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Extant literature and common marketing practices converge around the idea that stronger self-links to a brand and its products lead to increased brand loyalty. In this article, we challenge this conventional notion by revealing situations where the preference for self-linked brands diminishes, despite the self-links remaining unchanged. We introduce a key distinction between two types of consumer identities based on whether identity expression relies on specific products: product-dependent (e.g. chef) and product-independent (e.g. foodie). Our theory posits that self-links to products exert less influence on preference when a product-independent identity is prominent. Across five studies examining consumer leisure identities, we find that priming a product-independent (vs. product-dependent) identity reduces preference for self-linked products/brands. Interestingly, it can also enhance preference for negatively self-linked (dissociative) products/brands among materialistic consumers. In a sixth experiment and a real-world Facebook study, we illustrate that the extent to which consumers' identity is chronically product-independent can be assessed either directly or indirectly from social media interests, allowing for more effective targeting of brand-switching appeals. Adding to the literature on the symbolic role of products in identity expression, our research uniquely investigates the functional role of products in identity expression and its profound impact on product/brand preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We highlight the limitations of using cumulative advertising expenses as an input measure of brand value. Using two output measures—Interbrand's data and a novel text-based measure—we find that an equal-weighted portfolio of top brands yields an annual abnormal return of 3%. The excess returns are driven by companies that develop their brands internally. Intangible factors proposed in the literature have no explanatory power for the premium. Analysts underestimate the future earnings of top brands, leading to significant excess returns following earnings announcements. We find no abnormal returns associated with the input measure of brand value. (JEL G4, G12, G14, M41) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research develops a new metric (PBCM) that can identify products within a portfolio that are eroding visual branding cohesion. We show how this new measure gives results equivalent to consumer evaluations of cohesion, without costly and time intensive data collection. The sampling frame for this research is 10 portfolios from five categories (dry dog food, instant coffee, toothpaste, shower gel and chewing gum) in the United Kingdom. In addition, 626 consumers were surveyed to investigate how PBCM affects a consumer's ability to match an individual product back to its portfolio and recall the brand name. We find that products from high cohesion portfolios have significantly higher (17%) correct brand recall than those from low cohesion portfolios and are matched back to their portfolio by more than twice as many respondents (79% v 35%), significantly faster (2.3 vs. 3.8 minutes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates nickname branding, a novel phenomenon whereby firms incorporate the "street" names consumers give brands into their own marketing (e.g., Bloomingdale's opening a "Bloomie's" store). While practitioners anticipate positive results from deploying this tactic, the current research serves as the first empirical investigation of its likely effectiveness. Drawing on speech act theory, the authors theorize that using a nickname in place of a formal name serves as an act of power redistribution, effectively signaling submission to consumers, thereby reducing the perception of a brand's power and weakening its performance. Through a multimethod approach that incorporates secondary data analyses, field studies, and preregistered experiments, the results support this view across a range of performance metrics. In addition, the authors show that this effect is contingent on two factors, such that nickname branding (1) harms performance more for competent brands than warm brands and (2) is less pronounced when nicknames are used in messages that are communal-oriented (vs. transactional-oriented). This research introduces a new theoretical perspective centering on the illocutionary meanings embedded in the process of naming brands and highlights actionable insights on how marketers should approach or avoid consumer-based slang in their marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobranding initiatives between a local and a global brand have become a prominent practice. This research contributes to the cobranding and global branding literatures by investigating the effects of positioning strategy of the cobranded product (global consumer culture positioning vs. local consumer culture positioning) on consumer evaluations in emerging markets. In five experiments, the authors show that using global consumer culture positioning for the cobranded product leads to heightened word-of-mouth intentions and more favorable product valuations. This effect holds for both local and global product categories. Building on signaling theory, the authors show that brand credibility mediates the effect of positioning strategy on word-of-mouth intentions. Further, when the local (vs. global) brand is the announcement source, using a global rather than a local consumer culture positioning leads to enhanced word-of-mouth intentions. Yet, for consumers with stronger ethnocentrism, when the global brand makes the announcement of a cobranded product positioned on local consumer culture, word-of-mouth intentions are higher. Altogether, the findings have nuanced implications for local branding, global branding, and young consumers in emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare watches, fine wines and spirits, sports cars, designer sneakers, and many other luxury goods create massive enrichment opportunities for consumers if they resell them on secondary markets. This trend is part of the enrichment economy, a novel form of market arrangement wherein consumers use iconic goods to increase their capital. However, it creates challenges for brands, such as preserving their primary market desirability and avoiding cannibalization. To understand how brands can navigate the enrichment economy, the authors conducted an ethnographic study of the luxury watch industry. They draw on market system dynamics to theorize market processes that sustain a market within the enrichment economy, and they explain the shared discourses, norms, and practices that make the enrichment economy function. This research makes four contributions. First, the authors theorize primary–secondary market dynamics as a novel class of market dynamics. Second, they theorize the new role of luxury brands as enrichment curators. Third, they discuss the ethics