Lowering the pirate flag: a TPB study of the factors influencing the intention to pay for movie streaming services

The launch of several movie streaming services has raised new questions about how online consumers deal with both legal and illegal options to obtain their desired products. This paper investigates the factors influencing consumers’ intentions to subscribe to online movie streaming services. These services have challenged the dramatic growth in their illegal counterpart in recent years. Taking the theory of planned behavior as a starting point, we extended existing models in the literature by incorporating factors that are specific to consumer behavior in this particular field. A quantitative survey was conducted for the Italian market, and structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Attitudes, involvement with products, moral judgement and frequency of past behavior were found to be the most important factors in explaining the intention to pay for movie streaming services. The paper provides insights for policy makers and industry managers on the marketing communication strategies needed to minimize the risk of digital piracy

Exploring the Trade-offs Between Incentives for Distributed Generation Developers and DNOs

Regulators are aiming to incentivize developers and Distribution Network Operators to connect distributed generation (DG) to improve network environmental performance and efficiency. A key question is whether these incentives will encourage both parties to connect DG. Here, multiobjective optimal power flow is used to simulate how the parties' incentives affect their choice of DG capacity within the limits of the existing network. Using current U.K. incentives as a basis, this paper explores the costs, benefits and tradeoffs associated with DG in terms of connection, losses and, in a simple fashion, network deferral. © 2007 IEEE

From CSR to CSI: analysing consumers' hostile responses to branding initiatives in social media-scape

Purpose - The paper analyses consumers’ hostile responses and ‘creative’ re-interpretation of a proactive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) brand communication campaign on social media by a leading Italian company in the energy industry that came to be perceived as a reactive Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI) performance. Design/methodology/approach - Taking Palazzo and Basu’s framework of scapes (2007) as a starting point, the paper explores the intersection between branding and CSR studies. After consideration of the lack of empirical studies on this subject, a content analysis of tweets generated from the campaign ‘Guerrieri’ of Enel is performed. Findings - Findings show the dialogic bottom-up approach results are ineffective due to the hijacking of original intent of the company in implementing its CSR communication initiatives. That is to say that corporate brand (CB) strategies can be easily re-interpreted in social media-scape in an opposing perspective, raising the risk of digital hijacking and boycotting initiatives. Practical implications - From a practical standpoint, the study informs managers so that they can evaluate complex problems implicated in the creation of CSR activities aimed at engaging consumers and virtual communities. Besides, the paper would like to aid managers when they face discontent or activism, suggesting they should turn the attention of their stakeholders through a re-evaluation of relevant CSR activities, potentially leveraging on a loyal public which has completely interiorised CB values and can act as brand ambassadors. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first attempts to study the nexus between CSR and CB in digitally-empowering contexts, clarifying the crucial role of social media-scape

Rethinking Bernstein communication wheel: a re-visitation of a communication tool

Purpose – The aim of this conceptual paper is to review Bernstein’s communication wheel in order to make it a tool that can be used in the selection of a corporate communication mix. Design/methodology/approach – A critical analysis of Bernstein’s communication wheel shows it to be a checklist, a starting point in the examination of corporate communication mix, but it is not as such of great help to the decision-maker. Findings – The findings of reviewing literature highlight that the principle of a clear distinction between strategic decisions and operational decisions is applicable also in the field of corporate communication. For each stakeholder relationship, our framework suggests typical combinations of activities and means to be employed. These combinations are useful to experiment with expert systems which are functional to the choices of corporate communication mix. Research limitations/implications – The analysis of communication gaps gives directions for formulating strategic decisions. In our framework tactical decisions concern the components of the communication mix architecture (or communication chain): activities, means and vehicles of communication. On the contrary, Bernstein’s communication wheel includes only generic channels (or media) and gives no indications as to the architecture of the communication mix. Originality/value – This study illustrates the hierarchy of decisions relating to corporate communication mix, the communication wheel could also be useful in communication planning. If this assumption is held to be true it then becomes possible to lay out a framework for a progressive decision-making path that means making sequential choices (first strategic, then tactical). In the stakeholder approach, the aim of strategic decisions is to choose the stakeholder groups on which a firm has to focus its corporate communication activities

From fragmentation to collaboration in tourism promotion: an analysis of the adoption of IMC in the Amalfi coast

The fragmentation in decision-making among different stakeholders severely influences the effectiveness of tourism promotion, also in well-known destinations. Through the lens of collaboration theory, the paper empirically aims at exploring how an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) approach may be preferred to traditional communication programs to boost collaboration of different players. Depth interviews from tourism body stakeholders, organisations and other local government associations from the Amalfi coast region of Italy are conducted to identify incentives and barriers to adopting an integrated approach of communication to tourism promotion. The findings underpin the development of an implementation model aimed at pushing local stakeholders to attain the main benefits of creating and maintaining a network of relationships, implemented as a way to overcome uncertainty in tourism. The paper thus advances IMC in a tourism context, supporting the need to help economic actors to overcome boundaries that hinder them from joining their forces

Developing corporate communications: insights from the Italian scenario

Purpose - Based on business manager perceptions in large firms, this paper explores the emergence, growth and importance of corporate communications and how it is evolving and creating competitive advantage in Italian firms. Design/methodology/approach - A qualitative approach is deployed, comprising depth interviews with senior managers from corporations from a broad spectrum of industries including: energy, telecommunications, automotive, transport, retail chain, appliances, technology and engineering, private shipping, government-owned holdings, marketing consultancy, and construction. Findings - The paper provides insights of corporate communication (corpcom) practices in the sampled companies. The research shows that corpcoms involves a complex range of activities leading to performances managed and implemented under CEO direction. Practical implications - Corpcoms is perceived as a strategic concept with effective application relative to managing corporate image and reputation. The findings offer insights for communication professionals who deal with corpcoms, branding, and marketing communications. Originality/value - Corpcoms can be viewed via lens of social actors’ perspectives, i.e. via practitioners – including brand managers and senior executives as they possess practical knowledge of contextual business setting and the managerial capacity to design and implement integrated corporate communications

How to boost place branding leveraging on community relations: an exploration of the banking sector in Ghana

Purpose - This paper aims at exploring the relationship between community relations (CR) and the concept of place branding (PB) by analysing several companies in a developing sub-Saharan country – Ghana - and developing a framework that links the selected concepts together. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides an analysis based on a multiple case study approach, with an interpretivist analysis of secondary and primary data derived from archival documents and in-depth interviews of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and brand managers from purposefully selected cases of private financial institutions. The data gathered were qualitatively analysed to identify and interpret common themes about CR, PB and other relevant factors such as culture. Based on analysis of the qualitative data, a comprehensive framework for CR and PB was formulated. Findings - Findings show that, in the developing sub-Saharan country Ghana, the process of establishing a place brand is complex, due to influences exerted on CR practices by culture, management agenda of private organisations, government intervention, and the fragmentation of efforts to generate a coherent dialogue with numerous stakeholders. Practical implications - The study shows that managers can leverage on an array of CR elements, including moral and ethical obligations of the company, provision of economic benefits, integration, common goals between corporation and its communities, responsibility to stakeholders, proactive action, partnerships across sector lines, and active leadership, to boost PB. Thus, this research will help policymakers, country brand managers and communication professionals in structuring a proper PB starting from the efforts made in the CR field. Originality/value – This research can be considered one of the few studies undertaken with a view to understanding and developing a CR framework that links with PB in a developing country. The study identifies several important moderators of PB and factors influencing CR. All issues are approached from the viewpoint of PB that promotes economic, commercial and political interests at home and abroad