Search

Purpose: This study aims to examine the influence of two significant product labelling strategies (geographical indication [GI] vs country-of-origin [COO]) on shaping customer product attitude and purchase likelihood, considering consumers' ethnocentric and cosmopolitan tendencies. The authors also investigate the boundary conditions and intervening mechanisms to manage the adverse consumer product evaluations and present mitigating procedures which reinstate favourable product evaluations and purchase likelihood. Design/methodology/approach: The collected data from these all these studies were analysed using ANOVA and mediation anlaysis. The study tests the proposed hypotheses using three follow-up experimental investigations. Findings: The study found that GI (vs COO) labels have a more significant impact on customers' product evaluation and likelihood of purchase and supported the dispositional effect of ethnocentric and cosmopolitan inclinations. Further, the results indicated that self-product congruence can efficiently regulate consumer dispositions. Also, the results confirmed the significant impact of product identification on influencing consumer attitudes. Practical implications: The above-said insights add practical insights, particularly concerning product labelling. Also, the insights on product attitudes and purchase likelihood intricacies in the context of product labelling enable companies to comprehend better the significance of GI labels, COO labels and self-product congruence. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time a study has compared the role of two significant product labelling strategies (GI vs COO) in shaping customer product evaluations, confirmed its boundary conditions and shown how to transform them into helpful customer product outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this study aims to investigate the impact of online customer engagement on brand love via dual mediating mechanisms, empowerment (bright side) and stress (dark side). The roles of perceived brand quality and extroversion as weakener and facilitator respectively on the dark side effect are also examined. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey is conducted, targeting people who have experience in participating in online engagement activities. The dual mediation and moderation analysis are examined. Findings: The results confirm the proposed dual mediating mechanisms. Perceived brand quality and extroversion also significantly moderate the engagement–stress link. Research limitations/implications: This study explains the mediating mechanisms between online customer engagement and brand love, with a focus on the fast-moving consumer goods industry. This calls for further research on other industries. Practical implications: This study provides marketers with insights that online customer engagement strategies are not always good and that they should be more careful in formulating such strategies. Originality/value: This study advances the understanding of the relationship between customer engagement and brand love in the virtual community especially in the social media context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the effects of web communities vs company websites in providing tactile information considering different types of product in terms of touch diagnosticity (low- vs. high-touch products). Design/methodology/approach: Three experimental studies were conducted to examine the effect of online information sources (i.e. web communities vs. company websites) in providing tactile information on consumer responses, considering the moderation role of product type in terms of touch diagnosticity (low- vs. high-touch products, Study 1), the moderating role of type of information (tactile vs. generic, Study 2a); and the moderating role of need for touch (NFT) (Study 2a and 2b). Findings: While previous research converges on the idea that the provision of a written description of tactile properties deriving from the product usage is particularly effective for products for which tactile information is diagnostic and for individuals high in NFT, the results demonstrated that the presence (vs. the absence) of the description of the tactile properties provided by web communities (vs. company websites) matters for those products for which touch is not diagnostic and for individuals low in NFT. Practical implications: The findings have particular relevance for emerging brands intending to commercialize their products in the digital environment. These companies should be present in web communities to describe a product's tactile characteristics, especially if not diagnostic. Originality/value: This paper significantly contributes to a better understanding of a little studied area, namely, consumer responses toward haptic compensational strategies providing haptic cues (e.g. written description of tactile information along with pictures of products) aiming at compensating for the absence of touch, underlining the differential influence of online sources of tactile information on consumer responses across different types of products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how matching an ad's empty space color specifically to that of the advertised product's color (instead of leaving it white) impacts consumers' product buying impulse. It tests two competing hypotheses, where the salience explanation proposes a positive effect of empty space–product color matching on product buying impulse, while the contrast account predicts an opposite effect. Design/methodology/approach: Data was gathered from US-based MTurk panelists under three experimentally designed studies. The proposed effects were tested across multiple product categories, colors and online advertising formats. Qualitative responses from experienced marketing executives were also assessed for managerial insights. Findings: Across all studies, findings reveal that using a product-colored (vs white) empty space in an ad increases consumers' product buying impulse, favoring the salience rather the contrast explanation. Increased ad salience owing to an enhanced exposure to product color (an important sensory aspect), in turn improving the product's hedonic appeal work as serial processes explaining this effect. Originality/value: This research is not only the first to investigate the effects of