of enrichment by highlighting inequalities and risks it creates. Fourth, this research introduces the enrichment strategy as a novel brand strategy that capitalizes on the market dynamics of enrichment. The authors offer recommendations for luxury and nonluxury brands on product portfolio management, customer relationship management, and ethical innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the first field investigation of the sales impact of cause-related marketing promotions (CMPs) in retail settings. Whereas prior work primarily studies CMPs in simplified experimental settings, actual fast-moving consumer goods markets are considerably more complex; ergo, consumers are unlikely to consider and evaluate all brands and CMPs in detail. In this analysis based on 63 CMPs across 20 categories, the authors therefore investigate the short-term sales impact of CMPs as a function of the brand and category context in which they are executed. On average, CMPs run 11 weeks and donate 3.2% of product price, resulting in an average sales lift of 4.9% per week. The findings suggest that a necessary precondition for CMP success is that consumers notice it at the point of sale and hence have considered the CMP brand for reasons other than the CMP itself. Accordingly, the sales impact of CMP can more than double when the category assortment is smaller, the category has less price dispersion, the brand is a category leader, or the brand is priced below the category average. Brands operating in less favorable market conditions can still achieve above-average CMP impact by combining CMPs with price promotions to ensure consumer consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on associative learning suggests that marketers can enhance consumer attitudes by repeatedly pairing their brands with pleasant or "positively-valenced" stimuli (e.g. attractive models, babies, cute animals) rather than unpleasant or "negatively-valenced" stimuli (e.g. garbage cans and disgusting insects)—an evaluative conditioning effect also known as affect transfer. In this research, we combine the associative learning and the goal pursuit literatures to show that the influence of affect transfer on brands depends on the mindset that is active at the time of judgment. Four experiments and one field study uniquely demonstrate that negatively-valenced brand pairings may become desirable when consumers have an instrumentality mindset, which increases attention to the instrumentality, or effectiveness, of a given consumption behavior. This pattern of results occurs due to a bidirectional association between unpleasantness and instrumentality, making a brand with negative associations seem more effective. Results are robust across contexts (health, entertainment, news) and persist regardless of whether the (un)pleasant images are within or adjacent to the advertisement. The effect attenuates when consumers have a weaker association between unpleasantness and instrumentality, and reverses when consumers are cued to focus on favorability (vs. instrumentality). Contributions and implications for associative learning and brand management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-profile instances of brands accused of cultural appropriation suggest that even the most prominent brands fail to fully understand the complexities of this phenomenon. This work experimentally unpacks consumer perceptions of cultural appropriation and its impact on brand attitudes and purchase interest. The authors begin by developing and validating a scale for measuring perceptions of cultural appropriation. Next, a series of studies demonstrates that viewing this phenomenon through a historical lens can help determine when and why the use of cultural elements is viewed as appropriative. Specifically, an emphasis on historical power imbalance explains why liberal consumers are more likely to recognize cultural appropriation and why commercializing disadvantaged cultures is considered appropriation, whereas using elements from advantaged cultures may be more acceptable. The conceptualization further identifies brand actions and interventions that influence perceptions of cultural appropriation, including externally emphasizing historical power imbalance, how brands obtain cultural elements, and how brands represent the culture in their product offerings and marketing. These findings help marketers (1) avoid launching products that can be damaging to the brand and offensive to consumers and (2) understand how to better promote products in a way that prevents rather than amplifies these negative perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on shifting standards theory from social psychology, the authors suggest global versus local branding as an important categorization that affects consumers' reactions to product-harm crises in emerging markets. Specifically, the distinct associations attached to global and local brands create shifting standards and lead to differential consumer expectations and evaluations. In four main and two supplementary experiments, the authors demonstrate that consumers from emerging markets react more negatively toward a product-harm crisis by global (vs. local) brands. Higher initial expectations for global brands are the underlying cause of this more pronounced consumer response to failures. The authors demonstrate which specific expectations are driven by the shifting standards around global and local brands and identify product category as a relevant boundary condition. Finally, consumers with high ethnocentrism appreciate it directionally more when a local brand provides compensation after a product-harm crisis than when a global brand provides compensation. The results have important implications for brand management and crisis management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors introduce the construct of terroir branding—distinct from country-of-origin effects and place branding—to explain how, in regions such as Champagne, France (wines), Biella, Italy (wool), and Vuelta Abajo, Cuba (cigars), competing local firms develop global brands while being engaged in responsible actions that influence the brand perceptions in the global marketplace. Terroir brands have three critical features: placial distinctiveness, craftsmanship specificity, and processing traditionalism. Terroir branding integrates firm-owned host brands with a collective regional brand. Drawing on the resource-based view, coopetition theory, and the concept of moral engagement, the authors identify a virtuous circle of local collective efficacy that supports the location and enables a terroir brand to be seen by global markets as being responsibly sustained. The authors also identify a vicious circle through moral disengagement that can lead global markets to perceive terroir brands as irresponsibly sustained. They identify hazards such as host-brand strength variability, rival set stability, locational ownership, and competitor concentration. Finally, they