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1 – 10 of over 1000Yue He, Zan Mo and Huijian Fu
Downward line extension is a valuable growth strategy that enables multiple products and services to meet diverse customer needs. However, downward extended products launched by…
Abstract
Purpose
Downward line extension is a valuable growth strategy that enables multiple products and services to meet diverse customer needs. However, downward extended products launched by high-status brands may be challenged by horizontal extended products launched by relatively low-status brands when these two types of products target similar consumers. This study aims to examine the impact of product type (horizontal extended versus downward extended) on consumers’ purchase intentions, the underlying mechanism and the moderating role of power distance belief.
Design/methodology/approach
Four scenario-based experiments were conducted to probe the research questions.
Findings
Consumers develop lower purchase intentions for downward (versus horizontal) extended products due to the reduction of perceived fit and self-congruity (Study 1). Beyond that, power distance belief moderates the impact of product type on consumers’ purchase intentions, as a low power distance belief reduces the negative effect of downward line extension (Studies 2a, 2b and 2c). Perceived fit and self-congruity mediate the interaction effect between product type and power distance belief on consumers’ purchase intentions (Study 2c).
Practical implications
This study provides marketing practitioners with guidance on implementing the strategy of downward line extension.
Originality/value
This study serves as a preliminary effort to compare consumers’ responses between downward and horizontal extended products, which deepens the understanding of downward line extension. It also contributes to the body of knowledge about line extension and power distance belief by demonstrating the moderating role of power distance belief in a line extension context.
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Fanjue Liu and Yu-Hao Lee
This study aims to investigate the rising trend of virtual influencers – digitally created characters with human-like attributes. It aims to evaluate and compare their…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the rising trend of virtual influencers – digitally created characters with human-like attributes. It aims to evaluate and compare their effectiveness with human influencers in terms of brand attitudes and purchase intentions. It uncovers the mechanisms underlying the differences in effectiveness observed between virtual influencers and their human counterparts.
Design/methodology/approach
The research uses a 2 (influencer type: human vs virtual) × 3 (product type: functional vs symbolic vs experiential) between-subjects design. Through a pilot study (n = 334) and a main study (n = 352), the research examines the interactive effects of influencer and product type on brand attitude and purchase intentions. Hypotheses were developed and tested using moderating mediation models centered on authenticity and product–endorser fit.
Findings
Virtual influencers are perceived as less authentic than human influencers across all product types, negatively influencing brand attitude and purchase intention. However, the extent to which influencer type affects brand attitudes and purchase intentions, mediated by product–endorser fit, varies based on the product type.
Originality/value
This research emphasizes two key mechanisms – authenticity and product–endorser fit – influencing the effectiveness of virtual influencers. It suggests that aligning virtual influencers with suitable product types can offset their perceived authenticity deficit, significantly affecting their endorsement effectiveness.
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Pooja Kumari and Bhumika Bhateja
The surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in India raises the need to study the variables that affect product and category choices, consumer buying preferences and…
Abstract
Purpose
The surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in India raises the need to study the variables that affect product and category choices, consumer buying preferences and consumrs' future spending. The purpose of the research is to analyse the purchasing behaviour of Indian consumers with regard to health and hygiene products, taking into consideration the impact of the current pandemic crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
Using purposive sampling criteria, a web-based questionnaire was circulated and a total of 411 responses were received.
Findings
The results assert that variables such as awareness of social distancing, brand-cause fit, word-of-mouth (WOM) publicity, altruist attribution, perceived usefulness and social norms have significant impact on trust and perceived values, which ultimately leads to consumer's purchase intention towards health and hygiene products. In addition, the model detects the moderating role of health consciousness.
Practical implications
The empirical findings will help marketers in designing their strategies to enhance consumer purchase intention with regard to health and hygiene products in the current pandemic situation.
Originality/value
The study enriches the emerging literature with regard to the impact of COVID-19 on health and hygiene products retailing.
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Prasant Kumar Pandey, Naval Bajpai and Abhijeet V. Tiwari
Many studies conducted on cause-related marketing (CaRM) are concentrated in advanced economies. However, there is very little work reported pertaining to CaRM in emerging…
Abstract
Purpose
Many studies conducted on cause-related marketing (CaRM) are concentrated in advanced economies. However, there is very little work reported pertaining to CaRM in emerging economies like India. Hence, the aim of this study is to analyze the effect of CaRM on the customers' purchase intention (PI) in the Indian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) sector, which is the fourth largest sector in the Indian economy. Further, this study tests the mediating effect of attitude and the moderating effect of cause involvement.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper employs a quantitative methodology. Primary data were collected from 1220 respondents from North India. PLS-SEM is employed to examine the data.