using colored empty space (where limited prior research has only focused on white empty space), but also the first to study its impact on impulse buying intentions. Counter to prior advertising research which suggests using greater contrast by using white empty space to achieve positive effects, this research empirically tests and finds that using a product-colored empty ad space instead has a positive impact on product buying impulse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Co-creating consumers are often featured prominently in marketing communications for new co-created products. Previous research has only investigated the responses of non-participating consumers by describing co-creating consumers in text. This paper aims to examine consumer responses to combinations of text descriptions and pictures of co-creating consumers. Design/methodology/approach: An experimental study used a reference group perspective to explain non-participating consumer responses to communications about co-creation with consumers in new product development. Findings: Pictures of co-creating consumers moderate the effects of texts describing consumer co-creation on brand attitudes. The brand effects of describing the co-creating consumer in text as belonging to a dissociative group are negative when the picture looks similar to the non-participating consumers. If the co-creating consumer looks dissimilar to the in-group, the reference group text has no effect. Self–brand connection mediates these effects on brand attitudes. Research limitations/implications: A reference group perspective is introduced as a boundary condition to the research on the communication of consumer co-creation. The effects on brand attitudes depend on the pictorial representations. Practical implications: Companies should be advised to avoid portrayals of co-creating consumers that could cause dissociation in relevant consumer groups. Originality/value: Neither reference group associations nor pictorial descriptions of co-creating consumers, have hitherto been investigated with regards to consumer co creation, despite the frequent inclusion of consumer imagery in advertising for consumer co-created new products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of framing white space around a product image (e.g. silver polish) and its intended effect image (e.g. tarnish-free, shiny silverware) in an ad on the performance perceptions of the advertised product. Design/methodology/approach: Four experimentally designed studies demonstrate a positive impact of framing the white space around the product and effect images. A total of 270 MTurk participants provided data for these studies through online surveys. Findings: Findings across four different product categories reveal that when the white space surrounding the product and effect images in an ad is enclosed by a frame, consumers perceive product performance to be significantly higher than when there is no white space framing. This effect is mediated by enhanced perceived fit between the two images based on the white space framing. Research limitations/implications: The current findings contribute to multiple marketing research streams including the use of white space and frames in visual promotions, as well as the literature on product performance, perceived fit, stylistic manipulations (such as the framing of white space in this case) and advertising communication. Practical implications: The use of product and effect visuals in advertising to convey product performance is one of the most widely used tactics in the consumer packaged goods industry. Managers and creative directors can leverage the current findings to improve consumer product performance perceptions by using a simple, stylistic manipulation (which does not alter the core ad elements but only the production aspects) of framing the white space around the product and effect images in their product ads. Originality/value: To date, there is only a small body of research examining the role of white space and visual frames on marketing-related outcomes. However, none of that looks at white space framing. The current work is the first to examine how localization of white space around the product and effect images improves consumer perceptions about the advertised product's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Supermarket scans in the contextual non-Western markets (Pakistan and China) revealed that the majority Western consumer products are available in both global (English) and the vernacular language (Urdu, Chinese) packaging. The availability of two different packaging raises a question – which is more effective and under what situation. This study aims to address this question by investigating the roles of an internal-oriented disposition (concern for quality) and an external-oriented disposition (social consciousness) on packaging choice, under different consumption situations (conspicuous versus inconspicuous). The conceptual model tested concern for quality as a mediator on the influence of social consciousness on packaging choice, under the moderating effects of conspicuous versus inconspicuous consumption situation. Design/methodology/approach: Two in-store choice experiments were conducted in Pakistan and China. Shoppers who agreed to participate were first primed to either of the two conditions (conspicuous and inconspicuous). They were then shown two packaging types (global versus local language) on store shelves and asked to pick the preferred packaging. Finally, the participants completed a paper-based questionnaire containing the scale items and demographics variables. Findings: Participants with high social consciousness preferred the global (English) packaging. The interaction effect of social consciousness and consumption situation moderated the choice. Concern for quality mediated the influence of social consciousness on global packaging preference. Originality/value: This study extends the research into packaging by considering the mediating relationship and conceptualisation between external-oriented personal antecedent (social consciousness) and internal-oriented disposition (concern for quality), under different consumption (conspicuous versus inconspicuous) situation. The findings will inform brand managers' packaging strategies in non-Western markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of