Brand Adoption Research Articles

Brand Adoption by BoP Retailers

The article brings out the major factors that bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP) retailers consider when adopting brands. It suggests that, besides the known variables of profitability, relationship and merchandise, these retailers attach importance to efforts that lead to reduced perceived risk. These include replacement and buyback facilities besides credit. They define the relationship with distributors/wholesalers not just as firm-firm business-based, but also as stemming from familial, social and ethnic dimensions. Based on 472 responses of acceptance or rejection from BoP retailers from rural India, the findings show a positive, significant relationship with brand characteristics. On the other hand, product-related factors showed a significant but negative relationship. The study found a significant but negative association between distributor relationship and probability of adoption, which should be considered in conjunction with credit, replacement and buyback facilities. The authors suggest that, while brand demand is a significant factor, strategies based on service-dominant logic would be more effective in sustained adoption of brands among small retailers.

The Meaning of Flexing Luxury Brand in Social Media Based on the Perception of Generation Z

The trend of utilizing luxury brands among Generation Z in Indonesia is on the rise. The shifting landscape of priorities among young individuals in this evolving era often results in tertiary needs taking precedence as primary necessities. Consequently, a hedonistic mindset emerges when indulging in luxury brand consumption. Furthermore, the inclination towards specific luxury brands goes beyond mere consumption; it fosters the development of a brand-focused lifestyle among the youth. Hence, a research initiative was undertaken to elucidate how Generation Z perceives luxury brands. Employing an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) within a constructivist framework, alongside a qualitative exploratory approach, the study aimed to uncover participants' interpretations of luxury brands. Data were acquired through interviews, subsequently subjected to analysis using methodologies outlined by Smith, Flowers, and Larkin. The research findings underscored that one of the catalysts for this phenomenon lies in Generation Z's aspiration for acknowledgment and acceptance within society. Financial, functional, social, and individual values collectively contribute to shaping the significance attached to luxury brands among this demographic. Generation Z holds the belief that social validation can be garnered by enhancing their standard of living or social status through the adoption of luxury brands, fostering hedonism and brand-conscious behavior.

The competing roles of variety seeking in new brand adoption

We examine how consumers' attribute-level variety-seeking behaviors can explain their propensity to adopt a new brand in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) market. We leverage consumers' purchase history among extant brands prior to a new brand introduction as an indicator of the new brand adoption upon its launch. We incorporate variety seeking at two product attribute levels – brand and flavor – and find that variety seeking along these two dimensions predicts different outcomes for new brand adoptions. The estimation results of our discrete-time hazard model show that consumers' brand-level and flavor-level variety-seeking behaviors affect their likelihood to adopt a new brand in different manners: consumers who purchase various brands are more likely to adopt a new brand, whereas those who choose various flavors are less likely to adopt a new brand. The results also show that the new brand's price promotions and in-store displays can affect the role of variety seeking in consumers' new brand adoption. We assess the robustness of our findings by replicating our empirical model with an additional measure of variety seeking as well as a variety-seeking measure in another product category.

Can creative cities be inclusive too? How do Dubai, Amsterdam and Toronto navigate the tensions between creativity and inclusiveness in their adoption of city brands and policy initiatives?

Creative cities tend to generate higher levels of innovation and economic growth as well as be vibrant places to live. Many cities in the world have adopted the creative city label to realise these benefits. It is not certain, and in fact disputed by authors such as Richard Florida (2017), that creative cities will also show high levels of inclusion. Inclusiveness is a multi-dimensional concept that needs to be unbundled before its connection with creativity is firmly established. Various tensions can arise when cities decide to adopt both creative city and inclusive city branding and urban policy initiatives. This paper studies these tensions in formulating responses to two main questions: A) How can the concepts ‘creative city’ and ‘inclusive city’ be operationalised, measured, and related to each other? and B) How do cities that adopt these two city labels implement them in their city branding and policy initiatives? What can we say about the internal consistency of these brands and policies? We have chosen Dubai, Amsterdam, and Toronto as case studies since all three enjoy good reputations in both creativity and inclusion in their respective continents and contexts. Our study indicates that cities promise more than they deliver, that creativity matches some aspects of inclusion, but contradicts others. Moreover, in case of tension, creativity always prevails over inclusion, whereby economic interests come first, and only aspects of inclusion that add to or are at least not in conflict with creativity tend to be honoured. Finally, in each of the three cities, the ‘couleur locale’ can clearly be observed in terms of the aspects of inclusion that are emphasised, and which tend to be disregarded.