highlight the importance of local terroir branding using a broad spectrum of place-based characteristics and identify conditions under which terroir branding benefits an individual brand and the wider collective of brands, while sustaining the location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast-growing middle class in emerging markets is leading luxury brands to adopt an affordable luxury (aka "masstige") approach to reach the mass market. However, academic research in this promising area is scarce. Focusing on China, the world's largest emerging market, this research shows a novel pattern of masstige brand consumption: Instead of always preferring foreign masstige brands (e.g., Coach) as implied in previous international marketing literature, consumers in emerging markets prefer domestic masstige brands (e.g., Goldlion) when their personally oriented motives are made salient. In contrast, consumers prefer foreign masstige brands when their socially oriented motives are made salient. This stems from domestic masstige brands better manifesting self-focused intangible attributes (i.e., the actual value to please oneself), whereas foreign masstige brands are superior in other-focused intangible attributes (i.e., the symbolic value to impress others). Three studies using a multimethod approach provide converging results that support this phenomenon. The findings bring significant contributions to the literature and offer actionable implications for managers, including positioning and price promotion strategies for masstige brands in emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the concept of a suggestive brand name existing for over one hundred years (Viehoever, 1920), the prevalence of suggestive versus non-suggestive brand names has not been documented. Previously, to do so extensively would have taken considerable time and money. We now show that artificial intelligence can replace manual coding with increased accuracy. We found the coding performances of Chat GPT-4 are 34% more accurate than GPT-3.5 and 44% more accurate than human coders. Systematically expanding our research to over 4,600 brands from consumer goods, services, and durables in major English-speaking markets (United Kingdom, United States, and Australia), we find that overall, slightly more than a quarter of all brand names are suggestive - ranging from 10% of durables to 56% of service brands. Further, we expand the suggestiveness research to non-brand name elements of almost 600 Distinctive Assets (e.g., colours, logos) across consumer goods, services, durables, and retailers (in the same three countries), finding that two in five are suggestive. The brand name and Distinctive Asset prevalence distributions are positively skewed, with most categories falling beneath the respective averages. Furthermore, regarding performance, on average, suggestive Distinctive Assets display lower levels of Fame and Uniqueness than non-suggestive Distinctive Assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For digital-native fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers that sell through their own online channel and have made headway into supermarkets, brand stores can represent the next step in a multichannel distribution strategy. In this research, the authors investigate the impact of introducing a brand store on a digital-native FMCG brand's sales in its existing company-owned online channel and in independent supermarkets, as well as on the brand's supermarket distribution. By incorporating brand store sales and operational costs, this research also specifies the entry effects on the brand's top-line total brand sales and bottom-line operating profit. Based on before-and-after-with-control-group analyses of the entry of ten brand stores by a digital-native FMCG brand, the authors show that brand store entry boosts supermarket sales, partially driven by a brand store's positive effect on the number of supermarkets listing the brand. Although they cannibalize company-owned online sales, brand store entries generate an influx of own brand store sales that offset online channel losses. Still, accounting for brand stores' operational costs reveals that top-line growth is not always enough to preserve the bottom line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary focus of brand equity research has been on how brand knowledge creates value for firms through customer behavior in product markets. Using archival data and five experiments, this article tests a framework that outlines the unique role brands play in the labor market. The framework distinguishes between vertical and horizontal differentiation and shows that vertical brand differentiation is associated with lower pay, whereas horizontal brand differentiation is associated with higher pay. Employees are also vertically and horizontally differentiated, and firms high in horizontal brand differentiation pay more for employees who match their brands' differentiating characteristics (i.e., brand-relevant complementarities). Results show that these brand–pay relationships have important downstream effects on employee behavior and, consequently, on firm profits. Specifically, leveraging vertical brand differentiation to lower pay represents a false economy because profits are attenuated by negative effects on employee productivity and retention. In contrast, when managers at firms high on horizontal brand differentiation pay more, profits increase via the same mediating employee behaviors. Six firm strategies and investments that influence firm bargaining power in the employee–brand matching process are found to moderate the brand–pay relationship and downstream effects on profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketers commonly use ads that associate brands with success in persuasive communications. Yet, these ads may not be the most effective way to promote brands, particularly masculine brands. The current research examines when and why failure messaging can be an effective promotional approach. Across eight studies using both observational and experimental data from field and lab settings, the authors demonstrate that experiences of failure in achievement contexts, and ads that employ failure (vs. success) messaging, are more effective in promoting masculine but not feminine or neutral brands. An increase in consumers' hostility mediates these effects. Feminine brands that employ aggressive branding cues (e.g., the color red) can also benefit from failure messaging. Additionally, the benefits of failure messaging are enhanced when people do (vs. do not) take responsibility for their failures, and this moderating effect is intensified (weakened) when failures are attributed to unstable (stable) causes. Finally, the consumption of masculine options was found to assist consumers in recovering from achievement failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creative media advertising is a specific type of unconventional advertising in which a