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Firms have begun to introduce virtual agents (VAs) in service encounters, both in online and offline environments. Such VAs typically resemble human frontline employees in several ways (e.g. the VAs may have a gender and a name), which indicates the presence of an assumption by VA designers – and by firms that employ them – that VA humanness is a positively charged characteristic. This study aims to address this assumption by examining antecedents to perceived humanness in terms of attribution of agency, emotionality and morality, and the impact of perceived humanness on customer satisfaction.

A questionnaire was distributed online to participants who had been interacting with existing VAs, and they were asked to focus on one of them for this study. The questionnaire comprised measures of antecedents to perceived humanness of VAs, perceived humanness per se and customer satisfaction. A structural equation modeling approach was used to assess associations between the variables.

Attributions of agency, emotionality and morality to VAs contributed positively to the perceived humanness of the VAs, and perceived humanness was positively associated with customer satisfaction.

Additional humanness capabilities should be explored in further research.

Firms using VAs in service encounters should make attempts to maximize perceived VA humanness, and this study shows that it may be beneficial if such attempts comprise signals that VAs have agency, emotionality and morality.

By examining VAs in terms of a set of fundamental human capabilities, the present study contributes to existing research on human–VA service encounters, which to date has focused on more superficial VA characteristics (such as if the VA has a face and gender).

The purpose of this paper is to deal with the role of the human metaphor (anthropomorphism) and consumers’ liking for the humanized version of the brand as antecedents of three key components of brand love: self-brand integration, positive emotional connection and feelings of anticipated separation distress.

A sample of 399 consumers provided information about a brand from a stated list of 16 brands of clothing.

Both anthropomorphism and consumers’ liking for the humanized brand have positive effects on specific components of brand love. The results confirm that brand anthropomorphism is only desirable when the humanized version of the brand is attractive for consumers.

A potential shortcoming is the qualitative technique employed to observe anthropomorphic thought. Collecting ratings of anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic traits could be viewed as a method more easily applied in market research surveys.

Managers have to control how consumers imagine the brand as a human entity because it affects brand love. For example, by tracking consumers’ opinions and traits of those people associated with the brand and brand user stereotypes can condition consumers’ imagination of the humanized brand.

Compared to the limited number of studies about the relationship between anthropomorphism and brand love, this study focuses on the effects of anthropomorphism as a process, and not as a personal trait, on brand love. It also relies on consumers’ imagination instead of brand personification strategies to stimulate anthropomorphism.

This paper aims to investigate whether customer satisfaction varies when presented with different types of omnichannel promotions (shopping goal-congruent vs shopping goal-incongruent and monetary vs non-monetary promotions) and if the effect on satisfaction is mediated by service excellence. In addition, this paper examines whether consumers respond differently to these promotions when shopping for utilitarian or hedonic products or when they have an inherent utilitarian or hedonic shopping motivation.

Two online shopping scenario experiments are conducted. Study 1 (n = 1,034) differentiates effects of omnichannel promotions between hedonic and utilitarian product categories. Study 2 (n = 345) contrasts hedonic and utilitarian shopping motivation in the same product category.

The findings in this paper demonstrate positive effects from both presenting a shopping goal congruent and a monetary promotion in an omnichannel setting on customer satisfaction. The positive effects are explained by service excellence and are demonstrated to be attenuated in the hedonic product category and for consumers with a hedonic shopping motivation.

The effect of omnichannel promotions was demonstrated using a scenario-based experimental approach, future research should use field experiments.

The findings in this paper demonstrate practical implications for a retailer who wishes to optimize its omnichannel promotion strategy across channels and touchpoints.

To date there is little directions for retailers on how to optimize their omnichannel promotion strategy. This paper contributes to research and practice by demonstrating that shopping goal-congruent promotions (vs in-congruent) and monetary promotions (vs non-monetary) increase customer satisfaction more in an omnichannel context. The effects are enhanced for utilitarian (vs hedonic) products/shopping motivation.

This study aims to examine the effect of game newness and game interactivity on players’ brand recall and brand attitude using contrast effect, mind-engagement and transfer effect theories.

