Technology-enabled personalization: Impact of smart technology choice on consumer shopping behavior

Smart technologies promise to enhance customer experience to new levels in next-generation retail stores. Offline retailers increasingly employ technology-enabled personalization (TEP) strategies to digitally enhance in-store customer experience. To send personalized messages to in-store customers, retailers can choose from two types of smart devices: customer-owned smartphones or retailer-owned immersive screens. Although these smart devices may largely determine customers’ experiences in future retail, research rarely addresses device-related determinants of the effectiveness of personalized messages in stores. Building on assemblage theory, the authors consider the role of these devices in influencing customer experience and eventually consumer shopping behavior. Through two experiments and a mediated moderation analysis, they investigate the interplay of personalized content and device technology in customers’ response to TEP. The results illustrate that consumers react differently to message content depending on the device through which it is conveyed; that is, personalized (standardized) messages are more effective on customer-owned smartphones (retailer-owned screens) because they become integrated into (remain separate from) the customer's extended self. Relational customer experiences, or the extent to which a customer feels positively connected to store assemblages, mediate the effect on shopping behavior. To build TEP strategies, retailers should therefore use smart devices integrated into customers’ extended selves

The impact of social virtual presence agents and content-based product recommendation system on on-line customer purchase intention

The appearance of the digital market came as turning point factor, obligating companies to maintain the relationship with consumers by improving and keeping a high technological innovativeness on-line overall experience. The lack of studies on antropomorphization of virtual voice assistances chatbot and the possibilities, yet to be found, on customized product recommendation system variation integration, brought the author to this study. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of using two different chatbot social virtual presences interactions: with a fully pre-recorded computed personification agent versus with a pre-recorded human social virtual agent; and also understand how having a customized content-based product recommendation system can influence the consumers purchase intention at on-line shopping framework. An on-line platform was developed, recreating a possible virtual store interaction, and the core data was treated using a PLS-SEM model. The results indicate that Human Social Virtual Presence Agent, while assisting the shoppers, have a larger model positive effect on Intellectual stimulus and Hedonic Benefits than a computed personification Agent. This might be explained by the fact that computed imagery and sound Agent was perceived with some amount of emotional creepiness by the participants. Also, recommendation system presence is impacting customers purchase intention on a positive way when compared with not using recommendation system. Thus, this study shows how relevant social interactions are for the customers, especially when done by a human, and how recommendation system has an impact on customers purchase intention.Com o aparecimento do mercado "on-line", as empresas que quiseram manter uma relação de qualidade com os seus clientes, tiveram de investir no desenvolvimento de uma experiência de utilizador de qualidade e manter um olhar atento na inovação. A falta de estudos relativos à antropomorfização em "chatbots" virtuais e as possibilidades, ainda por descobrir, do sistema de recomendação de produtos à medida de cada utilizador, trouxeram o autor ao tema deste estudo. O seu objetivo é investigar os efeitos de dois tipos de presença social em "chatbots": uma presença virtual computada versus uma presença virtual humana; e como o sistema de recomendação de produtos à medida de cada utilizador influencia a intenção de compra dos consumidores nas lojas "on-line". Para tal, foi desenvolvida uma plataforma "on-line", recriando uma possível interação em loja virtual. Os dados foram tratados utilizando o modelo PLS-SEM. Os resultados indicam que a presença social virtual feita por um agente humano melhora substancialmente o estímulo intelectual feito pela marca e os seus benefícios hedónicos, quando comparado com um agente virtual computado. Tal resultado pode ser explicado pelo facto dos participantes que interagiram com um agente computado sentirem um maior valor de "creepiness". Considerando que a utilização do sistema de recomendação de produtos tem forte impacto na intenção de comprar do consumidor, este estudo mostra-se relevante ao salientar a importância da presença social nas lojas "on-line", especialmente quando o agente é humano

WOM Or eWOM, Is There A Difference?: An Extension of the Social Communication Theory to Consumer Purchase Related Attitudes

