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Desde que Mark Zuckerberg anunció en septiembre de 2021 el cambio de nombre de Facebook a Meta y presentó su visión del metaverso, no han cesado las especulaciones en el mundo del marketing sobre su impacto en los consumidores, y en las marcas y las relaciones que los unen. Sobre la base de la realidad virtual y gamificación, el metaverso se presenta como una visión holística de vida, donde a través de su avatar, el consumidor protagonista descubre nuevas necesidades en un mundo virtual y paralelo modelado a su antojo. Más que una incubadora de ideas de marketing para las marcas, el nuevo universo supone un mundo de especulación en el que el entorno y la sociedad podrán inventar, construir o reproducir su realidad. Es decir, podrán relacionarse, comprar y trabajar. En definitiva, vivir.

Currently universities need to be competitive. The current environment forces universities to design strategies where the student becomes the center of their activity. Elements such as student satisfaction become key performance indicators of the strategy, so that universities are required to establish metrics that make it possible to measure the level of performance achieved based on the objectives they had previously set. In order to verify it, through a series of dimensions that measure the satisfaction of the teaching-learning process, a scale has been proposed to measure satisfaction. To confirm the consistency of the proposed scale, the reliability and validity indicators of the same were verified. The selected sample corresponds to university students studying undergraduate and master’s degrees in the online mode. Results obtained show the importance of correctly setting the objectives and contents of the different subjects that make up the curricula of each grade, as well as the outstanding role that the teacher has in said process.

PurposeThe importance of food values for the post–purchase process has not been widely studied. Most previous research in this line has focused on examining either the attributes of specific food categories, without taking the corresponding values into account, or food-purchasing attitudes and behaviour. To address this gap in the research, this paper delves deeper into the influence of food values on post–purchase variables.Design/methodology/approachSpecifically, it analyses the influence of food values on satisfaction (both with the purchase and with the establishment), switching costs and loyalty. To this end, a sample of 708 consumers, collected through online questionnaires in Spain, is analysed using various descriptive statistics and causal models.FindingsThe findings confirm the influence of food values on satisfaction and that satisfaction positively influences loyalty. Switching costs were not found to moderate the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty.Research limitations/implicationsThe survey had to be completed online, and, thus, respondents needed to have an e-mail address. This influenced the respondents' profile, since many consumers over the age of 54 do not have e-mail, do not use it, or are more reluctant to complete online surveys.Practical implicationsPurchase satisfaction was not found to affect switching costs, which reinforces the idea that loyalty can sometimes be spurious. It would thus be an indicator that, as long as consumers have no other option, they will continue to shop at the establishment. In contrast, establishment satisfaction did generate switching costs. This finding could be due to aspects such as convenience, the development and maintenance of relationships with the employees, knowledge of where products are located in the store, etc. Customers may be dissatisfied with their purchase, yet still satisfied with an establishment, which could entail very high switching costs for them and, therefore, cause them to remain loyal (albeit spuriously) to the establishment.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature in this field by examining the influence of food values on key post-purchase variables.

Data science has established itself as a discipline of study in the new technological paradigm of the 21st century. Customer data and metadata are not only unique opportunities for companies that are interested in collecting, processing, and elaborating useful information for customer-centric business management. They are also starting to feed other disciplines, such as industry and computer engineering, which are developing new ways of organising information and intelligent response, where significant technological advances in facial, sensory, text, voice, and image recognition are constantly emerging, with response capabilities ever closer to human thinking. From this continuous interaction emerges a new asset for companies: knowledge. Thus, science applied to data is consolidating as an opportunity for companies in customer loyalty and retention by being able to include a relevant aspect in human relations such as warmth and empathy, basis of marketing 5.0, oriented once again towards human relations, from a virtual existence and total digitalisation.

