An Analysis of Anger Responses within the Context of Virtualized Consumption of Hatsune Miku

Does anger reflect deep meaning of attachment and integration? In an effort to explicate the above notion and to capture the rapidly evolving consumer behaviour in the digital virtual terrain, the paper investigates the responses of fans to a break-out phenomenal from Japan, the virtual celebrity Hatsune Miku (HM) to a controversial report from CBS news (see Johnson, 2012). The meteoric rise to fame of HM, a Crypton Media-produced Vocaloid character which resembles a 16-year girl, is demonstrated by the sales of total HM brand goods reaching 10 billion yen (approximately $104 million USD), and by more than 350,000 vocaloid videos on YouTube and 92,600 such videos on Niconico douga - a Japanese YouTube-like site (Wikia, 2012; Santos 2011). On one side, the responses from fans to inaccurate claims by CBS news are replete with furious, cynical, and sarcastic comments that not only defend the credibility of HM, but also brutally criticize the validity of the proposed “fake-ness” of HM. Such comments even go beyond attacking the author of the article, and retaliate with attacks on America as a nation in response to a perceived attack on Japan within the article itself. On the other side, the responses unveil the deep adoration and love of fans to HM and the meaning, the aestheticism, and the values that HM gives to these fans and co-creators globally. With the ignited deep anger from HM fans due to the CBS report opening an unprecedented view of the “inner thoughts” of HM from “her” fans, this paper contributes to the domains of virtualized consumption and consumer emotion by exploring HM fans’ responses, extracting a number of key concepts and themes, and examining the link between them, including her real-ness and desired experiential rewards that the fans claim to truly enjoy

Are innovative consumers prone to imitation perception? Developing a constructivist innovativeness model of imitation perception

Global firms desire to see that consumers perceive their firm and brands innovative. Firms may claim that they are innovative and may blame their competitor(s) to be imitative. But how do innovative consumers see this claim? Are they sensitive to imitation? Responding to this gap, the on-going present study investigates whether and how consumer innovativeness influences imitation perception and subsequently innovativeness perception of the firm. The present study particularly intends to theorize the innovativeness perspective of imitation perception. The study used a two-route model and a survey with 334 respondents regarding two competing brands. Comparing the home and foreign brands, the results suggests that innovativeness influences imitation perception in the context of home brand users. Future study seeks to use a constructivist, two-route model of information processing and experiential

Exploring the mobile technology deployment process in a creative B2B service industry

This study addresses the limited empirically grounded research to understand the process of the mobile technology deployment (MTD) in a creative B2B industry. Strauss’ evolved grounded theory (GT) approach has been employed to analyse three different cases and perform cross-case display of patterns. Multiple sources of both primary, in-depth interviews with key decision-makers, and secondary data have been used to select seven dimensions of the MTD process, three operational and four strategic, signalling similarities and intercase differences. Creative B2B firms extensively deploy mobile technology (MT) on operational and strategic levels. Findings confirm applicability of existing strategic marketing doctrines in relation to the MTD where follower-firm employs MT based on cost-efficiency and risk avoidance strategic orientation. The second firm, challenger, organises and manages the MTD based on market opportunities. The third, leader, is characterised by risk-taking approach and innovation orientation to the MTD. This study provides insights into practices of the MTD in creative B2B companies describing strategic paths that firms follow in order to build competitive positioning through employment of MT. The seven-dimensions framework of the MTD can be practically implied for strategy and operation planning in companies currently applying and potentially willing to deploy MT

Playfulness and identity

People may regard playfulness as unproductive with related negative effects, although it is enjoyable and frequently occurs in their life. On the other side, identity is an important topic that exists in psychosocial wellbeing, consumer research and consumer marketing. Building on the notion that what people enjoy consuming may express their identity and responding to the myth over the less-attended playfulness concept, the present study explores playfulness and how it relates to identity. Review on related literature suggest that past research has studied playfulness and identity independently. Conceptually, flow theory portrays playfulness as a harmonious equilibrium experience that signifies performing one’s skills in respond to challenges in an activity. Literature also indicates playfulness as cognitively favourable in terms of imaginative and creative processes in transforming corresponding stimuli into personally meaningful configuration. All the above notions suggest the theoretical links and relevance of playfulness to one’s identity. To explore whether and how playfulness is related to identity, the study used a two-step qualitative method of one-to-one in-depth interview. The findings bring back into consumer and marketing theoretical domains the genuine substance of playfulness as a deemed, frequent but overlooked behaviour. Broadly speaking, all respondents affirm that playfulness is important and influential in their life. Specifically, the themes emerged from the data analysis demonstrate the characteristics of playfulness and reveal how playfulness is relevant and related to identity. Overall the themes suggest that playfulness denotes an expression of one’s personal identity that occurs in harmony and within personal and social domains. In practice, playful approaches and stimuli can play significant role in identity marketing campaign. The essence of playfulness of expression-of-me and harmony paves practical ways for incorporating playfulness in identity marketing such as new product / innovations through playful, cognitive activities or events, and identity-theme interactive advert. Keywords: playfulness, identity, exploratory, qualitativ

The impact of consumer innovativeness, prestige price sensitivity and need for emotion on impulse buying and satisfaction

