyalty). The remaining two dimensions of retailer personality, namely authenticity and vibrancy, have no impact on each consumer‐based retailer dimension.

The paper is the first to propose a scale for measuring department store personality and to explore the link between retailer personality and consumer‐based retailer equity.

The complementarity factor stipulates that a sponsorship leveraging strategy can lead to suboptimal consumer responses unless advertising complements, rather than reinforces, the nature of the event-sponsor relationship. Study 1 showed that the best strategy when the sponsor is an official product provider for the event is to leverage the sponsorship through advertisements that emphasise its overall image and value as opposed to its products. However, the reverse is true when the sponsor is an official event partner, where a product-oriented sponsorship leveraging yields the best outcomes. Study 2 replicated the complementarity factor effect using a different event and different set of stimulus brands. It showed that consumer attributions, with respect to the sponsor's motivations, are the key mediating psychological mechanism.

Research concerning marketing standardisation is still developing. A new research theme has recently emerged, wherein it is suggested that the structure of marketing decision making is likely to be a factor of marketing standardisation strategy. This study aims to add insights to this new research field. Based on the outcome of previous studies, it aims to propose and test a research framework concerning the relationships among environmental factors, the structure of decision making and marketing standardisation/performance. This study seeks to focus on the two most important programme elements: promotion and product.

The study used the experience of 78 firms operating in the European Union (EU) region to achieve its research objectives. The data used were collected through a postal survey. This analysis used both partial least square (PLS) and hierarchical regression analysis methods to examine its research framework.

The study has generated a framework for future research. It is suggested that, with the absence of direct influence, the structure of decision making is still likely to have an indirect effect on marketing standardisation strategy. Although a path relationship is unlikely to exist between environmental factors, the structure of decision making and performance, the joint effect between environmental factors and the decision‐making structure on performance is confirmed. The outcomes of the study suggest that, through careful selection, firms adopting a high and low degree centralisation structure can benefit from operating in a similar high/low environment, as well as in a country with high/low market size and potential.

The study's findings have enhanced those uncovered by other researchers. A number of implications can be drawn for these findings.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impacts of store attributes on consumer-based retailer equity (CBRE) dimensions.

A mall-intercept survey was undertaken using a systematic sampling of department store shoppers of age 18 years and above in Kolkata, a metropolitan city in India. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from busy shopping malls or retail stores located in different places of Kolkata. The impact of store attributes on CBRE dimensions was explored using stepwise regression analysis.

Results revealed that different sets of store attributes affect various CBRE dimensions differently.

This paper is probably the first to explore the link between store attributes and CBRE dimensions in an Indian and department stores contexts.

The study presented in this article aims to examine the impact of the leveraging of three distinct ambush marketing strategies that are under-researched in the literature: Promotion, Event, and Broadcast.

An experiment was conducted where the type of ambush strategy was manipulated (i.e. Promotion, Event, Broadcast, no ambush) as well as the market dominance of the sponsor (i.e. dominant or non-dominant) and the congruence level between the event and the sponsor (i.e. high or low congruence).

Ambush strategies' impacts differ widely. The Broadcast strategy is the most harmful to the identification of the actual sponsor; the Event strategy favors the identification of the pseudo-sponsor as the sponsor, while the Promotion strategy is both harmful to the actual sponsor and beneficial for the pseudo-sponsor. Furthermore, although dominant brands benefit more from their sponsorships, they are more affected by an ambush than non-dominant brands.

Only one sponsor and one pseudo-sponsor were considered at a time. In addition, digital media were not investigated as vectors of ambush marketing. Further research where multiple sponsors and pseudo-sponsors are leveraging their associations to an event, using both off and on-line media, needs to be undertaken.

Against the Promotion strategy sponsors need to create not only strong but also unique associations with the event. The Event strategy can be circumvented with preemptive smaller scale events. Exclusive access to the program broadcast for event sponsors can protect against pseudo-sponsors.

This study is the first to provide empirical evidence regarding the impact of the Promotion, Event, and Broadcast strategies. Previous studies had focused almost exclusively on another strategy: the airing of commercials by pseudo-sponsors during event broadcast against which most sponsors are now effectively protected.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how country image affects the dimensions of country brand equity (CBE) (i.e. awareness, image, perceived quality and loyalty) in the higher education sector, as well as the interrelationships between these dimensions.

Quantitative research with 208 international students who were starting the academic year at a Spanish university was performed to test the hypotheses. In accordance with the characteristics of the target population, the subjects interviewed were mainly from Europe and the Americas.

The results indicate that the country image affects the perceived quality and awareness of the universities in the country. Additionally, a hierarchy of effects between the dimensions of CBE was found. In particular, loyalty toward the universities of a country is positively influenced by their perceived quality, which is affected by image and awareness of these universities. For its part, the image of universities is positively influenced by the awareness attributed to them by international students.

These results have implications for marketing activities aimed at the internationalization of higher education institutions and, therefore, their appeal to international students.

The paper’s findings represent an important step in the advancement of knowledge about CBE by taking as a basis a complex model that involves the different dimensions of this construct together with a relevant variable in international marketing, that is, country image.

This study investigates the role that sports brands play in building group identity within a niche sports subculture, via research from two different trail running events. Participants exhibit some of the characteristics of an activity-based subculture of consumption, and brands play a role in building group identity. A key factor that drives a serious leisure pursuit to become an activity-based subculture of consumption is identified as high levels of socialising among participants.

This study aims to validate a research model testing trust and commitment as mediators between economic and non-economic satisfaction in sales manager business to business (B2B) relationships.

Based on a broad range of 242 small-, medium- and large-sized Spanish companies, the data analysis used structural equation modeling by means of the SPSS/AMOS 26.0 software.

The findings confirm that trust and commitment serve as mediators between economic and non-economic satisfaction in business channel relationships, when adopting a sales perspective.

This study provides managerial support and guidance for assessing satisfaction, trust and commitment from a sales manager perspective in business channel relationships, to create and maintain long-term exchange relationships, with mutual benefits extending to other partners.

The findings shed light on the confusion regarding the nomological framework in models related to the quality of B2B relationships, thus confirming the mediating role of trust and commitment between economic and non-economic satisfaction in business channel relationships, following a sales perspective and considering the dual nature of satisfaction, distinguishing between economic and non-economic satisfaction.

The use of sport celebrities for product endorsements in marketing communications vehicles is not new but there is limited literature on the increasing use by contemporary corporations of athletes with questionable or “negative” reputations. This paper raises questions about a seemingly cyclical trend and suggests marketers may continue this activity despite consumer and journalistic criticism. An explanation of the behavioral response to a 'controversial' endorsers' image (relative to the perceptions held by a particular demographic segment) and the opportunity for that relationship to translate favorably for the associated brand, is also discussed.