An evaluation of nonprofit brand image: towards a better conceptualization and measurement

Nonprofit brand image plays an important role in shaping consumers’ charitable donations and therefore nonprofit organizations must be aware of how consumers perceive them. This research examines nonprofit brand image and reports findings from three empirical studies, which aim to offer a better conceptualization and measurement of the concept. Study 1 investigates the psychometric properties of the Michel and Rieunier’s (2012) nonprofit brand image scales with a sample from the UK, and reports key methodological limitations. Specifically, discriminant and convergent validity tests highlight the need for further research into the dimensionality of the nonprofit brand image measures. Subsequently, studies 2 and 3 offer an improved conceptualization and measurement of nonprofit brand image and validate the scales via the use of 2 separate data sets. The new measures consists of 6 dimensions namely, usefulness, efficiency, affect, dynamism, reliability and ethicality which are significantly related to intentions to donate money and time

When are apps worth paying for? An analysis of the market performance of mobile apps

Through the use of established marketing laws such as the brand usage and image relationship and the Double Jeopardy effect, this research shows how to analyze the market performance of different types of mobile apps. The key empirical findings are as follows: apps linked to an offline/online brand attract more users and obtain stronger brand image if made available to consumers at no cost; apps branded independently attract more users and obtain stronger brand image if offered at a price. These outcomes significantly add to existing knowledge about branded apps, and demonstrate that longstanding marketing laws support the understanding and evaluation of market trends in the mobile digital context. These findings also translate into practical guidelines relevant to managers of existing brands wanting to launch an app, as well as managers wanting to market apps as stand-alone digital products

Does culture impact private label performance

Purpose – To better understand the disparity of private label performance across countries, the present study investigates the role played by national culture. Two types of impact are considered: a direct influence of cultural dimensions on the performance of private labels in a country and an indirect one where national culture favours the development of modern retailers, which in turn benefits private label performance. Design/methodology/approach – Using the five dimensions of Hofstede’s model to describe national culture, this paper performs a SEM incremental building model approach using secondary data collected from a sample of 65 countries. Findings – The results show that individualism (positively) and long-term orientation (negatively) directly impact private label performance. Moreover, four dimensions (individualism, masculinity, power distance and uncertainty avoidance) are shown to have a significant indirect impact on private label performance via the mediation of retail market development, positively for individualism and negatively for the three other dimensions. Practical implications – The findings provide retailers with important insights into the critical decisions of the selection of new markets and adaptation of the private label strategy according to the culture of the country. Originality/value – This research pioneers by being the first to 1) determine the impact of all the dimensions of the Hofstede cultural model on private label performance, 2) use a very large number of countries to test this impact and 3) study the role of important retail market factors in this phenomenon

Drivers and outcomes of branded mobile app usage intention

Purpose: This study examines the drivers and outcomes of the usage intention of branded mobile applications (apps), revealing findings of theoretical and practical relevance. First, it uncovers the specific technological features that underpin the perceived usefulness and ease of use of branded apps driving (directly and indirectly) usage intention. Second, it outlines two key outcomes that are relevant to the strategic management of branded apps: willingness to recommend the app and willingness to pay to continue using the app. Approach: This study uses data randomly derived from a panel of one million UK consumers, analyzed via structural equations modeling. The unit of analysis was individual apps prominently displaying a brand identity. The study tested indirect relationships between the key drivers considered and usage intention, via perceived usefulness and ease of use. Findings: Consumers who view branded apps as protecting their privacy, customizable and compatible with what they do, will have stronger perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, and greater intention to use the app. These effects also occur indirectly. Furthermore, usage intention drives the willingness to recommend the app and to pay to continue using it. Practical implications: To influence usage intention, managers can improve the perception of usefulness of branded apps by protecting consumer privacy, and improving the app’s design and its compatibility with people’s needs and lifestyle. Managers can also enhance the perception of ease of use of the branded app by heightening its security and ubiquity. Combined, these factors can enhance (directly and indirectly) the intention to use the app, which will lead to the willingness to recommend the app and pay for it. Originality/value: This study extends previous research by examining factors driving the intention to use branded apps and the resulting outcomes. It also offers a model that yields predictions for individual branded apps (not the brand powering the app), thus providing practical recommendations on how to manage, in general, apps with a brand identity

The impact of comparative affective states on online brand perceptions: a five-country study

The impact of comparative affective states on online brand perceptions: a five-country stud

Determinants of social media adoption by B2B organizations

Determinants of social media adoption by B2B organization

Event marketing and event sponsorship: can too much of a ‘good’ thing harm the brand?

