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For one-of-a-kind production (OKP) manufacturers adopting an engineer-to-order or make-to-order marketing strategy, it is very important to set an appropriate due date. We design an incentive-compatibility due-date quotation procedure to help OKP manufacturers obtain the rational due-date quotation from OKP customers. Based on the rational due-date quotation decision-making, the performance of an OKP shop floor controlled by load-based pull systems is evaluated in simulation. Our findings show that if the collaboration of due-date quotations and load-based pull control is effective, the order profit of OKP manufacturers will not be reduced when the delivery delay occurs. This study can provide more insights on order quotation decision-making and pull production control for OKP manufacturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hiking tourism is an essential means of destination development. A holistic understanding of the hiking experience could benefit destination management. This study adopted topic modelling and an online review-based approach to determine the key attributes of hiking tourism in the context of seasonality. Data were collected from TripAdvisor and a comprehensive list of the attributes, discussed by hikers when visiting Dragon's Back Trail in Hong Kong, is constructed and categorized into five aspects. Insights into the hikers' interests and concerns about the experience attributes across seasons are revealed. The results show that the concerns for some attributes are more sensitive in specific seasons compared with other attributes. Precisely, this study found that seasonality has heterogeneous effects on hikers' experience. The results are beneficial to support local hiking tourism marketing and hedging strategies for different seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer numbers and comments have been extensively studied to increase hotel arrivals and loyalty, whereas the specific distribution and sentiment variations have received less attention. This study constructed a data set of hotel customers and the deep learning model was applied to quantify unstructured text, which can mine the distribution and sentiment variation patterns of different star hotel customers. The findings show that customers of different star-rated hotels have different variation patterns of sentiment and distribution. There is a negative correlation between the visit heat and sentiment of some high-star hotels in various administrative regions: regions with lower visit heat have higher sentiment scores. In addition, season and location are important factors that affect customers' sentiments. This study is the first to use a quantitative approach to examine the distribution and sentiment variation patterns of hotel customers. It provides insights into appropriate marketing strategies for the hotel industry and offers practical suggestions to hotel customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Markets require rules, made and enforced by governments, and modern market-making has therefore unfolded as an intrinsic part of state-building. While the European Union is not a state, it has not been immune to these processes. Over the last three decades it has expanded its Single European Market and created a currency while constructing European political authority and deepening its institutional capacities. The EU has done this through supranational market-making largely centred on neoliberal precepts of competition and openness. Today, however, the EU is breaking with that tradition by pursuing a visibly interventionist European industrial policy and geopolitical market strategy. I suggest a theoretical framework to illuminate how this policy turn may reconfigure the EU's political authority and build it as a polity. After briefly identifying the contours of the new European industrial and geoeconomic policy, I outline a research agenda to probe how the new market activism may reformulate societal interests and coalitions, increase the politicisation of the EU's governing institutions, raise the stakes for democratic legitimation, and project the EU as a geopolitical actor. The conclusion notes how this new market-making translates into significant policy challenges for both the EU and the international economic order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research on catch-up strategies often provides insights from the technology-related perspective and ignores some non-technological factors. Through the multi-case study of China's smartphone industry, we develop a theoretical framework explaining how latecomer firms catch up through diverse strategic choices. We identify two strategic paths that latecomer firms follow to catch up and surpass the incumbents. One path is to explore new business opportunities via deep market insights and then combine them with building up product technologies. Another path is from product technology build-up to market insights exploration. Firms following this path usually start with building up essential technologies and act as fast followers for new market insights. Then, as they continue developing their technological strengths, these firms devote efforts to improving their ability to capture new market insights. This study challenges the 'first imitation, then innovation model' discussed in the literature and shows that latecomer firms can pursue cutting-edge innovations in their early activities. The research also shows that, unlike previous studies, the technology build-up is not the only path to help latecomers catch up and challenge incumbent leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blind boxes have swiftly emerged as a prominent marketing strategy in tourism. Based on information gap theory, this research aims to explore how to optimize marketing effectiveness through varying levels of information gap. Findings show that a moderate-level information gap triggers stronger impulsive purchase intention than a high-level information gap, with curiosity and anxiety perception mediating the effect. Moreover, consumers with a low-risk propensity are particularly sensitive to