Purpose – The study analyzes the key drivers of consumer experience in e-services, with the particular goal of defining and quantifying the influence of website quality and university brand assessments on the experience of consumers who are students of a virtual university. Theoretical framework – To carry out the research we analyzed website quality, brand, and customer experience Design/methodology/approach – We carried out a statistical analysis using structural equation modeling of web-based questionnaires collected from 306 postgraduate students of a virtual university. Findings – Our research reveals that the university’s brand is the most influential factor. In contrast, the influence exerted by the web environment is lower. Of the three website dimensions, the quality of the system exerts the greatest influence, followed by relationship quality, which is moderated by the role of university staff. Research, practical, and social implications – We propose that the quality of a virtual classroom (quality of the system, quality of information, and service quality), together with students' individual assessments of the brand, determine the students' experience as consumers of this service. The brand assessment is the most important factor. Objetivo – O estudo analisa os principais motivadores da experiência do consumidor com serviços eletrônicos (e-services), objetivando especificamente definir e quantificar a influência da qualidade do site e das avaliações da marca da universidade sobre a experiência de consumidores que são alunos de uma universidade virtual. Metodologia – Realizamos uma análise estatística utilizando a modelagem de equações estruturais de questionários online coletados de 306 alunos de pós-graduação de uma universidade virtual. Para realizar a pesquisa, analisamos a qualidade do site, a marca e a experiência do cliente. Resultados – Nossa pesquisa revela que a marca da universidade é o fator com maior influência. Em contrapartida, a influência exercida pelo ambiente da internet é menor. Das três dimensões de site, a qualidade do sistema exerce maior influência, seguida pela qualidade do relacionamento, que é moderada pela atuação do corpo docente da universidade. Contribuições – Propomos que a qualidade de uma sala de aula virtual (qualidade do sistema, qualidade da informação e qualidade do serviço), juntamente com as avaliações individuais dos alunos sobre a marca, determinam a experiência dos alunos como consumidores desse serviço. A avaliação da marca é o fator mais importante. Objetivo – O estudo analisa os principais motivadores da experiência do consumidor com serviços eletrônicos (e-services), objetivando especificamente definir e quantificar a influência da qualidade do site e das avaliações da marca da universidade sobre a experiência de consumidores que são alunos de uma universidade virtual. Metodologia – Realizamos uma análise estatística utilizando a modelagem de equações estruturais de questionários online coletados de 306 alunos de pós-graduação de uma universidade virtual. Para realizar a pesquisa, analisamos a qualidade do site, a marca e a experiência do cliente. Resultados – Nossa pesquisa revela que a marca da universidade é o fator com maior influência. Em contrapartida, a influência exercida pelo ambiente da internet é menor. Das três dimensões de site, a qualidade do sistema exerce maior influência, seguida pela qualidade do relacionamento, que é moderada pela atuação do corpo docente da universidade. Contribuições – Propomos que a qualidade de uma sala de aula virtual (qualidade do sistema, qualidade da informação e qualidade do serviço), juntamente com as avaliações individuais dos alunos sobre a marca, determinam a experiência dos alunos como consumidores desse serviço. A avaliação da marca é o fator mais importante.

Digital transformation has allowed to offer additional services-which complement the main product-both in terms of use, emotional, and relationship terms. Focusing on a traditionally rational insurance customer offering a value that explores the customer's emotions, from co-creating with the user, allows brand differentiation. Given this idea, this document has three purposes. First is identify the true role of expectations and the perceived quality of the customer's digital experience. Second is to identify the relationship between customer experience and satisfaction gained in private insurance web areas. Third is to identify the most valued digital attributes by the user. A sample of 4,178 customers registered was analyzed using the partial least-squares technique. The model is highly predictive to customer experience and evidence the important relationship between the WOW effect and satisfaction, as well as the weak but double role that expectations play on insurance digital self-service. The model demonstrates that expectations are only relevant before web consumption, because during the process it is the perceived digital quality, in particular the usefulness, information, and technology, that offers a true customer experience. This article offers high academic value because it more accurately defines the determinants of the digital insurance customer experience and its effect on customer satisfaction in digital services. While expectations influence attitude before service, this research reveals that perceived digital quality is what delivers a true customer experience. Strategically, the implications are immediate in the field of business as it shows the importance of co-creation in digital design, not only because of the significant savings in implementation costs but also because it guarantees a greater experience, essential in the loyalty of its customers. This ensures the sustainable growth of the company.

This article aims to study the potential of archeology as a tourism resource in the field of cultural tourism, given that good tourism management of archeological sites can attract a larger number of visitors and contribute to the socio-economic development of the areas involved. Specifically, it will examine the role of information sources in the management of such sites, focusing on the case of Segóbriga Archeological Park, Cuenca, Spain. Based on the analysis of the results obtained from surveys of tourists to this destination, this article makes a series of management recommendations concerning the importance of disseminating and promoting this type of tourism resource through various information sources.