Findings
The findings reveal that CaRM strongly impacts FMCG customers' purchasing intentions. Further, a positive attitude toward cause-related marketing triggers the customer purchase intention. Third, the results show that cause involvement moderates purchase intentions, so those who feel passionately dedicated to the cause are more inclined to buy while being involved in the cause-related marketing program.
Practical implications
The results would aid marketers in developing effective CaRM campaigns for their FMCG brands by understanding the different combinations of factors influencing CaRM.
Originality/value
FMCG is one of the major pillars of the Indian economy. This research proposes a comprehensive conceptual framework for the current study that is supported by literature. This study provides evidence of the increasingly important role of CaRM in establishing a win-win association with customers, aiming to solve specific societal causes and creating a favorable image of the brand in the FMCG sector.
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Parthesh R. Shanbhag, Yogesh Pai P., Murugan Pattusamy, Gururaj Kidiyoor and Nandan Prabhu
This study aims to investigate the potential positive effects of cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns that show evidence of commitment to espoused causes. It examines whether…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the potential positive effects of cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns that show evidence of commitment to espoused causes. It examines whether consumers respond positively when a CRM campaign promises to deliver proof of the espoused cause.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted the grounded theory approach to conceptualize the promised impact evidence construct. A promised impact evidence scale was developed and validated using robust qualitative and quantitative methods, including item response theory estimates.
Findings
The study provides evidence for promised impact evidence as a reflective second-order latent construct. The promised impact evidence scale demonstrates strong internal consistency, reliability and validity. In addition, this study posits that promised impact evidence is an antecedent of advertising trust, purchase intention, advertising credibility and persuasive and selling intent.
Originality/value
This study positioned the promised impact evidence scale against the theoretical underpinnings of the persuasion knowledge model. Specifically, this scale contributes to existing knowledge because it applies the persuasion knowledge model in CRM campaigns by adopting an acceptance focus, as opposed to the rejection focus used in developing persuasion knowledge model scales.
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Sarin Raju, Rofin T.M., Pavan Kumar S. and Jagan Jacob
In most economies, there are rules from the market regulators or government to sell at an equal wholesale price (EWP). But when one upstream channel is facing a negative demand…
Abstract
Purpose
In most economies, there are rules from the market regulators or government to sell at an equal wholesale price (EWP). But when one upstream channel is facing a negative demand disruption and another positive, EWP can create extra pressure on the disadvantageous supply chain partner, which faces negative disruption. The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of EWP and the scope of the discriminatory wholesale price (DWP) during disruptions.
Design/methodology/approach
For the study, the authors used a dual-channel supply chain consisting of a manufacturer, online retailer (OR) and traditional brick-and-mortar (BM) retailer. Stackelberg game is used to model the interaction between the upstream and downstream channel partners, and the horizontal Nash game to analyse the interaction within downstream channel partners. For modelling asymmetric disruption, the authors took instances from the lock-down and post-lock-down periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, where consumers flow from BM retailer to OR store.
Findings
By analysing the disruption period, the authors found that this asymmetric disruption is detrimental to the BM channel, favourable to OR and has no impact on the manufacturer. But with DWP, the authors found that the profit of the BM channel and manufacturer can be increased during disruption. Though the profit of the OR decreased, it was found to be higher than in the pre-disruption period. Under DWP, the consumer surplus increased during disruption, making it favourable for the customers also. Thus, DWP can aid in creating a win-win strategy for all the supply chain partners during asymmetric disruption. Later as an extension to the study, the authors analysed the impact of the consumer transfer factor and found that it plays a crucial role in the optimal decisions of the channel partner during DWP.
Originality/value
Very scant literature analyses the intersection of DWP and disruptions. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study, for the first time uses DWP as a tool to help the disadvantageous supply chain partner during asymmetric disruptions. The study findings will assist the government, market regulators and manufacturers in revamping the wholesale pricing policies and strategies to help the disadvantageous supply chain partner during asymmetric disruption.
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Mark Yi-Cheon Yim, Eunice (Eun-Sil) Kim and Hongmin Ahn
In keeping with recent body image social trends, consumer demand for the adoption of plus-size models is increasing, although the use of thin models remains prevalent. The current…
Abstract
Purpose
In keeping with recent body image social trends, consumer demand for the adoption of plus-size models is increasing, although the use of thin models remains prevalent. The current study explores how consumers process information about fashion products displayed on different sizes of models in advertisements, focusing on model and consumer body sizes and both genders. As an underlying mechanism explaining how the relationship between model and consumer body sizes shapes consumer purchase intention, this study explores the role of guilt, shame and mental imagery.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study uses a text analytics technique to identify female consumers' general opinions of thin models in advertising. Employing a 3 (consumer body size: normal, overweight, obese) × 2 (model body size: thin, plus-size) × 2 (gender: male, female) between-subjects online experiment (n = 718), the main study comparatively analyzes the influences of plus-size and thin models on consumer responses.