Event marketing and event sponsorship represent some of the fastest growing communication tools organizations use today. Yet, while related in practice, little research has examined them together. In addition, most event marketing and event sponsorship research focuses on linear relationships with consumer outcomes, overlooking non-linear links with brand performance. We address these issues by distinguishing between event marketing and non-proprietary event sponsorship, developing a framework of their quadratic relationships with brand performance, and testing this framework on 207 UK managers. Structural equation modeling results suggest invert-U relationships exist between the two communication tools and brand performance. Findings are discussed

Controversial advert perceptions in SNS advertising: the role of ethical judgement and religious commitment

This study attempts to advance knowledge in the area of controversial advertising by examining the antecedents and consequences of controversial advert perceptions in the context of social media, and particularly social networking sites (SNS). Specifically, we explore how ethical judgement and religious commitment shape controversial advert perceptions leading to attitudes towards the advert, brand attitudes and purchase intentions. Our results indicate that when a SNS advert is judged to be ethically acceptable, the level of perceived advert controversy is lower. However, the impact of ethical judgement on controversial advert perceptions becomes significant and positive when intra-personal commitment and inter-personal religious commitment are introduced as moderators. This result implies that the level of religious commitment changes the ethical judgement - controversial advert perceptions relationship. The results also highlight that controversial advert perceptions negatively influence attitude toward the advert. The study contributes to the limited knowledge on controversial advertising on SNS, yielding significant and relevant implications for academics and advertisers alike, in their effort to improve advertising effectiveness without offending or alienating target audiences

Does non-profit brand image mean the same across cultures? An exploratory evaluation of non-profit brand image in three countries

Purpose – The current challenges international charities face with regards to their deteriorating image, as a result of recent scandals (e.g. Oxfam, Save the Children), provide the impetus for this exploratory research, where the purpose of this paper is to examine the conceptualization and dimensionality of non-profit brand image across national cultures.Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a quantitative research design, using multi-country samples from India, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the UK. The authors first examine the psychometric properties of the non-profit brand image scale via confirmatory factor analysis across countries, identifying the optimal model for invariance testing. Further, the authors use multi-group invariance analysis to evaluate whether non-profit brand image (using an 18-item scale and six factors) provides equivalent measurement across cultures.Findings – The study shows that individuals in the three countries perceive non-profit brand image equally, and as consisting of perceptions of usefulness, efficiency, affect, dynamism, reliability and ethicality. However, the results also indicate that the means of the dimensions of non-profit brand image are not comparable across different cultures.Originality/value – The study extends limited current literature on non-profit brand image in international contexts, deriving insightful suggestions for further theoretical approaches in this under-developed research domain. It also yields key implications for charities and other non-profit organizations operating internationally, as they can use non-profit brand image and its dimensions as actionable tools in their communication campaigns to shape their brand image.</div

Consumers' ethical perceptions of social media analytics practices: risks, benefits and potential outcomes

The increased leveraging of social media by organizations to derive business value has created concerns about the practice of social media analytics (SMA). While SMA may be beneficial for organizations and consumers alike, there is concern that it is not practiced with ethical care. In this study, we identify and model outcomes of ethical perceptions of SMA practices and organizational trustworthiness with data collected from 316 social media users. We also examine the roles of perceived risk and benefits in facilitating, or not, these outcomes. Results show that unfavorable ethical perceptions of SMA practices and low trustworthiness lead to perceived risk of sharing information, and subsequently to negative outcomes such as, unwillingness to reveal and falsification of information, as well as taking actions against organizations. We also find that perceived benefits moderate the relationship between perceived risk of sharing information and outcomes. The findings have significant theoretical implications and practical utility for organizations