Reputation Management

The problem of building a reputation in the traditional brick-and-mortar world has been known for centuries; we know how to build a good reputation, or more precisely how to help in building a good reputation. Even if we are a target of various half-truths and slanders, we are aware that if they are only spoken words, their durability over time is quickly fleeting. However, written text is different from spoken words; its life durability over time is much longer. In our chapter, we bring the overview of what happens if we must suddenly face the problem of building and maintaining a good reputation in the virtual world of the Internet. Thus, the objective of this chapter is to summarize and present the state of the art in the field of reputation; it consists of the definition of basic terminology and then offers the well-arranged theoretical determination of the problem of reputation in both the traditional brick-and-mortar and virtual world

Učinkovito korištenje Facebooka od strane malih i srednjih poduzeća u Slovačkoj

Purpose – The aim of this study was to identify and then interpret the basic preconditions for effective use of the social networking site Facebook as a marketing communication platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in a selected Central European market. Design/Methodology/Approach – In order to achieve the objective, as well as partial targets, this contribution can be seen as a summary of two autonomous and extensive analyses. The context necessary for the fulfillment of the main objective was analyzed based on secondary data on hundreds of company profiles (of local SMEs, operating predominantly in the service sector and conducting their business activities in a business-to-consumer (B2C) environment) managed by a specific marketing agency operating on the Slovak market. The collected data were subsequently subjected to a thorough statistical testing based on monitored parameters. Findings and implications – From the perspective of the main findings, basic recommendations for the efficient use of selected marketing communication tools on the social networking site Facebook are described in terms of improving the expected user interactions. Limitations – We consider the mainly local nature of the data sources to be the biggest limitation in the research process. Due to the local nature of this study, however, this limitation has no significant effect on the quality of the research. Originality – The findings and information presented in this contribution can help improve our understanding of issues related to the effective implementation of resources (time and finances) by entities using selected marketing tools, particularly marketing communication in the context of the social networking site Facebook for the purpose of promotion and branding.Svrha – Cilj istraživanja bio je identificirati i interpretirati osnovne preduvjete za učinkovito korištenje društvene mreže Facebook kao marketinške komunikacijske platforme malih i srednjih poduzeća koja posluju na odabranom tržištu Srednje Europe. Metodološki pristup – Kako bi se postigli opći i pojedinačni ciljevi, na ovaj se rad može gledati kao na zbroj dviju odvojenih i ekstenzivne analize. Kontekst potreban za ispunjenje glavnog cilja analiziran je na osnovi sekundarnih podataka o stotinama profila poduzeća (lokalnih malih i srednjih poduzeća koja pretežno posluju u uslužnom sektoru i provode poslovne aktivnosti na tržištu krajnje potrošnje) kojima upravlja marketinška agencija koja posluje na tržištu Slovačke. Prikupljeni su podaci zatim podvrgnuti temeljitom statističkom testiranju promatranih parametara. Rezultati i implikacije – Iz perspektive glavnih nalaza istraživanja, opisane su osnovne preporuke za učinkovito korištenje odabranih marketinških komunikacijskih alata na društvenoj mreži Facebook u pogledu poboljšanja očekivane interakcije s korisnicima. Ograničenja – Najvećim ograničenjem istraživanja mogu se smatrati izvori podataka uglavnom lokalne naravi. Upravo zbog lokalne prirode istraživanja ovo ograničenje nema značajan učinak na kvalitetu samog istraživanja. Doprinos – Rezultati i informacije prikazani u ovom radu mogu doprinijeti poboljšanju razumijevanja pitanja povezanih s učinkovitom implementacijom resursa (vremenskih i financijskih) od strane subjekata koji koriste odabrane marketinške alate, posebice marketinšku komunikaciju u kontekstu društvene mreže Facebook, u svrhu promocije i upravljanja markom

Sensory Marketing

The issue of sensory marketing is a relatively new concept in managerial science. Due to the competitive environment of the global market, companies are confronted with the constant need to find effective approaches that will allow them to maintain a competitive advantage in the fight for the customer. One such approach is the application of sensory marketing tools to brand-building processes. The aim of the chapter is to bring the issue of sensory marketing closer to the general professional public. The chapter also focuses on the pointing out the fact that only by taking into account the specifics related to sensory marketing, the process of building a brand becomes holistic and sustainable. The theoretical framework describes the basic foundations of the issue. The empirical part presents a description of the selected experiment from a series of five experimental investigations performed to verify the theoretical assumptions in practice. From the point of view of the findings, it can be stated that targeted stimulations of the senses have a significant impact on the overall experience of individuals. Through the synthesis of theoretical and practical knowledge, it was possible to compile a model for the application of knowledge to business practice

