Towards a Typology of Visual Customer Engagement Behaviors (CEBs)

In today’s markets, the rise of social media channels has led to a dramatic influencing role for customers. Not satisfied with the passive role of being a receiver of firms’ offerings; customers proactively engage in engagement behaviors that influence other social actors embedded within networks. Recently, the digital world has been witnessing consistent technological advancements; hence the way customers influence others extends beyond written statements, to include visual content. Despite the acknowledged influence of visual compared to textual customer engagement behaviors (CEBs) in online contexts, a typology of forms of visual influence is yet unknown

Visual Modality of Engagement (VME) : conceptualization, typology of forms, and outcomes

Customers proactively engage with firms’ offerings through behavioral manifestations such as brand-related social media posts, influencing other customers in online networks and, consequently, affecting brand value. With the growth of visually oriented social media platforms, interest has increased in understanding customer engagement behavior (CEB) using visual content. In this paper, we build on CEB, image acts, visual content, and communication theories to conceptualize the Visual Modality of Engagement (VME). Using both field and lab studies, we develop a typology of four distinct positive (experiential, evidential) and negative (mocking, dissuasive) forms of VME and offer empirical evidence revealing they induce different brand-related (purchase intentions, brand evaluation) and other customer-related (willingness to imitate, resharing intentions) outcomes. Additional results also reveal outcomes vary by the interplay of social and brand interactions with the various VME forms. The findings of this research offer guidance to content managers for the development of more effective engagement strategies in social media marketing

Los procesos de co-creación y el engagement del cliente: Un análisis empírico en medios interactivos

El desarrollo actual de las tecnologías de información y comunicación (TICs) ha dotado a los clientes de nuevos medios para adoptar un rol mucho más activo en sus relaciones con las empresas. El impacto y las aplicaciones de las TICs en el ámbito del servicio ha sido identificado como una prioridad de investigación en el área del marketing, poniéndose así de manifiesto la importancia de la intersección tecnología/servicio en la creación de experiencias virtuales (Breidbach et al., 2013; Ostrom et al., 2010). Las TICs han favorecido la emergencia de plataformas online más sofisticadas cuyas características intrínsecas permiten al cliente mayores opciones de interacción, promoviendo su colaboración (Fiore et al., 2005; Varadarajan et al., 2010; Wang et al., 2007). Estas plataformas de conexión o engagement han sido definidas como puntos de contacto (virtuales o físicos) que permiten a los individuos integrar recursos y participar en procesos de co-creación de valor (Breidbach et al., 2013; Ramaswamy, 2009b; Sawhney et al., 2005). Así pues, dichas plataformas promueven la creación de valor a través de las relaciones, facilitan la generación de contenido por parte del usuario y enriquecen la experiencia de compra, favoreciendo un uso más social de la tecnología e influyendo en las decisiones del cliente (Kim et al., 2009; Malthouse y Hofacker, 2010; Prahalad y Ramaswamy, 2004a). Si bien la importancia de las plataformas de engagement -tanto virtuales como físicas- en los procesos de co-creación de valor ha sido reconocida, se ha destacado la importancia de analizar la naturaleza y las características de dichas plataformas para fomentar las interacciones entre múltiples actores y la colaboración entre clientes y con la empresa (Brodie et al., 2011a; Huang y Rust, 2013; Ramaswamy, 2011). La presente tesis se centra en el concepto de plataforma de engagement como espacio de co-creación de valor, tratando de responder a la necesidad manifiesta de llevar a cabo una mayor investigación en el área de tecnología y servicio, específicamente aquella relacionada con las interacciones que este tipo de plataformas promueven (Huang y Rust, 2013; Libai et al., 2010). Centrándonos en estos aspectos, el objetivo de esta tesis es explorar el rol de las plataformas de engagement a la hora de fomentar la co-creación de experiencias y el engagement del cliente en medios interactivos. Para ello, nosotros nos centramos tanto en aspectos intrínsecos (relacionados con el cliente) como extrínsecos (relacionados con la plataforma). Además, analizamos el rol de la compra en los procesos de co-creación de valor, desde una perspectiva que va más allá del mero intercambio transaccional, y que la considera como un contexto que favorece la colaboración cliente-empresa y también cliente-cliente. Para ello, se han llevado a cabo dos estudios empíricos que exploran la co-creación de experiencias en los medios interactivos. El primero de ellos se centra en el concepto de plataforma de engagement, analizando la influencia de sus estímulos (relacionados con la personalización y con las interacciones entre clientes) en la co-creación de experiencias y el engagement del cliente. El segundo estudio tiene como objetivo analizar los antecedentes y las consecuencias de la co-creación de experiencias, planteando un modelo causal que considera, por un lado, las emociones como un antecedente clave, y por el otro las respuestas del cliente, tanto transaccionales (intenciones de compra) como no transaccionales (intenciones de co-crear, el engagement del cliente y la imagen de marca) como potenciales consecuencias. Los resultados obtenidos ponen de manifiesto la importancia de la experiencia de compra desde una perspectiva social y de co-creación, demostrando la influencia realizada por los estímulos relacionados con la personalización y las interacciones entre clientes sobre la co-creación de experiencias y el engagement del cliente. Asimismo, también se corrobora la influencia de las tres dimensiones emocionales en la co-creación de experiencias y el rol crítico del engagement del cliente para fomentar las futuras intenciones de co-crear con la empresa. Finalmente, se verifica que tanto la co-creación como el engagement influyen sobre las intenciones de compra y la imagen de marca

