ABSTRACTWith recent advancements in technologies such as artificial intelligence and computer‐generated imagery, virtual influencers (VIs) have become prominent branding tools that command high engagement rates. Most extant research explores the marketing outcomes of using VIs in brand campaigns. However, little is known about how interacting with VIs on social media platforms may affect consumers' well‐being. This research takes a comprehensive approach, developing a nuanced understanding of whether (and how) human‐like VIs (HVIs) impact consumers' well‐being. We employ a conceptual development approach drawing on scholarship from influencer marketing, narrative transportation, and consumer well‐being and gather additional support for the conceptual framework from data collected by interviewing 25 followers of HVIs. The conceptual framework proposes that when interacting with influencers' social media posts, followers experience narrative transportation, which positively influences followers' hedonic and eudaimonic well‐being. However, the conceptual framework also proposes that these relationships are moderated by the type of influencer (human vs. virtual) sharing the post. Specifically, we suggest that interactions with HVIs provide followers with enjoyment (hedonic well‐being) and support their self‐acceptance, personal growth, relationships, and autonomy (eudaimonic well‐being). We also provide initial evidence of the favorable marketing outcomes of enhanced well‐being from engagement with HVIs, including contemplation of brand purchase. The study thus advances extant VI literature by proposing a theoretically and empirically informed conceptual model that examines HVIs' influence on consumer well‐being. Also, it contributes to addressing the broader calls for research on the impact of social media and influencer marketing on consumer well‐being.

ABSTRACTThis study conducted a systematic literature review integrating the TCM and ADO frameworks to analyze 46 studies published from 2014 to 2023 on the impact of aging on consumer behavior. The research adhered to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses principles, using data from Scopus, WoS, and ScienceDirect. Results showed an increasing trend in publications focusing primarily on elderly consumers. Analysis revealed that the Theory of Planned Behavior and technology acceptance model are the most frequently used theories, with research concentrated in the United States and China. Common methods included questionnaires, structural equation modeling, and regression analysis. The ADO framework highlighted psychological and individual‐related antecedents as the most discussed. A relationship table categorizing 135 antecedents into five major categories showed a predominantly positive influence of antecedents on decisions and outcomes. Sixty aging‐related antecedents were identified, covering all but product‐related categories. The study identified critical research gaps and proposed future directions, offering insights for policymakers and practitioners to address aging society challenges and align with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

ABSTRACTFood traceability is a critical approach that ensures the safety and quality of food. It has garnered significant attention, particularly in the aftermath of multiple food safety incidents reported in various countries. While there is extant literature available on consumer perspectives on food traceability, the findings are not consistent across studies. This systematic literature review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding by integrating findings from past studies. It includes 61 articles sourced from two databases, namely Scopus and Web of Science. This review outlines various stages of a consumer's decision for food traceability, starting from exposure, awareness, understanding, liking and disliking, attitudes and preferences, purchase intentions and willingness to pay, to the final purchase. It also identifies the determinants of consumer responses to food traceability, categorising them as factors internal to the consumers, determinants due to the perception of external factors and contextual factors. Moreover, it identifies gaps in the existing research and proposes research questions to expand the knowledge in this area.

ABSTRACTAlthough service quality in spectator sports has been subject to extensive research, comprehensive studies mapping the intellectual structure and foundations of service quality in spectator sports are scant. The purpose of the current study was to synthesise and analyse the literature on service quality in spectator sports, and set a new research agenda by conducting a hybrid integrated review of the articles between 1996 and 2023. A total of 149 peer‐reviewed journal articles were analyzed. First, a bibliometric analysis provided the citation structure and evolution of publications, source impact, most cited articles, most productive authors and associated impact. Then, a framework‐based review including the articles' context, theories, type of study, service quality dimensions, spectator outcomes and limitations was conducted to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge and identify future research directions. This study contributes to the literature by uncovering the structure and intellectual base of existent research, identifying gaps and suggesting a research agenda to deepen the understanding and management of service quality in spectator sports.

ABSTRACTUnderstanding how young people learn to manage their finances responsibly can guide interventions to improve their financial health and stability in the short and long term, yet merely increasing financial knowledge and skills is ineffective. Psychological and environmental factors appear to be important determinants of financial behavior, yet such factors have long been neglected in the literature. The present study appears to be the first to assess empirically the contribution of intuitive and rational mental capacity as well as opportunities and motivation to financial behavior formation. We surveyed 2299 young adults at 229 high schools and universities in Croatia. Through structural equation modeling, we found that intuitive and rational thinking as well as motivation and opportunity substantially influenced the formation of financial behavior, whereas financial knowledge played a negligible role. Rational thinking was a stronger determinant than intuitive thinking in the case of healthy financial behavior, while the opposite was true in the case of impulsive consumption. These insights may help develop effective interventions for promoting positive financial habits among young adults.

ABSTRACTDrawing upon consumer–brand disidentification theory and balance theory, this study examines symbolic and ideological incongruity in consumer–brand relationships through an original conceptual model shaped by negative past experiences, brand trust, perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR), and negative word‐of‐mouth (NWOM). A preliminary study was conducted to explore the dimensions of consumers' negative past experiences by topic detection. Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling was undertaken to analyze online consumer reviews (n = 6095) about a coffee chain brand. The dimensions detected in this preliminary study were included in the research model and further analyzed in the main study. The main study, a cross‐sectional consumer survey (n = 522), tested the original research model by way of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) on SmartPLS. The findings showed that negative past experiences consisted of product‐related, service‐related, and technology‐related problems and negatively influenced brand trust. It was found that brand trust and perceived CSR negatively affected symbolic and ideological incongruity, while symbolic and ideological incongruity positively influenced NWOM. The findings provide empirical evidence for balance theory by showing that the three critical domains of consumer–brand relationships (ideological, symbolic, and experiential) provide a complex cognitive model that covers personal‐symbolic and moral‐societal aspects of consumer–brand disidentification and consequent NWOM intentions. In line with consumer–brand disidentification theory, the results contribute to the literature by demonstrating the direct negative impacts of brand trust and perceived CSR on symbolic and ideological incongruity, as well as the direct positive impacts of symbolic and ideological incongruity on NWOM.

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to develop a conceptual framework of consumer financial behavior with a multidisciplinary approach. Consumer financial behavior is the subject of research in many scientific disciplines, although it is of greatest interest to economists, sociologists, psychologists, and philosophers. The frailty and still insufficient functionality, as well as the lack of application of the models may result from constantly changing macro and microeconomic factors, changing trends, the impact of generational affiliation, and conceptual‐theoretical inconsistencies. Taking into consideration current attitudes toward understanding consumer financial behavior, a contribution to literature is an attempt to diagnose the components of a functional model for financial behaviors, in particular, the diagnosis of input and output factors in the decision‐making process. The proposed model of consumer financial behavior consists of five elements: type of consumer, type of financial product, motivation, abilities, and opportunities, and the factors determining them may be both economic and noneconomic.