Maintaining and improving customer loyalty is an important strategic goal for businesses as competition has intensified in almost all sectors of the economy. Retailers, in particular, feel the need to invest in customer loyalty more than ever before as channels and store format alternatives available for consumers to shop at have proliferated. However, current research in marketing provides little guidance to retail managers about developing and sustaining shopper loyalty across different store formats. Toward filling this gap, the present research examines the shopper satisfaction-loyalty link in two different store formats (supermarkets and hypermarkets). Using data from surveys of 505 Spanish shoppers at both types of retail formats, we examined how shoppers' attitudinal and behavioral loyalty develop differently. Our results reveal important differences and offer directions for the pursuit of different strategies by supermarkets and hypermarkets. The specific strategies, and the implications of this research for theory and practice are discussed.

This article aims to study the potential of archeology as a tourism resource in the field of cultural tourism, given that good tourism management of archeological sites can attract a larger number of visitors and contribute to the socio-economic development of the areas involved. Specifically, it will examine the role of information sources in the management of such sites, focusing on the case of Segóbriga Archeological Park, Cuenca, Spain. Based on the analysis of the results obtained from surveys of tourists to this destination, this article makes a series of management recommendations concerning the importance of disseminating and promoting this type of tourism resource through various information sources.

This research investigated the effect of the food values, positive anticipated emotions, attitude toward the brand, and attitude toward eating a hamburger on purchase intention in fast-food restaurants in Mexico conjointly. The purpose of this study was to discover which variables influenced the consumer&acute, s intention to buy. Data was collected from a survey of 512 Mexicans fast-food consumers. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized associations. The results showed that food values and positive anticipated emotions absolutely impact the attitude toward the brand, which impacts the purchase intention of the Mexican consumers. Nonetheless, the positive anticipated emotions impact stronger than food values, and the best way to get a purchase intention is toward the attitude of the brand rather than attitude toward eating a hamburger. The authors discussed inferences and suggestions for consumer approaches.

This paper analyzes the effects of: (i) Food values on their related benefits (hedonic and utilitarian), (ii) both kinds of benefits on attitudes toward eating hamburgers, and (iii) attitudes on purchase intention. To this end, we adapted the food values scale to the context of fast-food hamburger restaurants. Data were collected from a survey of 512 Mexican consumers and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that the strongest influences are those exerted by food values, first, on hedonic benefits and, second, on utilitarian benefits. In contrast, the weakest influence is that exerted by utilitarian benefits on attitudes, followed by that exerted by hedonic benefits on attitudes. Among other findings, this study highlights the importance consumers give to the taste and safety of food, as well as the greater importance given to hedonic benefits compared to utilitarian ones. These findings have several important implications for managers in the industry.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influences of different variables on the dietary adjustment process of international university students. More specifically, the authors investigate how ethnocentrism, perceived risk, and external influences affect their adjustment processes by considering three different temporal stages and exploring adjustment in relation to dietary practices. Design/methodology/approach – After performing an in-depth review of the relevant literature, a structural equation analysis is conducted. This analysis relies on data from a sample of 139 international students enrolled in a Spanish university. Findings – The results reveal that ethnocentrism is significant only in the second stage of the adjustment process. The level of perceived risk decreases during the adjustment process but also depends on the features international students have in common with the host culture; in contrast, external influences are important in all stages. Research limitations/implications – International students should not be treated the same way during different stages of their adjustment. For example, during the first stage, the focus should be on minimizing their perceived risk and guaranteeing a safe environment in which they feel comfortable with buying. The role of the media and the training of salespeople should be highlighted in the second stage of adjustment. Practical implications – The dietary adjustment for this group of short-term migrants is different than other groups, which tend to return to their country of origin. In contrast, international university students try to assimilate the host culture and be part of it. Social implications – In the context of consumption, because international university students are influenced by all constructs detailed in this study, it is necessary to formulate a specific approach for each stage. Originality/value – This research evidences how there is a great opportunity for diverse operators (e.g. universities, food retail chains) to influence the consumption habits of international university students, because they are more receptive than other migrant groups.