regular physical object serves as a medium to carry an advertising message. To better understand the workings of this type of advertising, we conducted a meta-analysis. In this study, we explore the direct effects of creative media advertising, several moderators, and the possible underlying mechanisms. The results show that exposure to creative (versus traditional) media advertising has an overall positive effect on brand association strength and persuasion (i.e., ad attitude, brand attitude, purchase intentions, and electronic word of mouth [eWOM]). Both these effects are moderated by metaphor use, meaning that the effects are stronger when the physical object is a good metaphor for the message it carries. Furthermore, indirect (e.g., social media, printed picture) exposure to the message positively moderates the effect of creative media advertising on brand association strength but not on persuasion. Brand familiarity does not play a moderating role. Finally, a meta-analytic structural equation modeling (SEM) procedure was used to show that the main underlying mechanism of creative media advertising persuasiveness is surprise—and not perceived persuasive intent. For practitioners, this study shows that creative media ads are more effective when leveraging surprise and metaphors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its widespread adoption by industry, the academic literature is quite skeptical about the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Given the persistent use of NPS by managers, this research note provides a deeper understanding of its practical implementation while exploring the potential benefits NPS offers to managers, focusing on the distinction between transactional and brand health NPS. Furthermore, this research note also introduces five essential managerial considerations for using NPS, further extending the scope for managerial-relevant future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers differ in the extent to which brands drive their choices. The current research investigates the psychology underlying such decisions by using a cursor-tracking paradigm that captures consumers' decision-making processes in real time. Results indicate that while consumers typically process brand attributes relatively later than product attributes, the timing of this processing varies across individuals and affects choice. Specifically, when consumers trade off brand and product desirability (i.e., when deciding between a more [less] preferred product from a less [more] preferred brand), the earlier that brand attributes are considered, the more likely consumers are to choose the option from the preferred brand. Increasing the prominence of brand (vs. product) attributes leads to earlier brand attribute processing and a higher likelihood of choosing the preferred brand. These findings hold across a limited number of choice trials and for decisions involving three attributes (brand, product, and price). This research highlights the applicability of cursor tracking in revealing the psychological drivers of consumer choices in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media offers brands the ability to gauge consumer reactions to marketing and brand crises. While social media listening has focused on aggregate patterns, consumers differ in how they react to a crisis faced by a particular brand. Analyzing consumer behavior for 39 brands pertaining to 77 brand crises through the lens of consumer posts on brands' Facebook pages, we find that consumers' prior online interactions with the brand and the nature of the brand crisis moderate the language they employ in their posts. Specifically, these factors affect the extent to which consumers express anger and the familiarity of their language. While consumers who have not engaged with the brand previously employ more familiar language and self-referencing following values-related crises compared to consumers who have interacted with the brand, these individuals express more anger after performance-related crises. In contrast, consumers who have previously interacted with the brand express more anger in the wake of values-related crises. We discuss the implications of our findings for brand managers using social media posts as a means of monitoring consumer perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy makers and insurers promote the use of generic drugs because they can deliver large savings without sacrificing quality. But these efforts meet resistance from the public, who perceive generic drugs as inferior substitutes for brand name counterparts. Building on literature showing that negative emotions reduce risk-taking, the authors hypothesize that receiving bad medical news (i.e., negative information about one's health) prompts patients to favor brand name over generic drugs as means to safeguard their health. The evidence exploits low-density lipoprotein cholesterol test results, where a discontinuity from clinical guidelines enables the authors to estimate the causal effect of bad medical news. Using data covering patients' prescription drug choices across drug classes, the authors find that patients receiving bad medical news become 8% more likely to choose the brand name alternative. The findings are reinforced by a secondary analysis incorporating the similar context of hemoglobin A1c (blood sugar) testing. The authors also find that bad medical news reduces preferences for generics most strongly among drugs of direct clinical relevance for each test, but the effect also manifests among non–clinically relevant drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New brand launches are notoriously risky, with high failure rates. Yet, most research focuses on the out-of-store factors inherent to their success/failure, overlooking strategies that can be employed in-store. The present research addresses this oversight by examining the influence of two in-store factors, distraction and shelf position, and their impact on a new brand's visibility on the shelf. We draw on a unique data set featuring a real-life new brand entrant into the Australian market. Using an experimental design in a shopper laboratory, and mobile eye-tracking, we find that the new brand stands a greater chance of being noticed and visually attended to on the shelf when shoppers are distracted. This is attributed to shoppers dwelling longer in front of the fixture, being more open to new-to-the-consumer brands, and by negatively affecting the top-down processing of existing brands on the shelf. We also find that optimising shelf position, which is a common in-store marketing tactic for existing brands, may not produce the same return on investment for a new brand. The findings offer valuable theoretical and practical implications for improving the success rates of new brand launches, including selection of distribution channels, allocation of marketing resources, and the interplay between in-store and out-of-sore factors driving shopper behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brand relationships influence human attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. While past research has generously explored this idea in the customer context, less research has explored the role brand relationships play in the context of frontline employees or salespeople. While much of the customer literature can be used to inform our understanding of salesperson-brand relationships, there are nuances of being an employee, and specifically a salesperson, that have left many research questions unanswered. Consequently, a state of the literature in this domain is warranted to better understand how future research can grow this critical stream. The current research identifies, reviews, and synthesizes 52 salesperson-brand relationship articles. A comprehensive summary of common brand constructs (e.g. brand identification, brand attachment) is employed and supplemented with a social network analysis. To encourage more research in the salesperson-brand domain, we then summarize common themes that pervade the literature and identify a plethora of future opportunities in both established domains (e.g. brand relationships increase effort) and new frontiers (e.g. exploring the dark side of salespeople-brand relationships). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the public's response to the digital brand launch of the Seattle Kraken. Informed by agenda-setting theory and through content and social media analyses, the study identified the initial digital sentiment around the brand and the reach of the virtual conversations. The Kraken were able to encourage favorable conversation about the team by setting the agenda and encouraging consumers to engage with content at specific times during launch. In the first hour after brand launch, consumers focused conversation on the team, the logo and color scheme, and the effectiveness of the launch video. In the following 24 hr, the conversation remained positive and focused on how the brand positively represented the city and region. Through agenda setting, the Seattle Kraken were able to effectively launch their new brand while also setting the stage for positive brand-association development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial branding stands as a discursive and cultural facet of the contemporary global era where competing brands construct their own identities. From a discourse perspective, a brand is discursively constructed on commercial signs. Accordingly, this study examines the interplay between coffee shop branding and national identity in Saudi Arabia. In so doing, the study investigates the competing branding discourses associated with coffee as well as the space given to national identity. To achieve this task, the study developed a conceptual framework grounded on critical discourse analysis (CDA) and linguistic landscape (LL). The data consists of 88 commercial signs of coffee shops collected by driving on a road from Najran to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The research site was then verified through Google Maps. The data built a communicative event for an empirical mixed-method research design. CDA linguistic and multimodal toolbox was utilized. The analysis showed that three names of coffee are found on the road to Mecca: qahwa (Arabic), coffee (English), and kufi (transliteration). With these names, four discourse are in competition. For globalization, English-Arabic glocal discourse (34%), and English global discourse (8%) are competing to construct coffee branding. For national identity, Arabic local discourse (42%) and Arabic-English glocal discourse (16%) are associated with qahwa; something that gives substantial space (58%) for national identity. These findings enhance our understanding of the linguistic and multimodal dimensions of globalized spaces and their discursive construction of branding at the local scale of globalization. The study recommends further research and suggests some cultural and pedagogical implications for authorities, translation, bilingual awareness, teaching, and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on Wittgenstein's ideas, I defend a brand of pluralism that associates words with conceptual families and appeals to this notion in the course of philosophical problem solving. I argue that certain problems that the received view of conceptual engineering ('improvement by replacement') faces can be more easily overcome if we adopt a pluralist perspective. I show that the proposed approach can circumvent the problem of topic discontinuity, whilst also avoiding the threat of trivialisation, since it can easily accommodate both coarse-grained and fine-grained topics. Finally, I argue that my variant of pluralism is compatible with de novo conceptual engineering insofar as it allows that the paradigm associated with a word may shift overtime thus creating an opportunity for new candidate members to join a conceptual family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To succeed in the 'war for talent', it is becoming increasingly important for companies to build a strong employer brand, with social media playing a key role in targeting potential applicants from Generation Z. Against this backdrop, more and more companies are turning to influencer marketing, hiring external third-party influencers, or appointing their own employees as corporate influencers. However, the use of social media influencers in the context of employer branding has been little researched, especially the specific contributions of corporate influencers compared to third-party influencers. Against this background, an online experiment (n = 214) was conducted. The results show that perceived company-influencer fit and parasocial interaction support positive effects of influencer communication on employer reputation, employer image and intentions to apply. Furthermore, corporate influencers were found to have a stronger positive impact than third-party influencers on the employer brand. While prior research on social media influencers has focused largely on the marketing of product brands, this study contributes to a better understanding of their impact on the corporate brand level. The results illuminate the potential of employees as communicators to shape perceptions and attitudes of external stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored factors influencing advertising avoidance in the context of brand webtoons (i.e., a digital cartoon format of stories on online platforms) originated in South Korea. We conducted a survey (n = 242) to investigate the relationship between webtoon familiarity, empathy, brand experience (i.e., intellectual experience, affective experience), persuasion knowledge (PK), and ad avoidance. Considering brand experiences as key mediating variables, hierarchical relationships are investigated. The findings showed that webtoon familiarity influenced empathy of brand webtoons which in turn leads to intellectual and affective