Towards an integrated model for brand adoption: insights from an organismic integration theory

Drawing on organismic integration theory (OIT), this study investigates what kind of motivational regulations (e.g. intrinsic, identified, introjected and external motivation) could influence brand adoption and what kind of advertisement appeals (e.g. hard-sell and soft-sell) could influence consumers' motivational regulations. To this end, participants (n = 657) from Pakistan were recruited, and the hypotheses were tested in the airline industry. Results show that hard-sell appeals had the strongest effect on identified motivation, whereas soft-sell appeals were more effective at capturing consumers' intrinsic motivation. Consumers' intrinsic motivation had the greatest effect on consumer brand adoption. The moderation results revealed that the effects of identified, introjected and external motivations on consumer brand adoption were salient when perceived social influence was higher, but not when social influence was lower. Finally, the authors discuss in depth the implications of these results for theory and practice.

Treatment and Secondary Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Real Clinical Practice Based on Health Care Professional Survey

Aim. To assess the duration of the anticoagulant treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in various categories of patients in real clinical practice through survey of practitioners, as well as correspondence of the duration with current clinical guidelines.Material and methods. Data obtained from electronic survey of practicing surgeons as part of a commercial brand assessment (Brand Adoption Monitor) was studied. Survey was carried out by the "Validata” analytical agency at the request and with the financial support of Bayer. Inpatient and outpatient vascular surgeons, as well as general outpatient surgeons were invited to complete the electronic questionnaire. The number of interviewed specialists was 100: 50 inpatient vascular surgeons and 50 outpatient specialists, among whom the share of vascular surgeons (phlebologists, angi-ologists) was about 20%. The study was completed in 20 cities of Russia with a population of at least 200,000 people from all federal districts except the North Caucasus and the Republic of Crimea. The selection criteria for participants were: work experience in the specialty ≥3 years, work experience at the current organization >6 months, ≥5 patients with VTE during in the last month.Results. In total, 104 doctors were surveyed during the period from December 11, 2019 to January 20, 2020, of which 50 were inpatient vascular surgeons and 54 were from outpatient setting. According to the survey of vascular surgeons in hospitals, 75% (6 [5;10]) of patients were hospitalized with a primary episode of VTE and 25% (2 [1;4]) with a recurrent thrombotic event. In an outpatient surgeon, 27.5% (3 [2;5]) of patients were treated in an outpatient setting without hospitalization, 34.7% (3 [2;5]) came to an appointment immediately after discharge from the hospital and 38.8% (2 [1;4]) were a repeat visit regarding a previous VTE. Most often, surgeons observed episodes of clinically unprovoked VTE in 27.3% of cases, thrombotic events provoked by major transient risk factors were 12.2%, event provoked by small transient risk factors were 13.3% and events provoked by small persistent risk factors were 12.6%, while cancer-associated thrombosis represented 13.5%. Most surgeons chose to prescribe anticoagulant therapy beyond 3 months. About half of the specialists prescribed therapy for a year or longer for cancer-associated thrombosis and recurrent VTE. When treating the first episode of clinically unprovoked VTE, about half of the respondents chose anticoagulation for a period of 3 to 6 months. About 60% of specialists prescribed anticoagulant therapy for a period of 3 to 6 months to patients with minor transient or persistent risk factors and patients with VTE provoked by major transient risk factor (trauma or surgery).Conclusion. Correspondence of the duration of anticoagulant therapy in real clinical practice with the international clinical guidelines varies within 450% range and, on average, does not exceed 30%. This discrepancy was both in situations when the duration of therapy was lower than recommended, but also in situations when treatment extension would not have been recommended.

Memes, brands and the politics of post-terror togetherness: following the Manchester bee after the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing

ABSTRACT The 22 May 2017 bombing of the Manchester Arena, which killed 22 and injured over 800 more, triggered a massive public response leading to, among other things, improvised memorials, spontaneous vigils, dedicated hashtags, and viral videos. Within this response, the memetic reinvigoration and, subsequently, brand adoption of one of Manchester’s oldest civic symbols – the worker bee – was clearly discernible. In this article, we explore how the spread of the bee after the bombing contributed to a politics of post-terror togetherness. Conceptualising memes as ‘more or less digital’, we ‘follow’ the bee across bodies, streets and social media platforms via the analysis of approximately 53,000 Instagram images. We show how the initial memeification of the bee carried with it grassroots expressions of togetherness while the subsequent use of the bee in official city branding strategies created and obfuscated various political tensions.

Consumer-Athlete Brand Relationship: A Qualitative Exploration of Sport Fans’ Experiences

Athlete marketing can have profound effects on sport fans. While the affinity for superstar athletes is clear, the internalization of brand image associated with high-profile athletes has received little scholarly attention. The central aim of this exploratory study was to understand sport consumers’ perceptions of the athlete brand and its influence on their self-concept. Seventeen purposefully selected members of an athlete-centered fan club took part in semi-structured interviews. The interview data revealed the following prevalent themes: athlete brand adoption, athlete brand devotion, city identity, and community engagement. Based on the findings, meaningful interactions with consumers and altruistic actions fostered the relationship between the athlete and his followers. The present study contributed to the research concerning the emotional bond sport consumers have with athletes and evolving literature on athlete brand management.