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

#COVID-19: forms and drivers of social media users’ engagement behavior toward a global crisis

Social media constitutes a pervasive communication media that has had a prominent role during global crises. While crisis communication research suggests that individuals use social media differently during a crisis, little is known about what forms of engagement behavior may emerge and what drivers may lead to different forms of social media users’ engagement behavior toward a global crisis. This study uses netnography and in-depth interviews to explore social media users’ behavioral manifestations toward the COVID-19 crisis; thereby, we identify nine forms and six drivers and develop a framework of relationships between these forms and drivers. Those findings provide a better understanding of social media engagement toward the crisis from individual users’ perspectives, which helps commercial and non-commercial marketers to determine the users’ sentiments and reactions reflected in their engagement behaviors, hence, communicate more effectively and in a more engaging way during and beyond a global crisis

Visual Modality of Engagement (VME): conceptualization, typology of forms, and outcomes

Customers proactively engage with firms’ offerings through behavioral manifestations such as brand-related social media posts, influencing other customers in online networks and, consequently, affecting brand value. With the growth of visually oriented social media platforms, interest has increased in understanding customer engagement behavior (CEB) using visual content. In this paper, we build on CEB, image acts, visual content, and communication theories to conceptualize the Visual Modality of Engagement (VME). Using both field and lab studies, we develop a typology of four distinct positive (experiential, evidential) and negative (mocking, dissuasive) forms of VME and offer empirical evidence revealing they induce different brand-related (purchase intentions, brand evaluation) and other customer-related (willingness to imitate, resharing intentions) outcomes. Additional results also reveal outcomes vary by the interplay of social and brand interactions with the various VME forms. The findings of this research offer guidance to content managers for the development of more effective engagement strategies in social media marketing

How to prioritise humans in artificial intelligence design for business

Through the pervasive use of massive amounts of data to automate decisions and processes, artificial intelligence (AI) constitutes one of the most impactful developments for businesses and organisations in general. However, this fast-paced and unstoppable trend raises ethical issues. How can we ensure that AI development is fair, when the algorithms at its core are designed with (often unconscious) racist, sexist, or other biases? Lorena Blasco-Arcas and Hsin-Hsuan Meg Lee propose a human-centred view for the design of specific frameworks and regulatory systems

Engaging the eye: the role of visual modality of engagement (VME) in social media

Introduction & Literature Review: A plethora of new media channels provides consumers with numerous opportunities for engagement (Blasco-Arcas et al. 2016; Azer and Alexander 2020). Photo-based social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, are key means of self-expression and brand-related posts are shared publicly by a myriad of customers including 1.8 billion photos uploaded and shared daily, receiving 200% more attention and interaction than textual posts (Perez-Vega et al. 2018; Argyris et al. 2020). Despite the acknowledged influence of visual compared to textual manifestations in online contexts (cf. Townsend and Kahn 2014; Akpinar and Berger 2017; Villarroel et al. 2019; Filieri et al. 2021), research investigating other forms of communication in social media beyond text and numerical rating remains rare (Rosario et al. 2020). Although VME is likely to create value for the brands, the extant research exploring the visual brand-related content generated by users on social media has mainly focused on content type rather than users’ behavioral manifestations of engagement they enact using visual modality which are likely to differ in their impact on brands in line to studies with a predominant focus on the textual modality of engagement. Methodology/approach: Netnography is selected as an appropriate method to guide this study. As a marketing research technique, netnography uses publicly available online information to explore the activities of relevant online consumer groups (Kozinets, 2010). To ensure the diversity of contexts and the robustness of findings, Instagram and Facebook were selected. 30,000 Facebook and Instagram pictorial posts created by customers on the official pages of top four brands (identified based on their total analytics scores across social visibility, web visibility, sentiments, growth, and search visibility according to Brandwatch.com (2020)): Amazon, Apple, American Airlines, and Nike. Pictorial analysis was conducted following the theory of visual rhetoric, where visual images are viewed as communicative artifacts, symbols used to perform communication (Bakri et al., 2020). Findings: This study presents a typology of seven forms of VME and classified them into positive (evidential, experiential, inspirational, and devotional) and negative (disparaging, mocking, and dissuasive) forms. The study shows that customers engage in these distinct forms of behavior using four types of pictures: Brand selfie, brand only, emotional accessory, and logo parodies. By running an NVIVO pro query matrix, the study reveals what type of pictures they use when engaging in each form and the percentage of frequency of using each type of picture and the frequency of engaging in each form of visual engagement. Implications: This study contributes to the engagement and visual content literature with the first typology of VME that reveals the importance of understanding modality as well as the context for engagement. Practically, we offer valuable insights for managers to build the brand in social media by leveraging VME in their engagement marketing activities