customer's value to the retailer (CVR) from a marketing perspective. CVR is a broad concept that has two components: loyalty intentions to the retailer and intentions to try new products or brands that the retailer offers. This study proposes a theoretical model and considers the effect of three sources of CVR in consumer goods retailing: customer's perceived functional service value, customer's perceived private label brand (PLB) equity and customer's perceived relationship value. The effects of the proposed antecedents are applied to two groups of customers: variety-seeking and non-variety-seeking consumers. Design/methodology/approach: The questionnaire surveys were administered to customers of five retail firms with a nationwide presence in Spain (Carrefour, Auchan, Eroski, Mercadona, and El Corte Inglés). A total of 742 valid questionnaires was obtained. Findings: The results show that the key differences between variety seekers (VS) and non-variety seekers (NVS) are imposed by PLB equity, which has a stronger relationship to both components of CVR for VS than for NVS. Relationship value has a stronger relationship to intention to try new products or brands for NVS than for VS. Finally, functional service value has a stronger relationship to intention to try new products or brands for VS than for NVS. Practical implications: The results obtained for both groups have significant implications for segmentation and management of differentiated marketing strategies based on consumers' characteristics (variety-seeking tendency). Originality/value: This study establishes a new concept and measurement of CVR as determined by the customer him/herself. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of how the relative importance of service, PLBs and relationships affect CVR. Finally, despite the fact that contemporary consumers tend to seek variety, the variety-seeking profile has not been used to date as a moderating variable in studies of CVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Prior research has identified that brands have a differential impact on consumer evaluations across various brand benefits. This paper investigates whether these effects are stable over time, or evolve in a consistent way. Design/methodology/approach – Consumer evaluations of brand benefits into overall brand and detailed attribute-specific sources through a standard confirmatory factor analysis approach have been decomposed. Two unique datasets have been analyzed; the first contains cross-sectional data from Kodak across four different consumer goods categories, and the other is a longitudinal dataset from the USA and Canada in the surface-cleaning category, covering seven brands over five years (2007-2011). Findings – A systematic evolution in brand effects has been demonstrated: a general trend is that over time and with experience, consumers rely more heavily on overall brand information to develop their evaluations. However, early in a brand’s life, or later when circumstances compel consumers to actively consider the attributes, ingredients or features of a brand, consumers may rely more heavily on, detailed attribute-specific information to evaluate brand benefits. Research limitations/implications – The systematic evolution in consumers’ use of information from attribute to brand is hypothesized in this paper and is found to occur contrary to the speculation of Dillon et al. (2001) regarding the direction of such an evolution. Further, our results indicate the sensitivity of our approach to detect changes in consumers’ use of the two sources that should be expected, given the various exogenous factors. Practical implications – Brand managers can use the results from our procedure to alter their messages to more strongly emphasize either overall brand information or detailed attribute-specific information, depending on the consumer segment or key benefit in question. The research offers insights for the kind of information managers should communicate for brands trying to extend into new categories. The research also raises interesting questions regarding the extent to which brands can own a strong position on a particular benefit over time. Originality/value – No prior work has evaluated brand effects (i.e. the relative use of brand vs attribute sources) to evaluate brand benefits over time. Our results demonstrate the value of the decompositional procedure we recommend and the importance of knowing which source is relied upon more heavily as consumers evaluate brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate whether or not ongoing sales promotion contributed to the declines in “no brand preference” (NBP). Part of an ongoing series investigating the growth of US consumer’s responses of NBP for more than 1,500 frequently purchased consumer product brands. Data were drawn from responses to a very large (1.1 million) online longitudinal consumer questionnaire during 2002-2012. Design/methodology/approach – Additional research, combining this data set with two other major US longitudinal studies, confirmed results. This study focused on determining reasons for NBP increase. Initial data set included use of and influence of 23 in-store promotional tools. These were investigated to determine impact and effect. Findings – Four leading sales promotional tools, based on consumer influence, were coupons, home samples, in-store samples and retail shopper cards. Shopper cards had most influence on purchase of secondary, not primary brands in categories. Shopper cards are a clearly underused promotional tool in building brand preference and sales. Research limitations/implications – Limited to US consumer products only. No attempt made to connect media advertising and in-store media impact or effect. Practical implications – Future investigation should focus on other geographies, synergy between media advertising and promotional techniques. Also, the study is all aggregated data; individual brand investigations should be made. Shopper cards appear to be a major opportunity for secondary brands. More focus on cooperative activities between brands and retailers would benefit both. Originality/value – Paucity of longitudinal customer-view research on shopper cards identifies both manufacturer and retailer opportunities, particularly secondary brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that firms need