Exploring Media Convergence: Evidence from Italy

The evolution of media and devices is enabling the ubiquitous and multi-device access to media and information, so that a media mutual contamination is in play. New forms of user interactions with media, in which different devices are used simultaneously in different contexts, have emerged. These new interactions are significantly impacting on users’ attitudes towards the media and their way of searching and generating content. Such a change, called “media convergence”, has a strong potential impact on marketing and communication processes, but as yet has not been deeply analysed in the literature. This paper presents the outcomes of several studies aimed at exploring media convergence on the demand-side to advance possible implications for marketers and managers

Exploring the role of anticipated emotions in product adoption and usage

Purpose: This study aims to explore the role of positive and negative anticipated emotions on adoption and continued usage of consumer products. The components of value eliciting anticipated emotions are investigated as well. Design/methodology/approach: The conceptual model proposed is tested in two empirical studies, one focussing on functional and hedonic products and one on incremental and radical product innovations. Data are collected through online surveys on consumers and are analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings: Results confirm the ability of anticipated emotions to influence product decision-making process. Moreover, anticipated emotions mediate the influence of value perceptions on product attitude. Findings show that these relationships vary greatly between initial adoption and further usage of the product. Practical implications: Findings from this study may help marketers in the development of the right brand strategies and communication campaigns, aimed at building emotional connections with the consumer which prompt product adoption and usage. Originality/value: Anticipated emotions, the predictions about the emotional consequences of a behaviour, have been acknowledged as strong drivers of consumer choices. Despite that, the role of anticipated emotions in product decision-making has not been explored yet. The present research, by means of a novel conceptual model, uncovers the role of anticipated emotions in both product adoption and continued usage decisions and depicts the components of value arousing such anticipated emotions

Co-creation with customers and suppliers: an exploratory study

Purpose: Co-creation along the new product development (NPD) seems the winning approach in nowadays market. The purpose of this paper is to explore the collaboration and interaction flows between suppliers and customers in co-creation initiatives devoted to NPD. Design/methodology/approach: After developing a classification of demand-side and supply-side involvement in co-creation along the NPD process, 13 cases of co-creation in the consumer goods industry, within the Italian context, have been analyzed. Findings: Three patterns of co-creation have been identified: supplier-driven approach: companies co-creating with suppliers in multiple NPD phases, while involving customers only in one; customer-driven approach: companies involving customers in multiple phases, while engaging suppliers only in one and firm-driven approach: companies involving both customers and suppliers in one single phase. Further, the locus of relevant knowledge drives to different co-creation approaches. Research limitations/implications: The work contributes to extant literature by: providing a classification of demand-side and supply-side involvement in NPD; empirically investigating the interaction flows between customers and suppliers in co-creation initiatives along the NPD; highlighting the factors potentially affecting a concurrent involvement of customers and suppliers in NPD. Practical implications: The findings can help to efficiently and effectively design and manage the relation with both suppliers and customers in co-creation projects devoted to NPD. Originality/value: The involvement of suppliers and customers in co-creation initiatives has been so far analyzed only separately in literature. This study opens a new stream of research, stressing how the evolution of the market, toward a more participative one, spurs the need to investigate the collaboration and interaction flows between the two actors

Individuals’ adoption of smart technologies for preventive health care: a structural equation modeling approach

Healthcare is moving towards new patterns and models, with an increasing attention paid to prevention. Smart technologies for mobile health care are emerging as new instruments to monitor the state of essential parameters in citizens. A very debated subject in literature is the critical role played by citizens’ acceptance and willingness to pay for mobile health technologies, especially whereas the services provided are preventive rather than curative. The adoption of such technologies is, indeed, a necessary condition for the success of mobile personalized health care. In this view, a conceptual framework, grounded on Technology Acceptance Model, is developed to explore the determinants of users’ willingness to adopt and pay for a mobile health care application for cardiovascular prevention. Empirical data are collected from a sample of 212 non-hypertensive Italian individuals and analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling. Results confirm that usefulness and ease of use determine both intention to accept and willingness to pay for mobile health smart technologies. Results show also the significant role played by social influence as well the role as antecedents played by technology promptness, innovativeness and prevention awareness. This study offers novel insights to design and promote smart application to improve mobile health care, with implications for researchers and practitioners in health care, research & development, and marketing

Exploring the adoption process of personal technologies: A cognitive-affective approach

The impact of cognitive and emotional factors on the customer's decision to adopt a new technology has long been at the core of innovation and marketing literature. Today, the proliferation of personal technologies makes the understanding of the adoption process of such innovations a vital issue. This article, moving from long-established technology adoption theories, integrates affective factors to propose a comprehensive framework to interpret and orient innovation and marketing approaches of companies. To do this, we review a rich literature from the domains of management, information systems, marketing and cognitive psychology, identifying six possible sources of perceived value for personal technologies, hence attitude to adopt them: functional value, monetary value, social value, entertainment value, epistemic value and aesthetic value. After defining and framing them in the extant literature, we discuss how the framework may be adopted in practice to support Companies' strategies in the surprisingly under-explored industry of personal technologies

Better off alone? An analysis of behavioral characteristics of electronic gaming machine players

Which is the effect of social interactions on individuals’ gambling behavior? The answer research provides is contradictory: form one side it is suggested that gamblers playing alone are more likely to increase their gambling frequency and betting risk when compared to players who gamble in group, often paired with a rise in aggressive behavior. On the other hand, studies showed that the mere presence of other players might encourage gambling, increasing stakes and shortening betting intervals. This work explores the behavioral characteristics of electronic gaming machines players along different game events and analyses the influence of social interactions on their gambling behavior. The study, conducted in slot halls, involves ethnographic observation and the analysis of gamblers’ facial micro-expressions through a face recognition technology. Results reveal that only certain game events elicit manifest behavioral responses in players. Further, findings show that the presence of other players might positively influence the gambling conduct, constituting an element of prevention in the onset of negative valence behavioral responses. The discussion focuses on the mechanisms aimed at favoring social interactions during gambling

Exploring Consumer’s Social Motivations, Opportunity and Ability to Engage in Virtual Co-Creation

The aim of this paper is to explore the drivers, namely motivation, opportunity and ability, of consumer willingness to participate in virtual co-creation activities. Further, the influence of altruism and social reputation on motivation is investigated. Through an online survey we collected data on 180 consumers about co-creation activities in the food industry. Findings show that consumer’s motivation and ability have a relevant influence on willingness to participate in co-creation projects, while opportunity has not. Altruism and social reputation are confirmed to be relevant motivational factors. Managerial implications are provided