Internet-induced marketing techniques: Critical factors in viral marketing campaigns

The rapid diffusion of the Internet and the emergence of various social constructs facilitated by Internet technologies are changing the drivers that define how marketing techniques are developed and refined. This paper identifies critical factors for viral marketing, an Internet-based ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing technique. Based on existing knowledge, five types of viral marketing factors that may critically influence the success of viral marketing campaigns are identified. These factors are the overall structure of the campaign, the characteristics of the product or service, the content of the message, the characteristics of the diffusion and, the peer-to-peer information conduit. The paper discusses three examples of viral marketing campaigns and identifies the specific factors in each case that influence its success. The paper concludes with a viral marketing typology differentiating between viral marketing communications, unintended viral marketing and commercial viral marketing. This is still a rapidly evolving area and further research is clearly needed to monitor new developments and make sense of the radical changes these developments bring to the market

Exercising the “Right to Repair”: A Customer’s Perspective

Concerns over the carbon footprint resulting from the manufacturing, usage and disposal of hardware have been growing. The Right to Repair legislation was introduced to promote sustainable utilisation of hardware by encouraging stakeholders to prolong the lifetime of products, such as electronic devices. As there is little empirical evidence from a consumer perspective on exercising the right to repair, this study aims firstly to examine the factors that underpin consumers’ intention to repair their hardware, and secondly to investigate the perceived outcomes of repair practices. Based on 510 responses, the results showed that intention to repair is dependent on three groups of factors, namely, the facilitators of pro-environmental behaviour, repair-related factors and beliefs about legislation. If consumers have a stronger intention to repair, they have a stronger feeling of emotional self-assurance, satisfaction with the repair decision and the technology manufacturer, an intention to engage with the manufacturer and a positive perception of a repaired device’s performance. The findings contribute to the literature on sustainable behaviour and the right to repair, offering insight for policymakers and manufacturers about the strategies facilitating the wider adoption of repair practices

The pandemic consumer response: a stockpiling perspective and shopping channel preferences

Covid-19 has changed consumer behaviour, probably forever. Initial consumer stockpiling led to stockouts, threat and uncertainty for consumers. To overcome shortages, consumers expanded their use of channels and many consumers started buying online for the first time. In this paper, we aim to address important research gaps related to consumer behaviour during the pandemic and especially stockpiling. Our paper starts by presenting the findings of our pre-study, which used social media to elicit or confirm potential constructs for our quantitative models. These constructs complemented the protection motivations theory to explain stockpiling behaviour, forming the basis for study 1, the stockpiling preparation stage and study 2, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic disruptor on customer service logistics and lockdown shopping channel preferences. For studies 1 and 2 we gathered data via a UK online panel-structured questionnaire survey (n = 603). Results confirm that consumer-driven changes to supply chains emanate largely from consumer uncertainty. Lockdown restrictions led to consumers feeling socially excluded, but enhanced consumers’ positive attitudes towards shopping online and increased consumers’ altruism. In response, consumers stockpiled by visiting physical stores and/or ordering online. Lockdown restrictions led to feelings of social exclusion but, importantly, stockpiling helped to minimize consumer anxiety and fear and even increase wellbeing

Preferences of smart shopping channels and their impact on perceived wellbeing and social inclusion

This study examines consumers’ interactions with retailers via three different shopping channels. Two of the channels are “smart” (technological) channels, comprising (i) where consumers shop using a computer and (ii) where consumers shop using a mobile phone. These two channels are compared with (iii) the traditional store channel. The paper explores the effect that consumers’ interactions with these channels have on their wellbeing, with a focus on individuals who perceive themselves as being socially excluded, for example, lacking access to goods, services and information. We make a connection between social exclusion and channel contribution to wellbeing for multiple channels, through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The online survey findings (n=1368) indicate that for each channel, there is a higher contribution to wellbeing for that channel for people who are more socially excluded. Social exclusion can have many underlying causes, but channel contributions to wellbeing remain for consumers suffering financial stress and also those with mobility disability. For the mobile phone channel, the positive channel contributions to wellbeing are greater for younger than for older people. The paper outlines the implications for scholars and practitioners

Does social exclusion influence multiple channel use? The interconnections with community, happiness, and well-being

This paper examines how social exclusion affects consumer use of multiple shopping channels (traditional stores, online by computer and mobile retailing by cell phone) and how these choices affect consumers' happiness and wellbeing. The findings from an online survey (n = 1368) in the United States indicate that socially-excluded people spend more time shopping by all three channels, with the most significant being the cell phone. The latter channel is also more significant for younger respondents and for those who report a mobility/disability issue. Time spent on traditional store shopping and shopping by cell phone both have significant positive effects on happiness and wellbeing. Shopping by cell phone significantly ameliorates the negative effects of social exclusion on happiness and wellbeing for consumers with mobility/disability issues. The paper also includes practical implications for retail marketing managers' and policy makers' communication strategies