Reading Between the Lines: Understanding Customer Experience With Disruptive Technology Through Online Reviews

A customer’s experience with a brand, as evidenced in online customer reviews, has attracted multidisciplinary scholarly attention. Customer experience plays an important role as an antecedent to brand engagement, brand adoption, and eventual brand loyalty. Thus, it is important for businesses to understand their customers’ experiences so that they can make changes as necessary. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to the business landscape, forcing businesses to move online, with many utilizing enterprise video conferencing (EVC) to maintain daily operations. To ensure efficient digitization, many turned to the online reviews of others’ experiences with EVC before engaging with it themselves. This research examined how the customer experience is portrayed through emotional tone and word choice in online reviews for the EVC platform Zoom. Using computerized text analysis, key differences were found in the emotional tone and word choice for low- and high-rated reviews. The complexity and emotionality expressed in reviews have implications on the usability of the review for others. The results from this study suggest that online customer reviews with a high rating express a higher level of expertise and confidence than low-rated reviews. Given the potential dissemination and impact, digital marketers may be well advised to first and foremost respond to online reviews that are high in emotional tone.

Implementing the RECONAC Marketing Strategy for the Interaction and Brand Adoption of Peruvian University Students

In marketing, there is a notable lack of models, which leads to the loss of potential customers since there is no feedback for improvement in the marketing strategy. In the face of the Internet revolution, this study used digital channels and interaction to achieve potential customer retention through a Funnel; this allowed a potential client to go through the acquisition, conversion, and retention stages. In addition, activities were developed that allow the potential user to become a retained client. Thus, considering the stages of a marketing strategy, a non-probabilistic sample was used, composed of a pre-test period with 1088 users and a post-test period with 1450 users. Overall, there was a significant improvement in the time a client remained observing the website per session, with a 20.6% efficiency; furthermore, there was a 36.25% efficiency increase of the user conversion process per session in the digital channel. Likewise, a 46.43% efficiency increase was measured in visits to the digital channel, which confirms that the proposed marketing strategy significantly improves previous marketing strategies. Therefore, it is concluded that the proposal based on the elements of insight aligned with the measurement proposed by Google Analytics Key Performance Indicators, which was used to test and observe the improvements to continue the feedback, taking advantage of the characteristic of the digital channel with its two-way participation.

Hating in plain sight: The hatejacking of brands by extremist groups

The adoption of brands as an identity marker for hate groups has been extensively noted for decades. The use of specific brands, often covertly, allows hate groups to have identity markers without the social stigma ascribed to historical hate symbols. With high-profile events such as the ‘Unite the Right’ march in Charlottesville, hate groups have utilized media coverage to increase their visibility and, by extension, the brands that they have co-opted. Such unwanted associations for organizations are defined by this research as a hatejack, whereby an extremist group publicly presents linkage to a brand, typically to claim legitimacy by the association. The covert, hide-and-seek nature of the hatejack also allows extremist groups to identify with each other without public or legal scrutiny. The dangers of a hatejack have been exacerbated by two-way symmetrical models of public relations that focus on online and social media. Popular press books such as Brand Hijack seem to suggest that organizations would do well to cede ownership of their identity and allow the construction of brands by external publics. This emphasis, however, has allowed for hate groups to more readily adopt brands and publicly proclaim a connection to the organization that does not exist. This research examines cases of hatejacks in which brands become unwitting instruments of extremist groups and seeks to identify emerging and consistent themes across cases that merit further investigation by researchers and actions by practitioners.

Towards an integrated model for brand adoption: Insights from an organismic integration theory

Towards an integrated model for brand adoption: Insights from an organismic integration theory

Store brand adoption and penetration explained by trust

Purpose This paper aims to explain variations in store brand penetration using trust. It aims to help both retailers and manufacturers predict store brand purchases through an improved understanding of the impact of trust in store brands across 10 different store brand product categories and among nine different grocery retailers. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a telephone survey of 904 participants responsible for the household grocery shopping with a quota of 100 respondents from each of the nine leading grocery retailers in Greece. Findings The findings provide empirical support that store brand purchases are positively influenced by the consumers’ perceived level of trust toward the retailer’s store brands. Results also confirmed variations in store brand penetration across the ten product categories that were tested, variations among the retailers and variations in the level of trust. Originality/value This paper is adding to the store brand literature from a quantitative perspective and is contributing to the theory, as there is no clear theoretical view on the effect of trust on store brand purchases.

