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The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework of customer-mobilized engagement (CME) pathways where customers actively identify, engage, and mobilize hidden (new) actors (and their resources) who are beyond the reach of the focal organization. As a large proportion of value stems from connections with multiple business networks, an organization's customer network becomes an important strategic asset contributing to competitive advantage and survival. Taking a propositional approach, we conceptualize the CME pathway and elaborate on factors critical to CME drawing on two organizations for illustrative purposes. We develop three propositions explaining how customer-mobilized engagement of hidden (new) actors, resources, and engagement platforms connect dynamically via the mobilizing customer. The reinterpreted communicative value proposition increases the contribution of hidden actors and enhances and expands value outcomes for actors within the CME pathway including increased sustainable competitive advantage for the focal organization. Adopting CME adds new resources, in different ways to deliver value to an organization's diverse business streams and grow their business networks. The CME pathway provides industrial marketing managers with an agile tool to guide the design of their offerings which can adapt across business contexts and time as the social, economic, political and technological environment changes.

© 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of CSR initiative preference, customer helping orientation and customer participation on willingness to engage in CSR and to demonstrate the influence this engagement has on their commitment and loyalty to the organisation. Design/methodology/approach: This study entailed an online survey of customers from a large not-for-profit organisation (n = 210). Choice modelling is used to test a structural equation model of drivers and outcomes of willingness to engage in CSR. Findings: Results demonstrate the CSR initiative preferred by customers has a stronger impact on their willingness to engage with the CSR initiative (volunteering their time, effort, money) than either customers' helping orientation or customer participation. Furthermore, willingness to engage in CSR influences customer commitment and loyalty to support and recommend the organisation. Research limitations/implications: The results clearly demonstrate the significant impact that customers' preferences for and willingness to engage in CSR initiatives have on customers' relationship with not-for-profit organisations. Social implications: The results highlight the importance of taking into account customer preferences for CSR issues to encourage customers to engage in CSR initiatives designed to benefit society. Originality/value: Traditionally CSR literature has focused on how commercial firms' engagement in CSR creates value for the firm and society. The marketing literature has focused on how customer engagement in brand communities benefits the firm. This study extends the research by exploring customers’ willingness to engage in CSR with not-for-profit organisations. It uses Choice modelling to demonstrate the impact of customer preferences for local and aligned CSR initiatives on customer willingness to engage.

A new area of customer engagement research which centers on the co-creation of brand content and brand meaning has emerged. Several researchers have highlighted the need for a more bottom up rather than top down approach to brand management is amplified because customer communication on social media has weakened the firm’s grip on their brands. This chapter illustrates the importance of leveraging user-generated content (UGC) as customers prefer and trust UGC, and user generated branding (UGB) presents an efficient and effective way to engage and enhance relationships with customers. To gain insight on how user-generated content co-creates brand meaning, this chapter presents a visual case analysis of the successful Contiki’s hashtag campaign ‘#noregrets’. Contiki is a global travel tour company offering group coach trips for ‘youth travelers’ (18_35 year-olds). The ‘#noregrets’ campaign encouraged Contiki travelers to share their travel photographs, which, if selected, were then reposted to Contiki’s official Instagram account. In this study, these images are analyzed using Schroeder’s critical visual analysis framework and in so doing, we integrate knowledge from the brand meaning and customer engagement literature to develop a deeper understanding of customer co-creation. We show how visual images are used to co-create brand meaning rather than more commonly researched online brand community narratives.

A new area of customer engagement research which centers on the co-creation of brand content and brand meaning has emerged. Several researchers have highlighted the need for a more bottom up rather than top down approach to brand management is amplified because customer communication on social media has weakened the firm’s grip on their brands. This chapter illustrates the importance of leveraging user-generated content (UGC) as customers prefer and trust UGC, and user generated branding (UGB) presents an efficient and effective way to engage and enhance relationships with customers. To gain insight on how user-generated content co-creates brand meaning, this chapter presents a visual case analysis of the successful Contiki’s hashtag campaign ‘#noregrets’. Contiki is a global travel tour company offering group coach trips for ‘youth travelers’ (18_35 year-olds). The ‘#noregrets’ campaign encouraged Contiki travelers to share their travel photographs, which, if selected, were then reposted to Contiki’s official Instagram account. In this study, these images are analyzed using Schroeder’s critical visual analysis framework and in so doing, we integrate knowledge from the brand meaning and customer engagement literature to develop a deeper understanding of customer co-creation. We show how visual images are used to co-create brand meaning rather than more commonly researched online brand community narratives.