The effects of ICT use and cooperative learning on new products developed.Study of 287 Spanish SME of the entrepreneur's perception.Co-learning as a source of innovation. The objected of this paper is twofold: on the one side to analyze the role of cooperative learning and information and communication technologies (ICT) use as drivers of new service innovation success. On the other, identify if the nature of the performance indicator used influences on the high and significance of the dependence relationships. For that we analyze a sample of 287 Spanish SME, which in the last two years have developed new service. Also, it is consider that the new service innovation results can be measured in objective terms - abiding by financial measurements - as well as on the basis of the entrepreneur's perception.The results evidence the direct influence of co-learning, as well as the direct, moderating role of the ICT use in obtaining the maximum level of objective and perceived results. Relevant differences can be observed, depending not only the performance indicator used (objective versus subjective) but also on the contribution of each of the variables to obtaining the maximum result and, therefore, their success. The study provides evidence that enable us to offer certain strategic recommendations of interest for the management of small and medium sized companies (SME). This research provides evidence for the necessity of considering explicit measures of results based on subjective indicators such as the entrepreneur's perception.

The images of a tourist destination often depend on information and contents generated by travelers, suppliers, and residents. This article analyzes the weight that different information sources exert in defining the overall information source construct. The authors adopt a multidimensional methodology; unlike prior research, this study considers the combined weight of various web platforms for determining the images of tourist destinations. Thus, in addition to integrating various explanatory models to detail how the images of a tourist destination form, this study adds web platform factors and thereby moves beyond the influences of traditional, offline sources of information. The results of a survey of 541 tourists and residents of Mallorca, according to different descriptive statistics and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, indicate that different websites, reflecting both supplier- and user-generated content, exert important influences and combine to form an information source construct. Furthermore, users who publish tourist information online value web platforms that offer user-generated content when they seek information about a tourist destination for themselves. These findings in turn offer several managerial recommendations.

The development of mobile devices offers alternatives for interacting with consumers.This study analyzes the antecedents and consequences towards mobile advertisings.Attitudes exert positive influences on intentions to receive advertising.Perceived added value and subjective norms exert a positive influence on attitudes. Marketing communication strategy via mobile phone constitutes a promising approach to companies because it enables to reach appropriate audiences at the right time and place. The main aim of this research is to determine key factors that create new opportunities for commercial communications by considering consumer attitudes toward mobile advertising. The proposed causal model of attitudes and intentions toward mobile advertising highlights potential differences between users of smartphones with Internet capabilities and non-users. The theoretical model integrates the influences of control, reference groups, perceived added value, and ease of use on attitudes toward mobile advertising, as well as the relationship of these effects with intentions toward advertising, mediated by mobile Internet usage. The sample is 612 respondents who receive advertising by their mobile phones. Our results reveal, similar to other research, that attitudes exert positive influences on intentions to receive advertising, especially among those who already have access to the Internet on their mobile phones. However, regarding these variables, the experience does not contribute to positive attitudes.

Este trabajo ha obtenido el Accésit del Premio Estudios Financieros 2017 en la modalidad de Educación y Nuevas Tecnologías. El auge de la universidad online plantea muchas cuestiones relacionadas con la competitividad y permanencia a largo plazo de este tipo de instituciones. Desde esta perspectiva, uno de los aspectos que puede contribuir a incrementar su competitividad a largo plazo es la experiencia de los clientes, en este caso, los estudiantes. Teniendo como antecedentes estas ideas previas, este estudio analiza los factores determinantes de la experiencia de los clientes en los servicios electrónicos. En concreto, el objetivo consiste en definir y cuantificar la influencia que la calidad del sitio web y la marca universidad ejercen sobre la experiencia de los estudiantes de una universidad virtual. El análisis empírico realizado –utilizando PLS-SEM (partial least squares-structural equation modeling)– ha permitido poner de manifiesto que la marca de la universidad es el factor que más influye sobre la experiencia del estudiante. Por otro lado, se observa que la influencia ejercida por el entorno web donde se ofrece el servicio es menor. De las tres dimensiones identificadas, la calidad del sistema es la que ejerce una mayor influencia, seguida de la calidad de la relación, la cual viene moderada por el rol ejercido por el personal del staff universitario.

