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This paper aims to present a case study of virtual-reality-based product demonstrations featuring items of furniture. The results will be of use in further design and development of virtual-reality-based product demonstration systems and could also support effective student learning.

A new method was introduced to guide the experiment by confirming orthogonal arrays. User interactions were then planned, and a furniture demonstration system was implemented. The experiment comprised two stages. In the evaluation stage, participants were invited to experience the virtual-reality (VR)-based furniture demonstration system and complete a user experience (UX) survey. Taguchi-style robust design methods were used to design orthogonal table experiments and planning and design operation methods were used to implement an experimental display system in order to obtain optimized combinations of control factors and levels. The second stage involved a confirmatory test for the optimized combinations. A pilot questionnaire was first applied to survey demonstration scenarios that are important to customers.

The author found in terms of furniture products, product interactive display through VR can achieve good user satisfaction through quality design planning. VR can better grasp the characteristics of products than paper catalogs and website catalogs. And VR can better grasp the characteristics of products than online videos. For “interactive inspection”, “function simulation”, “style customization” and “set-out customization” were the most valuable demonstration scenarios for customers. The results of the experiment confirmed that the “overall rating”, “hedonic appeal” and “practical quality” were the three most important optimized operating methods, constituting a benchmark of user satisfaction.

The author found that it is possible to design and build a VR-based furniture demonstration system with a good level of usability when a suitable quality design method is applied. The optimized user interaction indicators and implementation experience for the VR-based product demonstration presented in this study will be of use in further design and development of similar systems.

This paper aims to analyse the aspects of the demonstration process of Indonesia's regulation on nickel export restriction for its eligibility to be excluded from Article XI:1 GATT. It also analyses the possibility of the use of an environmental approach in the demonstration process and for an alternative measure in its implementation.

The paper uses a normative research method in conducting its analysis. It analyses Indonesia's nickel export restriction policy based on the European Union's claim regarding quantitative restriction, with the international trade governance in the WTO framework, and certain international trade principles. The study also involves certain WTO jurisprudence to give a comprehensive analysis to the case.

This paper finds that Indonesia still needs to provide a complete and comprehensive demonstration to prove its eligibility for exclusion from Article XI:1. Demonstrating merely based on an economic approach is inadequate to convince the panel in Indonesia – measure relating to raw material for justification under Article XI:2. This study further finds that both parties generally focus on the economic aspect, which leaves room for conflict of interest. Other aspects with a lower probability of conflict of interest, such as the environmental approach, could be an alternative for the implementation.

This paper fulfils the need to provide a scientific analysis of the application of Indonesia's nickel export restriction policy, including its proceedings in WTO's dispute settlement body, which is essential for international trade governance enforcement.

Despite their increasing use by advertisers, little research has examined the effectiveness of infomercials. This study explores the influence of infomercial advertisement design elements, such as the use of customer testimonials or expert comments, and consumer characteristics, such as level of prior interest in the advertised product, upon perceptions of advertising effectiveness. With the assistance of the New Zealand division of an international infomercial marketer, we conducted a survey of consumers who had bought products in response to viewing an infomercial. Based on 878 respondents, our findings indicate that infomercial advertising is more effective when employing expert comments, testimonials, product demonstrations, the use of target market models, celebrity endorsers, product comparisons, and bonus offers. Age also impacted how consumers view infomercials, as did the type of product purchased.

Discusses the increasing use of the show by marketers as a medium to launch new products. Analyses adoption theory and key characteristics of the show setting to explain how shows facilitate the acceptance of innovative consumer goods. Concludes that success depends on: organizing the exhibits and relevant information, integrating shows into product launches, and post‐show marketing.

To examine some of the issues surrounding the integration of auditory features at online stores with reference to social and experiential implications of implementing auditory atmospherics, product presentation techniques and other features to the online context.

A total of 70 online retail, manufacturer and representational web sites are surveyed recording and categorising their use of sound. Discussion is developed on projected directions for the use of sound online, adopting examples like product demonstrations to highlight conceptual and practical differences.

Of the small number of web sites using sound, most are large corporations who employ audio features to enhance the display of products and within multimedia features. Sound is not used consistently for all products on offer or all parts of the store. Discussion centres on potential impact of auditory technologies for social and experiential aspects of shopping online and on how sound may better be used to overcome physical barriers between shoppers, products and the retail environment and to increase the potential for more fulfilling shopping and consuming experiences.

Research is needed to explore consumer perceptions of auditory features and their impact on experience. In particular, the effectiveness of using sound to enhance the presentation of product features online in a personally relevant way to shoppers should be examined.

There is immense scope for improvement in the use of sound in online stores to present products and provide atmospherics. Retailers should treat the online store interface as a tangible point of interaction rather than inferior replication of bricks and mortar stores and focus on implementing features which encourage communication about products and increasing richness of the media employed to represent product attributes.

