The impact of nostalgia and probability markers on the effectiveness of advertising creative strategies

The current study intends to explore the boundaries of nostalgia themed advertising combined with probability markers. An experimental design was implemented with 575 valid responses obtained. The findings validate nostalgia themed advertising as a creative strategy associated to positive effects on brand attitude and purchase intentions among consumers with “high” past brand attachment. Past brand attachment emerges as an important construct as the effects significantly differ between “high” and “low” conditions. The use of probability markers, however, did not confirm the expected incremental effects on nostalgia themed advertising, with results being comparable with advertisement with no probability marker. Moreover, the use of hedges and pledges seem to perform in a similar manner among the different types of purchase motivations and level of tolerance to ambiguity. Implications for practice, limitations and future studies are presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Strategies to refrain reputation crisis during online firestorms in social media

Purpose – Online firestorm, a relatively new phenomenon, has drawn the attention of academia due to its harmful effects. The present paper aims to provide a comparative overview with respect to the employment of two different crisis communication strategies (CCS), namely corrective action vs. apology, in the wake of the phenomenon and to avoid its further escalation. Design/methodology/approach - The present research used a 2 x 3 factorial experimental design, that comprised two levels of image repair strategies (corrective action; apology), and three levels of online firestorm triggers (unethical behaviour; core business problem; communication issue). An online questionnaire was distributed, and 564 valid responses were collected. Findings - Results show that corrective action, as image repair strategy, is more effective than an apology following core business- and communication-related incidents, whilst neither strategy shows to be more effective than the other one following unethical behaviour-related incidents. Furthermore, the effect of image repair strategy on perceptions, attitudes and behavioural intentions is moderated and mediated by users’ attribution related to companies´responsibility and brand attitude, respectively. Last, the absence of an organizational response following an incident has a negative effect on Facebook users’ brand attitude. Research limitations/implications - Fictitious scenarios depicted (no crisis history and prior reputation taken into account). Crisis response timing, crisis origin and media coverage not considered. Facebook as a SNS over Twitter. Practical implications – Contribution towards the body of knowledge of crisis communication and crisis management fields in online settings. Originality/value – This is the first paper that integrates a comparative overview of CCS’ effectiveness into the management of online firestorms.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Non-sponsored brand-related user-generated content: Effects and mechanisms of consumer engagement

Purpose – The current study investigates whether users’ engagement with the social media platform is affected as they engage in non-sponsored brand-related user-generated content (UGC). The concept of non-sponsored brand-related UGC encapsulates various social media patterns in which individuals choose how to consume, contribute or create brand related content with no formal brand incentive or control. Design/methodology/approach – The study focuses on the question of how users engage with non-sponsored brand-related UGC on Instagram and assesses the influence of UGC perceived value. The variance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) approach using partial least squares (PLS) was applied. Findings – The research shows significant and positive effects of UGC on Instagram users´ intentions to engage with the platform and the influence of UGC perceived value on UGC uses. The findings deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying non-sponsored brand-related UGC in consumer engagement marketing, with significant implications for brand managers and the future development of Instagram and other social media platforms. Originality – The UGC functional, social and emotional values are evaluated for their effects on generating the three distinct patterns of consumer online brand related activities (consumer, contribute and create) in the non-sponsored brand-related UGC context.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The impact of new technologies on the cruise travelers experience: A literature review

Companies around the world have been adopted different digital technologies such as online stores, digital panels, or even robotic assistance. These new technologies have also impacted the cruise industry, that is one of the fastest-growing sectors within the hospitality and tourism industry (Penco et al., 2019; Shoval et al., 2020). So, cruise companies are developing new technological ships using different digital technologies onboard such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Virtual Reality (VR). As an example of the adoption of this technologies, AI can be found in the Royal Caribbean's bionic bar that uses service robots (Lu et al., 2019), in the latest MSC cruise ships that implemented a digital assistance called ZOE that assist onboard guest with reservation, inquires, and learn their preferences (Shallo, 2019; MSC Cruises, 2021), or even through online purchases that delivered the items to guest staterooms on the newest Celebrity Cruises ships (Maddox, 2019; Celebrity Cruises, 2020). On the other hand, VR is mainly used by cruise companies in areas such as shore excursions or culinary dining (Arlati et al., 2018; Loureiro et al., 2019). This denotes, that cruise companies are adopting these technologies to provide a new and better experience to their cruise travelers, as most of them use technologies in their daily lives activities and hope to find them also when they travel (CLIA, 2019). Indeed, the acceptance and use of these new technologies will depend on the technological readiness of the consumer (Blut and Wang, 2020). In addition, when consumers interact with these technologies it can lead them to an emotional reaction, that can influence their behavioral responses (Gao and Bai, 2014). This emotional reaction is also known as an online flow state, which has been defined by Novak et al. (2000) as the state occurring during network navigation. Also, literature in the hospitality, tourism, and technology industry reveals that further studies need to be done within cruise tourism and technologies (Lu et al., 2019; Loureiro et al., 2020). Therefore, this abstract paper is an integration of three different theories: S–O–R framework (Donovan and Rossiter, 1982), E-servicescape (Harris and Goode, 2010), and Flow experience (Gao and Bai, 2014), since with the S–O–R model the purpose of this paper is to explain how the E-servicescape environment on cruise ships (S), can lead to an emotional reaction of cruise ship travelers presented as a flow experience (O), and how this emotional reaction can influence the behavioral response of the cruise travelers (R) in relation to the intention of use technological devices onboard the cruise ship and purchase intention. (See figure 1). As far as we know, this is the first time in the literature of the Hotel and Tourism Industry and also of the Technology Industry that this research is been conducted since most recent studies have been made in hotels, restaurants, and airports (Bogicevic et al., 2017; Li, Bonn and Ye, 2019; de Kervenoael et al., 2020; Hou, Zhang and Li, 2021). Therefore, the expected research result of the project aims to provide some theoretical contributions in the literature of Tourism and Technology, as stated above, the present literature has some gaps between these industries. In addition, we also hope that these contributions can help future researchers in their projects related to these topics. Additionally, the results obtained will provide some practical contributions to cruise companies, cruise ship managers, and marketers, as they can take into consideration the results that can allow them to have a better insight of the cruise traveler’s reaction towards the future technologies implemented on their new ships.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Implications of new technologies on consumer engagement