the impact of the information gap level. These findings contribute theoretically and provide practical guidance for optimizing the marketing of plane ticket blind boxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 16th century at the latest there were strong political, cultural and literary ties between the Iberian Peninsula and the Dutch speaking regions in north western Europe. Literature in general and especially romances from the 'south' were printed, translated and adapted in Dutch. After an introduction in which the contribution presents a short overview of the translation and adaptation of Iberian romances in Dutch the focus will be on the 'Amadijs' tradition especially. For the first time the Spanish source and the 'Amadijs' are compared, including an analysis of the paratextual elements of the first Dutch edition of 'Amadijs' (1546), which clearly shows that Nuyts did not follow his source as an inspiration for the design of his edition, but copied the design of earlier Dutch editions of narratives as a marketing strategy. Part four shows that the Dutch 'Amadijs' was obviously read by everyone in the early modern period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates how individuals' regulatory orientations influence their utilization of store promotions through two meticulously designed studies in distinct contexts. The first study examines innate cognitive inclinations, while the second manipulates cognitive orientations within specific contexts. The findings reveal a significant relationship between regulatory orientations and store promotion usage, which is moderated by impulsivity and engagement levels. Importantly, this study addresses a critical gap in the existing literature by examining the same concept from two distinct cognitive perspectives, enhancing our understanding of the intricate interplay between regulatory orientations and store promotion utilization. The implications are twofold. Firstly, for retailers, this research offers practical significance by suggesting in-store promotions specially tailored for promotion-oriented individuals and more deliberative out-of-store promotions to capture the attention of prevention-oriented individuals, ultimately enhancing marketing effectiveness. Secondly, from a theoretical standpoint, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between regulatory orientations, cognitive processes, and consumer behavior, thus enriching the theoretical foundation of the field. This research is particularly relevant to scholars and practitioners in marketing, psychology, and retail management, providing valuable insights into consumer behavior and the formulation of marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global mobile marketers are intensifying efforts to promote mobile applications, yet little literature addresses the effectiveness of these strategies on consumer adoption. This study investigates the impact of two mobile marketing strategies—in-app coupons and group-coupons—on mobile app adoption, considering the installed user base moderation. Utilizing data from a Chinese shopping mall, this study shows that both strategies can foster adoption, with opposite moderating effects from existing adopters. Two experiments validate social influence and scarcity perception as underlying mechanisms. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of mobile marketing, urging global mobile marketers to consider this in their strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to explore the service quality determinants in historic centers (HC) by applying a user-generated content analysis with indicators of the TOURQUAL protocol for evaluating the quality of tourist services as the theoretical basis. We analyze 7,849 reviews from 9 HC (5 Brazilians and 4 Portuguese), from January 2019 to September 2020, available on TripAdvisor and Google Maps platforms. The findings demonstrate that the dimensions of technical quality, experience, and environment are the most identified among the reviews. Additionally, we noticed a lack of use of Unesco titles as marketing strategy. The research proposes a model of importance for dimensions of quality of service in historic centers that enables managers to improve the quality of tourist services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the spillover effects of jumps and synthesized jumps from Chinese stock market for VIX forecasting. We adopt principal component analysis (PCA) and momentum of predictability (MoP) strategy to synthesize jumps, where jumps are detected based on six non-parametric methods. The results find that considering different jumps information can improve the forecasting accuracy of VIX, especially under MoP strategy, which indicates the existence of spillover effects from jumps of Chinese stock market to the international stock market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research demonstrated the effectiveness of referral programs in boosting firm performance. However, referrers' evaluations of such programs are under-examined. This study fills this gap by conducting two studies. Study 1 finds that psychological closeness between a referrer and a referee enhance the referrer's evaluation of the program. Study 2 reveals that the relationship between such psychological closeness and the referrer's evaluation is contingent on referral reward type (material vs. experiential). This study advances previous research in referral marketing by drawing on the experience recommendation theory and construal level theory. Referral marketing managers shall note that encouraging existing customers to refer their close others is particularly effective when referral messages highlight material rewards, instead of experiential rewards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the impact of the voucher-based economic stimulus policy and market strategy on museum traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. We apply a univariate time-series model (ARMAX) to daily-visit data of the National Palace Museums in Taiwan during 2016–2021, showing results that the consumption voucher program effectively did boost the number of visitors amid overall