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Drawing on the experiential advantage, three studies were conducted with online clothing rental service users and potential consumers to assess how material and experiential framing impact consumer happiness and word of mouth (WOM) intentions, moderated by consumer materialism, across different consumption (i.e., buying and renting fashion products) and product types (i.e., renting instrumental vs. terminal products). The findings indicate that material framing enhances consumer perceptions of rented fashion products as reflective of their self-identity and increases product-self connections, thereby boosting happiness and WOM intentions. In contrast, experiential framing proves advantageous with instrumental products. This research expands our understanding of the boundary conditions and psychological processes of material vs. experiential framing and provides practical guidance for access-based fashion businesses to effectively communicate and present their services, aiming to achieve positive customer buzz and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online fan communities on social media are an effective avenue for sport organizations to engage sport fans. Sport fans who identify with online fan communities express positive and negative consumer engagement behavior (CEB) on social media. Most researchers focus on the positive valence of CEB. This study explores the mediating effect of both positive and negative valences of CEB between online fan community identification and behavioral intention simultaneously. Additionally, the moderating effect of satisfaction with teams' performance is examined. This study contributes to the conceptualization of the negative valence of CEB on social media and extends the literature on the dual valence of CEB in the sport context. It also provides insights to sport managers on relationship marketing on social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embedded with artificial empathy, artificial intelligence (AI) companions (ACs) can create, communicate, and deliver value to customers. This article analyzes current and emerging ACs in order to explore AI's role in transforming customer journeys and establishing long-lasting customer relationships. It also identifies existing business challenges in developing user-AI companionship and offers a remedial strategy matrix. Purely functional or emotional capabilities lead to interest in the companion plummeting with time. The findings reveal the need to design holistic ACs with a hybrid of functional, emotional, and conversational capabilities to mitigate the uncanny valley problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurial action often stems from individual judgment about the value potential of market opportunities. Where entrepreneurs direct their search for and evaluate profitable opportunities has long received scholarly consideration. Attention has been increasingly directed toward how search is conducted, with a distinction between "cognitive" search, where actors are driven by a prior belief about the linkage between actions and outcomes (i.e. "learning- before -doing") and "experiential search," in which the solution must be realized through experimentation, trial-by-error, or "learning- by -doing." We examine founders' experiential search for market applications in uncertain technological environments. In doing so, we seek to uncover how founder background, experience, and depth of knowledge affect the firm's degree of experiential search. We examine a sample of technology-oriented start-ups founded by researchers from six major US research universities to investigate the role of experiential search in university technology commercialization. In our context of academic entrepreneurship, we find that founding teams that draw from multiple disciplinary perspectives in selecting a market application to pursue exhibit a broader cognitive map of the technological landscape and thus expend more effort in the experiential search process than do teams with less varied backgrounds. Conversely, teams that include individuals with prior commercial experience conduct less experiential search, although this evidence is less strong. The inclusion of students appears to lead to greater experiential search by the founding team. Our findings add new understanding to the application of search heuristics by entrepreneurial firms in technology commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we want to show our appreciation for a major figure in our discipline by reading his work carefully, juxtaposing this material with historical narratives that place him in context. We think he would have appreciated the imbrication of his ideas with those of pertinent scholarly forebears, the reactions against socialism, impact of the Cold War, as well as the philanthropic politics that have shaped our intellectual parameters. As we make clear, M.J. Baker was a pioneer, justifying and extending the reach of marketing in the United Kingdom. He wore many hats: academic, editor, entrepreneur, and institution builder. Core themes in his writing are outlined, with attention devoted to his paradigmatic, epistemological and ethical commitments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the creation of social media platforms, sport researchers have used relationship marketing as a conceptual and theoretical framework for studies on social media in sport. While many of these studies have contributed to our understanding of relationship building on social media, there is much room for advancement. This special-issue commentary provides a brief overview of the scholarship on relationship marketing and social media in sport and then suggests areas for advancement. It ends with specific recommendations for moving from using relationship marketing as a framework to testing the theory in sport social media research and expanding on its application to understanding relationship building on social media in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passage of name, image, and likeness (NIL) laws in individual states within the United States has provided intercollegiate athletes opportunities to potentially profit from their personal NIL in a free marketplace. Concurrently, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) also allowed college athletes to utilize their NIL rights. Thus far, most college athletes' NIL deals for payments are for posts on the athletes' own social media channels for products, including their own self-promotion in relation to brands, or promotion of brands such as fast food and auto dealerships. Notably, published scholarly work on NIL itself is sparse since it was not until 2021 that the NCAA enacted NIL rules for college athletes. Published scholarship on NIL and social media is even rarer. Therefore, this commentary provides recommendations for potential future scholarship related to NIL and social media, focusing on three potential frameworks: (a) agenda setting, (b) relationship marketing, and (c) personal branding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the prominence given to firm-level international experience (IE), there is a dearth of comprehensive and unified conceptualizations of this concept in the literature. This problem necessitates a targeted study to investigate IE, compile its common conceptualization methods, and integrate the existing literature with a new comprehensive approach. The author aims to achieve this by employing Dewey's philosophy to define IE, reviewing 306 high-quality articles to extract extant approaches to the concept, and integrating these results to provide a new conceptualization. This article supports situations