A 2 (newness: congruent or incongruent) × 2 (game interactivity: high or low) between-subjects measures design was conducted. A total of 224 undergraduate management students participated in the study. A 2 × 2 between-subjects measures multivariate analysis of variance was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings show that incongruent-newness results in higher brand recall but less favorable brand attitude. Under incongruent-newness condition, high interactivity results in higher brand recall. However, under congruent-newness condition, both high- and low-interactivity conditions result in similar brand recall. Under congruent-newness condition, high interactivity results in more favorable brand attitude, whereas under incongruent-newness condition, both high- and low-interactivity conditions result in similar brand attitude.

Developing high brand recall rates and attitudes are the prime goals of advertisers for selecting a medium to promote their brands. This experimental study adds to the knowledge of online media advertising, especially in-game advertising (IGA) as a media-strategy to advertise brands taking newness and game-interactivity factors into consideration.

From the perspectives of attention, cognitive elaboration, engagement and transportation of experience, this study adds to the literature of IGA by examining the impact of newness and game interactivity.

Se analiza el efecto de la congruencia de la novedad del juego y su interactividad en el recuerdo y la actitud hacia la marca de los jugadores utilizando las teorías de contrast effect, mind-engagement y transfer effect.

Se desarrolló un diseño de 2 (novedad: congruente o incongruente) x 2 (interactividad de juego: alta o baja) de medidas entre sujetos. 224 estudiantes de administración participaron en el estudio. Para contrastar las hipótesis se utilizó un MANOVA de medidas entre sujetos de 2 x 2.

Los hallazgos muestran que cuando la novedad es incongruente es mayor el recuerdo de la marca, pero la actitud es menos favorable. Bajo la condición de novedad incongruente, la alta interactividad motiva mayor recuerdo de la marca. Sin embargo, en la condición de novedad congruente, tanto las condiciones de alta como las de baja interactividad resultan en el mismo nivel de recuerdo de marca. Si la novedad es congruente, la alta interactividad conduce a una actitud de marca más favorable, mientras que, en condiciones de novedad incongruente, tanto la alta como baja interactividad conducen a una actitud hacia la marca similar.

Lograr altos índices de recuerdo y actitudes positivas hacia la marca son los objetivos principales de los anunciantes al seleccionar un medio para anunciar sus marcas. Este estudio avanza en el conocimiento de la publicidad online, especialmente la publicidad en juegos como estrategia de medios para anunciar marcas teniendo en cuenta la novedad e interactividad de los juegos.

Desde las perspectivas de la atención, la elaboración cognitiva, el compromiso y la experiencia, este estudio contribuye a la literatura de la publicidad en juegos al examinar el impacto de la novedad y la interactividad de los juegos.

This study aims to investigate the drivers of bank automation system performance expectancy compared to that of bank employees. The purpose is to shed light on the role played by consumers' cognitive schema on automation that is the perfect automation schema (PAS).

A survey was administered to about 500 Italian subjects to measure their PAS; financial knowledge, anxiety, and security; and sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables. Ordered probit regressions and an instrumental variable two-stage least squares regression are run.

The analyses reveal that cognitive schemas play a crucial role in consumer expectations in banking. Individuals with stronger PAS tend to have more positive expectations about bank automation performance compared to employee performance. Financial anxiety and knowledge positively affect bank automation performance expectancy while women, older people, and financially insecure subjects have poor expectations of automated banking systems.

This study extends the understanding of key consumer characteristics that affect bank automation performance expectancy compared to that of bank employees in services delivery in the Italian context. Moreover, it provides useful results for researchers, practitioners, banking institutions, and regulators.

This paper aims to investigate whether brand anthropomorphism has a direct impact on brand hate and what are the prevailing factors that play a significant role in this relationship.

This study provides insights on brand anthropomorphism phenomenon and negative consumer–brand relationships in the context of social media-based anti-brand communities. Using a quantitative analysis of the data gathered from an online survey, this study analyzes brand anthropomorphism in the three main online anti-brand communities toward Apple.

