Are Generational Attitudes Toward Digital Marketing Technology Exhibited in Automobile Purchase Behaviors?

This dissertation was focused on the current digital purchasing trend in the used automotive industry in order to understand which factors impacted the growth of this trend through the lens of generational cohort theory. The growth of consumer informedness in the automotive sector has created drastic changes in how consumers are able, and willing, to purchase vehicles. Used car dealerships who adopt successful internet marketing techniques can capture and engage potential customers and then convert that engagement into sales. Companies like Carvana, Vroom, and CarMax have seized this opportunity and created a digital marketing phenomenon with major impacts on consumer purchasing behavior throughout the durable goods sector. As consumer behavior trends toward an increase in digital shopping and purchasing, this research shows that the generations considered digital natives are mostly driving that trend, which has significant implications for the sales and marketing efforts of automobile dealers. While there was ample literature available regarding generational cohort theory and its impact on consumer behavior, there remained a noticeable gap in the academic body of knowledge examining this behavior in relation to large online purchases, such as automobiles. The research question under review was, to what extent do trust, social factors, and sales strategies impact online automobile purchase behaviors, and are the relationships among the constructs moderated by generational cohort theory? For this dissertation, a survey simulation of 1361 respondents was conducted to understand which key factors impact a consumer’s willingness to purchase an automobile online. The statistical testing revealed three variables that can help predict this behavior. Further, one of the hypotheses was rejected after testing, and the others were confirmed, but only with the moderation of certain generational cohorts. Future research should be considered that follows the trend of these cohorts in their high-involvement purchase decisions, particularly in the wake of Covid-19 and the impact from brick-and-mortar stores closing during the pandemic

Two essays on employee brand behavior

This dissertation offers two essays on the engendering and the consequences of employee brand behavior. The first essay addresses the impact of employee brand behavior on customer experience in the retail environment. Retailers, with some exceptions, paid relatively little attention to the role that employees play in the experience they provide to their customers. While there seems to be a general consensus regarding both the importance of customer experience and the role of employees in delivering it, there has been no study attempting to measure the impact front-line employees have on the overall customer experience process from the consumer point-of-view. In essay two the antecedents that make up the customer experience construct are explored through the usage of a previously tested model with the addition of two new components: the employee in-role brand-building behavior construct and the expansion of the word-of-mouth construct to include social media word-of-mouth. The second essay complements essay one by focusing on the importance of employee branding behavior and examining its two variants: in-role and extra-role brand-building behavior. Both behaviors are engendered within the firm but companies are still struggling to differentiate between the two. The distinction between the two types is important because when developed correctly these behaviors can help companies build a competitive advantage. Since the differentiation gap between companies nowadays continues to shrink, companies must strive to develop a unique competitive advantage that cannot be easily copied by their rivals. The tailoring of such a specific set of brand oriented behaviors to be performed by employees is one potential solution to this challenge. By directing the behavior of employees that come into direct contact with customers, a firm has a unique opportunity to align all its branding promotional initiatives with those of its representatives in the front lines resulting in a more consistent customer experience

Customer entrepreneurship on digital platforms: Challenges and solutions for platform business models

Drawing on the mixed methods of qualitative research and agent-based simulation, this study examines (a) how end-users use digital platforms to become customer–entrepreneurs undertaking commercial activities on platforms, and (b) how platform providers can convert this customer entrepreneurship into a revenue stream. Considering that end-users have traditionally been defined as passive and uncharged actors in platform business models, an in-depth understanding of their commercial activities and the viable revenue model to monetize this emerging customer practice is warranted. Our qualitative study reveals that customer–entrepreneurs make substantial use of platform offerings to advertise their products; communicate with end-consumers; and accept payments. These commercial activities are largely exercised for free on platforms, even though they could otherwise serve as a source of revenue. On this point, our simulation results identify two pricing models achieving the generation of nearly identical revenues over time. First, platform providers may charge both advertising and transaction fees, which maximize the survival of professional customer–entrepreneurs. Second, platform businesses may levy advertising fees only, which maximizes the survival of informal customer–entrepreneurs operating on a micro-scale and part-time basis. This study offers theoretical, methodological and managerial implications for platform studies

Customer Relationship Management : Concept, Strategy, and Tools -3/E

Customer relationship management (CRM) as a strategy and as a technology has gone through an amazing evolutionary journey. After the initial technological approaches, this process has matured considerably – both from a conceptual and from an applications point of view. Of course this evolution continues, especially in the light of the digital transformation. Today, CRM refers to a strategy, a set of tactics, and a technology that has become indispensable in the modern economy. Based on both authors’ rich academic and managerial experience, this book gives a unified treatment of the strategic and tactical aspects of customer relationship management as we know it today. It stresses developing an understanding of economic customer value as the guiding concept for marketing decisions. The goal of this book is to be a comprehensive and up-to-date learning companion for advanced undergraduate students, master students, and executives who want a detailed and conceptually sound insight into the field of CRM

23rd Recent Advances in Retailing & Services Science Conference, July 11-14, 2016, Edinburgh, Scotland:book of abstracts

This book includes the (edited) abstracts of the papers that will be presented at the 23rd Recent Advancesin Retailing and Services Science Conference, at the Carlton/Hilton hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland, July 11-16, 2016.The aim of the conference is to bring together an international and multidisciplinary audience working ondifferent topics in retailing and consumer behavior research. Both completed work and work in progresswill be presented. This is reflected in the kind of papers that have been accepted for presentation

International Market Segmentation across Consumption and Communication Categories: Identity, Demographics, and Consumer Decisions and Online Habits

In this chapter we will discuss the different approaches to market segmentation and selection and explore how the selection process influences the company’s culture, its brand positioning, and how it is impacted upon by the overall marketing and communication strategy and vice versa. Some questions this chapter considers and discusses are: Which segments should firms’ international marketing activities (including financial, human resources, and the firm’s capabilities) focus on? How do multinationals decide if segmentation efforts are effective? Finally, we will explore how organizations1 can monitor and control the various activities and outcomes, in order to ensure sustainable competitive advantage(s) in a highly competitive marketplace and online marketspace

Exploring Department Store Offerings: A ZMET Study

Department stores in the UK have faced challenging retail conditions, which were affected by the everchanging external retail competition such as out-of-town and online retailers. As the boundaries between different retail institutions have blurred increasingly with an inclining similarity of their commodity offerings, the multi-department one-stop shopping experience is no longer unique to department stores. But the department stores are nevertheless still regarded as the anchor of the high street due to their strong brand associations linked to their heritage, physical presence, and emphasis on service quality. However, it is not clear if these associations are still relevant, particularly as customers are increasingly adopting a hybrid online/offline approach to shopping. This study, therefore, adopts a customer-based brand equity (CBBE) lens to explore the key constructs that are valued by customers in the current turbulent retail environment. This study was a mono-method qualitative study using Zaltman Metaphor Elimination Technique (ZMET). Data were collected from 24 UK high street department store shoppers in Derby using a cross-sectional time horizon. The use the of ZMET method elicited deep thoughts and feelings in the UK high street department stores by customers based on the participant’s choice of image. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data extracted from both the verbal interview, the participant’s choice of images and the montage created by the participants. A new onion model of customer-based brand equity (CBBE) in the current department store context was identified in this study, named customer-based department store brand equity (CBDSBE). This model showed that four out of Zaltman’s seven deep metaphors are more relevant to the current context, which are balance, resource, journey and connection. By identifying these deep metaphors, brand managers would gain in-depth understanding of their customers, and thus, establish enhanced marketing strategies accordingly. This study also identified that brand accessibility was a new construct that emerged from this study that contributed to the customer-based department store brand equity. It was identified that the department store provided access to the participants where they could access the individual brands, the physical products, and the experiences available at a department store. The outcomes of this study argued that the department store is not reaching the end of its lifecycle. It is suggested that a new definition of the department store is needed, which would ultimately distinguish the department store from its competitors who offered similar commodities and re-establish competitive advantage in the current turbulent retail environment by enhancing its customer-based department store brand equity