experiences. Intellectual experiences increased persuasion knowledge, and affective experiences decreased persuasion knowledge. Affective experiences are also found to decrease ad avoidance. Finally, persuasion knowledge increased ad avoidance. These results suggested specific academic implications of covert marketing, and managerial implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's consumers expect brands to act morally to win their hearts and wallets. Yet, existing marketing literature provides little clarity on what this behavior entails and how it differs from acting ethically. This study aims to clarify these concepts and inspire further research. Our consumer‐centric research adopted a multi‐theory and multi‐method approach, coupling Moral Foundations with Morality as Cooperation theories, 12 in‐depth interviews and three surveys with 1229 respondents from two opposite national cultures. We present a Brand Morality scale involving three meaningful dimensions: brand care, brand compliance and brand competency. Brand care is more influential in establishing a moralistic image than the other dimensions. We also learn that while consumers from different national cultures may value the same set of BM dimensions on a cognitive level, they may interpret and react differently on a behavioral‐intent level. Our unique contributions include (i) presenting a 12‐item Brand Morality scale that is theoretically meaningful and practically applicable to brands, (ii) demonstrating the co‐utility of two under‐considered theories, (iii) clarifying the nuanced distinctions of brands acting morally versus ethically, and (iv) shedding light on consumers' perceptual definitions of BM may be consistent between nations, but their behavioral interpretations may vary depending on their local cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer forgiveness represents a compelling phenomenon for marketers, as understanding and leveraging forgiveness allows repairing consumer brand relationships. Marketing scholars began to pay closer attention to consumer forgiveness in the last decade with attempts to better understand and analyze this construct. This literature review on consumer forgiveness seeks to enrich the discourse on this phenomenon through a comprehensive systematic review of 89 articles. Through this literature review, we synthesize the findings of 89 articles to (1) understand how involved agents (e.g., firms/brands, humans, and autonomous technologies) influence the consumer forgiveness process, (2) develop a theoretical integrative framework delineating salient psychological mechanisms of the consumer forgiveness process, and (3) propose a future research agenda on consumer forgiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LGBT+ brands, i.e., those supporting and catering for the LGBT+ community and primarily owned and operated by members of this community, have been standing out for their authenticity in a marketplace where brands are regularly accused of "rainbow‐washing." Yet, despite the recent media spotlight these brands are still struggling to grow and gain visibility among the general public. This study aims to explore how LGBT+ brands can leverage their content to increase e‐Word‐of‐Mouth (eWOM) on social media. Specifically, we focus on humorous content because its impact on eWOM has been mixed in the literature and brand type has been overlooked as a potential moderator to date. Using brand anthropomorphism and schema congruity theory, our research proposes that LGBT+ brands that adopt humor in their social media content generate higher eWOM when compared to mainstream brands. We suggest that consumers attribute the expected characteristics of gay individuals (e.g., humorous, witty, ...) to LGBT+ brands, thus leading to perceived brand‐post fit as the underlying mechanism. Two studies based on Facebook data from two different LGBT+ brands and a scenario‐based experiment validate these findings. Alongside conceptualizing LGBT+ brands, we provide valuable insights into how these brands can gain exposure and visibility on social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to providing a sales channel for national brands, many e-tailers also sell their store brands, which can be sourced from brand manufacturers or outside contract manufacturers. E-tailers use self-run logistics to deliver store brands. Brand manufacturers use e-tailer logistics or third-party logistics to deliver their national brands. Logistics modes affect the competition between national brands and store brands, which inevitably affects the e-tailer's profit and source decision on store brand. This paper investigates how logistics mode affects the e-tailer's source decision on store brand. We find that when a national brand is delivered through e-tailer logistics, the e-tailer's source decision on store brand depends on the logistics fee and the unit production cost of the outside contract manufacturer. When the logistics fee is low and the unit production cost is high, sourcing the store brand from the brand manufacturer is beneficial to the e-tailer. When a national brand is delivered through third-party logistics, the e-tailer's source decision on store brand depends on the logistics service level difference, the logistics fee charged by the third-party logistics provider, and the unit production cost of the outside contract manufacturer. When the logistics service level difference is low, the logistics fee and the unit production cost are high, or when the logistics service level difference and the unit production cost are high, sourcing the store brand from the brand manufacturer is beneficial to the e-tailer. Furthermore, compared with the 3PL mode, if the logistics fee under SRL mode is low, then under the SRL mode, the e-tailer may be more inclined to source the SB from the brand manufacturer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As universities compete for visibility to attract student enrollment and build scientific reputation, the management of institution of higher education (IHE) brand has emerged as an important strategic endeavor. Yet our understanding of the factors that condition the structure and dynamics of brand stratification within regional IHE ecosystems is limited. Instead, our best approximation for brand equity derives from widespread IHE rankings, which lack contextual and relational features for understanding the patterns of engagement in the fast-moving attention economy, and in particular how institutional partnerships can generate brand equity by leveraging ecosystem network effects. To this end, here we develop a framework for measuring two dimensions of brand equity, namely visibility, and association, according to the frequency of digital media articles featuring a university's official name. We demonstrate this approach for 29 universities in California and Texas based upon 2 million media articles published between 2000 and 2020 and validate our approach by correlating university