to reconsider application of the conventional marketing mix at the bottom of pyramid (BOP) because variables exist that impact differently on the interaction between firms and consumers at the BOP. Design/methodology/approach – A mixture of qualitative data collection methods was used comprising multiple case studies using in-depth, one-to-one interviews and ethnographic observations. Findings – Key findings include the identification of social networks as an intervening variable for firms to consider when implementing the marketing mix at the BOP and the need for continuous consultative interaction between firms and customers which is facilitated by social networks. Research limitations/implications – Firms in the sample used for research were confined to those in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. The research was also restricted to Zimbabwe. Generalisation could be enhanced by using a larger sample of firms drawn from different product and service categories that catered for the BOP in a number of different countries. Practical implications – Findings from the study provide practical insights for marketing managers to consider when developing a marketing mix to serve the BOP. Primarily, managers could implement a variety of strategies to enhance the way they engage with customers in the BOP market. Social implications – The study provides insights into how firms can improve livelihoods of those at the BOP by providing employment and business opportunities through their partnerships with social networks. Originality/value – The paper expands research agenda of the relatively new area of the BOP. By focusing on a BOP market in Africa, the research expands existing knowledge beyond previous areas of focus in Asia and Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This study aims to examine animosity's role in determining consumers' product choices. Considerable research attention has been devoted to studying the relationship between animosity and consumers' willingness to buy foreign products. Few studies, however, have considered that individual consumers may harbor varying degrees of animosity toward different countries, thus, differentially affecting their willingness to buy products from these countries. The within-subject comparison of the present study seeks to provide a clearer and cleaner approach to examining the impact of animosity on consumers' preferences for foreign products. Extending this line of inquiry, it also aims to explore the link between consumers' choice of products from high versus low animosity countries at different price levels. Design/methodology/approach – Two studies were conducted to examine the impact of consumer animosity on product choice. Study 1 contains a survey study, and Study 2 is a full factorial conjoint analysis. Findings – It is discovered that animosity plays a stronger role in determining consumers' willingness to buy foreign products from high-level animosity countries than from low-level animosity countries. Through conjoint analysis, the paper demonstrates that consumers are willing to make trade-offs between price and animosity. Originality/value – This study fills a void in the literature by exploring what role animosity plays in determining a consumer's choice of products, particularly when different degrees of animosity are held toward different countries. The within-subject design of this research provides considerable insight on this front. In addition, this study represents an initial attempt to explore the dynamics between animosity and price via a conjoint analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The reported study was designed to provide insight into gift cards as gifts and their place among gifts of cash and goods. It also was designed to identify promising avenues for further research. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of 317 respondents of both sexes who varied greatly in age. Findings - Effective liquidity served largely as the basis for categorizing gift cards. The greater a card's effective liquidity, the more its economic impact on the recipient resembles that of cash. The results indicated the following: face value affects recipient preference for effective liquidity; the giver-getter relationship affects recipient preference for effective liquidity; the gift cards givers give tend to have less effective liquidity than those they prefer to get-some gift cards are more appropriate gifts than others and some, but not all, gift cards are more appropriate gifts than cash; and people feel less guilt when paying for personal luxuries with gift cards than with cash. Research limitations - The study was largely exploratory insofar as its breadth greatly exceeded its depth and findings derived from a convenience sample. Originality/value - The study introduced effective liquidity as a basis for assessing similarities and differences between gift cards and gifts of cash and goods. Findings enhance scholarly understanding of gift cards and their place among gifts of cash and goods. Moreover, they afford insights into marketing gift cards and into promising paths for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different levels of environmental information on key consumer metrics. More specifically, it aims to evaluate environmentally benign products against those that have negative environmental impacts. Design/methodology/approach -- Multiple product categories and messages that varied from strongly negative to strongly positive were used to test whether the accuracy/completeness of the information changes consumers' view of green products. Findings -- The results show that consumer perception of product quality, value, and purchase intentions does not differ significantly between products with positive environmental messages and those without any message. Products with positive environmental messages are viewed better than products with negative environmental messages. It is also found that the impact of environmental information is greater for consumable products. Practical implications -- Clearly presented information can make a significant difference in consumer evaluation of products. If green products highlighted the reasons why products free of harmful ingredients did not have a negative impact on the environment, and if non-green products were required to disclose the harmful