Findings
The results reveal that, despite body positivity movements, thin models still generate negative emotions among female consumers. For obese female consumers, advertisements featuring plus-size models produce fewer negative emotions but not more mental imagery than advertisements featuring thin models. Conversely, for obese male consumers, advertisements featuring plus-size models generate more mental imagery but not more negative emotions than advertisements featuring thin models. The results also reveal that the relationship between consumer body size and guilt is moderated by perceived model size, which is also moderated by gender in generating mental imagery. While guilt plays a mediating role in enhancing mental imagery, resulting in purchase intention, shame does not take on this role.
Originality/value
This study is the first to present an integrated model that elucidates how consumers with varying body sizes respond to different sizes of models in advertising and how these responses impact purchase intentions.
Research limitations/implications
Our findings only apply to contexts where consumers purchase fashion clothing in response to advertisements featuring thin versus plus-size models.
Practical implications
Exposing normal-size consumers to plus-size models generates less mental imagery, and thus, practitioners should seek to match the body sizes of the models featured in advertising to the body sizes of their target audience or ad campaigns that include both plus-size and thin models may help improve message persuasiveness in fashion advertising. Moreover, guilt-appeal advertising campaigns using thin models would appeal more to thin consumers of both genders than shame-appeal advertising.
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Kavita Srivastava and Divyanshi Pal
The study’s objective is to measure the importance consumers attach to AI-based attributes, namely, chatbots, face recognition, virtual fitting room, smart parking and…
Abstract
Purpose
The study’s objective is to measure the importance consumers attach to AI-based attributes, namely, chatbots, face recognition, virtual fitting room, smart parking and cashier-free station in retail stores. The study also examines the specific purpose of using these attributes for shopping.
Design/methodology/approach
A conjoint experiment was conducted using fractional factorial design. Consumers were given 14 profiles (AI attributes and its levels) to rank according to their visiting preferences.
Findings
The results revealed that the retail chatbot was considered the most important attribute, followed by face recognition, virtual fitting room, smart parking system and cashier-free station. Moreover, consumers prefer to use chatbots for in-store shopping assistance over alerts and updates, customer support and feedback. Similarly, consumers wish a face recognition facility for greetings while entering the store over other services. In addition, cluster analyses revealed that customer groups significantly differ in their preferences for AI-based attributes.
Practical implications
The study guides retail managers to invest in AI technologies to provide consumers with a technology-oriented shopping experience.
Originality/value
Our results provide an insight into the receptivity of AI technologies that consumers would like to experience in their favorite retail stores. The present study contributes to the literature by investigating consumer preferences for various AI technologies and their specific uses for shopping.
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Jungmin Yoo, Jung-Hwan Kim, Minjeong Kim and Minjung Park
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of visual and verbal information presentations on mental imagery, perceived informativeness and purchase intention. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of visual and verbal information presentations on mental imagery, perceived informativeness and purchase intention. The study assesses two types of product-related information: (1) visual information: static product images and augmented reality (AR) and (2) verbal information: abstract and concrete product reviews.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 320 mobile consumers participated in the experiment. To increase external validity, this study was conducted in an existing digital shopping environment.
Findings
The results suggest that AR has a greater effect on consumers' shopping outcomes than static images. The findings further reveal that concrete product reviews are important in increasing mental imagery, perceived informativeness and purchase intention when visual information does not provide an AR function.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the current literature by providing empirical support for AR effects and concrete reviews on consumer responses. The results further provide an important perspective for retailers seeking ways to develop effective information presentations in digital retailing.
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This paper aims to explore how traditional industries revert the trend of decline in sales through rebranding by analyzing the extended case study of the fountain pen industry.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how traditional industries revert the trend of decline in sales through rebranding by analyzing the extended case study of the fountain pen industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This study analyzes the marketing in case study of the fountain pen industry through two coordinates – symbolizing status and branding nostalgia. The division of analyses in these categories is supplanted by data, such as linear regression to analyze changes in product characteristics.
Findings
This study finds that the rebranding of the fountain pen in multiple fitting images – status symbol, object of nostalgia and something scarce and unique – is successful in capturing consumer demand, shaping consumer perceptions and help the mature industry locate as well as enter a niche market.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first one to explore the business development of traditional industry as a case study of fountain pens from the perspective of marketing and consumer behavior.
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