declines in tourists due to the lockdown. A comparison among the National Palace Museum branches further reveals that holding more outdoor art events by one branch induced a more potent effect of the stimulus policy. The findings suggest that outdoor art events can be a helpful strategy for museums, which traditionally rely on indoor art exhibitions, to mitigate the impact of a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library used both digital and traditional marketing to promote the Joseph Echols and Evelyn Gibson Lowery Collection, an invaluable civil rights history archive. Leveraging social media, particularly Instagram Reels, resulted in a 334% increase in engagement, demonstrating the effectiveness of meeting diverse audiences online. Additionally, traditional methods, including presentations, radio interviews, and community events, complemented the digital strategy to reinforce the importance of having an integrated approach to promoting archival collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prominence and profitability of influencer marketing have facilitated a proliferation of virtual influencers--fictitious digital personalities created and managed using artificial intelligence. Virtual influencers may offer advertisers greater creative control and yield greater engagement than human influencers. Hence, we investigated these claims by comparing the persuasion strategies and outcomes between human and virtual influencers. We retrieved 99,680 English-language Instagram posts uploaded by 424 human and virtual influencers within the beauty, fashion, and lifestyle domains from 2020 to 2022. Dictionary-based sentiment analysis (replicated across the AFINN and Bing lexicons) indicated that Instagram posts from both types of influencers predominantly conveyed positive sentiment. Latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling revealed that both types of influencers asserted opinion leadership differently: Human influencers engaged in active self-promotion, while virtual influencers emphasized their identity. A natural experiment found that human influencers elicited greater engagement than virtual influencers. Influencer tier also significantly interacted with Instagram verification to affect engagement. Theoretical contributions, managerial implications, and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To defeat myopic brand management, we need to understand better what motivates executives to invest in brand building. Drawing from agency theory, we argue that a better alignment of executivesʻ and shareholdersʻ interests can help. Tests using longitudinal compensation data of chief executive officers (CEO) from 123 public firms suggest that decreasing the sensitivity of CEOʻs Equity-Based Compensation (EBC) to the firmʻs stock price and increasing its sensitivity to the firmʻs stock return volatility are associated with higher brand equity. Weak governance somewhat offsets these effects. Moreover, we find that the impact of EBC on brand equity is partially mediated through the firmʻs strategic emphasis. Our research highlights the importance of understanding managerial incentives as drivers of brand equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies a creator's quality commitment strategies with uncertain demand when the creator lacks setup funding and chooses crowdfunding to finance. Facing uncertain demand, the creator may or may not choose to make a quality commitment. Conventional wisdom indicates that the strategy of committing to a certain quality outperforms the no-commitment strategy by eliminating the consumers' strategic behavior of delaying purchases. We build a two-period model consisting of crowdfunding and spot sales periods, a creator lacking setup funding, and consumers with heterogeneous valuations for the product. When considering the creator's setup cost and market uncertainty, we find, counterintuitively, that making no quality commitment to consumers can be more profitable for the creator because of the advantage of flexibility. Moreover, our analysis shows that when the creator's setup cost is high enough, the profit-maximising creator will make a quality commitment to consumers and offer a higher-quality product than when making no commitment. Also, we show that the product quality increases with the market uncertainty under certain conditions. In addition, we find that the creator should finance through crowdfunding only when the setup cost is less than a threshold, and the threshold increases with market uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the strategic alignment between marketing and information technology (IT) strategies and provides production and operations decision makers a model for improving operational performance. Based on a comprehensive literature review, the combined strategies were used to develop a novel decision-making framework. The hypothesised relationships of an SEM model are validated with data collected from 242 managers from various industries. An artificial intelligence (AI)–based method is developed using artificial neural networks (ANN) feeding into a decision-making framework which explores the optimality of the combined strategies. The results indicate that (a) IT strategy is positively mediated by marketing strategy on performance and (b) the organisational structure moderates the mediation of marketing strategy on performance. The analysis confirms that the extracted strategies based on the proposed framework have superior performance compared to existing strategies. This paper contributes to the literature by conceptualising and empirically testing the mediation role of marketing strategy on IT strategy, performance and operational decision-making. The use of a novel three-phase decision-making framework which uses AI processes improves operational efficiency, increases insights and enhances the decision accuracy of complex problems at the strategic level in industries such as manufacturing. It could help operations executives to apply effective decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to investigate the relationship between prior spending and unplanned purchases based on an