The role of brand attachment strength in higher education

This paper examines the effect of brand attachment and its antecedents on commitment, satisfaction, trust and brand equity in the context of Higher Education Institutions. The findings from an online survey with students and recent graduates (n=605) in the United States indicate that brand meaning is the main antecedent of brand attachment strength that affects satisfaction, trust, and commitment as well as brand equity. The effect of the brand attachment antecedents on satisfaction is stronger for current students whereas the effect of brand attachment antecedents on commitment is stronger for recent graduates. The effect of attachment strength on brand equity is also stronger for recent graduates. The paper also highlights practical implications for higher education managers and policy makers

Value co-creation through multiple shopping channels: the interconnections with social exclusion and wellbeing

This study examines consumers’ value co-creation via several shopping channels including a traditional out-of-home shopping channel and “smart” channels where consumers use a computer, a mobile phone or social media. It focuses on the effect that value co-creation has on consumers’ shopping behaviour as well as on the perceived contribution of a shopping channel to their wellbeing, with a focus on individuals who perceive themselves as being socially excluded, particularly by mobility disability. The project was carried out in the USA using an online survey (n=1220). Social exclusion has a positive statistically significant effect on respondents’ self-connection with all channels; for many socially excluded respondents the shopping channel has an important role in their lives. Self-connection with the channel has a positive effect on value co-creation and there is a positive relationship between value co-creation and the perceived contribution of the channel on wellbeing. When consumers help other individuals in their decision making they not only create value for the retailer and for other customers but also contribute positively to their own wellbeing. Importantly, for smart shopping channels where consumers use a computer or a mobile phone, the impact of value co-creation on the perceived contribution of these channels to consumer wellbeing are stronger for shoppers with a mobility disability than for those without such a disability

General data protection regulation: a study on attitude and emotional empowerment

\ua9 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.Over the last few years, digitalisation has accelerated its pace, fuelling the creation of a massive amount of data. This has resulted in a need to introduce legal mechanisms to protect the privacy and security of data being exchanged between people and organisations. However, little is known about the individuals’ perspective on such mechanisms. Given the gap in the literature, this research investigated the drivers and the implications of individuals’ attitude towards GDPR compliance. To test the research model, structural equational modelling was employed using 540 responses. The result showed that perceived threat severity, self-efficacy and response efficacy determine a positive attitude towards GDPR compliance, which results in emotional empowerment. The findings contribute to the literature on legal privacy-preserving mechanisms, by providing a user’s view on the coping and threat appraisal factors underpinning attitude and demonstrating the implications for driving confidence in control over personal data. The findings also contribute to the literature on protection motivation by demonstrating that attitude towards adaptive behaviour drives emotional empowerment. The study offers suggestions to policymakers on how to enhance public perception of the GDPR. The findings also provide guidelines for organisations on how to inform individuals’ understanding of compliance with the legal framework

To immerse or not? Experimenting with two virtual retail environments

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine the determinants of users’ simulated experience in a virtual store and to show the subsequent impact of that experience on engagement. The outcome of that engagement is examined in relation to enjoyment, satisfaction and purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach: The method comprised an experiment comparing users’ perceptions of a standard 2D online clothing store with an enhanced, immersive one that aimed to provide shopping value approaching that of a traditional store by using a 3D experience where participants wore special glasses and a data glove. Findings: Results demonstrate the major role of telepresence components in simulated experience and the critical role of that experience, along with hedonic and utilitarian values, in engagement. Purchase intention is influenced by satisfaction, which is in turn influenced by enjoyment and engagement. Engagement in turn is influenced by utilitarian and hedonic value and the experience of product simulation or telepresence, which is composed of control, colour and graphics vividness, and 3D authenticity. In the immersive, 3D environment experience is more associated with engagement and enjoyment, leading to greater purchase intention. The immersive, 3D environment thus has the potential to rival traditional shopping in terms of experience, resulting in higher sales for retailers and satisfaction for consumers. Originality: This work has evaluated a robust model of purchase intention and demonstrated it to hold not only in a 3D environment on a conventional computer platform, but also in an immersive one, where participants wear special glasses and a data glove

The effect of twitter dissemination on cost of equity: A big data approach

Reducing information asymmetry between investors and a firm can have an impact on the cost of equity, especially in an environment or times of uncertainty. New technologies can potentially help disseminate corporate financial information, reducing such asymmetries. In this paper we analyse firms’ dissemination decisions using Twitter, developing a comprehensive measure of the amount of financial information that a company makes available to investors (iDisc) from a big data of firms’ tweets (1,197,208 tweets). Using a sample of 4131 firm-year observations for 791 non-financial firms listed on the US NASDAQ stock exchange over the period 2009–2015, we find evidence that iDisc significantly reduces the cost of equity. These results are pronounced for less visible firms which are relatively small in size, have a low analyst following and a small number of investors. Highly visible firms are less likely to benefit from iDisc in influencing their cost of equity as other communication channels may have widely disseminated their financial information. Our investigations encourage managers to consider the benefits of directly spreading a firm’s financial information to stakeholders and potential investors using social media in order to reduce firm equity premium (COE)