Today, the customer-brand relationship is fundamental to a company’s bottom line, especially in the service sector and with services offered via online channels. In order to maximize its effects, organizations need (1) to know which factors influence the formation of an individual’s service expectations in an online environment; and (2) to establish the influence of these expectations on customers’ likelihood of recommending a service before they have even used it. In accordance with the TAM model (Davis, 1989; Davis et al., 1992), the TRA model (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), the extended UTAUT model (Venkatesh et al., 2012), and the approach described by Alloza (2011), this work proposes a theoretical model of the antecedents and consequences of consumer expectations of online services. In order to validate the proposed theoretical model, a sample of individual insurance company customers was analyzed. The results showed, first, the importance of customers’ expectations with regard to the intention to recommend the “private area” of the company’s website to other customers prior to using it themselves. They also revealed the importance to expectations of the antecedents perceived usefulness, ease of use, frequency of use, reputation, and subjective norm., Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Research Project ECO2014-59688- R, “National Program for Research, Develop, and Innovation Oriented toward Societal Challenges,” within the context of the 2013–2016 National Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation Plan.

This work analyses the motivations behind consumers' online shopping intentions for specific tourism services, such as hotel reservations, across both Internet shoppers and Internet surfers (i.e. those who exit the website before completing the reservation). A structural equation analysis features a sample of 1289 Spanish Internet users (530 shoppers and 759 surfers). The results indicate that perceived usefulness is the most important aspect conditioning the intention to buy online for Internet shoppers, whereas the role of convenience is more significant for Internet surfers. The empirical findings suggest different managerial guidelines for encouraging online reservations by Internet surfers and can help facilitate decision making processes for managers in this industry.

Research into permission-based mobile marketing is increasingly common due to the widespread adoption of mobile technology and its use as a communication channel. Yet few studies have attempted to analyze the factors that determine attitudes toward mobile advertising while simultaneously considering: the links among them and consumers' intentions, behavior, and/or cognitive and affective variables simultaneously. The present research therefore sought to deepen understanding of the antecedents and consequences of attitudes toward permission-based mobile advertising. More specifically, it sought to identify the antecedents of attitudes toward mobile advertising and the bridges between these attitudes and consumers' intentions upon receiving advertising on their mobile devices. To this end, a causal model was proposed and tested with a sample of 612 mobile phone users that was collected from a panel of Spanish adults who receive advertising on their mobile phones in the form of SMS text messages. The structural model used was validated using the partial least squares (PLS) regression technique. The results show that the greatest influence was that exerted by positive emotions on feelings, suggesting that positive emotions have an indirect effect on attitude toward mobile advertising. This influence was even greater than their direct effect. Another important, though less powerful, effect was the influence of attitude on behavioral intentions to receive mobile advertising. In contrast, the influence of cognitive variables on attitude was less relevant., This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Research Project ECO2014-59688-R,“National Program for Research, Develop and Innovation Oriented toward Societal Challenges, ”within the context of the 2013-2016 National Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation Plan.

Marketing evolves in parallel with technology. During the last five years, Marketing 3.0 has become the most innovative marketing approach, but of growing, is research focusing on Marketing 4.0: the marketing of big data. Much has been speculated, but academic journals have published little about Marketing 4.0. Maybe, because the total understanding of Marketing 4.0 requires: firstly, a depth knowledge about the evolution of marketing, especially about Marketing 3.0, and secondly, an analysis of how a range of technology –not only the Internet and social media- can be used to design marketing strategies that enhance the brand-consumer relationship. Taking into account how consumers' behavior has been changing since the beginning of this century, this chapter seeks to review Marketing 4.0 concepts, analyzing how big data can be used to enhance the consumer-brand relationship.

This study examines the factors that underlie store attributes and determines their influence on maximal customer satisfaction. First, we attempt to assess the differential influence of store factors on several customer subsamples that exhibit diverse retail patronage behaviour, a variable we operationalise as shopping frequency in accordance with relevant literature. Second, we aim to determine whether the economic downturn has exerted any influence on this relationship by collecting two comparable samples of consumers in different periods – one at the beginning of the crisis and one in the middle of the crisis. The findings highlight the importance of the proximity to home and customer attention attributes, and show that while in the beginning of the crisis a higher shopping frequency has a greater propensity to enhance the convenience, services and quality image factors, in the middle of the crisis the smallest number of factors contributing to satisfaction can be observed in the subsamples with the hi...