understanding of decision framing effects and compensatory psychology. We argue that the impact of prior buying on unplanned purchases is moderated by the decision frame (separate vs. integrated). We conducted a series of four sequential scenario-based experimental studies to support our theoretical predictions. Consequently, our study revealed that travelers within a separate decision frame exhibited a stronger compensatory motive, leading to a higher unplanned purchase when prior spending was low. In practice, this research has managerial implications using compensatory consumption marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the different symbolic meanings of goods give rise to three institutionally different market types. We start from the realization that consumption has symbolic meaning, which individuals use to communicate and construct their identity to their social networks. We argue that firm behavior (including size, pricing and marketing strategies) must be congruent with the symbolic meaning of goods. We distinguish between two stylized meanings of goods, status and taste, which we derive from the socio-anthropological literature on consumption. We argue that these different meanings, articulated by consumers to communicate their identity, give rise to three ideal-typical market types. We present the institutional differences between these market types as well as the implications for firm behavior and demonstrate how firm behavior and marketing strategies differs significantly from markets in which the symbolic meaning of goods is relatively unimportant. We use the recent transformation of the beer market by the craft-beer producers, to illustrate our theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital marketing uses digital technologies and media to achieve marketing goals. With the advent of digital media, digital marketing strategies have gained a lot of importance among marketers to reach their target markets and improve their performance. This study aims to examine the effect of various digital marketing tools that can significantly impact the competitiveness of the restaurant industry. Restaurants have used various facets of digital marketing to attract and influence customer decisions. The study attempts to identify the digital marketing tools based on the asset-process-performance (APP) framework. The study utilises the structural equation modelling technique to determine the structural relationship among various digital marketing variables. The result indicates that social media, online branding, online advertisements, and post-service quality have a significant impact on the competitiveness of the restaurant industry. Further, the research provides implications for practitioners and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There exists fierce competition in both low-end and high-end markets between open source and proprietary vendors. This paper constructs a game-theoretic model based on Hotelling competition to examine such two types of vendors' market strategies with security threats. Each vendor can choose to enter high-end market by making the quality effort meet the quality requirement. Security threats are caused by software vulnerability and characterised by negative externalities. Technology similarity is an important element that improves the efficiency of quality effort by facilitating technology spillover but worsens security threats by sharing more vulnerability. Through solving equilibrium solutions by backward induction, I find that under different market strategies: (i) user innovation that contributes to the quality of software product and service of the open source vendor does not always increase its profit because price competition that is intensified by such innovation may offset the contribution; (ii) the risk of security threats benefits both vendors at the cost of user interest since it can soften price competition, while technology similarity that acts as another source of security threats decreases both vendors' profits. I finally indicate that thanks to user innovation, the open source vendor is relatively more likely to enter the high-end market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify the dimensions can help develop a brand's visual identity to address digital customers' pain points. An online survey was distributed to 600 digital customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling by the partial least squares method was used for the data analysis. The current study contributed to reaching the most important dimensions of creating a distinctive and unique visual identity, which was represented in the Emotional connection, Mental positioning, Professionalism, Brand eloquence. Marketers can benefit from these results in creating a distinctive and unique visual identity that contributes to overcoming the customer's pain points, and then reaching the target customers and attracting them to the brand and linking with it, and increasing the sales and profits of the digital organization. also, can benefit from these findings when preparing the marketing strategy to match the components of the organization's unique and distinctive visual identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referral reward programs (RRPs), considered as a form of stimulated word-of-mouth (WOM), provide incentives to existing customers to bring in new customers. The research here adds to previous knowledge by exploring the usage of referral codes for high and low-involvement products in three stages of the consumer decision journey, on a sample of 218 consumers analyzed by regression analysis. Results show that components of the Theory of Planned Behavior influence the behavioral intention toward participating in an RRP, with perceived behavioral control having the strongest effect, followed by subjective norm and Attitude. Referral codes have a significant effect on respondents' behavior; high conformity of high-involvement products and low conformity of low-involvement products was found, with referral programs having a weaker effect on high-involvement products. Customers tend to follow all steps of the traditional consumer journey