Findings indicated that brand anthropomorphism in itself does not impact on brand hate directly. Nevertheless, when it is used by consumers to express their negative feelings toward the hatred brand, the consumers’ attribution of responsibility and intentionality to Apple brand’s behavior positively affects brand hate, and ideological incompatibility is a good moderator for brand hate.

The results of this study are based on a limited number of survey respondents because anti-brand community members are very difficult to access, and thus, it was not easy to have their collaboration for this research.

This study highlights the power of social media as a tool for establishing negative consumer–brand relationships. Therefore, brand managers must recognize that consumer activists may be a serious threat to the company and deal with the consumers’ tendency to use anthropomorphism to express their hate.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the link between brand anthropomorphism and brand hate, analyzed through a quantitative analysis.

The purpose of this study is to review and synthesize the literature on in-app advertising, identify gaps and propose future research directions.

The authors use a systematic literature review (SLR) approach, following the PRISMA guidelines, to investigate the current state of research in in-app advertising. The study uses 44 shortlisted articles from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Using the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology (TCCM) framework, the authors analyze the gaps in theory, context, characteristics and methods.

Using thematic analysis, the authors identify five main themes in the in-app advertising literature, namely, ad platform optimization; mobile app user psychology and behavior; ad effectiveness; ad fraud; and security, privacy and other user concerns. The findings show the need for empirical research, with a strong theoretical foundation in emerging ad formats of in-app advertising, user behavior and buy-side of in-app advertising.

This is a maiden study to conduct a domain-based SLR in the emerging field of in-app advertising using the TCCM framework. The authors highlight the key differences between in-app advertising and mobile web advertising. The authors propose theories in the advertising field that could be used in future empirical studies of in-app advertising.

El propósito de esta investigación es revisar y sintetizar la literatura sobre la publicidad en Apps, identificar lagunas y proponer futuras direcciones de investigación.

Utilizamos un enfoque de revisión sistemática de la literatura, siguiendo las directrices PRISMA, para investigar el estado actual de la investigación en publicidad en aplicaciones. El estudio utiliza 44 artículos preseleccionados de las bases de datos Scopus y Web of Science (WoS). Utilizando el marco Teoría-Contexto-Características-Metodología (TCCM), analizamos las lagunas en teoría, contexto, características y métodos.

Mediante un análisis temático, identificamos cinco temas principales en la literatura sobre publicidad en aplicaciones, a saber: optimización de plataformas publicitarias; psicología y comportamiento de los usuarios de aplicaciones móviles; eficacia publicitaria; fraude publicitario; seguridad, privacidad y otras preocupaciones de los usuarios. Nuestros hallazgos muestran la necesidad de investigación empírica, con una sólida base teórica en los formatos publicitarios emergentes de la publicidad en Apps, el comportamiento del usuario y el buy-side de la publicidad en Apps.

Se trata de un estudio pionero para realizar una revisión sistemática de la literatura basada en el dominio en el campo emergente de la publicidad en Apps utilizando el marco TCCM. Destacamos las principales diferencias entre la publicidad en aplicaciones y la publicidad en la web para móviles. Proponemos teorías en el campo de la publicidad que podrían utilizarse en futuros estudios empíricos sobre la publicidad en Apps.

本研究旨在回顾和总结有关应用内广告的文献, 找出差距并提出未来的研究方向。

我们采用系统性文献综述方法, 遵循 PRISMA 指南, 调查应用内广告的研究现状。研究使用了 Scopus 和 Web of Science (WoS) 数据库中的 44 篇入围文章。利用理论-背景-特征-方法（TCCM）框架, 我们分析了理论、背景、特征和方法方面的差距。

通过主题分析, 我们确定了应用内广告文献的五大主题, 即广告平台优化; 移动应用用户心理和行为; 广告效果; 广告欺诈; 安全、隐私和其他用户关注点。我们的研究结果表明, 有必要在应用内广告的新兴广告形式、用户行为和应用内广告买方等方面开展实证研究, 并奠定坚实的理论基础。

这是一项首次使用 TCCM 框架对新兴的应用内广告领域进行基于领域的系统性文献综述的研究。我们强调了应用内广告与移动网络广告的主要区别。我们提出了广告领域的理论, 可用于未来的应用内广告实证研究。

The purpose of this study is to provide insights and guidance for practitioners in terms of ensuring rigorous ethical and moral conduct in artificial intelligence (AI) hiring and implementation.