While traditional word of mouth (WOM) and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) have both been shown to highly impact consumer behavior, there is a deficit in our knowledge of how they compare to one another. My dissertation research addresses the lack of empirical studies that compare WOM promotion in the form of face-to-face interaction to eWOM promotion in the form of computer-mediated communication, especially using Web 2.0 technologies. This research tests the assumption that WOM is superior to eWOM and, if so, how to extend eWOM to improve its performance against WOM. Essay One introduces a proposed conceptual framework to differentiate WOM and eWOM based on Social Communication Theory. The overall conceptual model was derived from a qualitative research study that was used to explore and define the concepts, media types, and application of WOM and eWOM using a diverse panel of consumers. Essay Two describes an experiment that was conducted to empirically test whether WOM impacts important marketing outcomes differently than eWOM using an ecologically valid research procedure. Essay Two further explores mediation using social communication elements as the underlying explanatory mechanism for the relative impact of WOM and eWOM on consumers’ attitude toward a message, attitude toward a product, and purchase intention. The results revealed that WOM has a significantly higher impact than eWOM on consumer purchase-related attitudes. The posited social communication framework did mediate or explain the relative difference between WOM and eWOM on the outcomes variables. Essay Three investigates the robustness of the findings through a set of replication studies that test the effects across small and large sample sizes and across different methods of analysis. The results indicated that WOM showed a significant and consistently higher impact than eWOM across both replication studies. The third essay also examines factors that were influential in closing the relative gap between WOM and eWOM by introducing a third concept based on the Hyperpersonal Model of Communication Theory. This research is important as it seeks to understand how consumers communicate in this digital age and why there is an evolution of the sharing of product information that leads to key managerial, theoretical, and methodological implications

How does information technology influence the behavior intention to use nutrition e-Health services?

Covid-19 is an enable factor of new e-Health technology data-driven services which catalyzes the development of virtual personalized people-driven and preventive digital services model integrated into daily life. The access to individuals’ data provides solutions that ensure the safest health information technology. However, people still feel their data is at risk. The present paper aims to examine the key factors affecting health information technology as a strategy to improve the usage of smart nutrition services in the online environment. The study was conducted to assess the impact of IT towards storing and sharing individuals` health data and influencing their judgments about trust and behavioral intention to use e-Health apps in comparison with face-to-face consultation services. The technology acceptance model has been extended by introducing new factors (perceived risk, security, data privacy and behavioral intention to use the service) that allow to study the online consumer behavior and perceived threat associated with the type of data stored and shared. Findings revealed that health IT increased consumers` perceptions about perceived risk of data sharing and trust regarding the type of data stored and shared. However, it decreased consumers `perceptions about e-Health nutrition services related to perceived utility, data safety, trust, risk and behavioral intention to use these services. This research will help to empirically explore and test the suggested model in terms of social influence factors and the acceptance of using technology on health services in an emerging research area.A covid-19 é um fator impulsionador de novos serviços digitais personalizados e preventivos através do uso de dados de tecnologia de informação de saúde. O acesso aos dados permite assistir as pessoas no seu dia-a-dia, garantindo o uso mais seguro da tecnologia. Porém, as pessoas continuam a sentir que seus dados pessoais estão em risco. A presente dissertação pretende avaliar os principais fatores que afetam o uso da tecnologia de informação de saúde como uma estratégia de aperfeiçoamento dos serviços de nutrição “inteligentes” no contexto online. O impacto da tecnologia relativamente ao armazenamento e compartilhamento de dados avalia a forma como os consumidores são influenciados pela confiança e intenção comportamental de uso de serviços e-Saúde comparativamente às consultas de nutrição presenciais. O modelo de aceitação da tecnologia foi alargado com a introdução de novos fatores (risco percebido, segurança e privacidade de dados), permitindo estudar o comportamento do consumidor no contexto online e a sua perceção de ameaça associada ao tipo de dados. Os resultados revelaram que a tecnologia aumentou as perceções dos consumidores sobre o risco percebido do uso de dados pessoais e a confiança em relação aos dados armazenados e compartilhados. Todavia, diminuiu as perceções relativamente à utilidade percebida, segurança, confiança, risco e intenção comportamental de uso dos serviços e-Saúde. O presente estudo ajudará a explorar e testar empiricamente o modelo sugerido relativamente a fatores de influência social, bem como melhorar a aceitação do uso de tecnologia em serviços de saúde em uma área de pesquisa emergente