New technologies will continue to create added values to companies that adapt, as it gives a competitive advantage that significantly influences consumer behavior (Rangaswamy et al., 2020). The customer’s willingness to patronize the services of companies with the internet of things (IoT hereafter) enabled services through electronic channels gives the customer the ‘control’ over the business relationship with the company (Johnson, 2007). The concept of IoT has attracted a lot of attention, largely attributed to its importance due to its considerable internalization in our daily lives (Libai et al., 2020). Consumer engagement (CE hereafter), on the other hand, has equally gained some attention in recent times due to the dynamism in the academic, retail, business (Pansari and Kumar 2017) and practitioners’ landscape (Dessart et al., 2017). With the advent of IoT, there has been a significant shift from human-to-human, human-to-machine, or machine-to-machine interactions (Bulmer et al., 2018).info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Social media brand engagement in the context of collaborative consumption: the case of AIRBNB

This study focuses on social media brand engagement in the context of shared and collaborative consumption businesses, a novel trend in the hospitality industry. By drawing on the concept of brands being defined collectively through an assemblage of heterogonous human and nonhuman actors, and focusing on the brand Airbnb—a peer-to-peer online platform for renting, swapping, and lending accommodations—the current study examines how consumers’ perceptions of Airbnb brand equity mediate the relationship between functional and hedonic brand image and social media behavioral engagement in terms of consumption, contribution, and creation of brand-related content (COBRAs). Results discriminate between direct and indirect effects. Findings reveal that hedonic brand image directly influences behavioral engagement on social media, whereas brand equity fully mediates the relationship between functional brand image and COBRAs. Implications for theory and practice related to shared or collaborative consumption platforms in the hospitality industry are discussed and suggestions for future studies are presented. This research paper provides conceptual and theoretical clarity on issues such as how consumers’ brand perceptions influence their behavioral engagement on social media.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Technologies in the cruise tourism services: A systematic and bibliometric approach

COVID-19 and the faster evolution of emerging technologies forced companies to create new business models and become more digital. Therefore, companies worldwide have adopted different digital technologies such as online stores, digital assistants, digital panels, or robotic services. This trend has also impacted the cruise industry, with new cruise ships using digital technologies onboard such as: Artificial Intelligence (AI): ⎼ ZOE digital assistance is used in the latest MSC Cruise Ships. ⎼ Virtual Concierge app used on the newest Celebrity Cruises Ships. ⎼ Robotic bartender at the Bionic Bar on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. ⎼ Pepper, the humanoid robot at Costa Cruise Line ships. ⎼ Rob the first humanoid robot bartender at MSC Cruise ships. Virtual Reality (VR): ⎼ Shore excursions ⎼ Culinary dining Despite the strong adoption of new technologies in cruise ships, existing studies related to the use of AI, VR, or robots in smart tourism are mostly limited to restaurants, hotels, or airports. Opening an opportunity to develop a systematic and bibliometric review on this topic - Technologies in the cruise tourism services.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The impact of new technologies on the cruise travelers experience: A literature review