The research employed two experimental designs and one pilot study to investigate the ethical and moral implications of different levels of AI implementation in the hospitality industry, the intersection of self-congruency and ethical considerations when AI replaces human service providers and the impact of psychological distance associated with AI on individuals' ethical and moral considerations. These research methods included surveys and experimental manipulations to gather and analyze relevant data.

Findings provide valuable insights into the ethical and moral dimensions of AI implementation, the influence of self-congruency on ethical considerations and the role of psychological distance in individuals’ ethical evaluations. They contribute to the development of guidelines and practices for the responsible and ethical implementation of AI in various industries, including the hospitality sector.

The study highlights the importance of exercising rigorous ethical-moral AI hiring and implementation practices to ensure AI principles and enforcement operations in the restaurant industry. It provides practitioners with useful insights into how AI-robotization can improve ethical and moral standards.

The study contributes to the literature by providing insights into the ethical and moral implications of AI service robots in the hospitality industry. Additionally, the study explores the relationship between psychological distance and acceptance of AI-intervened service, which has not been extensively studied in the literature.

Drawing on the stereotype content model (SCM), the authors investigate the stereotype content transfer (in terms of warmth and competence) from country to brand and the simultaneous impact of these two stereotypes on consumer responses toward brands.

The authors test a structural equation model conceptualizing brand stereotypes as full mediators between country stereotypes and consumer outcomes. In addition, in a moderated mediation analysis, the authors investigate the role of brand typicality and utilitarianism/hedonism in potentially moderating the country to brand stereotype content transfer.

Country warmth and competence, respectively, impact brand warmth and competence, thus confirming the hypothesized stereotype content transfer. This transfer is found to be robust and not contingent on brands' perceived typicality of their country of origin. However, brands' utilitarian nature amplifies the positive impact of country competence on brand competence. Finally, brand stereotypes fully mediate the impact of country stereotypes on consumers' brand attitudes and behavioral intentions.

The authors provide the first empirical attempt that (1) explicitly differentiates between consumers' stereotypical perceptions of countries and stereotypical perceptions of brands from these countries, (2) empirically examines the transfer of stereotypical dimensions of different targets (i.e. country to brand), (3) explores boundary conditions for such transfer and (4) simultaneously considers the impact of both kinds of stereotypes on managerially relevant consumer outcomes.

Trade-offs that involve secular values of money and sacred human values are often seen as taboo. This paper aims to examine how consumers avoid making taboo trade-offs with anthropomorphized products, by choosing options that ensure the well-being of the humanized products, even at a financial cost to themselves.

The authors conducted five experiments, across different marketplace contexts (i.e. repairing, buying and selling), to test the broad generalizability of the extent to which consumers are willing to incur a financial cost due to concern for the well-being of anthropomorphized products.

The results reveal that consumers are willing to accept financially inferior options to protect the humanness endowed upon anthropomorphized products. The effect is mediated by consumers’ concern for the treatment of the anthropomorphized product. The effect is moderated by consumers’ trait empathy level, such that those low in empathy are willing to sacrifice human value for the sake of greater financial gain.

Future research could examine, in the context of anthropomorphized products, if there are types of human values that are less inviolable, leading consumers to be more willing to trade them off for monetary gains.

The findings have direct implications for second-hand markets. For potential buyers of anthropomorphized products, they should signal concern for the product; for sellers, anthropomorphizing their products can reduce haggling behavior. From a sustainability perspective, consumers may be more motivated to repair or recycle their products if it is framed as “infusing new life” into their products.

This work highlights a novel effect of anthropomorphism: when marketplace decisions are involved, anthropomorphizing a product can introduce a tension between secular monetary values and sacred human values. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to show that consumers are willing to incur a monetary loss to protect the humanness of anthropomorphized product, driven by their concern for the proper treatment of such humanized products.