when buying a high-involvement product; in the case of low involvement products, low conformity was even lower when using a referral code. Low-involvement products at the need recognition stage, and high-involvement products at the active research stage, are the least affected by the RRP. Results provide insights for companies to optimize their marketing strategy through stimulated WOM, and with the usage of RRPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the conceptions of wellness tourism among wellness enterprises, investigating how wellness tourism is materialised in their service offering. This multiple case study encompasses Eastern Finland, Russian Karelia, and Lithuania. First, the study indicates the main differences in the concept of wellness, proposing that regulation, history, traditions, and natural resources can impact the understanding of wellness. Second, the findings show that spas play a central role in wellness tourism, being used to offer added value and marketing strategies. Third, it discusses the merging of the line between purely wellness or medically oriented institutions. The study concludes with suggestions for businesses to focus on the unique destination-specific elements that can increase competitiveness and to take different customer segments into account when planning facilities and designing marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New product development (NPD) plays a pivotal role in the survival, growth, and performance of new ventures; existing studies, however, have paid scant attention to new ventures' trade-offs between imitative and innovative NPD strategies, particularly in emerging markets. This study explores the relative impact of innovative and imitative NPD on new venture performance and their contingency across different entrepreneurial motivations and institutional environments in China. The findings based on a multilevel dataset from China indicate that innovative NPD has a stronger positive effect on new venture performance than imitative NPD. In addition, opportunity-motivated entrepreneurship and privatisation enhance the effect of innovative NPD whereas attenuate the efficacy of imitative NPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a detailed bibliometric analysis of AI in marketing by analyzing 328 existing studies using performance analysis and science mapping. Prominent topics in the field found through science mapping are AI for data analytics; AI for decision-making; AI for digital behavior; AI for consumer service; AI for predictive analysis; AI for design thinking; Value Co-creation through AI; AI for marketing automation, and managing negative side of AI. Furthermore, based on gaps found during science mapping and literature review, this study also asserts pertinent questions that could facilitate future research on the role of AI in marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalized advertisements have been increasingly employed as a marketing strategy that enables a company to build strong relationship with customers. Results from two studies show that perceived personalization of personalized advertisements is an essential factor of stronger brand love. Specifically, this research reveals that perceived personalized Facebook ads positively impact brand experience and brand self-expressiveness, which in turn enhances brand attachment and brand love. This paper contributes to branding literature by illustrating how advertisements strengthen consumer brand relationships and enable brand managers to make better informed decisions when crafting personalized advertisements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased diversity, demographics, and population shifts in higher education have led many academic libraries to reexamine their marketing efforts and adopt strategies that promote relationships and inclusivity. This requirement has become more prominent among libraries serving a highly diverse user community, particularly in a more racially and ethnically diverse campus. Adopting a marketing model that cultivates more meaningful long-term relationships with customers ensures long-term satisfaction and loyalty to the library brand. Using marketing and promotional examples from the James White Library, this article addresses the academic library's relationship marketing strategy in an increasingly multicultural higher education environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building marketing capabilities is at the forefront of marketing strategy in B2B marketing. As customisation is key for creating unique value for B2B customers, the ability to customise market offerings is, or ought to be, an integral part of B2B marketing strategy. Based on the premise that different forms of organisational capital constitute important building blocks of customisation capability, in this research, we (i) differentiate customisation capability in B2B marketing from mass customisation capability, (ii) build our model from the customisation, capability, intellectual capital, structural capital, and cognitive capital literature streams, and (iii) test the model of building customisation capability using key informant from 161 marketing research firms. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our research for customisation theory and practice, the limitations of our research, and a detailed explication of future research opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A core research area of computational behavioral finance investigates emergent price dynamics when heterogeneous traders follow a mix of rule-based strategies and interact indirectly through a limit order book. This paper offers a detailed specification of such a model in order to raise questions about some previous findings. The questions force a comprehensive reconsideration of the price dynamics of a well-known model. This leads to a surprising clarification of the contributions of various trading strategies to market outcomes: a popular characterization of chartism proves largely irrelevant for price dynamics. We also shed new light on the volume-volatility relationship, and provide improved visualizations to expose market behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platform interoperability has become a key tool for countries and regions with a significant global digital economy impact to pursue ex ante control strategies for platforms. Promoting Internet platforms to achieve interconnection requires a proper balance of technical, economic, and law-based logic. At the level of technical logic, interoperability includes service interoperability and data interoperability, both within the platform ecosystem and between the competing platforms. At the economic logic level, the size and marketing strategies of the established large platforms constitute a structural threat to digital market competition, which requires ex ante industry regulation beyond the antitrust enforcement system. At the level of law-based logic, promoting the rule of law development of platform interoperability requires establishing a refined interest-balancing mechanism. We need to pioneer the interoperability of services and data within a large platform ecosystem, and promote data interoperability among platforms with a steady pace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the strategic intent behind foreign acquisitions made by the Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda ('Wanda') in the global film and cinema industry. It develops new theory on the existence and nature of strategic intent constellations using basic propositions on (1) business and financial intent, and (2) political intent during market expansion. A mixed methods approach encompassing qualitative and quantitative datasets is used to show the complexity and interrelatedness of business and financial, and political motivators for Wanda's foreign acquisitions. A strategic intent constellation is inducted and defined as a complex system, order or host of an organization's strategy, structures and shared value systems that interact with each other providing direction for the organization. The study provides empirical richness in a relevant marketing strategy setting related to global market expansion and helps develop novel theory about broader strategic intent constellations in corporate China that help understand differences in the notion of strategic intent across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with coherent risk measures and golden strategies, that is, financial portfolios (or financial strategies) with a negative risk and a non positive price. Golden strategies are important because they enable us to outperform every portfolio in a return/risk approach. In fact, every portfolio of securities is beaten by adding the golden strategy, i.e., the portfolio plus the golden strategy is better than the portfolio alone. Computationally tractable algorithms will be presented, and the general framework will be very realistic. Indeed, the study will incorporate all the classical frictions provoked by the order book of a financial market, and it will be both buy-and-hold and model-free. Numerical experiments involving derivative markets will be analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media and social media education has permeated fashion merchandising programmes. At the same time, social media influencers have become an essential marketing and advertising strategy for fashion brands to reach consumers. Traditional educational models, such as classroom lectures and textbooks help expose students to theoretical learning outcomes, but they can lack real-world applications, problem-solving, and self-reflection. Therefore, this paper introduces an experiential learning project that provides students real-world applications regarding social media influencer marketing as 'lived experiences'. Specifically, the project provided students with an opportunity to become an Instagram influencer by creating unique and engaging content for cotton fibres and textiles. An experiential learning model was used as the framework for this project and assisted in the creation of a student competition. Through the project's four-stage process, students demonstrated positive learning outcomes, skills, and knowledge relevant to social media, social media influencers, and fashion marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature has extensively discussed the role of retail promotions, while the spatial effects of promotions are poorly understood. Using panel data of weekly promotional prices from German beer retailers during the period 2000–12, we examine the spatial effects of promotions based on spatial panel estimations. Results show significantly positive spatial effects of beer price promotions, indicating that neighbouring retailers' promotions boost each other. We further find significant heterogeneity of spatial effects of price promotions across market power, peak demand and consumer loyalty. In addition, the positive spatial effects of price promotions are largely from retailers' retaliation to competitors' promotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stories are the lifeblood of value-based marketing and the strategic act of storytelling has become essential to modern branding. However, our theoretical understanding of brand stories and storytelling at a strategic level is relatively underdeveloped in marketing scholarship. This special issue of the Journal of Strategic Marketing seeks to evolve the landscape of the strategic brand storytelling literature, moving toward a clearer theoretical picture of brand storytelling as a strategic activity and providing a broad managerial lens through which to view strategic brand storytelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thus far, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model has not been used to examine the lagged effects of advertising goodwill stock on promotional efficiency. Thus, this study develops a dynamic DEA framework to illustrate the lagged effect of advertising goodwill stock on the dynamic promotional efficiency of major automobile manufacturers in the United States. The advertising goodwill stock in five automobile producers was measured using the econometric model. Subsequently, the advertising goodwill stock was treated as a lagged