Companies around the world have been adopted different digital technologies such as online stores, digital panels, or even robotic assistance. These new technologies have also impacted the cruise industry, that is one of the fastest-growing sectors within the hospitality and tourism industry (Penco et al., 2019; Shoval et al., 2020). So, cruise companies are developing new technological ships using different digital technologies onboard such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Virtual Reality (VR). As an example of the adoption of this technologies, AI can be found in the Royal Caribbean's bionic bar that uses service robots (Lu et al., 2019), in the latest MSC cruise ships that implemented a digital assistance called ZOE that assist onboard guest with reservation, inquires, and learn their preferences (Shallo, 2019; MSC Cruises, 2021), or even through online purchases that delivered the items to guest staterooms on the newest Celebrity Cruises ships (Maddox, 2019; Celebrity Cruises, 2020). On the other hand, VR is mainly used by cruise companies in areas such as shore excursions or culinary dining (Arlati et al., 2018; Loureiro et al., 2019). This denotes, that cruise companies are adopting these technologies to provide a new and better experience to their cruise travelers, as most of them use technologies in their daily lives activities and hope to find them also when they travel (CLIA, 2019). Indeed, the acceptance and use of these new technologies will depend on the technological readiness of the consumer (Blut and Wang, 2020). In addition, when consumers interact with these technologies it can lead them to an emotional reaction, that can influence their behavioral responses (Gao and Bai, 2014). This emotional reaction is also known as an online flow state, which has been defined by Novak et al. (2000) as the state occurring during network navigation. Also, literature in the hospitality, tourism, and technology industry reveals that further studies need to be done within cruise tourism and technologies (Lu et al., 2019; Loureiro et al., 2020). Therefore, this abstract paper is an integration of three different theories: S–O–R framework (Donovan and Rossiter, 1982), E-servicescape (Harris and Goode, 2010), and Flow experience (Gao and Bai, 2014), since with the S–O–R model the purpose of this paper is to explain how the E-servicescape environment on cruise ships (S), can lead to an emotional reaction of cruise ship travelers presented as a flow experience (O), and how this emotional reaction can influence the behavioral response of the cruise travelers (R) in relation to the intention of use technological devices onboard the cruise ship and purchase intention. As far as we know, this is the first time in the literature of the Hotel and Tourism Industry and also of the Technology Industry that this research is been conducted since most recent studies have been made in hotels, restaurants, and airports (Bogicevic et al., 2017; Li, Bonn and Ye, 2019; de Kervenoael et al., 2020; Hou, Zhang and Li, 2021). Therefore, the expected research result of the project aims to provide some theoretical contributions in the literature of Tourism and Technology, as stated above, the present literature has some gaps between these industries. In addition, we also hope that these contributions can help future researchers in their projects related to these topics. Additionally, the results obtained will provide some practical contributions to cruise companies, cruise ship managers, and marketers, as they can take into consideration the results that can allow them to have a better insight of the cruise traveler’s reaction towards the future technologies implemented on their new ships.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Users' participation in facebook brand pages and its influence on word-of-mouth: the role of brand knowledge and brand relationship

Due to the development of social media, brands have integrated Social Networking Sites (SNS) as an important part of their communication mix. This change calls for studies that help to understand the role of SNS in the communication mix, through further investigating their effects for brands and acknowledging their influencing triggers. Concerning that, previous studies have associated the use of SNS to effects on WoM, with SNS contributing as a tool skilled for generating conversations about the brand. The current study focuses on investigating the triggers of these effects. In previous research, WoM was accepted as being triggered by constructs related to the effects of SNS on increasing users´ knowledge about the brand and improving perceived relationship value. Despite their relevance, studies in SNS so far have not yet explored these approaches in an integrative manner. So researchers and managers could understand how these dimensions behave in relation to each other in triggering WoM. The current study addresses this research gap, proposing an integrative perspective that combines brand knowledge and brand relationship constructs while investigating the effects on WoM. Direct and indirect effects are proposed with mediating relations being supported by the Theory of Reason Action (TRA) and Social Exchange (SET). Two surveys were implemented, with 218 and 550 valid responses obtained. Results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings support the relevance of brand relationship variables (trust and affective commitment) in influencing WoM, with trust assuming a pivotal role. Moreover, triggers related to brand knowledge also influence the effects, with brand awareness and attitude driving significant effects. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussedinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring how to enhance SMES practices in the tourism sector in terms of service quality and sustainability

This study is part of RESETTING, a European program designed as a tool for "Relaunching European Smart and Sustainable Tourism Models through Digitalization and Innovative Technologies" (RESETITNG, 2022). This project aims to improve the quality of the travel experience, support the decarbonization of the tourism industry and promote more inclusive economic growth - not only for SMEs, but also for local people in the destination - by testing and integrating cutting-edge, digitally driven solutions that reduce burdensome requirements and facilitate the transition to more resilient, circular and sustainable operating models for European tourism businesses. The project will involve 60 SMEs from five countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Albania). The contribution of managers with different experiences will allow them to evaluate and find solutions that can be helpful and relevant in very specific tourism contexts. This work will help to identify, propose, and validate measurement scales for a web platform developed to help SMEs evaluate their execution of different concepts. The main objective is to use a systematic literature approach to identify and analyze two core constructs: Service Quality and Sustainability. In addition, we also intend to understand how these constructs are measured in the tourism sector, especially regarding small and medium enterprises, to then propose our own measurement scales. The systematic literature review followed several criteria of quality, the scope of the study, and the use of quality ranking of journals where studies are published.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio