The Role of Country of Origin in Brand Following on Social Media Among U.S. Consumers

An understanding of how consumers interact with brands online is still in its infancy. This study will attempt to explain what motivates consumers to follow brands on social media, looking specifically at the role country and region of origin of products plays in explaining the relationship. Given the personal nature that attracts people to social media to build relationships, it is believed that the personal nature of brands originating from the social media users’ home country will heighten the likelihood that consumers track certain brands and may enhance the relationship that evolves between the brand and the consumer. A model is proposed to explain the relationship, with survey data from U.S. consumers used to begin to establish any links between product origins and brand tracking behavior through social media

CUSTOMER PREFERENCES FOR MICHIGAN APPLES: A CASE EXAMPLE OF A MARKET RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR A COMMODITY INDUSTRY

A series of market-research studies on Michigan apples are discussed in this paper. They provide a case example of a continuing program of market research to aid this industry. These include studies on changing preferences, needs, perceptions, practices and buying behavior for major customer segments of this industry, including consumers and grocery retailers, as well as mid-chain customer segments such as shippers and processors. While this market research program includes several component studies, the overall integration of the information from the various component studies is especially important for the development of the industry's marketing strategies. The component studies which comprise the overall market research program to date include the following interrelated phases: 1. An initial survey of apple shippers as key mid-chain firms - emphasizing overview information on customer needs and preferences as well as priorities for needed market research information. 2. A consumer focus group study. 3. A large-sample consumer telephone survey on consumer preferences, behavior and attitudes. 4. Consumer taste tests emphasizing fruit firmness and taste. 5. Consumer visual test regarding purchase preferences for fruit size and color. 6. A survey of consumers using an in-store taste and sampling program. 7. A follow-up survey of shippers that concentrated on apple varieties preferred for current and future markets. 8. A similar survey of apple processors on apple varieties preferred for processed apple markets. 9. A survey of grocery trade customers on their needs and preferences for fresh apples. 10. Integrative analyses comparing and contrasting preference information obtained from the studies listed in 1-9. The market research was done as part of broad-scope industry efforts to analyze, target and develop major strategic directions intended to position the industry for high performance and success in the future. These identified strategic directions have the goal of improving the industry's overall performance, including effectively meeting the needs of their consumer and trade customers in order to improve industry's competitiveness and economic viability. The specific types of information, priority questions and customer targets for each of the component market-research studies were developed in close cooperation with industry leaders and major industry organizations such as the industry's generic promotional commission. The industry has used the information from these market-research studies to develop their evolving strategies to most effectively serve their customer needs and hence to compete in the changing markets for their industry.Consumer/Household Economics,

When Does the Influencer Matter?

The purpose of this research is to identify what factors contribute to the effectiveness of social media influencers’ posts. The first phase of this project studied people’s initial feelings towards social media influencers using a focus group. The results indicated that social media influencers are in fact effective and influential. The second phase of this study tested what factors increase and decrease the effectiveness of a social media influencers post, and what factors will get them the most engagement. This was tested through sixteen experimental conditions with different variations of a fake social media influencer post. Five dependent variables were tested, willingness to share the post, willingness to buy, attitude toward the brand, attitude towards the ad, and attitude towards the influencer. Four independent variables were also measured, size of the influencer (micro or macro), picture (present or not), discount (present or not), and level of purchase involvement (high or low), as well as several contributing variables about personality. The results contended that the presence of a picture in a social media influencers ad was had a positive effect on willingness to share the post, willingness to buy, attitude toward the brand, and attitude towards the ad. Discount also was significant to consumers’ attitudes towards the brand and the ad. Level of involvement and size of the influencer only proved to be statistically significant towards the effectiveness of the post when interaction effects were found between one or more of those variables. The research and analysis conducted will provide valuable information regarding the effectiveness of social media influencers and the relevance of them pertaining to technological shifts and advancements in the marketing field

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

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

The Role of the Mangement Sciences in Research on Personalization

We present a review of research studies that deal with personalization. We synthesize current knowledge about these areas, and identify issues that we envision will be of interest to researchers working in the management sciences. We take an interdisciplinary approach that spans the areas of economics, marketing, information technology, and operations. We present an overarching framework for personalization that allows us to identify key players in the personalization process, as well as, the key stages of personalization. The framework enables us to examine the strategic role of personalization in the interactions between a firm and other key players in the firm's value system. We review extant literature in the strategic behavior of firms, and discuss opportunities for analytical and empirical research in this regard. Next, we examine how a firm can learn a customer's preferences, which is one of the key components of the personalization process. We use a utility-based approach to formalize such preference functions, and to understand how these preference functions could be learnt based on a customer's interactions with a firm. We identify well-established techniques in management sciences that can be gainfully employed in future research on personalization.CRM, Persoanlization, Marketing, e-commerce,

Modelling the Consumption Behaviour of Heterogeneous Consumers: A Duty-Free Shop Case Simulation Analysis

Duty-free shops, which have emerged in major airports, first-tier cities, free trade zones and other places, have become ideal places for not only facilitating people to buy goods but also promoting the development of the local economy, which makes the study of the heterogeneous consumer purchase behavior in duty-free stores of great importance and great practical significance. Based on this, the agent model is used to study the purchase behavior of heterogeneous consumers in duty-free stores, the structure of the agent model is proposed, the consumer submodel and situation submodel are designed, and a service recommendation is made. On this basis, the consumer behavior is simulated and analyzed both with and without considering situational factors. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) The display, the month, holidays, and other factors have an important impact on the heterogeneous consumers of duty-free stores and affect consumers\u27 consumption behavior. (2) Salespeople\u27s recommendation rules and consumers\u27 purchase preferences affect consumers\u27 purchase behavior, which has an important impact on the types and quantity of goods consumers buy

The variables that explain loyalty in non-profit karate organisations.

Background and Study Aim: Despite society’s growing interest in sports, the total membership of federations is the same as ten years ago. This study aims is knowledge about the principal factors that influence the “loyalty” of Spanish karate federation members. Material and Methods: From a population of 72,910 members of karate federations a sample of 629 individuals was obtained, with a sampling error of 3.97 a confidence level of 95.5% and p = 0.5; q = 0.5. The data obtained were collected from 11 of Spain’s 19 regional federations (71% are men and 29% women, all of them members of karate federations). The largest group is aged between 45 and 64, a majority of whom have been members for more than 20 years. Part I: literature review. This work makes an in-depth exploratory of over one hundred relevant. Part II: original research). A correlational study based on a survey of sportsmen who are members of Spanish karate fed erations included the variables that can influence the fidelity of the karate federation. Each of the indicators has followed a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree). Results: All loyalty indicators show an average above 4.10, although with a high standard deviation. All loyalty items are directly related (at a significance level of p<0.01) with all indicators of other empirical variables (perceived quality, commitment, trust, satisfaction and happiness). Conclusions: One of the novelties of this study is the consideration of happiness as a strategic variable. This study shows that it is not enough to just be a member of a federation, since members need to be happy and feel satisfied with the federation if their loyalty is to be maintained and improved and even result in recommendations to potential sportsmen and women. Another of the innovations in this paper is its field of study, namely loyalty in sports governing bodies