digital media visibility with ARWU Shanghai rankings and freshman enrollment growth. As roughly 10% of the article sample features >1 university, longitudinal analysis of institutional co-occurrence reveals the extent to which brand association stratifies according to regional proximity, institutional specialization, and prestige. Interestingly, despite the shared value generated from media co-visibility, the frequency of multi-university media articles has declined over time, which we attribute to paradigm shifts in media content production following the 2007–08 financial crisis and the COVID-19 infodemic, in addition to increased competitiveness of the attention economy. Topic classification of media article titles shows how specialized institutions may strategically manage their brand equity by aligning content production with dominant media topics to reinforce brand visibility with broader social, technological, and environmental narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the influence of cycle computers on the accuracy of power and cadence data. The research was divided into three phases: (1) a graded exercise test (GXT) at different constant loads to record power and cadence data; (2) a self-paced effort lasting 1 min to measure mean maximal power output (MMP); and (3) a short all-out effort. Eight cyclists completed the GXT, ten participated in the 1-min test, and thirty participated in the sprint effort. All participants pedaled on a controlled-resistance cycle ergometer, and the data were recorded using the ergometer itself and ten synchronized cycle computers of the same brand, configured to record at 1 Hz. The results showed minimal variations in power and cadence between devices during the GXT, suggesting adequate accuracy for constant efforts lasting a certain duration. However, in self-paced and high-intensity efforts (1-min and short all-out efforts), significant differences were observed between several devices, particularly in cadence and mean power, highlighting the relevance of device selection in these contexts. These findings suggest that, while variations in constant efforts may be negligible, in short-duration, high-intensity activities, the choice of device may be crucial for the accuracy and reliability of the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of short video platforms has opened new avenues and opportunities for brand marketing. This paper investigates the mechanisms of brand dissemination in short videos, examining strategies for fostering brand associations to fulfill communication objectives. Drawing on signal theory, the study identifies the perceived value of short videos as the source of signals, with brand value and transparency serving as mediating factors, and brand association as the outcome. The research employs hypothesis testing and model building, supplemented by analysis of 560 valid questionnaires from research platforms, to scrutinize these mechanisms. Findings suggest that brand transparency and value effectively mediate the relationship between the perceived value and brand association, with brand transparency also mediating between perceived personality, utility, and brand association. Finally, this paper outlines management implications and acknowledges limitations based on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMenstrual product brands are increasingly relying on social justice messaging. Whereas previous studies have discussed the proliferation of harmful menstrual stereotypes through the intertwined imperatives of hygiene, femininity, and concealment expressed in traditional menstrual advertisements, our study aims to deconstruct the role social justice messaging plays in challenging menstrual stereotypes, empowering menstruators, and ensuring inclusivity in contemporary advertising. Drawing on a content analysis of 175 advertisements across six emergent menstrual product brands and 22 in-depth interviews with menstrual activists and brand representatives, our study seeks to understand how representations of menstruation in menstrual product advertisements have evolved. We analyze these ads through the lens of companies’ responsibility to respect human rights, which requires companies to avoid perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes and discriminatory social norms. Therefore, we pay particular attention to whether, how, and for whom advertisements challenge entrenched stereotypes. We found that brands continue to promote an image of empowerment contingent on products. Although they have incorporated activist language in their advertisements, these additions remain limited and obfuscate the less glamorous aspects of social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research finds evidence for a plural name advantage on brand attitude. Six studies, including two archival datasets with real market brands and four experiments using fictitious brands, show that brands with plural names (e.g., Dunkin' Donuts) are associated with more favorable brand attitude than brands with singular names (e.g., Dunkin' Donut). This plural brand name advantage is driven by perceptions of brand entitativity emerging from the collective reading of plural entities. However, the positive effect of plural brand names on brand attitude is attenuated in the case of premium brands. This research has practical implications for brand name strategy and makes a theoretical contribution by bringing attention to the under‐researched space of morphology in brand name linguistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article offers an introduction to the Book Review Symposium dedicated to Josephson Storm's ambitious Metamodernism: The Future of Theory (2021). Inspired by Josephson Storm's interest in the art scene conversation about method and theory, this preamble incorporates Alan Moore's reflections from the early 2000s on the necessity to move beyond postmodernism and proceeds to present both the main pillars of Josephson Storm's theoretical proposal and the key concepts from the commentaries submitted by the participants to this symposium (Mattias Brand, Carmen Becker, Andrea Bardin and Marco Ferrari, and Andrea Maria Nencini). The confusing existence of a preceding, and conflictual, theoretical understanding of metamodernism is also briefly discussed, and its potential impact on the academic disciplines that study religion(s) highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ñawi: Arte, Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article derives the optimal wholesale tariff that is proposed by the monopolistic manufacturer of a branded product to a monopolistic retailer if the retailer also sells a private label whose quality is unobserved by the brand manufacturer. The focus is on market-share contracts where the manufacturer controls the quantities of both products. To learn the quality of the private label and diminish the retailer's information rent, it distorts the quantity of the branded product downwards