This study highlights the importance of market orientation and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) as determinants of service innovation activity for companies in the tourism sector. In doing so, the study provides a means to classify companies as innovative or not. Using a sample of 100 Spanish firms from different branches of the tourism sector, we confirm and extend prior research. In particular, market orientation—especially a customer orientation—is critical for developing new services that lead to competitive advantages. In addition, ICT have a dual, direct, and indirect influence on service innovation.

Con la finalidad de investigar los factores que inciden en la aceptacion por parte del consumidor final de un nuevo canal de distribucion, el presente articulo pretende evaluar la importancia que adquieren, la conveniencia, la norma subjetiva, la utilidad y la facilidad de uso percibida, en la intencion de compra on-line por parte de este consumidor final. El estudio de estas variables se realizara de manera especifica, en el contexto de los fundamentos teoricos del Modelo de Aceptacion de la Tecnologia y de la Teoria del Comportamiento Planificado –cuya base teorica es la Teoria de la Accion Razonada - , a partir de un modelo de relaciones causales. Para alcanzar este objetivo se realizo una encuesta on line con internautas de Espana, durante los meses de diciembre de 2007 y enero de 2008. El tamano de la muestra final fue de 190 internautas, que despues de considerar diversas etapas en el proceso de decision de compra de una pernoctacion hotelera, finalmente decidieron efectuar la reserva por un canal tradicional. Para contrastar el modelo causal propuesto en la investigacion se utilizo la metodologia PLS, especialmente adecuada para trabajar con escalas formativas, asi como en las investigaciones realizas en el campo de TAM. Los resultados obtenidos demostraron de que forma la conveniencia constituye el motivo mas importante e influyente en el uso de la Internet como canal de compra, siendo tambien un factor importante junto con las normas subjetivas, para determinar las intenciones de compra por Internet. Estos resultados son coherentes con los encontrados en literatura relevante sobre trabajos realizados anteriormente, en ellos se demostraba que la conveniencia era el principal factor de motivacion para las compras on line. A partir de estos datos ha sido posible proponer diversas recomendaciones para mejorar la gestion comercial on line de las empresas del sector

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the most important economic factors that determine choice of distribution channel when booking a tourism service. The theoretical framework applied to meet this objective is agency theory, as it provides insight into the effects arising from problems such as information asymmetries and opportunism.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis of a sample composed of 805 tourists who made their reservation through either the internet or traditional channels has provided interesting conclusions, allowing different hypotheses to be contrasted using a structural equation analysis.FindingsThis study has shown how the main source of uncertainty in the stages leading up to the choice of purchase channel is due to a lack of trust towards the internet. In this regard, the signals emitted by firms in order to mitigate information asymmetries contribute to generating trust towards the selected firm; however, they neither reduce the risk differential existing between channels nor the associated transaction costs. In addition, trust in the chosen firm shows that the buyer makes the reservation through the channel with the least perceived risk.Research limitations/implicationsThe research has underlined that the greater the differential in transaction costs between the internet and the traditional channels, the greater the propensity of buyers to make their purchases through alternative distribution channels. In addition, clients perceive greater internet transaction costs with respect to the traditional channels, a fact that may be contrasted with the purpose behind its creation.Practical implicationsThe differences between the information provided by economic agents and the information that is requested by the client reveal a need for greater awareness among those offering the services, in order for them to improve the way in which they target the consumer, especially in relation to the management of information flows. Furthermore, steps should be taken to improve internet security systems and undertake joint actions that are formalised and coordinated by all of the agents involved so that clients perceive internet as a secure channel. Finally, internet‐related skills should be developed to allow the consumer to search for information in a more efficient way.Originality/valueThe study deals with a recent line of new research. It is also performed in the context of Mediterranean countries, which represents a further important contribution, given that very few empirical studies focus on this geographical region.

This study seeks to explain the intentions to use the Internet to make a hotel reservation by applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The model is extended with other variables, such as subjective norms, Web site trust, perceived risk, and quality signals. The results obtained using a sample of 795 Internet users demonstrate the influence on purchasing intention of perceived utility, subjective norms, Web site trust, and signalling mechanisms to diminish risk. Firms using e-commerce should consequently design their Web sites with market orientation in mind in order to obtain a competitive advantage that will enhance profit, brand image, and reputation.

PurposeCulture makes firms unique and, depending on the implemented pattern of social and managerial culture, technology, and innovation, it can have an important influence on the personality and behaviour of the firm. Although a cultural model of market orientation encourages product innovation and fosters cooperative relationships with clients, few studies analyse this important relationship from a service perspective. This research seeks to investigate the relevance of market orientation for the firm's client cooperation relationships in developing radical innovations in the service sector.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive investigation uses 433 Spanish service firms that introduced radical innovations in their product fields in the past two years. The paper conducted four discriminant analyses: one for the total sample of firms and three for the sub‐samples defined by the extent to which firms use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their activities.FindingsThe four models reveal that customer orientation, competitor orientation, and inter‐functional coordination provide means to differentiate between firms that cooperate with their clients to innovate and firms that do not. In each model, the significance and weight of the three variables change, depending on the degree to which the firms use ICT. Therefore, the distinction between firms that cooperate and those that do not is possible mainly for the total sample of firms. For the sub‐samples, not all MO dimensions can discriminate this way.Practical implicationsThis study offers important contributions for both researchers and managers in the field of service innovation. It identifies explicitly the relationship between market orientation and cooperation, which makes it possible to extend the study and enhance comprehension of this concept to the relationship that the firm has with other agents in the value chain. Market orientation, as an inter‐firm phenomenon, may favour the design of market orientation strategies that offer superior value to the market. On the other hand, the empirical analysis shows which factors (philosophical principles, strategic implications of proactive market orientation) have the highest discriminatory power for innovative firms, according to their sector of activity. This work also identifies market orientation as an element that fosters a cooperation strategy.Originality/valueDespite the importance of market orientation for developing cooperative relationships with clients, few studies analyse the relevance of these relationships in the firm's service innovation process. The findings thus offer a valuable contribution by showing the relevance of this relationship in developing new service innovations. Furthermore, the application of Spanish ICT contributes to existing research in Spain.

From the initial consideration of the store attributes that the marketing literature has identified as key in order that grocery retailers manage to design their differentiation strategies, this work identifies the main factors underlying the above mentioned attributes. The goal is to analyze which of these factors exert a bigger influence on the highest level of customer satisfaction. With this intention, we have examined a sample of 422 consumers who had carried out their purchase in different types of store formats in Spain, considering the influence of feature advertising on the clientele behavior. Interesting conclusions related to the aspects that most impact on the maximum level of customer satisfaction depending on the influence of feature advertising stem from this work.

The marketing literature has shown how certain attributes of the store are key for grocery retailers to differentiate themselves in the final markets. From this preliminary consideration the present work proposes a step forward by ascertaining the main factors that underlie the attributes of the store which have already been identified in the literature. All of this is taken into account with the object to examine which of these factors presents a greater influence on customer satisfaction. To test the proposed analysis, a sample of 358 Spanish customers that had carried out their purchase in different types of grocery stores (in particular, hypermarkets and supermarkets) has been analyzed considering a key variable of retail patronage behavior: the store format in which the purchase had been carried out. This study has enabled us to obtain interesting conclusions about the variables that have the most influence on customer satisfaction, providing useful managerial recommendations for decision-making in grocery retailing.

Este trabajo analiza el proceso de adopción de una innovación concreta por parte del consumidor final –en este caso, el uso y la adopción de Internet como canal de información y de compra– en la adquisición de un servicio. En concreto, se considera un servicio turístico de características muy particulares, como es la reserva de una pernoctación hotelera. La elección de este producto intangible resulta una gran contribución a la literatura relevante, no solo por la escasez de trabajos previos que hayan analizado este tipo de servicios, sino también por la importancia clave que el sector turístico posee en el ámbito geográfico donde el estudio se ha llevado a cabo. Para ello, tomando como base el modelo TAM, se ha tratado de analizar la influencia de ciertos factores económicos como son las señales de calidad y la confianza sobre las intenciones de compra. Los resultados obtenidos utilizando una muestra de 759 internautas que, siendo turistas potenciales no han adquirido el servicio, han puesto de manifiesto la importancia que tiene en las intenciones de compra del consumidor las normas subjetivas, la utilidad percibida, la confianza hacia el sitio web y las señales emitidas por las empresas para mitigar las asimetrías de información. De este trabajo se desprenden interesantes conclusiones que contribuyen a una mejor introducción y gestión de Internet como canal de información y venta por parte de las empresas.

ResumenEste trabajo se centra en analizar los factores económicos que condicionan la elección de un canal de distribución concreto por parte del consumidor. Con tal fin, se recurre a la Teoría de la Agencia, cuyos presupuestos resultan de gran utilidad para comprender la influencia en este proceso de problemas tales como las asimetrías de información o el oportunismo. Concretamente, el estudio considera el proceso de reserva de un servicio turístico con unas características muy particulares como es una pernoctación hotelera. El análisis de una muestra de 1.029 turistas que habían realizado su reserva bien a través de Internet o bien a través de otros canales tradicionales ha revelado interesantes conclusiones: (1) las principales fuentes de incertidumbre en las etapas previas a la elección del canal de compra vienen determinadas por la falta de confianza hacia Internet; (2) las señales emitidas por las empresas para mitigar las asimetrías de información contribuyen a fomentar la confianza hacia la empresa seleccionada; y (3) la confianza hacia la empresa elegidAbstractThis work focuses on analyzing the economic factors that influence the consumer's distribution channel choice. With this aim, we use the Agency Theory in order to understand the influence of related problems such as information asymmetries and opportunism. All of this is taken into account to examine the booking process of a particular tourism service: a hotel overnight. The analysis of a sample of 1,029 tourists who had made their booking either through Internet or through traditional channels has revealed interesting findings: (1) the main sources of uncertainty in the phases prior to the purchase choice are determined by the lack of trust towards the Internet, (2) signals emitted by firms to mitigate information asymmetries contribute to build trust towards the company chosen, and (3) trust towards selected firms shows how the buyer makes the reservation through the channel with the lowest perceived risk.

Since their introduction decades ago by retail companies, private labels have passed through several stages of market penetration and customer acceptance. For retailers, private labels have become valuable instruments for image creation and competitive positioning. They also have been a key factor in facilitating internationalization and the decision to expand to other countries. This chapter traces the evolution of private labels, from their origin to the present, placing emphasis on the strategies that retail distributors use to obtain and maintain competitive positions. As an illustration, the authors examine the case of the Tesco grocery retail chain, following it from its establishment in the United Kingdom to its most recent expansion into South Korea. The case demonstrates the role of private labels in the company´s evolution and international expansion and thus reveals the strategies followed in developed versus developing markets. Deep knowledge of customers, enables companies to obtain a lead position in markets and build an image associated with innovation and added value.

The growing importance of online channels, social media, and mobile commerce (m-commerce) has given rise to new retail formats, that use only channel used and which have enabled many new consumers to access certain establishments despite geographical barriers. The fashion sector may be one of the most heavily affected by these developments, due to the highly seasonal nature of the products, keen competitive rivalry, widespread reliance on outsourcing, high brand power variety of pricing policies, and strong emotional implications for consumers, who identify with specific brands. This chapter aims at analyzing the main strategies that retail operators are currently following in the industry in order to differentiate from other retailers. A special interest will be placed on the role of the brand, examining how retailers in the industry use private labels as a differentiation resource. The authors also review the case of ASOS, a global retailer which has proven able to adapt to every market, with a view to determining how it has dealt with the myriad challenges involved. © 2018 by IGI Global.

This chapter examines how social and economic changes of recent years have led to a new consumer profile. Furthermore, it explores how current responsible concerns regarding consumption, as well as a greater concern for welfare sustainability and the environment, are affecting purchasing behavior. With these ideas in mind, this chapter analyses how organizations have to evolve towards a new marketing paradigm in order to link to their customers emotionally. In this regard, the evolution of the marketing concept is reviewed—departing from a Marketing 1.0 paradigm, passing through a Marketing 2.0 paradigm—in order to understand how the so-called Marketing 3.0 emerged. The chapter concludes by analyzing the different rules that guide this new approach and how companies in the distribution sector are applying them in their daily activities.