© 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: Both customer engagement (CE) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been linked to customer loyalty. Past studies use service dominant logic and customer value co-creation to explain this relationship. The purpose of this paper is to apply utility theory to develop and test a new theoretical model based on CSR initiative preference to understand the relationship between CE and customer loyalty to the organisation in a CSR platform. Design/methodology/approach: This empirical study uses choice theory in the form of best-worst scaling, and structural equation modelling, to measure the impact of sports club members’ choice preferences for a range of CSR initiatives on their intention to engage with the initiative and subsequent loyalty to the club. Findings: This study highlights the importance of engaging members in the CSR strategy they prefer as it enhances not only the extra value to the organisation via customer loyalty to the organisation, but also CE with the organisation. Furthermore, the study reveals age and gender impact on the relationship between CE in CSR initiatives and customer loyalty. Originality/value: This study extends CE to CSR behaviours and provides empirical evidence for a unique theoretical framework of CE based on utility theory. It also highlights the need to take into account moderating variables such as customer demographics.

© 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to extend research on customer loyalty status and customer demotion by investigating if the effect of demotion on customer attitudinal and behavioral responses is the same for top-tier and low-tier customers in the context of airlines. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted with travelers intercepted at large airport terminals in Australia. Multivariate analyses examined group differences across status change (no change vs demoted) and status level (high status vs low status). Multi-group moderation structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis tested the moderating role of status (high status vs low status) on the effects of demotion on the relationship between customers’ attitudes and loyalty intention, and between loyalty intention and share of wallet. Findings: This study shows that the detrimental effects of demotion on the relationship between customer satisfaction/commitment/perceived betrayal on loyalty intentions, and on the relationship between loyalty intentions and share of wallet are stronger for “high status” than “low status” customers. Research limitations/implications: A cross-sectional design was employed to investigate customer demotion in the airline industry. Future studies could investigate different types of demotions in other industries by employing a longitudinal design. Practical implications: The study provides new insight about the effects of status demotion and highlights that service firms could be jeopardizing the loyalty of numerous valuable customers, especially among the “high status” customer group. Originality/value: This study reveals loyalty status moderates the effect of demotion on customer attitudinal responses and loyalty behaviors. It draws on social identity, social comparison, emotion and equity theories to explain the different effects of demotion on customers from different status level groups.

The increase of obesity coupled with diabetes is a global concern. Regular exercise is one of the factors in preventing obesity as well as diabetes and some mental health problems in Australia (ABS 4719.0, 2008). Whilst gyms facilitate people to become and stay fit, recreational team sports provide a social and physical platform to wellbeing. This study explores how support from recreational sports team players impacts on commitment to the sports team and subsequently the quality of life of a team sport player. The study surveyed players from public and private recreational sports covering a variety team sports. The results show social-emotional support rather than instrumental support received from players drives a player’s commitment to the team. Furthermore, a player’s commitment fully mediates the impact of support received from the team a player’s perception of quality of life. This highlights the importance of getting players to commit to the team, and for team leaders and sports centres to foster social emotional support.

In response to concerns that motor vehicle advertising may have a negative influence on audiences’ driving attitudes, many countries have adopted Codes of Ethics with respect to motor vehicle advertising. Most Codes restrict explicit depictions relating to power, speed and acceleration but do not necessarily identify when advertisements implicitly communicate these and other undesired messages about unsafe driving behaviours. We selected three motor vehicle advertisements containing depictions of vehicular behaviour such as fast driving and rapid acceleration that had been the subject of complaints to the Australian Advertising Standards Board. We exposed these advertisements to n¼463 14–55 year olds. All three advertisements were found to promote positive expectancies about undesirable driving behaviours. These data confirm the rationale for motor vehicle advertising Codes but identify faults in applying the Codes; namely that the Advertising Standards Board upheld complaints about only one of the advertisements whereas viewer perceptions indicate that all three breached the Australian Code. There is a need to include mechanisms other than simple observation to assess whether undesirable messages are being communicated in motor vehicle advertisements.

There is growing concern that certain content within motor vehicle advertising may have a negative influence on driving attitudes and behaviours of viewers, particularly young people, and hence a negative impact on road safety. In response, many developed countries have adopted a self-regulatory approach to motor vehicle advertising. However, it appears that many motor vehicle advertisements in Australia and elsewhere are not compliant with self-regulatory codes. Using standard commercial advertising methods, we exposed three motor vehicle ads that had been the subject of complaints to the Australian Advertising Standards Board (ASB) to, N= 463, 14–55 year olds to assess the extent to which their perceptions of the content of the ads communicated themes that were contrary to the Australian self-regulatory code. All three ads were found to communicate messages contrary to the code (such as the vehicle’s speed and acceleration capabilities). However, the ASB had upheld complaints about only one of the ads. Where motor vehicle advertising regulatory frameworks exist to guide motor vehicle advertisers as to what is and what is not acceptable in their advertising, greater efforts are needed to ensure compliance with these codes. One way may be to make it mandatory for advertisers to report consumer pre-testing of their advertising to ensure that undesirable messages are not being communicated to viewers.