impact of their ingredients, green products would be favorably perceived over the non-green alternative. Social implications -- The paper conjectures that if "fair" and clear explanations of environmental impact, both good and bad, are required, consumer evaluations of green products will improve and, ultimately, a larger percentage of consumers will purchase green products. The findings suggest that policy makers should require manufacturers to disclose key product ingredients and their environmental impact. Originality/value -- This project adds to the growing body of literature on environmental labeling, and investigates the effects of different levels of environmental information on key consumer metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This paper aims to use conjoint analysis to examine how Malaysian consumers make decisions regarding a consumer durable product -- namely room air conditioners -- under multi-cue situations. Design/methodology/approach -- This study first assesses the impact of a priori perceived differences between brand names, country of manufacture, price, quality, technological advancement, and warranty on product evaluation. Second, the relative importance of the attributes as evaluative criteria is determined by performing part worth analysis. Six pertinent hypotheses are developed and tested. Conjoint analysis is used to develop product profiles that respondents could evaluate via a survey. This is followed by a market simulation to suggest marketing strategies for Malaysian and Japanese products (the latter dominate the Malaysian market). Findings -- The findings indicate the importance of capitalising upon consumer durables' intrinsic qualities, and the need to carefully consider the relationship between price and quality. Ways to take advantage of the strength of foreign brand names need to be understood and operationalised. The simulation exercise also indicates ways in which indigenous and external competitors could take advantage of market opportunities. Research limitations/implications -- The study does place in a Malaysian context, and moreover used a convenience sampling approach. The need is demonstrable for more representative probabilistic sampling. While country of origin effects are understood, other criteria (i.e. design, assembly, and source) need to be considered in future studies. Practical implications -- It is felt that the approach utilised and the simulations developed can be applied in other geographic and cultural contexts and have implications for marketing strategies for branded consumer durable typologies. Originality/value -- The paper identifies and evaluates strategies for more effective competition in the Malaysian room air conditioner market. The use of conjoint analysis and market simulation provides a basis for competitive advantage in a tightly focused market sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This paper aims to summarize the results of an empirical project to understand the perceptions of consumers of the future high end products in the USA. This project was a precursor of a larger global project on the topic. Design/methodology/approach -- The approach utilizes the consumer insights-driven process, rule-developing experimentation (RDE), introduced by the senior authors and developed in cooperation with Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania). The empirical part was conducted with qualified US coners (middle- and upper-middle class respondents). Based on a series of in-depth qualitative interviews with global leaders of luxury and premium companies, star designers and thought leaders, five dimensions of high end offering were identified, with each dimension having a unique set of four factors (elements). The second part included a quantitative survey based on RDE (modified conjoint analysis) conducted in the USA with 373 qualified middle- and upper-middle class respondents to discover the driving forces behind their perceptions of high end. Findings -- There are four distinct consumer mindsets towards future high end products. The segmentation is based on a disciplined experimentation afforded by RDE and produces a more targeted understanding of the consumer mind. Practical implications -- The paper provides insights of what might drive the consumer perception of high end products in the near future. The pattern-based consumer mind-set segmentation creates actionable directions for corporations in answering today's big question "How can brands migrate from being cost-driven commodities to higher margins and profits?" The answer is in the high end. Originality/value -- The approach offered here could help designers and brand managers to efficiently create better products that consumers like and perceive as high end. This will result in higher margins and help marketers to differentiate their respective products from the competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine how consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are harnessing the power of loyalty marketing to improve their sales and branding effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach - The paper cites examples of CPG loyalty efforts from Procter & Gamble, Tazo Tea, Huggies diapers, Moet Hennessey, Maker's Mark, Purina dog food and others, it outlines two primary models that CPG marketers are pursuing, each with their own approaches, levels of investment and possible outcomes. Findings - The paper explores the many obstacles CPG marketers must overcome if they desire to shift from mass advertising to a more customer-centric marketing model and cites examples of successes and failures from a variety of organizations. Research limitations/implications - "The CPG industry has often been the odd man out even as brands in nearly all industries around the globe have pursued loyalty marketing as a primary tactic of their overall enterprise customer strategy", note Hlavinka and Gomez. "Is it because the CPG industry views the retailers who sell their goods as their primary market, rather than the consumers who actually use them? Is it lack of concern for the consumer? Lack of focus? Lack of expertise? All of the above? These are the questions that our research set out to answer.". Practical implications - The reader will come away with some specific ideas for improving the effectiveness of their private label