and that of the private label upwards. The manufacturer can control the quantity of the private label if it combines an excess payment with an end-of-year repayment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platforms can create value within their ecosystems through their investments. In this paper, we model a monopolistic platform choosing the level of a demand-enhancing investment and the membership fees that sellers and buyers pay to access the platform. We find that platform size and quality are large when the degree of product differentiation among sellers and investment productivity are high. Platform profit and users' surplus are aligned. If the platform sells a product under its brand, incentives to invest are higher, compared to a pure marketplace, and sellers' surplus can be larger if the degree of product differentiation is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes how consumer preferences for eco-friendly private labels affect platform selling formats and manufacturer channel strategies. We construct a game-theoretic model that encompasses both an e-commerce platform and a manufacturer. In this model, the platform chooses its selling format—either wholesale or agency—while the manufacturer determines whether to launch an online direct channel. Our analysis takes into account consumer preferences for both product brands and sales channels. We compare and analyze the equilibrium outcomes across four different scenarios, leading to the following conclusions: (1) When the platform utilizes the wholesale selling format, the manufacturer is consistently motivated to launch the direct channel if the costs associated with it are low. Conversely, when the platform employs the agency selling format, the manufacturer's decision to establish an online direct marketing channel depends on the relative strength of consumers' eco-friendly and channel preferences. (2) The platform's choice of selling format is affected by the manufacturer's channel strategy, leading the platform to modify its selling format based on varying manufacturer channel approaches. (3) The choices of the platform's selling format and the manufacturer's channel strategy are not always in conflict. When consumer preferences for the manufacturer's direct channel are strong and the cost of introducing it is moderate, the platform's decision to adopt the agency selling format can create a win-win outcome for both the platform and the manufacturer. And the establishment of online channels by manufacturers further enhances the sustainable growth of eco-friendly products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: Contemporary firms increasingly need to promote their brand online to reach consumer segments. Much of this is done now through pictorial content that aims to create favourable brand associations in an attempt to positively influence consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. Use of a comprehensive framework can reveal influential brand knowledge associations in relation to brand experience, brand imagery and their sub-dimensions. Originality/value: The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media brands in today's digitized economy are facing growing competition and the increasing need for valid parameters to measure success and the perception of their brand. Trust in media brands is one of the most important factors in that regard, influencing the decision for and against certain media brands and driving factors, such as brand equity and usage intention. While research on trust in corporate, product and service brands is abundant, trust research specifically focusing on media brands has been widely neglected. Due to the strong possible impact of singular events particularly on trust in media brands and the connected high variance in consumer trust, a valid tool to track consumer perceptions over time thus would add a worthwhile contribution to media management. Due to significant differences between brands and media brands based on divergent business models, business partners and sources of revenue, currently available brand trust scales, however, cannot simply be applied in the media sector. In our study, we are conducting quantitative, multinational research to establish a valid and reliable media brand trust scale. We aim for the empirically based development of the focal construct building on the framework of media brand trust. The framework results from 11 components derived from previous studies. With this development, we are providing actors of the media economy with a scale to measure consumers' trust in the media brand and generating an understanding of the specific elements required to improve media brands' business operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Doxa Comunicación is the property of Fundacion Universitaria San Pablo - CEU and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Setting up a tourist attraction provides brands with the opportunity to offer visitors an experience that promotes their brand image. This paper explores how to design such an experience by focusing on the tourist attraction of a famous luxury brand, Hennessy Cognac. Through an in-depth case study, the paper contributes to the tourism literature by developing a framework for experience design in branded tourist attractions. This framework bridges the gap between abstract design principles and corresponding operational actions in practice to support the realization of visitor experiences that improve brand perceptions. Moreover, it suggests a requirement for congruency between the characteristics of the brand and the design of the visitor experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in social media technology have empowered brands to engage in virtual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) co‐creation activities, which are crucial for CSR success and sustainability. Employing four scenario‐based experimental studies (1049 samples in total) alongside analyses of variance (ANOVA) and regression methodologies, we investigate how virtual CSR co‐creation activities impact consumer emotional reactions and branding behaviors. The SPSS software and the Process macro were used for data analysis. The results reveal that higher persistence (Study 1) and deeper participation (Study 2) in virtual CSR co‐creation are more likely to enhance brand passion. Flow experience mediates the above positive relationship between virtual CSR co‐creation and brand passion. Furthermore, when virtual CSR co‐creation activities take place in private settings rather than public settings, the positive effects of consumers' participation persistence and depth on brand passion will be attenuated. This work advances the theoretical understanding of brand passion within the domain of virtual CSR co‐creation. It provides new perspectives and practical implications for enhancing consumer‐brand relationships through virtual CSR co‐creation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]