There is concern that certain content within some motor vehicle television advertising may negatively influence the driving attitudes and behaviours of viewers, particularly young people, and hence have a negative impact on road safety. In recognition of this concern, many developed countries have adopted a selfregulatory approach to motor vehicle advertising. The basic elements of self-regulation are a code of practice or guiding principles governing advertising content and the establishment of a process for hearing and adjudicating complaints about alleged breaches of that code. However, as in other areas, the effectiveness of self-regulation is being questioned in that many motor vehicle advertisements in Australia and elsewhere appear non-compliant with self-regulatory codes. Applying lessons from studies of alcohol advertising, this paper first reviews the research assessing the content of motor vehicle advertising. A suggested research framework is then proposed to inform the development of motor vehicle advertising regulatory codes where they do not exist, and to better monitor compliance with codes where they do exist. The research framework suggested includes expert content analysis of ads, the impact of advertising on risk-taking cognitions and decisions in computer-simulated traffic situations, and assessing audience perceptions of, and reactions to, messages in advertisements mapped against regulatory code content. An example of audience reaction research is also presented.

This study applies the disconfirmation of expectations paradigm to explain what makes the consumption of sin products (high risk alcohol consumption) a satisfactory or unsatisfactory experience. It further tests if it affects readiness to change behaviour. It illustrates that disconfirmation of expectations should focus on consumption outcomes as they motivate customers to consume products and services. Furthermore, both positive and negative outcome expectancies should be included. The alcohol expectancy literature offers operational definitions of positive and negative outcome expectancies. However, alcohol expectancy studies do not use the disconfirmation paradigm to explain high risk drinking behaviours, even though disconfirmation of expectations have been shown to be a better predictor of customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions than customer expectations. Data gained via convenience sampling of undergraduate students from all divisions within a large Australian University provided a usable sample size of 462. The results and analysis illustrate a very distinct separation of four positive outcome expectation factors and four negative outcome expectation factors. These findings are discussed with implications highlighted for theorists, marketers and social policy makers.

This study applies the disconfirmation of expectations paradigm to explain what makes the consumption of sin products (high risk alcohol consumption) a satisfactory or unsatisfactory experience. It further tests if it affects readiness to change behaviour. It illustrates that disconfirmation of expectations should focus on consumption outcomes as they motivate customers to consume products and services. Furthermore, both positive and negative outcome expectancies should be included. The alcohol expectancy literature offers operational definitions of positive and negative outcome expectancies. However, alcohol expectancy studies do not use the disconfirmation paradigm to explain high risk drinking behaviours, even though disconfirmation of expectations have been shown to be a better predictor of customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions than customer expectations. Data gained via convenience sampling of undergraduate students from all divisions within a large Australian University provided a usable sample size of 462. The results and analysis illustrate a very distinct separation of four positive outcome expectation factors and four negative outcome expectation factors. These findings are discussed with implications highlighted for theorists, marketers and social policy makers.

Massive automobile advertising budgets suggest that consumers worldwide are exposed to a large number of motor vehicle advertising messages. This is of concern considering some motor vehicle advertisements may encourage unsafe driving practices. In fact, motor vehicle advertising contributes a significant proportion of all complaints received by the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB). Further, it appears that many advertisements that may be non compliant appear to fall through the regulatory gaps. This paper presents a test of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising. It entailed assessing audience perceptions of the messages communicated in three advertisements which were the subject of complaint to the ASB, two of which (Ford, Jeep) were dismissed and the third (Mazda) upheld. Audience perceptions of the ads showed that the ASB were correct in upholding the Mazda complaint that the ad promoted speed and performance aspects of the vehicle. However, our results showed that the Ford and Jeep ads also communicated these messages to the same extent or greater. Our results also showed that the sort of driver behaviour portrayed in these ads is perceived by a majority of viewers as aggressive and risk-taking across all three ads. These results bring into question the approach the Australian Standards Bureau uses to determine whether an advertisement breaches the FCAI Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising.

To date, customer satisfaction and service quality studies have only focused on disconfirmation of expectations in terms of product/service attributes. This study applies the disconfirmation of expectations paradigm to explain what makes the consumption of sin products (high risk alcohol consumption) a satisfactory or unsatisfactory experience. In doing so, it illustrates that disconfirmation of expectations should focus on consumption outcomes as they motivate customers to consume products and services. Furthermore, both positive and negative outcome expectanciesshould be included. The alcohol expectancy literature offers operational definitions of positive and negative outcome expectancies. However, alcohol expectancy studies do not use the disconfirmation paradigm to explain high risk drinking behaviours. This is a serious omission as disconfirmation of expectations have been shown to be a better predictor of customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions than customer expectations This study concludes with data gained from a university setting testing the hypotheses proposed, showing distinct differences between positive and negative disconfirmation of outcome expectations.

Several trends in the healthcare industry are bringing patient empowerment to the forefront, however, at the same time cost cutting and managed health care policies are also eroding patient trust. While patients differ in their desire to actively participate in and take on responsibility for medical-decision making, some health care conditions such as chronic illnesses (e.g., diabetes) require a significant amount of self-management and thus call for a collaborative patient-physician relationship. This study examines whether empowering patient-physician consultations measured through three patient empowerment dimensions (patient control, patient participation, physician support) enhance patients trust in their physician. The results of a comprehensive survey of patients with chronic illness conditions support that all three patient empowerment dimensions have a positive impact on patient trust.