effect in a dynamic DEA framework. We analyse the empirical results and formulate the following two important findings: First, the results demonstrate that the lagged effect of advertising goodwill stock can lead to changes in the promotional efficiency of advertising. Second, the paper discusses ways that inefficient automobile manufacturers can improve marketing strategy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impact of path-goal leadership styles (directive, participative, supportive, and achievement-oriented) on the market orientation of Jordanian commercial banks and the role of internal marketing as a mediating variable. A quantitative survey methodology was used to collect data from 630 branch managers of thirteen commercial banks listed on the Amman Stock Exchange in Jordan. Only 196 branch managers fully responded to the questionnaire. The measurement model fit and the significance of the theoretical relationship between variables were determined using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed that supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented styles have a positive impact on internal marketing, while directive styles have a negative impact. Internal marketing has a positive direct impact on market orientation. The impact of path-goal leadership styles on market orientation was indirect through internal marketing, which means that internal marketing fully mediates the relationship between path-goal leadership styles and market orientation. Commercial banks should integrate internal marketing as a strategy into their core operations and systems to meet employees' demands and the bank's goals. This integration shall make employees show their sincere organizational commitment so that they can express the attitude of organizational citizenship behaviors that are beneficial for the banks' operations and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text discusses the evolution of worship-related technology in Christian churches. It highlights the adoption of technology in churches, such as the introduction of microphones and contemporary music, to enhance engagement and emotion in worship services. The text also explores the challenges faced in the adoption of technology, including trust issues and the lack of technical knowledge among church leaders. It mentions the role of periodicals like Church Production Magazine in providing information and resources for church technical staff. The text concludes by discussing the changing landscape of marketing worship-related technology, with the rise of social media influencers and the potential impact of video marketing and artificial intelligence in the future. [Extracted from the article]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving, influencing service industries and Professional Services Firms (PSFs) embracing AI to improve margins. In this paper, we reveal how AI impacts the characteristics and marketing practices of PSFs. AI has the potential to provide considerable efficiency and organizational benefits, yet simultaneously changes service attributes, threatens the competitive advantage of deep client relationships, and directly influences the marketing practices of PSFs, including pricing strategy. Based on an extensive literature review, we present a conceptual model illustrating the changes impacting the business model, marketing practices, and client relationships of PSFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgrids (MG) can be considered as a reduced power system network wherein the generation, transmission, and distribution of power take place within a limited geographical area. They are employed to utilize the maximum penetration of renewable energy sources (RES). Microgrid also has advantages such as reduction of transmission losses and costs pertaining to such losses. In this research, economic dispatch, emission dispatch, combined economic emission dispatch (CEED) based on fractional programming (FP), and environment-constrained economic dispatch (ECED) were assessed. An MG system for three distinct scenarios is studied. A novel, robust, and powerful swarm-intelligence hybrid algorithm, created by amalgamating the features of the conventional gray-wolf optimizer (GWO), sine-cosine algorithm (SCA), and crow search algorithm (CSA), is implemented as the optimization tool for the study. A significant reduction in generation costs of about 4.50-9.75% was achieved throughout the study when the time-of-usage (TOU) electricity market pricing strategy was used instead of the fixed pricing strategy. Furthermore, the paper also dealt with the Demand Side Management (DSM) to facilitate the generation cost by managing the controllable load demand. The generation cost decreased by a notable amount when ECED was evaluated with a 15% and 20% DSM-based revised load curve for the MG system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides evidence regarding the adverse effects of antidumping measures on competitive market strategies. Our empirical model consists of estimating the Lerner index as a mark-up measure. To reach our goal, we use the Orbis database, with firm-level data between 2006 and 2014. On average, our results suggest a positive relationship between antidumping barriers and the increase in firms' market power. Its magnitude is larger for Latin America when compared to other emerging economies. Moreover, the effects on market power persist in the long run. Depending on the set of evaluated countries, it becomes null in the short run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extant literature has demonstrated the significant effect of food names on consumer behavior. However, few studies focused on food names with auspicious meanings. Thus, this study proposes an attribute-value-satisfaction-intention (AVSI) model to enhance our understanding of the effect of food names on consumer behavior. Data were collected from 483 Chinese consumers who had recently purchased auspiciously named food products. The results indicate that both the meaning and the linguistic characteristics of food name attributes had a positive influence on consumer values. Consumer values also