credit card program. Armed with the knowledge of the scope and size of the private label credit card market, readers should gain insight that will improve their decisionmaking about their own program. Originality/value - The paper takes a look at the emergence of loyalty programs in the consumer packaged goods industry and what is ahead for this burgeoning trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose--To investigate consumer innovativeness (CI) from a hierarchical perspective and examine the simultaneous impacts of hierarchical perspective of CI and perceived risk on new product adoption. Design/methodology/approach--An extended innovativeness and perceived risk model was developed. A structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses using empirical data from 746 respondents in a high technology product context. Findings--The results provide support for the hierarchical perspective of CI; domain specific CI mediates the relationship between global CI and new product adoption. Specifically, cognitive and domain-specific innovativeness enhances the actual adoption of new products; whereas sensory innovativeness and perceived social and physical risks enhance consumers' propensity to acquire novel information about new products. Financial risk, on the other hand, has a negative impact on the propensity to acquire novel information about new products. Time, performance, psychological, and network externalities risks show no significant relations with the tendency to acquire novel information about new products. Research limitations/implications--The findings provide an explanation to the less than consistent relationship between consumer innovativeness and new product adoption. However, a single research context of high tech consumer goods may be a limitation and future studies need to replicate this hierarchical perspective of CI as a predictor of new product adoption in different research contexts for greater generalizability. Practical implications--The findings of the study provide some guidelines to marketers on how to increase the new product commercialization success. Marketers should tap into the cognitive and domain-specific innovativeness to enhance the new product adoption. The sensory part of CI and perceived social and physical risks have implications for the promotion and communication aspects of new product marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research in the area, predominantly conducted in North America with Hispanics or French Canadians, has provided two alternative models of acculturation. This study examines empirically whether the assimilation model of acculturation is more valid than the unique behaviour model in the case of Australian-Chinese consumers. Based on 288 respondents of Chinese background but exhibiting contrasting degrees of acculturation, several aspects of consumer behaviour, including information search, product evaluation, purchase behaviour and post-purchase evaluation, were examined in the case of three products of increasing involvement, namely toothpaste, stereos and cars. Our results suggest that both views are valid and demonstrate that further research is needed in this area of growing economic significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the customer value literature there is a lacuna of theoretical frameworks and models that underlie consumers' overall product valuation. This paper addresses this limitation and presents a model integrating consumer values, product benefits, and various costs of consumption. In the proposed model, benefits and costs are defined in terms of consumers' perceptions in the activities of acquisition, consumption, and maintenance, as well as consumers' expectation of value satisfaction before buying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The country-of-origin effect and product consumption conspicuousness are examined. This study strengthens our understanding of the importance of the COO effect as it is investigated with respect to consumers' purchasing intentions of public vs. private and luxury vs. necessity products. For instance, does the COO effect differ in its importance in the purchasing decision of conspicuous vs. inconspicuous products? A product's country of origin has a stronger effect when considering luxury products. The conspicuous aspect of the consumption comes second. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares consumer preferences for goods made abroad and in the home country by both foreign and home-country firms. These preferences and the intervening role of price-quality attributes are assessed in an empirical study using conjoint analysis and a MANOVA procedure. Results suggest that country o[ manufacture and product quality strongly influence consumer decision making in globally available product categories. Specifically, compared to imported goods, consumers appear to prefer domestically manufactured goods and are often willing to pay a higher price for them. It is usually only when imported goods are of significantly superior quality that consumers will pay more to obtain them. Finally, in their purchase decisions, consumers appear not to put much weight on a product's perceived importance to the home country's manufacturing base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites a study which investigated the accuracy of consumers' product attribute covariance beliefs. Consumer product evaluations are often influenced by information contained in their memories. Prior to product evaluations, consumers are often exposed to data that permits them to judge the covariation relationships among different product attributes. Consumers can then develop heuristics to aid them in making product evaluations without the necessity of brand trial. However, consumers' memories moderate the amount and type of information that is considered, and the heuristic(s) used during the evaluation process and subsequently, may bias their product evaluations. The accuracy of consumers' attribute covariance beliefs has been little researched, and virtually no consideration has been given to potential moderating variables. When exposed to new information, people may resist changing their long-term memory attribute covariance beliefs. However, they are likely to use available relevant information to make more discerning attribute covariance inferences.