Impulse buying (IB) refers to unplanned purchases without much reflection (Bellenger et al. 1978; Youn and Faber 2000; Beatty and Ferrell, 1998) and it is defined by Rock (1987: 191) as a state of “sudden, often powerful and persistent urge to buying something immediately”. Commonly conceptualized and measured in the literature as a tendency to buy things on impulse (Rook and Fisher 1995; Peck and Childers 2006), IB is “inconsistent with rational choice models” (Silvera, et al. 2008: 23) and has been linked to affect and emotion, specifically excitement, pleasure and an urge to buy (Rook 1987). Silvera et al. (2008) argue that there is relatively little research on IB from a psychological perspective and hence a lack of understanding of the psychological constructs underpinning this behavioral tendency. Earlier research failed to provide personalitygrounded explanations of IB (e.g. d’ Antoni and Shenson, 1973; Cobb and Hoyer 1986; Youn and Faber 2000) suggesting that this stream of research may have focused on relationships between IB and ‘irrelevant’ personality traits (Youn and Faber 2000). Later research has, however, linked IB to a number of personality traits, specifically, lack of control, stress reaction, absorption (Youn and Faber 2000) as well as the Big 5 (Verplanken and Herabadi 2001). Additionally, Silvera et al.’s (2008) research attempts to validate Verplanken et al.’s (2005) contribution on the psychological states underlying IB, highlighting the relationship between IB and subjective wellbeing, affect, self-esteem and social influence. Lately, research has examined IB in relation to variety seeking tendencies, optimal stimulation level and price consciousness/sensitivity (Sharma et al. 2010; Liang 2012), and to other factors, such as product involvement and product knowledge, (Sharma et al. 2010), store promotions and environmental cues (Kacen et al. 2012; Peck and Childers 2006). IB has also been linked to satisfaction in the sense that consumers do not necessarily view IB as normatively wrong; but use IB as a means of satisfying certain needs, in addition to the need for the product (e.g. Hausman 2000) such as hedonic desires, novelty, variety, social interaction and self-esteem needs (Piron 1991; Rook 1987; Hausman 2000). This study seeks to extend the current understanding of the underpinnings of IB and satisfaction by focusing on specific personality traits that seem more relevant for marketers, including consumer innovativeness, prestige price sensitivity and need for emotion

Ethical perceptions on cigarette marketing

How do people conceive of an ethically good action? How do people link their perceptual arguments which is compelling? Do people not simply line up reasons for a specific course of action? Many of us will say differently, and it somehow depends on the situation they are in. Ethics refers to the moral principles and standards that guide individuals or groups as they obtain, use and dispose of goods or services. What is perfectly legal, could possibly violate the ethical standards of a society. No exception, marketing activities could become unethical when they market products that are considered as harmful to vulnerable consumers who are susceptible to physical, economic, or psychological harm. For example, while the cigarette industry is considered legal, the health, safety and social problems associated with cigarette consumption lead to intense public discussion. In this context, the present paper contributes to our understanding about ethical perception. Responding to the above questions, the study conducts an inquiry into people’s perceptions on key cigarette marketing activities that exist in a society where cigarette industry plays a significant economic role. The ethics model of this study consists of four constructs – one extraneous antecedent of perceived freedom of business enterprise (PFBE); one intravenous antecedent of perceived reputation (PReput); and two pure consequences of perceived ethics of advertising (PAdv) and perceived ethics of company’s social responsibility (PCSR); with five hypotheses. Convenient sampling was adopted in this study with a total of five hundred questionnaires were distributed face-to-face in participating urban villages. Analysing a data set of 491 respondents, the findings reveal the significance of perceived freedom of business enterprise influencing societal perceptions on cigarette business’ reputation and tobacco advertising, but not on perception of cigarette firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR). Nevertheless, perceptions on reputation mediates perception on freedom to impact perception on CSR. The mediated influence of perceived freedom toward perceived CSR indicates a virtuous aspiration of society about how cigarette firms should run their CSR activities. Future research may examine the perceived ethicality of specific reputation building activities over specific advertising and CSR. Another route can explore how freedom of business enterprise influences other marketing communication mix such as promotion and sponsorship. Keywords: Cigarette marketing, ethical perception, CS

An exploration of the Indonesian public perceptions of the ethics of tobacco advertising

This paper aims to explore the Indonesian public perceptions of the ethics of tobacco advertising. Six focus groups and thirty personal interviews were conducted in eight urban villages in Yogyakarta, Indonesia to gather data

The future of Indonesian tobacco children: Implications for tobacco control policy

This study aims to explore the Indonesian public perception towards the ethics of tobacco marketing activities, and their implications on young people. Six focus groups and thirty personal interviews were conducted in eight urban villages in Yogyakarta, Indonesia to gather data. The findings indicate that the majority of participants believe that tobacco marketing activities are directly and indirectly targeted at young people, and therefore considered to be unethical. Children and teenagers are perceived to be vulnerable groups who do not understand the persuasiveness of marketing methods and messages adopted by cigarette companies. The study is concluded by offering a number of tobacco control measures that prioritise the well-being of these vulnerable groups