Impact of coronavirus pandemic on changes in e-consumer behaviour: Empirical analysis of Slovak e-commerce market

The issue of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy is highly topical at a time of gradual economic recovery. The study presents the results of more than a year and a half of empirical research on changes in consumer behaviour patterns of Slovaks obtained through an analysis of their online interactions with the five main representatives of the e-commerce industry. During both pandemic waves B2C and C2B interactions of a sample of more than half a million customers in the Facebook social network environment were systematically recorded. Subsequently, the data were compared with the reference period one year after the historically first lockdown. The results suggest that during the pandemic, customers switched into completely new patterns of consumer behaviour aimed at maximizing benefits. However, as the pandemic progressed, these patterns combined with the pre-pandemic standard behaviour and created a new, relatively stable evolving trend. This economically significant trend must be considered in business practice.Web of Science70438936

Analysis of Digital Customer Communities in terms of their interactions during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined procedures in every business sector. In the first half of 2020, companies had to face an unexpected and unpredictable situation that resulted in both threats and opportunities in real time. Almost overnight, brick-and-mortar establishments of most stores closed, and the dominant part of transactions and activities moved from offline to the online environment. The main goal of the paper is to identify changes in the interactions of digital customer communities of selected e-business representatives in the Czech market. Within a sample of almost one and a half million Facebook users, during the first spring COVID-19 lockdown (March to May 2020), the interactions of the five largest Czech e-shops and their customers were recorded on a daily basis. The data were then subjected to a thorough statistical analysis in order to identify the specifics that resulted from the highly non-standard market situation. The results suggest that during the pandemic, there was a major reallocation of interactions in terms of their timing. Most interactions take place during the working week From a day-to-day perspective, most of the interactions occur at around noon. In view of the findings, it can be stated that in order to maintain the competitiveness resulting from efficient management of corporate resources, it will be necessary to modify the usual procedures of e-marketing communication, as well as human resources management procedures in terms of the optimization of work of employees working from home.Web of Science16215113

Promotion of Electric Mobility in the European Union—Overview of Project PROMETEUS from the Perspective of Cohesion through Synergistic Cooperation on the Example of the Catching-Up Region

This project report presents the rationale and the first results as regards the ongoing learning process of the PROMETEUS (PROMotion of EmobiliTy in EU regionS) project, co-financed by the Interreg Europe program, in the context of EU policies and programs dedicated to the promotion of sustainable mobility, and electric mobility in particular. Electric mobility, and in general low-carbon mobility, is one of the main targets of the European Union’s policies dedicated to a green transition. Despite continuous efforts, the number of electric cars in circulation remains low and the objectives of expanding the market for such vehicles by 2030 are still far from being fulfilled. Up until 2018, the share of electric vehicles was in fact only 1.5% of total car sales in the EU. Specifically, it has been noted that an increase in the uptake of electric vehicles in Europe is hampered by the presence of three main barriers: affordability, infrastructure availability, and lack of investments. In this context, project PROMETEUS has aimed at tackling the lacunae in the availability of infrastructures for a transition towards electric mobility in the partnership’s regions, namely, Carinthia in Austria, Castilla y León in Spain, Lazio in Italy, Malta, and Prešov in Slovakia, and at countering low awareness in the public through the improvement of policy instruments linked to structural funds. In order to approach and clarify the process of improvement of those policy instruments, we have summarized and presented the reference results and outputs from the Action Plans across the partners. Moreover, the report discusses in detail the output of the regional Action Plan of the one of project partners—the Prešov region, as the form of a model example—as the initial situation in terms of infrastructure development in the region posing as the biggest challenge for the project. Managerial as well as research summaries can be helpful in the implementation of similar projects; in the continuous improvement of policy instruments; and, last but not least, in the formulation of new challenges to improve awareness of sustainable forms of transport

Return to the New Normal: Empirical Analysis of Changes in E-Consumer Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The global pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has largely changed established business practices. The aim of this study is to present the results of eighteen months of intensive research into the effects of the pandemic on e-consumer behavior. In one of the most active e-commerce markets in Europe, the Czech Republic, we analyzed a sample of more than one and a half million Facebook users in terms of their C2B interactions on the B2C activities of the five major e-commerce market players. The measurements were carried out in three periods, which corresponded to the onset of the first wave, the peak, and the fading of the second wave of the pandemic. This enabled us to monitor the effect of seasonality and the stabilization of patterns of consumer behavior during the coronavirus crisis. The results suggest that a specific panic pattern of e-consumer behavior was developed at the time of the onset of the pandemic. However, as the pandemic progressed, the market adapted to a new normal, which, as evidenced by the change in trends, appears to be a combination of the pre-pandemic and pandemic behavioral patterns. Using a statistical analysis, it was possible to identify the delta of changes within the patterns of consumer behavior, thus fulfilling the final condition for creating an empirical model of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on e-consumer behavior presented in this study

Size of Business Unit as a Factor Influencing Adoption of Digital Marketing: Empirical Analysis of SMEs Operating in the Central European Market

The issue of using marketing communication tools in the internet environment is quite extensive. Innovation of the usual procedures is usually influenced by market development. The presented study examines selected factors that may affect the acceptance of digital marketing tools in business practice in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim of the study is to answer the basic question of whether company size influences the willingness to adopt online marketing tools within the usual communication mix. Based on a thorough empirical analysis performed on a sample of companies operating in the Central European market, it can be stated that company size does not play a role in adopting online marketing tools. Most organizations, regardless of their size, still have reservations about investing in digital marketing. On the other hand, previous experience is a key determinant to perceive the benefits of using the internet for business purposes. Organizations actively using online marketing tools evaluate their contribution to their business very positively. It is a well-known fact that product testing significantly increases the degree of its acceptance. This knowledge is one of the key starting points in traditional marketing. Obviously, this assumption needs to be taken into account in both physical and digital environments. At the same time, it should be noted that the application of the basic online marketing tools in business practice is a prerequisite for all subsequent online activities

Učinkovito korištenje Facebooka od strane malih i srednjih poduzeća u Slovačkoj

Purpose – The aim of this study was to identify and then interpret the basic preconditions for effective use of the social networking site Facebook as a marketing communication platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in a selected Central European market. Design/Methodology/Approach – In order to achieve the objective, as well as partial targets, this contribution can be seen as a summary of two autonomous and extensive analyses. The context necessary for the fulfillment of the main objective was analyzed based on secondary data on hundreds of company profiles (of local SMEs, operating predominantly in the service sector and conducting their business activities in a business-to-consumer (B2C) environment) managed by a specific marketing agency operating on the Slovak market. The collected data were subsequently subjected to a thorough statistical testing based on monitored parameters. Findings and implications – From the perspective of the main findings, basic recommendations for the efficient use of selected marketing communication tools on the social networking site Facebook are described in terms of improving the expected user interactions. Limitations – We consider the mainly local nature of the data sources to be the biggest limitation in the research process. Due to the local nature of this study, however, this limitation has no significant effect on the quality of the research. Originality – The findings and information presented in this contribution can help improve our understanding of issues related to the effective implementation of resources (time and finances) by entities using selected marketing tools, particularly marketing communication in the context of the social networking site Facebook for the purpose of promotion and branding.Svrha – Cilj istraživanja bio je identificirati i interpretirati osnovne preduvjete za učinkovito korištenje društvene mreže Facebook kao marketinške komunikacijske platforme malih i srednjih poduzeća koja posluju na odabranom tržištu Srednje Europe. Metodološki pristup – Kako bi se postigli opći i pojedinačni ciljevi, na ovaj se rad može gledati kao na zbroj dviju odvojenih i ekstenzivne analize. Kontekst potreban za ispunjenje glavnog cilja analiziran je na osnovi sekundarnih podataka o stotinama profila poduzeća (lokalnih malih i srednjih poduzeća koja pretežno posluju u uslužnom sektoru i provode poslovne aktivnosti na tržištu krajnje potrošnje) kojima upravlja marketinška agencija koja posluje na tržištu Slovačke. Prikupljeni su podaci zatim podvrgnuti temeljitom statističkom testiranju promatranih parametara. Rezultati i implikacije – Iz perspektive glavnih nalaza istraživanja, opisane su osnovne preporuke za učinkovito korištenje odabranih marketinških komunikacijskih alata na društvenoj mreži Facebook u pogledu poboljšanja očekivane interakcije s korisnicima. Ograničenja – Najvećim ograničenjem istraživanja mogu se smatrati izvori podataka uglavnom lokalne naravi. Upravo zbog lokalne prirode istraživanja ovo ograničenje nema značajan učinak na kvalitetu samog istraživanja. Doprinos – Rezultati i informacije prikazani u ovom radu mogu doprinijeti poboljšanju razumijevanja pitanja povezanih s učinkovitom implementacijom resursa (vremenskih i financijskih) od strane subjekata koji koriste odabrane marketinške alate, posebice marketinšku komunikaciju u kontekstu društvene mreže Facebook, u svrhu promocije i upravljanja markom