The article presents a study that examined the issue of the functionality or symbolism of brand names. The importance of a brand's image in its long-term success necessitates having a framework for strategically managing the image. Brand concept can be either symbolic or functional, and thus comprises one aspect of a brand's image. Symbolic brands satisfy symbolic needs and their practical usage is only incidental. The proposition that brands can be either symbolic or functional in their appeal to consumers raises several interesting issues. In addition to the uniqueness of these two concepts, it is assumed that each of these concepts is unidimensional. The exploratory analysis suggested a distinction between the functional and symbolic constructs of image. Findings of the study suggest that brand functionality and symbolism are distinct concepts in consumers' minds. Consumers see a brand's functionality and symbolism as separate phenomena. It indicates that consumers do not have any trouble accepting brands that have both symbolic and functional appeal.

The article presents a response to author Paul Koku's comments on the previously published article "Price Signaling: Does It Ever Work?." The article investigated the phenomenon of price signaling, whereby consumer goods manufacturers attempt to signal higher quality via a higher price when objective product quality is, in fact, not demonstrably superior. A study of two similar facial moisturizers showed that higher price alone did not succeed in signaling higher quality, but that higher price accompanied by premium-quality signals in the other elements of the marketing mix does succeed. The article concluded that, in general, a premium pricing strategy is unlikely to be successful if price is the only marketing variable emphasized. Brand managers were advised to think in terms of a premium quality positioning that requires the consistent application of quality cues across the marketing mix. Koku discusses price signaling at length and presents a three-part definition. One aspect of the study that Koku criticizes is using Consumer Reports' ratings to assess the relative quality of products.

The article reports on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and what it implies for consumer products marketing. It provides marketers with both a broad-based and an industry-specific understanding of the marketing implications of GATT. It presents background information regarding GATT, followed by an overview of the key provisions of the agreement. Provides an analysis of a number of consumer product industries to help assess the potential industry specific impact of GATT on the "offensive" and "defensive" marketing strategies, which are described in the study.

The article focuses on the brand name strategies in the service sector. Choosing a brand name for a consumer product or service is so critical that some writers argue it is one of the most important marketing management decisions. A brand name can provide a customer with a symbolic meaning which assists in both the recognition of the product and the decision-making process. A well-chosen brand name can produce a number of specific advantages including suggesting product benefits, contributing to brand identity, simplifying shopping, implying quality, evoking feelings of trust, confidence, security, strength, durability, speed, status and exclusivity. There are even times, particularly when marketing homogeneous goods, where the brand name may be a product's only distinguishing characteristic. Although branding has attracted considerable attention from marketing academics in recent years, the overwhelming majority of this interest has been directed at products with physical forms, rather than services. The intangibility factor associated with services has led to the suggestion that branding and image creation may be even more critical for services.