When Artificial Feedback Hurts — Empirical Evidence from Community-Based Configuration Systems

Mass Customization technologies are increasingly becoming social and allow for inter-individual exchange processes such as community-based configuration systems online. But while companies foster community interactions and open their configuration systems, it is not clear (1.) how virtual interactions influence individuals\u27 subjective product satisfaction, since their final decision may not be based on their own exclusive preferences, and (2.) how these usually anonymous feedback processes may directly affect individuals\u27 perception of their own selves. We applied an experimental research design in a virtual community environment and provide evidence that anonymous feedback significantly influences consumers’ decision behavior and that increased deviations from an initial decision negatively affects individual product satisfaction. Moreover, we revealed new theoretical and practical insight that feedback effects can directly and negatively influence individuals\u27 perception of self-worth and that common affirmation strategies may backfire and finally result in considerably lower self-esteem and satisfaction

Examining the Role of Music Streaming Motives, Social Identification, and Technological Engagement in Digital Music Streaming Service Use

According to the Nielsen Music 360 Research Report, 67% of all music consumers in the United States used digital music streaming services to listen, discover, and share music online in 2014 (The Nielsen Company, 2014). As such, communications scholars and music industry professionals are beginning to recognize the importance of understanding the factors that influence digital music listener behavior. Therefore, this study proposes an expanded theory of planned behavior model (TPB) by incorporating music streaming motives, social identification, and technological engagement into the original TPB model framework in an effort to gain a better understanding of people\u27s intentions to use digital music streaming services as well as the amount of time spent listening to them. Results suggest that both the original TPB and expanded TPB models can be successfully applied within the context of digital music streaming service use. Specifically, attitudes as well as convenience emerged as positive contributors to intention to use digital music streaming services, while entertainment along with social identification, technological engagement, and behavioral intention emerged as positive contributors to streaming behavior. Additionally, information seeking and pass time emerged as negative contributors to these two behavioral outcomes. However, adding these additional components only improved the overall ability of the expanded model to predict streaming behavior. Both models also explained a larger percentage of intention to use digital music streaming services as compared to total time spent listening. As a result, this study implies the practical importance of understanding the fundamental differences between what drives listener intentions to use digital music streaming services as compared to what drives the actual amount of time listeners spend using digital music streaming services

Examining the Role of Music Streaming Motives, Social Identification, and Technological Engagement in Digital Music Streaming Service Use

According to the Nielsen Music 360 Research Report, 67% of all music consumers in the United States used digital music streaming services to listen, discover, and share music online in 2014 (The Nielsen Company, 2014). As such, communications scholars and music industry professionals are beginning to recognize the importance of understanding the factors that influence digital music listener behavior. Therefore, this study proposes an expanded theory of planned behavior model (TPB) by incorporating music streaming motives, social identification, and technological engagement into the original TPB model framework in an effort to gain a better understanding of people\u27s intentions to use digital music streaming services as well as the amount of time spent listening to them. Results suggest that both the original TPB and expanded TPB models can be successfully applied within the context of digital music streaming service use. Specifically, attitudes as well as convenience emerged as positive contributors to intention to use digital music streaming services, while entertainment along with social identification, technological engagement, and behavioral intention emerged as positive contributors to streaming behavior. Additionally, information seeking and pass time emerged as negative contributors to these two behavioral outcomes. However, adding these additional components only improved the overall ability of the expanded model to predict streaming behavior. Both models also explained a larger percentage of intention to use digital music streaming services as compared to total time spent listening. As a result, this study implies the practical importance of understanding the fundamental differences between what drives listener intentions to use digital music streaming services as compared to what drives the actual amount of time listeners spend using digital music streaming services