as generators of experience and demonstrates that previous approaches primarily focus on only some aspects of IE, overlooking the phenomenon as a whole. The new IE conceptualization is a seven-dimensional construct that includes length, breadth, depth, intensity, diversity, complexity, and echo. Additionally, the author discusses that IE can be analyzed at six levels depending on its origin (entry mode specific, international marketing specific, or both) and geographical scope (regional vs. global). The results provide a robust foundation for scholars and managers aiming to investigate and explore the realm of experiential knowledge and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMost research on Airbnb focuses on the guests’ perspective or the effects of host-guest interaction. This paper explores the way professional and nonprofessional hosts develop relationship marketing with their guests. The results of 30 semi-structured interviews with Portuguese Airbnb hosts show the conscious importance of interactions with guests and customization to generate trust and increase guest satisfaction. The paper shows that the interactivity and functionalities of the Airbnb platform deepens the relationships between hosts and guests. Nonprofessional hosts are those who develop a closer relationship with guests, requiring guidance toward possible advanced electronic relationship marketing tools in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusions Although acne is associated with scarring, mental health comorbidities and bullying, little is known about its impact on socio‐economic outcomes.To examine the association between acne and educational, labour market and relationship outcomes.We conducted a nationwide registry‐based cohort study in Denmark. We included birth cohorts from 1982 to 1988 and compared those with and without acne identified using hospital diagnosis codes and redeemed prescriptions. Our main educational outcome was educational attainment. The main labour market outcomes were earned income at age 30 and long‐term unemployment at any time before age 30. The main relationship outcomes were single partnership and childlessness by age 30. Outcomes were assessed using Poisson regression for binary outcomes and linear regression for continuous outcomes, adjusted for sex, calendar year, mother's socio‐economic position and hormonal contraception use.Those with acne had a lower risk of not completing upper secondary education (relative risk (RR): 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76–0.83) and higher education (RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.88–0.91), with absolute differences up to 4 percentage points. Persons with acne had slightly higher income (mean percentile difference: 2.6%, 95% CI: 2.2–2.9) and lower risk of long‐term unemployment than those without acne (9.8% vs. 11.4%; RR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.87–0.93). The prevalence of being single until age 30 was similar (19.7% vs. 20.1%; adjusted RR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.94–0.98) but childlessness was slightly more prevalent (60.5% vs. 57.5%; adjusted RR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.02–1.04). However, all associations were attenuated or lost in secondary analysis restricted to exposure‐discordant siblings to address confounding from family‐related factors.Acne during adolescence does not seem to affect long‐term educational, labour market or relationship outcomes. However, there is a need for additional studies to validate the findings in untreated patients and different health and social systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the mid-1980s, "experience" has become a central object of reflection for marketing as well as for semiotics, to the extent that meaning is always created during an experience. However, English and French literatures on experiential marketing often approach the concept of experience differently. This article argues that these divergences concern the thematic of the experience (i.e. shopping vs consuming), and that, more essentially, experience should be conceived as the common denominator of all marketing offerings, no matter if it is a product, a service, an event, a place ... Using the post-structural semiotic frameworks of the "interactional regimes" theory, the author proposes to consider four fundamental consumer experiences (domination, cooperation, emancipation, and harmonization), each of these related to the logic of a specific type of offering: "goods," "play," "work" and "existence." In considering these four macro-offerings, this paper aims to better grasp the interactional and semiotic stakes of consumer experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines perceived value as an alternative antecedent of customer delight in the fine-dining industry. Specifically, a conceptual model is developed by bifurcating the means-end loyalty chain that depicts the hedonic and utilitarian routes to loyalty. This model encompasses the differential effect of the hedonic and utilitarian dimensions of perceived value conceptualized by Holbrook relative to customer satisfaction and customer delight and ultimately influences customer loyalty dimensions. Regression analysis suggests perceived hedonic value dimensions are more significant determinants of customer delight than utilitarian value dimensions. The findings will serve as the basis for the restaurants to develop and implement successful consumer relationship marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While donor funding is important to the survival of many nonprofits, donors -unlike customers- make payments or donations to benefit 3rd parties that cannot be directly observed. This separation of payments (donations) and benefits can reduce donors' support and thus impact a nonprofit organization's survival and performance. This study offers a relationship marketing (RM) approach to solving this separation problem. Specifically, this study draws on identity salience research to explain a nonprofit's fundraising efforts. A nonprofit's fundraising offers a salient form of RM that develops a donor's identity in the nonprofit's mission and thus overcoming the separation of benefit-payment problem. However, identity salience research also argues that individuals/donors are subject to a group identification process. This process prioritizes a donor's giving in ways that affirm their identity with their social group, but not the salience affirming benefits of a nonprofits' fundraising. Hypotheses were developed to examine these identity salience arguments in the U.S. Nonprofit Religious Media (NPRM) sector. In using a Fixed Effect (FE) panel estimation, a Nonprofit Religious Media Organization (NPRMO)'s fundraising offers a RM that supports this study's identity salience explanations. A primary contribution of this study is that it advances RM research by introducing an identity process that not only explains the value-laden benefits of RM, but that this identity process introduces a group identification process that offers a more socialized view of RM research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research question: The number of adults participating in physical activity and sport is in decline; nine of the top 15 daily sports experienced a decrease in participation in recent years. For sport organizations that provide participation programming, retaining members is critical to their success and longevity. The purpose of this research is to empirically determine factors that explain member retention in a masters-level sport. Research method: A relationship marketing-based model was developed and tested using survey data from over 6000 current and former members of United States Masters Swimming. Results and findings: Enjoyment and fitness, community, and competition are motivational factors that support membership continuation. Membership renewal is also influenced by identification with the organization, improved fitness and ability, and positive perceptions of service quality and coaching. Implications: Leaders of non-profit sport organizations can apply the findings to increase member retention and fulfill the mission of providing health benefits to adults. Organizations can improve sport experiences through community-building and challenge; creating positive interactions with the coach and service organization can contribute to retention. This research contributes to theory-building regarding relationship marketing in member-based sport organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meteorological landscape has always been the main selling point for some destinations, but the uncertain supply of the meteorological landscape also poses challenges for destination management. Little is known about visitors' emotional and behavioral tendencies elicited by this uncertainty under landscape viewing; therefore, it is critical for academics and practitioners to understand visitors' emotional and behavioral changes after the viewing experience and strategize marketing plans to improve revisit intention. Grounded upon cognitive appraisal theory, this study conducted in-depth interviews with 31 visitors who had had meteorological landscape viewing experiences to solicit their perceptions and appraisals of uncertainty. Results revealed that the uncertainty influenced visitors' entire cognitive appraisal process and resulted in four types of revisit intentions. Specifically, even if visitors have a negative emotion after the viewing, they may choose to revisit. Accordingly, theoretical and practical implications for destination management are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of a firm's customer centricity and market orientation on the relationship between the knowledge management and business performance. Design/methodology/approach: The hypotheses proposed for this study were tested on the data collected from 274 sample firms using partial least square-based structural equation modeling. Findings: According to the findings of this study, a firm's customer-centricity fully mediates the relationship between explicit and tacit knowledge management and a firm's business performance, whereas a firm's market orientation partially mediates the relationship between tacit and implicit knowledge management systems and a firm's business performance. Originality/value: This study can be considered as a pioneer work that investigates how explicit and tacit knowledge can be transformed into business performance with the mediating effect of a firm's customer centricity and market orientation on this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central questions answered in this research are, "For what, and when, do consumers prefer to spend loyalty points over money?" We use construal level theory (CLT) to theorize that loyalty (or reward) points are perceived abstractly while money is perceived concretely, and this impacts spending preferences. We find that consumers prefer to spend loyalty points (vs. money) on high desirability‐low feasibility (vs. low desirability‐high feasibility) consumption items. The same pattern also persists when the items that vary on desirability and feasibility are equivalently priced. Second, we show that the construal‐level matching phenomenon influences temporal decisions such that consumers prefer to spend points (vs. money) for items that are available later (vs. now). Third, the moderating effect of category type (experiential vs. material) is reported. Finally, we demonstrate two managerial applications that are reported in the Web Appendix. We show that managers may influence how consumers spend loyalty points (a) by altering the concreteness of the decision context, and (b) by manipulating the nature of loyalty points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the evolving patterns of precarious work in South Korea over a 20‐year period, challenging conventional understandings of labour market segmentation and class formation. Using group‐based trajectory modelling on Korean Labour and Income Panel Study data (2002–2021), we identify five distinct trajectories of labour market experiences. Our findings reveal that 34.4% of the sample, categorised into persistently high precariousness and persistent precariousness groups, provides evidence for an emerging, heterogeneous precariat class. This new class formation transcends traditional occupational boundaries and challenges existing class theories. Multinomial logistic regression shows that low‐skilled service workers and women are more likely to belong to precarious groups. Our study contributes by (1) providing empirical evidence for a diverse precariat class, (2) demonstrating the need for a multidimensional approach to precarious work, and (3) highlighting the dynamic nature of precarious work over time. We argue for bringing class discussion back into labour market inequality analysis through a new theoretical framework that synthesises traditional class theory with contemporary precariat discourse, offering insights for policy and theoretical development in understanding modern labour markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodologyFindingsResearch and practical implicationsOriginalityThe study seeks to address the influence of different facets of business-to-business (B2B) relationship marketing on internationalization effectiveness, by taking into account the turbulent environment generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus falls on the factors that generate, frame, catalyze, sustain and strengthen international business relationships between managers from organizations with converging interests.B2B relationship marketing in the international arena is analyzed by means of various angles such as business convergence, business context, interpersonal compatibility, business credibility and network interconnections as availed by the “new normal” triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire-based survey with 158 business owners and managers from European industrial companies was carried out during November 2023 to investigate the configuration and dynamics of B2B relationship marketing in the unprecedented and systemic COVID-19 crisis. Data was analyzed via structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 4.The findings showed that while business convergence remains a strong influencer of all the other relational dimensions, the restrictions and limitations engendered by the pandemic have also altered international B2B relationship marketing to such an extent that the only significant factor for internationalization effectiveness relies on business networking.The study has both theoretical and practical implications, bringing forward a topical perspective on international B2B relationships during COVID-19 disruptions and their impact on the effectiveness of international operations.The study advances a phenomenological view of the unprecedented changes and their influences on the overseas operations of SMEs in a particular field. It complements and adds to the literature by stressing a more articulated relationship-centric architecture, which probed relevance during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the impact of virtual fitting experience on consumers purchase in- tention, literature research method was used to put forward research hypotheses based on virtual fitting experience. Five dimensions of virtual fitting experience were determined, and a theoretical model among virtual fitting experience, perceived authenticity, and consumer purchase intention was established. The hypotheses were proposed, and multiple regression analysis was carried out on the valid data. The results show that the sensory experience.emotional experience, thinking ex- perience, action experience and related experience in the virtual fitting experience have a positive impact on consumers' purchase intention; perceived authenticity plays a partial mediating role in the sensory experience, emotional experience.action experience and related experience in the vir- tual fitting experience, but it plays a complete mediating role in the thinking experience. The re- search results can provide reference for merchants with virtual fitting experience to improve the virtual fitting experience mode and marketing strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the impact of virtual fitting experience on consumers purchase intention, literature research method was used to put forward research hypotheses based on virtual fitting experience. Five dimensions of virtual fitting experience were determined, and a theoretical model among virtual fitting experience, perceived authenticity, and consumer purchase intention was established. The hypotheses were proposed, and multiple regression analysis was carried out on the valid data. The results show that the sensory experience.emotional experience, thinking experience, action experience and related experience in the virtual fitting experience have a positive impact on consumers' purchase intention; perceived authenticity plays a partial mediating role in the sensory experience, emotional experience.action experience and related experience in the virtual fitting experience, but it plays a complete mediating role in the thinking experience. The research results can provide reference for merchants with virtual fitting experience to improve the virtual fitting experience mode and marketing strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A constructive learning experience for postgraduate students is important for higher educational institutions, particularly in emerging markets such as South Africa. The context of the student and supervisor relationship, operating in an intensive service delivery system, is also vitally important in this context, in order to secure a positive and successful learning outcome for the student. This study's aim is to evaluate postgraduate students' learning experience in an intensive higher educational service delivery system. It places the student at the center of a service design and relationship marketing approach, and highlights several areas of exploration. The study adopted a qualitative approach. Several online interviews were conducted with masters and doctoral students. The data was collected online and analysed using inductive content analysis. The main results indicate that, overall, the students' experience and emotions were positive, but that the lecturer, as internal stakeholder in the service system, should receive more support. The contributions of this study are in the practical implementation of an improved service design experience, and the elimination of possible service gaps, to secure customer loyalty and effective service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role and importance of sustainability are increasing multi-fold, and responsible organizations across the globe are aligning with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Integrating the UN SDGs into marketing education, especially curriculum, has received scant attention in the marketing education literature, even though 880 business schools have become Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) signatories. This exploratory study attempts to address the gap. It describes an instructor's attempt to integrate two SDGs, 8 and 12, into a marketing elective course, BoP & Rural Markets, using an experiential rural market project. The students were asked to use the lens of SDG 8 and 12 to understand the rural marketplace and its stakeholders during their field visit. This article describes the rural market project, spread across four experiential learning stages, and assesses its impact on sensitizing the students about SDGs. The whole experience, with its challenges and potential areas for improvement, is shared, and some lessons for marketing educators are identified. Finally, this article highlights some limitations of the approach and pinpoints directions for future work. In sum, this experiential project, a unique pedagogical intervention, helped increase the participants' awareness and encouraged them to come up with possible recommendations for the issues around the two SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood donation services seek new strategies to improve donor relationships and increase donor retention. In this study, we propose a novel strategy that employs appeals with feedback on the use of blood donors' past donations. We theorize that this feedback increases the perceived relationship investment and, subsequently, the quality of the relationship with the blood donation service, thereby increasing redonations. An online experiment shows the positive effect of past donation use appeals on donation intention and transmission through perceived relationship investment and relationship quality. Three field studies with Red Cross Blood Donation Services confirm the effectiveness of past donation use appeals on redonation behavior compared with thank-you appeals and with a future donation use appeal. Past donation use appeals are effective for retention purposes, especially for more experienced donors and when sent shortly after the donation. Such appeals also lead to higher reactivation rates of inactive donors. In addition to having practical implications, the study contributes to the relationship and nonprofit service literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While service providers strive to maintain customer relationships, a nontrivial number of customers downgrade their services, something that has been particularly true during the post-pandemic period or economic recession. Studying downgrade behavior is vital because it damages the bottom-line performance of service providers and reflects a reduced customer commitment. Unlike previous studies, we further divide downgrade behavior based on whether there is a change in the product category, that is, a downgrade to a lower-priced service option within the same product category ("pure downgrade") versus a downgrade to a lower-priced service option in a different product category ("hybrid downgrade"). An analysis of customer data collected from a major telecommunications company shows fundamental differences in the determinants and consequences of these two downgrades. Transaction-related variables, such as service usage, have a significantly stronger positive effect on the likelihood of hybrid downgrade than on that of pure downgrade. Conversely, relationship-related variables like relationship length have an inverted U-shaped effect on pure downgrade but barely affect the likelihood of hybrid downgrade. Interestingly, customers who engage in pure downgrade are more likely to churn than those who engage in hybrid downgrade. The empirical findings offer valuable insights on customer relationships and churn management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Casinos operate in a competitive environment. Relationship marketing has become a central focus of casino marketing practice. However, the literature lacks any clearly identified marketing strategies for customer acquisition and retention. This article employs a systematic literature review method to identify and delineate acquisition and retention strategies for the casino sector. The findings revealed measures and antecedents for customer acquisition, retention, casino consumption, and loyalty. The study draws on these findings to present a conceptual model that categorizes customer acquisition and retention strategies. Suggestions and recommendations are highlighted for practitioners and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer relationship management (CRM) has become increasingly important as a result of the pressure organizations are under to remain competitive. CRM has been and is widely promoted as essential to a company's ability to survive. According to this study, CRM is more than just a computer program or software package. We believe that for organizations to use CRM effectively, it must be viewed from a strategic point of view. Therefore, this study focuses on the consequences of digital marketing on business performance, specifically, the consequences of customer relationship orientation and the use of CRM technologies as a support for analysis, data integration, and access on business performance. This study addresses a contemporary and relevant research problem that has national and international relevance. The research is based on quantitative methods to test hypotheses. Data were gathered from 73 organizations. The findings show the relationships between CRM and customer satisfaction, market effectiveness, and profitability. Customer relationship orientation positively affects customer satisfaction, market effectiveness, and market profitability. CRM technologies significantly improve business performance. This research contributes to the existing knowledge by shedding light on the complex relationships among CRM, customer relationship orientation, market effectiveness, market profitability, and customer satisfaction. Based on the research results, we provide practical recommendations for managers and decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of market vendors at urban informal markets in Papua New Guinea are women. They face vulnerabilities related to safety, security and infrastructural support. They operate within male-dominated mediation structures where women's contributions to mediation and market governance are often invisible. However, in this article, we demonstrate how women market vendors contribute to the social aspect of market governance, particularly addressing issues of law and order within Awagasi market. Through the efforts of women vendors in mediation and conflict management, safety in the market and normal operation of the informal market have improved. The study involved 18 women market vendors, as well as male market vendors, at Awagasi market. It used focus group discussions, interviews and creative mapping to examine the different roles of women market vendors regarding mediation and market governance at Awagasi market. The study revealed the different roles women play and their social innovations in keeping peace and order in the market. Recognising women's agency in conflict management can support the promotion and strengthening of safe market spaces in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Creating - through an appropriate organisational narrative - positive experiences and experiences for employees is an important instrument for their acquisition and longer retention in the organisation. The aim of the article is, firstly, to verify the degree of uniform presence of the sensory, emotional, intellectual, behavioral and relational module in this narrative, and, secondly, to determine whether the content of these modules changes under the influence of contextual changes. Design/methodology/approach: As part of the research investigation, the content of 520 pieces of information provided on websites by a purposively selected organisation for 2000 and 2023 was analysed and evaluated (using an attendance analysis, as well as a diversity index and an equal distribution deviation index). Conclusions were related to the degree of satisfaction of various needs of employees. Findings: It was confirmed that all modules of experience and encounters were present in the organisation's narrative with employees. It also emerged that the content of these modules is influenced not so much by the changing context of the organization's functioning as by general social trends (performatization, cultural narcissism). Study limitations: The study was limited to one organization. Limitations also relate to the ambiguity that exists in some cases in attributing information to modules of experiences and experiences. Practical implications: The results can be used in programming the content provided to employees and in improving the conduct of analyses of the extent to which their needs are met. Originality/value: the proposed way of investigating the extent to which the diverse needs of employees are met is original. Conclusions about the non-dominant impact of the pandemic and post-pandemic context on the content provided to employees may be surprising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis inquiry investigated the association between relationship marketing practices-(RMP) and firm performance-(FP) proxy by export performance-(EP) of SMEs in Ghana, utilizing innovation-(INN) and opportunity exploration-(OPE) as mediators. The inquiry espoused a cross-sectional research design, employing SmartPLS-3.3.3 to perform descriptive statistics, principal component analyses-(PCA), exploratory factor analyses-(EFA), reliability/validity analyses, partial least square-structural equation modeling-(PLS-SEM) path analyses via first-order confirmatory factor analysis-(CFA) for testing the hypotheses. Primary data was gathered employing closed-end-(standardized) questionnaires, implementing self-administered, researcher guided face-to-face real-time (immediate) data collection methodology. Secondary data-(financial information) was extracted from annual reports of the SMEs. Complete enumeration was utilized to select all 360 registered SMEs in good standing with the Ghana Enterprise Agency-(GEA) and Association of Ghana Industries-(AGI) forming the sampling frame and sample size. Findings revealed that all seven RMP explanatory variables namely, communication-(COM), adaptation-(ADP), corporation-(COP), trust-(TST), social connections-(SOC), reciprocity-(RCP), relationship quality-(REQ) significantly exerted positive impacts on FP/EP, with REQ exhibiting the most potent predictor, followed by COM, ADP, COP, TST, SOC, and RCP. Again, findings depict that innovation-(INN) and opportunity exploration-(OPE) partially mediated the relationship between RMP and FP/EP. The paper contributes to literature by incorporating the unexplored mediators of INN and OPE, within SMEs in an emerging economy. By establishing connections and suggesting further avenues for research, the paper strengthens its argument both methodologically and conceptually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the mechanisms that underlie the effect of school marketing strategies on parents' perceived school attractiveness, particularly emphasizing the mediating role of parents' perceptions of being welcomed in urban schools. Additionally, we investigated how schools' marketing strategies work differently among parents with different value orientations toward schooling. Structural Equation Modeling and Cluster Analysis Data were applied to analyze 510 questionnaires collected from parents. Two experiential marketing strategies, namely, one-way disseminating materials and interactive social networking, impacted parents' perceived attractiveness of schools differently with the feeling of being welcomed mediating the relationship between parents and schools. Additionally, parents' value orientations toward schooling could be classified into three profiles. The results suggest that schools should consider parents' needs and preferences concerning their children's schooling and employ appropriate marketing strategies to engage different types of parents. To facilitate this outcome, individualized interaction is necessary to accommodate the diverse needs of parents. The overall structural equation model validates the mechanism of experiential marketing in influencing parental perceptions, and the cluster analysis underscores the need to explore the complex relationship between parents' educational priorities and their interpretation of marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationship marketing together with perceived switching costs are seen as a distinguished strategic approach to customer loyalty. Relationship marketing practices enable the firms to comprehend and satisfy the customer needs, while the perceived switching costs raise the bar for rivals to grab the gullible customers and helps the firms to ensure the loyalty of low satisfied customers. In view of this, present study aims to investigate the impact of relationship marketing practices on customer loyalty with a mediating role of perceived switching costs. The study utilized 736 complete questionnaires collected from the bank customers, by using one-stage cluster sampling, to validate the measurement and structural models through partial least-square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results revealed that there is significant positive effect of relationship marketing practices on customer loyalty. Furthermore, perceived switching costs have significant positive effect on customer loyalty. Bootstrapping approach to mediation analysis revealed that perceived switching costs, in unison, partially mediate the relationship between relationship marketing practices and customer loyalty. The study suggests that banks should invest more in relationship marketing practices to strengthen the perceived switching costs to keep the customers loyal to the organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live streaming commerce has attracted wide attention as a new online marketing method. However, it is not clear how the relationship between merchants and customers affects consumers' purchase intention. Based on SOR theory, we propose a theoretical model to explore the relationship between relational bonds, perceived value and purchase intention. In addition, we also explored the moderating role of live streaming platform types (ELP/SLP). Empirical results (N = 490) reveal that relational bonds increased purchase intention. Perceived utilitarian value plays a positive mediating role in the impact of financial bonds and structural bonds on purchase intention, and perceived hedonic value plays a positive mediating role in the impact of social bonds and structural bonds on purchase intention. ELP enhanced the relationship between structural bonds, perceived utilitarian value and purchase intention. SLP enhanced the relationship between social bonds, perceived hedonic value and purchase intention. This research may help live streaming commerce practitioners to understand and promote consumers' purchase intention from the perspective of relationship marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the new era of intelligent and high-quality development of artificial intelligence, we must face the challenge of the new environment of information service competition, tap the library's own advantages to maintain core competitiveness, and make customer relationship management a key resource. In order to uphold the concept of "user-centered", academic libraries in the new era gain their own understanding and practical measures. Nanjing University Libraries take cultural marketing as the starting point and manage the way of customer relationship management with its own characteristics. The article uses the method of literature collection, data analysis, empirical research and so on. It introduces cultural marketing strategy planning, business process integration, team building etc. Four typical cases implemented by Nanjing University Libraries has been introduced. (1) The first one is a creative inspiration based on user information collections which is the sounds of the library, a series of uncivilized phenomena complained by customers were filmed into short stories. The video has been viewed more than 275,000 times. The uncivilized phenomenon was effectively controlled, and the theme song won the third place in the IFLA International Marketing Award, 2024. (2) Three activities based on the long-term and strong connection of user knowledge contribution have attracted the deep participation of customers, who have established a sense of belonging to the library cultural brand, which formed a continuous cultural atmosphere jointly built by the library and customers. (3) The user interactive design of the cultural brand "NJU four small" has received more than 100,000 views on the WeChat. It continues to develop on the road of combining original hand-painting and promoting traditional Chinese culture. (4) The performance evaluation based on user feedback, the evaluation standards and incentive methods established by librarians encourage each other to learn quickly and form a healthy competitive atmosphere. The practice of Nanjing University Libraries has proved the feasibility, superiority and sustainable development characteristics of cultural marketing in customer relationship management. Based on practice, some thoughts are put forward on the customer relationship management of academic libraries in the new era such as establishing cultural marketing mechanism; changing behavior and establishing a long-term strong connection with users; breaking down business barriers and building a closed-loop user feedback process; and breaking departmental barriers to ensure a professional cultural marketing team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonprofit and public sector organizations increasingly rely on social media platforms to strengthen their relationships with key stakeholders. Prior research, especially in the for-profit marketing field, indicates positive effects of customers’ engagement with brand-related social media content on their loyalty toward the brand. The present paper examines these effects in the experientially rich and transformative context of higher education institutions (HEI). Our conceptual model also comprises new potential antecedents relating to the specific context. The results from the structural equation modeling, based on responses from 764 students at a Swiss HEI, indicate significant yet small positive effects of students’ social media engagement (SME) on their loyalty. Positive word-of-mouth behavior and loyalty intentions are primarily influenced by identification with the university. Attitude toward the published content, perceived organizational reputation, and student integration significantly influenced SME, whereby the latter two antecedents showed only a weak effect. In conclusion, SME as a behavioral construct seems to be another expression of existing student loyalty rather than an effective tool to foster loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gather insights from sport marketing professionals and identify key opportunities, challenges and knowledge that sport marketing educators and researchers could utilize in developing curriculum and research agendas. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was used, and data were collected through in-depth interviews with 15 sport marketing professionals. Participants were asked questions related to the knowledge, skills and experiences that they believe are important for students to have to be successful in the industry, as well as the types of research that would be most useful in their day-to-day work. Findings: Industry professionals noted collaboration, transformation in digital marketing, data and analytics and experiential marketing as key trends facing the industry today. The findings suggest that sport marketing curriculum should focus on soft skill development such as communication, relationship building and empathy alongside hard skill development such as data analysis and storytelling. As well, findings show research areas where scholars can aid practitioners with a focus on consumer insights, technology, measuring ROI and experiential marketing. Originality/value: With these findings, educators and scholars can better prepare students for successful careers in industry and contribute to the ongoing advancement of the scholarly field. This study serves as a starting point for further research in this area, and it is hoped that it will spark continued collaboration between academia and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of Artificial Intelligence, everything is navigating from physical to digital making it significant to study the significance of the Phygital Paradox. This study intends to investigate and validate phygital marketing and its dimensions to assess the influence of phygital marketing on the customer experience in the Indian hospitality industry. The study adopted online and offline questionnaires for data collection. The hotel's managers and the hotel's guests provided a total of 86% responses, which were then compiled using a convenience sampling technique. The hypothesis was examined using the structural equation modelling approach. The results confirmed a significant impact of phygital marketing on customer experience. The findings guide hospitality industry managers to use the phygital marketing approach to enhance customer experience. The connection between phygital marketing and customer experience gives managers a comprehensive and structured approach to improving customer experiences. Advancing from existing marketing and customer experience literature, this study contributes to the phygital marketing and customer experience literature in the hospitality industry context by empirically testing the relationship between phygital marketing and customer experience and developing a phygital marketing and customer experience framework (PM-CX). This study would be beneficial for market practitioners and hospitality sector managers to elevate customer experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce the experience-dominant (Ex-D) logic model, which synthesizes the creation, perceptions and outcomes of Ex-D logic. It is designed to offer valuable insights for strategic managerial applications and future research directions. Design/methodology/approach: Employing a qualitative approach by using eight selected product launch events from reviewed 100 event videos and 55 in-depth interviews with industrial managers to develop an Ex-D logic model, and data were coded and analysed via NVivo. Findings: Results show that the firm's Ex-D logic is operationalized as the mentalizing of the three types of customer needs (service competence, hedonic excitations and meaning making), the materializing of three types of customer experiences and customer journeys (service experience, hedonic experience and brand experience) and the moderating of three types of customer values (service values, hedonic values and brand values). Research limitations/implications: This study has implications for adding new insights into existing theory on dominant logic and customer experience management and also offers actionable recommendations for managerial applications. Originality/value: This study sheds light on the importance of Ex-D logic from a strategic point of view and provides an organic view of the firm. It distinguishes firm perspective from customer perspective, firm experience from customer experience and firm journey from consumer journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to determine whether the economic‐financial performance and value of the companies composing the IBEX 35 are related to the transparency with which these companies publish their economic and social data. Our goal is ultimately to establish the degree (if any) to which Spain's largest listed companies' commitments to transparency and CSR are related to their market capitalization volumes. We also evaluate the effectiveness—relative to the economic data and to each other—of the transparency and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rankings prepared by Transparency International Spain and the Corporate Social Responsibility Observatory. The results indicate a high correlation of market capitalization to the transparency and CSR indexes, and a positive evaluation of using these tools for future lines of research in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan has identified corporate governance as an important element in its attempt to reform its economic system. A combination of political will and sustained implementation by civil servants has produced a corporate governance code and associated mechanisms to sustain and refine the changes that have been introduced in order to raise corporate profitability and stimulate the whole national economy. Meanwhile, the direction of reform has shifted from an initially principles-based approach towards an increasingly proscriptive, rules-based one, favouring the interests of investors over those of other stakeholders. Whether this will achieve the desired results is increasingly being questioned within Japan and runs counter to experience from markets where shareholder primacy already prevails. Japan's own prior experience of trying to transplant laws and institutions from these markets suggests a need for caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social exchange theory (SET) is a leading sociopsychological theory that has enriched understanding of consumers' behavior. In this study, we examine application of SET in consumer research over last 52 years (1971–2022) in terms of predominant topics, publications, outlets, networks, and clusters. We adopt a holistic approach by amalgamating systematic literature review (SLR) using Scientific Procedures and Rationales for SLRs protocol; scientometric analysis utilizing bibliographic coupling and betweenness centrality; and topic modeling employing latent Dirichlet allocation. Based on text analysis of 215 full research papers, the study extracts five predominant areas of extant consumer research leveraging SET: (1) relationship marketing, (2) collaborative consumption, (3) gifting behavior, (4) brand experience, and (5) tourism and hospitality. Scientometric mapping reveals six cohesive clusters and identifies seminal studies in SET‐based consumer research. Building upon the insights, the article concludes by presenting agenda for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies a relationship perspective to study tourism crisis management and resilience. Despite the growing academic interest in crisis management, few studies have examined how tourism businesses utilise their networks as a crisis management strategy. This research uses a multi-case study design and longitudinal data collection to study the effects of a natural disaster on tourism businesses in Lombok, Indonesia. Results indicate that the characteristics and capabilities of individual tourism business actors and their networking behaviour affected the speed of their recovery. Networks can be used as a strategic tool and business recovery is improved by strengthening network resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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As products are constantly updated, brands launch increasingly different versions thereof, and consumers frequently face upgrade choices. However, when and why consumers choose to upgrade has received limited attention. This article thus sheds new light on consumer upgrade intention by distinguishing a novel antecedent, product type (material vs. experiential). Three online studies with 642 participants from the US were conducted; we used t‐tests and bootstrapped mediation analysis via PROCESS Model 4 to analyze the data. The results of these studies reveal that consumers are more likely to upgrade experiential products than material products. Moreover, this effect is mediated by a heightened sense of anticipated regret rather than upgrade degree or perceived product closeness. Specifically, consumers feel greater anticipated regret if they do not upgrade experiential products (vs. material products), which leads to their higher upgrade intentions toward experiential products. This research therefore significantly extends regret regulation theory, provides important insights into the relationship between product type and upgrade intention, and offers valuable knowledge for brands seeking to optimize their marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate how indigenous socio-cultural (ISC) practices within informal networks, such as guanxi and wasta, provide benefits beyond mere access. Specifically, the authors explore their global impact on B2B relationships, focusing on reciprocity. A multiregional sample extends research on ISC practices in B2B relationships by examining contingency effects of informal network ties. Design/methodology/approach: The authors surveyed 404 buyers in two developed (Hong Kong and Portugal) and two emerging economies (Kuwait and Colombia), and also categorized by strong and weak informal network ties. Using structural equation modeling, the authors examined a relationship marketing (RM) model from a typology (Clubs, Sociocracies, Clans and Compadres) for assessing contingency effects. Findings: The study reveals that in developed economies with strong formal institutions, negative aspects of favor reciprocity norms intensify unless informal networks are driven by strict sociomoral obligations. This supports research indicating that contractual governance competes rather than complements relational governance. Moreover, trust-building processes are crucial in regions with low uncertainty tolerance to mitigate adverse effects. Practical implications: Suppliers from developed nations need more than cultural communication insights when engaging in business in emerging markets. We acknowledge changes buyers may expect adherence to reciprocity rules embedded in the ISC practices of their informal networks. Originality/value: This study pioneers a typology of social structures to analyze ISC practices across buyers with varying formal institutional strength and informal network ties. It sheds light on institutional dynamics, trust-building processes, and nuances surrounding both positive and negative aspects of reciprocity practices. Furthermore, it broadens the scope of RM to Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the Social Identity Theory in an experiential tourism destination and using a netnoghaphic perspective, this paper (i) analyses the main topics associated with an experiential tourism destination and (ii) studies the relationships among destination determinants (i.e., destination attachment, hedonic emotions, spiritual experiences, and information, satisfaction, and loyalty). Camino de Santiago 518 effective post titles published on TripAdvisor were scrapped and analysed using a netnographic and correspondence analyses. Results show that there are three main topics associated with an experiential destination: (1) experiences and emotions, (2) information about Camino de Santiago, and (3) destination-brand recommendations. There is a main cluster where destination loyalty, destination identity, hedonic emotions, and negative experiences/aspects are close to the 5-score. A second cluster focused on information comments is not associated with other variables or scores. This article adds value to previous work because (1) it adopts a netnographic point of view, (2) it uses social media and user-generated content in the tourism industry, and (3) it provides strategies for experiential marketing in the tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of global economic interactions is undergoing profound changes. Rising concerns over the security and strategic implications of economic interdependence are leading to what is often defined as a 'geoeconomic world order'. In framing this Special Issue, this article sets a common conceptual ground to assess whether, how and why the single European market is experiencing such a geoeconomic turn and how EU responses are shaping other international actors in the process. It develops a research agenda to examine (i) the systemic pressures pushing towards geoeconomic responses, (ii) the internal drivers and processes determining the nature of the EU's geoeconomic turn (what we term 'shades of geopoliticisation') and (iii) the external consequences of the EU's embrace of geoeconomics. The analytical discussion is complemented by an overview of empirical trends, drawing examples from the various fields of market integration and European policy‐making covered in the contributions to this Special Issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study uses relationship marketing theory to explore affective and calculative commitment as mediators in the delight–loyalty link. Furthermore, it investigates the role of perceived employee service delivery skills, perceived value and trust in the relationships between delight, affective commitment, calculative commitment and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive research approach was applied, and the data were collected from 332 retail banking customers in an emergent market who are overall satisfied with their bank. A self-administered questionnaire collected data from 332 respondents who adhered to the stipulated requirements to participate in the study. These respondents were selected through purposive and convenience sampling. The constructs' interrelationships were analysed via structural equation modelling. The measurement and structural models were also assessed. Findings: Affective and calculative commitment and delight impact loyalty. Both affective commitment and calculative commitment were found to mediate the relationship between delight and customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications: The study enhances an understanding of the role of affective and calculative commitment in strengthening the delight–loyalty link from a relationship marketing theory perspective. Practical implications: The study provides guidance to the retail banking industry in emerging markets on the importance of affective and calculative commitment in strengthening the delight–loyalty link. It further informs retail banks of the need to provide banking customers with products and service value that exceed their expectations to strengthen their future commitment and loyalty to their bank. Originality/value: Guided by relationship marketing theory, the role of affective and calculative commitment in mediating the delight–loyalty link in an emerging market context is uncovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]