There has been little research considering the role of sound in enhancing online shopping experiences, with most developments centring on visual aspects of the online store interface. This work provides a cross‐disciplinary basis to guide initial developments in the integration of auditory features in online stores with regard to potential social and experiential implications for users.

The paper aims to describe the application of direct selling, the process of selling a consumer product or service from one person to another, in an environment that is not a permanent retail location.

The paper explores the application of direct selling from the perspective of companies that have built their business around direct selling and those who are evolving into direct selling. The paper focuses the examination on three companies participating in the direct selling category: The Longaberger Company, The Pampered Chef and The Tupperware Corporation.

The paper finds that direct selling is an increasingly important component of the marketing mix for many traditional, successful companies and presents some keys to success.

Successful direct selling companies in the future will help to maximize growth and optimize customer loyalty at all levels.

The purpose of this paper is to show that new‐style retail wine stores with features such as tasting rooms, lecture theatres and demonstration kitchens used to educate and engage customers have better retail efficiency than old‐style stores.

Sales dollars, labour hours and litres of inventory depletion from a paired sample of old‐style and new‐style facilities located in five different communities are submitted to a data envelopment analysis to determine the retail efficiency of the stores.

All the new‐build stores had higher retail efficiency than the older stores, and input reductions in older stores were unlikely to bring their performance up to the level of the new store concepts.

One of the shortcomings of this research is that the old and new stores in the paired samples are different in size and location within each municipality. While it is clear that the new store features (tasting rooms, seminars, cooking demonstrations, etc.) increase retail efficiency, it remains to know the contribution of each of feature to the improvement in retail performance.

The importance of using the internet to achieve competitive advantage has been well‐documented. An ever‐expanding array of technologies exist that enable firms to accomplish customer service online. Yet for many firms, determining which applications to employ can be perplexing. This study purports to examine the practices of service sector market leaders and measure performance results of adopting selected customer service applications. The aim was to identify inspirational targets and internet applications benchmarks among family owned businesses since for them, the importance of reputation may well hinge on providing outstanding customer service to the local community.

A six‐page self‐administered survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 374 family firms in West Michigan.

Findings suggest that while over 75 percent of firms use e‐mail to communicate with current customers and for customer service purposes, what distinguishes best practices is e‐mailing with prospective customers, targeting small or hard‐to‐reach markets, and adopting more sophisticated applications, including online product demonstration, ordering, delivery, and order tracking.

Since, this study focused on family firms in the service sector, future research opportunities could come from examination of the impact of family business‐related characteristics on customer service strategy and practices, and comparison across industry sectors or markets served (B2B versus B2C).

The paper should be useful for academic researchers and business practitioners seeking guidance in terms of which e‐business applications to employ.

The purpose of the paper is to describe a practice that has implications for increasing product innovation in a variety of industries

The case describes an aspect of the new product development process that has particular application to a specific successful company. Unlike most marketing organizations, the company, Vertical Branding, Inc. (VBI), concentrates more on selecting new product concepts than developing them.

The case provides information and a solid action approach to increasing company profitability by strengthening a firm's new product innovation. The paper finds that the subject company capitalized on a supply of products and product concepts generated externally. Its major challenge was to select only those concepts that promised the highest probability of success. By using robust analytics and knowing the identity, location and preferences of its target audience, VBI is able to select the best match between its market segment and products.

As in all case studies, the specific conditions found in one organization may not be found more generally in others. Readers are cautioned that the conclusions drawn in the case may have limited applicability.

The case depicts a professional implementation of the product selection stage of the new product development process. Existing literature does not emphasize the value in selecting from a set of externally generated product concepts. Instead when the existing literature focuses on selection, the emphasis is on internally generated ideas. VBI's use of external concepts multiplies the effect of its new product development efforts. Other organizations may find the techniques of value in their own activities.

The case is a unique implementation of a new product generation and screening that has a comprehensive foundation. It offers lessons that may be applied to other companies faced with similarly competitive, consumer environments.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of social media (SM) adoption in upgrading and innovating selling processes by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) facing complex and rapidly changing market scenarios.

To achieve this goal, the paper undertakes an exploratory case study of Gamma, a mechanical company, by actively using SM to start and open a new market. The case-study is analyzed through the industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) approach, which emphasizes the role of interaction and the interdependencies of resources.

The adoption of SM resources helped Gamma to tap into new markets and thus survive and face the downturn of its original market. SM displayed its effects in combination with other resources: a simple and not expensive machinery, capable human resources, effective production and logistical resources. SM represented a strategic resource to implement an effective business networking effort.

This paper provides novel empirical evidence and conceptual development over the role of SM as a resource in SMEs’ sales processes, using the IMP perspective on combination and development of resources.