The article focuses on the measurement of customer-based brand equity. Brand equity is regarded as a very important concept in business practice as well as in academic research because marketers can gain competitive advantage through successful brands. The competitive advantage of firms that have brands with high equity includes the opportunity for successful extensions, resilience against competitors' promotional pressures, and creation of barriers to competitive entry. An indication of the importance of well-known brands is the premium asset valuation that they obtain. In conceptualizing how customers evaluate brand equity, it is viewed as consisting of two components, brand strength and brand value. Brand strength constitutes the brand associations held by customers. On the other hand, brand values are the gains that accrue when brand strength is leveraged to obtain superior current and future profits. Basically, brand equity sterns from the greater confidence that consumers place in a brand than they do in its competitors. This confidence translates into consumers' loyalty and their willingness to pay a premium price for the brand.

The article discusses integration of environmental attributes into marketing mix by manufacturers of consumer goods. This article discusses some of the problems associated with green marketing activities. It then examines how forming a strategic alliance with an environmental group can assist organizations in overcoming these problems as well as assist them in achieving other objectives. In many cases, even if consumers do understand specific claims, they are usually in no position to evaluate effectively the accuracy of these claims. Therefore, if marketers of consumer goods are going to be able to use green marketing in an effective manner they need to develop strategies to overcome these problems. One strategy that organizations have recently adopted to make their environmental marketing activities more effective is to form a strategic alliance with an environmental group. Strategic alliances have been used in a variety of situations when two or more organizations join forces to achieve a mutual objective.

This article discusses the growth in the sales of consumer goods and private bands. Retailers are generally described as becoming more powerful. One manifestation of this power in the food business can be seen in the increase in the sales of private brands. The sale of PBs is clearly a threat to both the sales and margins of many brands in particular product categories. The importance of these problems to investors and therefore to the firm, can be seen in the stock market reaction to the decision to reduce the price of Marlboro as a reaction to the encroachment of PBs on Marlboro's market share. Many supplier firms have been faced with similar kinds of decisions. There is today a soft drinks war in Canada between PBs and major brands. PB sales in many merchandise categories are increasing. According to the Private Label Manufacturers' Association, the market share in units of store brands reached a record 19.7 percent in 1993, compared with 16.4 percent in 1989, while dollar share increased to 14.9 percent from 1.6 percent during the same time period.

Many firms have recognized that success in the current consumer marketing environment requires better coordination between brand "pull" and sales "push" programs, with consequent impacts on the activities of brand managers. But little research has been devoted to identifying dimensions of required co-ordination between these groups, market developments that affect their interactions, or how managers can usefully evaluate organizational changes aimed at improving performance of their joint activities. This study found that the factors affecting marketing-sales coordination requirements in consumer goods firms go way beyond the oft-documented fact of increased spending on trade promotions, and that companies are responding to these requirements with a variety of organizational initiatives. In most consumer goods firms, product marketing and field sales have historically been managed as separate but complementary activities, with the emphasis on brand development efforts targeted at consumers.

A deluge of breakthroughs in the world's research and development labs have made the last several decades a period of profound technological change. Between the original commercial silicon transistor in 1954 and the first single-chip artificial intelligence processor in the late 1980s were countless technical innovations yielding products and services that have changed the way the people work and play: from cellular car phones and FAX machines to Nintendo games and backyard satellite dishes. Medical advances, facilitated by new diagnostic equipment and biotechnology, have revolutionized the care and treatment of humans. These technological discoveries have spawned new generations of consumer and industrial goods and services capable of performing more complex and time-saving feats than all previous high-technology offerings. Yet the problem is that the technological sophistication of the products is often ahead of the technological sophistication of the people who are meant to use them.

The objective of this research is to present a foundation for the development of marketing decision support systems (MDSS), The findings of other researchers and two case studies of major firms conducted by the authors provide the framework for analysis. While the development of traditional management information systems typically follows a sequential flow through the stages of analysis, design, and implementation, MDSS often involves a developmental approach emphasizing iteration and evaluation through these stages. Managerial guidelines for MDSS development are provided along with potential applications for these support systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is a market with considerable potential for U.S. consumer product firms. The first step in tapping this market is gaining an understanding of the Chinese consumer. This article provides information on China's consumer market, including views of Chinese consumers toward U.S. products, that should provide direction for U.S. companies considering this market opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]