significantly affected repurchase intention directly and indirectly through satisfaction. Furthermore, individuals' superstitious beliefs served as a partial moderator. This study's results provide important insights for developing effective marketing strategies to increase consumer loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blind-box consumption, a phenomenon sweeping through the retail market in China, is the process of buying an unlabelled box containing assorted and random novelty gifts from different retailers. Despite the intensity of its emergence, the extent of research on the phenomenon from a marketing perspective has been scarce. This paper identifies factors likely influencing Chinese consumers participating in blend-box consumption. These factors include brand familiarity emotional value and speculative potential. Conceptual issues discussed include the role of emotions and cognition as forces underpinning shopping behavior. The paper also highlights the marketing strategy features that have successfully driven the blend-box consumption experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public donations represent a substantial part of a charitable organization's income. Thus, it is important to understand what influences donation behavior. Researchers mainly focus on intentions, rather than behavior. Although intentions often lead to behavior, there might be a gap between them. This experimental study investigated whether and how aligned and unaligned injunctive (what the majority of people approve of) and descriptive (what the majority of people do) social norms moderate the intention-behavior link. Additionally, I checked whether personal involvement moderates the influence of social norms. Four hundred and twenty-eight respondents were randomly assigned to one of the five conditions where the injunctive and descriptive norms were manipulated. Results revealed a significant and positive relationship between intentions and behavior (p =.000); this relationship is moderated by both aligned (supportive injunctive and descriptive) (p =.01) and unaligned (unsupportive injunctive and supportive descriptive) norms (p =.037). Personal involvement does not affect the moderating power of social norms. Findings are important for better understanding the intentions-behavior-norms dynamic. This can be used to create effective marketing strategies to make sure both favorable and unfavorable intentions translate into monetary donations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping up with the cultural references, slang, and habits of college students can feel like a daunting task, but doing so is vital for any library to reach and engage with this audience. When done well in academic libraries, this practice humanizes the library, mitigates library anxiety, increases buzz about the library, and illustrates the library as a welcoming space for all. Most important, actively working to remain relevant with the current and upcoming generations of students helps libraries meet their students where they are, supporting them holistically to ensure their success in and beyond college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of green marketing strategy on firm performance. To this end, the study involved 380 manufacturing firms and obtained data from marketing/production managers through structured questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses of the research. The findings revealed that the green marketing strategy positively affects firm performance through competitive advantage. Moreover, green marketing strategy has a direct positive influence on firm performance indicating a partial mediation and lastly, the indirect effect of green marketing strategy on firm performance through competitive advantage is moderated by competitive intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to examine key management principles that are crucial for sustainable social media engagement with library customers. To explore these principles, the Strategic Social Media Marketing Framework was applied in interviews to contextualize the management considerations of preselected Nigerian university libraries (n = 6) with social media accounts. Interview results reveal that clarity of purpose and adequate planning are lacking in the approach adopted by libraries for social media marketing, yet these are established as essential ingredients for creating and sustaining social media engagement. Against this background, a framework was developed to provide a high-level guide for social media management with both practical and theoretical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing environmental awareness and widening extended producer responsibility have heightened the need for economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable business strategies levered by digital technologies. As an extension, various take-back policies focusing on product waste and recovery are put in place by the high-tech manufacturing industry. With an attempt to increase sales while ensuring the environmental sustainability of products, trade-in programmes that incentivize consumers to exchange used goods for new and most recent technology products became a value-adding strategy for businesses. Due to the high unpredictability in the quality of returned devices however, determining trade-in margins is a challenging task for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This inevitably reveals the need for incorporating intelligent technologies into the formation of manufacturing and logistics architectures to simultaneously preserve OEMs profitability and ensure the sustainable development of the closed-loop supply chain activities. With this motivation, this study presents the use of IoT-embedded products in a blockchain-enabled disassembly-to-order system to determine the optimal trade-in-to-upgrade policy. A discrete-event simulation model is developed to obtain the expected cost of the disassembly-to-order system. Optimal incentives for varying product qualities are then computed by utilising this cost in the trade-in policy model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]