Building online content on offline moments: opportunities for brands in social media

Purpose: Creating online content on the brand page that is considered attractive and interesting is key. Thus, the purpose of this is to investigate the impact of moment marketing as a communication strategy for content creation under the umbrella of interactive marketing on equity measures of the brand. Furthermore, the paper strives to differ between high brandmoment fit and low brand-moment fit and understand effects on existing versus differentiated brand associations. Methodology/Approach: The experimental study evaluated a total of 320 respondents that were randomly assigned to one of four brands in Germany of the industries sporting goods/apparel, alcoholic beverages, cosmetics and retail/supermarkets. The experimental condition was tested against a controlled condition for its impact on consumer-based brand equity via simple linear regression and comparing means. Data collection was carried out via a standardized online-survey. Findings: The results of the experimental study show that moment marketing has an equal impact on consumer-based brand equity compared to a regular brand post. However, brand posts related to an event have the potential to increase online participation (reactions toward the brand post, commenting and sharing the post) to a greater degree than a regular brand post. Furthermore, it was shown that existing brand associations are strengthened independent of the fit of the event with the brand whilst there has been shown no effect on differentiated associations whatsoever. Added value: Regarding existing literature, this research contributes by providing new insights on the effects that moment marketing has on consumer-based brand equity constructs. This study acts as preliminary research in this field and thus has great scientific relevance.Objetivo: Para os profissionais de marketing que atuam nas redes sociais é essencial saber quais características fazem o “Branded Content” popular bem como quais fatores condicionam a interação com o consumidor. Desta forma, torna-se essencial a criação de conteúdos que sejam considerados atrativos e interessantes na página da marca. O objetivo deste é investigar o impacto do “Moment Marketing” como estratégia de comunicação para criação de conteúdo sob a égide do marketing interativo na medição de equidade da marca. Além disso o trabalho busca estabelecer uma diferenciação entre high brand-moment fit e low brand-moment fit e entender os efeitos nas associações de marca já existentes em comparação com as diferenciadas. Metodologia/Abordagem: O estudo experimental avaliou um total de 320 entrevistados, que foram designados de forma aleatória para uma de quatro marcas Alemãs das seguintes indústrias: Esportes material/aparelhos, bebidas alcoólicas, cosméticos e varejo/ supermercados. A condição experimental foi testada em comparação a uma condição controlada via regressão linear simples e meios de comparação no que diz respeito a seu impacto no consumer-based brand equity. A coleta de dados foi realizada via pesquisa online padronizada. Descobertas: Os resultados do estudo experimental mostram que o “Moment Marketing” tem o mesmo impacto no consumer-based brand equity se comparado a uma postagem comum. Entretanto as postagens de marca associados a um evento, tem o potencial de aumentar a participação online (reações em direção ao post de marca, comentários e compartilhamento do post). Além disto, impactos na equidade da marca dentro do “Moment Marketing” são maiores quando nota-se um maior ajuste entre o momento e a marca. Por outro lado, associações de marca já existentes podem se fortalecidas com low ou high brandfit, associações diferenciadas não é devido à brand-moment fit. Valor Adicionado: Este estudo atua como uma pesquisa preliminar em seu campo de estudo e portanto possui grande relevância científica. Resultados desta pesquisa contribuem para descobertas em campos relacionados ao marketing de conteúdo digital e marketing interativo, sendo assim, a primeira pesquisa que define mais a fundo as características do conteúdo publicado nas redes sociais, indo além da separação de conteúdo gerado por empresas e por usuários contido em estudos anteriore

Alter ego, state of the art on user profiling: an overview of the most relevant organisational and behavioural aspects regarding User Profiling.

This report gives an overview of the most relevant organisational and\ud behavioural aspects regarding user profiling. It discusses not only the\ud most important aims of user profiling from both an organisation’s as\ud well as a user’s perspective, it will also discuss organisational motives\ud and barriers for user profiling and the most important conditions for\ud the success of user profiling. Finally recommendations are made and\ud suggestions for further research are given