The Influence of Self-Concept on Perceived Value in Apparel Brand Adoption Behavior - Based on Research Data from Hangzhou, China

In consumer society, consumers intend to pay more attention to the brand culture, symbolic meaning, brand value and the brand-self fit when they choose apparel or brand. By self-concept as breakthrough point, this paper analyze the interactive relationship between self-concept and perceived value. The empirical results show that: During the apparel brand adoption process, using functional value, social value, emotional value, cognitive value, and situational value to evaluate the perceived value of Chinese consumers is feasible and effective; The ideal self and actual self interact with each other, and also can affect the formation of perceived value; Through the perceived value of brand, self-concept has a significant impact on the apparel brand adoption behavior. With more homogenous and competitive apparel, enterprises should give thorough consideration to enhance the objective brand value, as well as to reduce the gap between consumer perceived value and brand value.

New Product Development and Consumer Brand Adoption in SMEs Manufacturing Industry in Ogun State Nigeria

The study examines the effect of New Product Development strategies on Consumer Brand Adoptionin SMEs in the manufacturing industry in Ogun State, Nigeria. The main objective of the study is to determine the relationships between brand physical attributes, buyer behaviour, market pre-testing strategy, product adoption, marketing planning policy and competitive edge of SMEs products in Ado-odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. The research design is the descriptive survey and data were gathered through a well-structured questionnaire rated on a 6-point Likert scale of Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. The population of the study comprised 240 ownermanagers and employees of selected companies presumed to host most of the SMEs in the state. The simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 150 individuals. 134 copies of the questionnaire were returned and analyzed using the percentile and simple regression statistical techniques. The study reveals that physical attributes of SMEs products have significant weak relationship with buyer behaviour (R=0.333; p<0.05); there is significant moderate relationship between market pre-testing strategy and adoption of product (R=0.342; p<0.05) and there is significant but weak relationship between marketing planning policy and improve competitive edge of SMEs products (R=0.125, p<0.05). The study recommends that small businesses periodically review the techniques employed in product development to enhance brand image and consumer expectation that guarantee consumer loyalty.

Using time in branding: reflections and orientations in an increasingly competitive world

Deciding when to launch new products has remained the primary influence in considering how time is used for building competitiveness, known as time-based competition (TBC). However, time has also been used as the core brand proposition of McDonald’s, webuyanycar.com and Just Eat. Responding to changes in technology, globalisation and an ageing populace, this practical commentary extends the role of TBC for branding, with implications for targeting, segmentation and positioning. Time should not be measured linearly, but in relation in how it is socially constructed differentially throughout the day based on consumer lifestyles or timestyles. For example, the speed at which knowledge travels online over relatively short periods of time can lead to consumer volatility in brand appraisals, necessitating ongoing online monitoring activities. With timestyle influencing the value placed on time saved or on how time is consumed, consumer preferences in managing time have implications for developing key brand decisions. In managing adoption of new brands, researching social identity orientations can predict likely targets and assist in making suitable brand strategies. The upshot is that time should have a greater strategic role as a central core of a brand’s competitiveness.

Improving place reputation: Do an open place brand process and an identity-image match pay off?

This article explores how place reputation is affected by two strategies that are frequently incorporated in a strategic place branding framework. The first strategy is stimulating an open place brand process in which there are more than enough opportunities for an open debate and discussion in the process of developing and implementing a place brand. The second strategy concerns stimulating an identity-image match where the communicated place image reflects the place identity. It is hypothesized that each strategy has a direct positive effect on place reputation as well as two indirect (mediated) positive effects by increasing place brand adoption and reducing conflicts about place marketing by and between place stakeholders. The research applies structural equation modelling to data from nationwide surveys in the Netherlands and Germany among professionals working in place marketing and branding (N=444). Results show that the first strategy has a positive direct effect on place reputation. The indirect effect on place reputation mediated by place brand adoption is positive, whereas the indirect effect mediated by the level of conflicts among stakeholders is negative. Thus, an open place brand process leads to more conflicts among stakeholders and thereby affecting place reputation negatively. However, the net result of these two indirect effects is still positive albeit small. The second strategy has a strong direct positive effect on place reputation as well as two positive mediated effects though place brand adoption and reducing conflicts among stakeholders. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

For the people: How a novel approach to brand management fuelled adoption

This paper provides an overview of a brand adoption initiative at a major public university. In higher education, where decentralised environments are the norm, top-down brand management can face resistance. This paper offers a perspective on how an open-access philosophy — and online toolkit — can facilitate the rapid adoption of brand identity and effectively establish an active and engaged brand community.

Brand adoption by BoP retailers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to understand how bottom of the pyramid (BoP) retailers adopt brands who sell to a very different set of customers and are served through long indirect channels.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, 60 retailers belonging to different villages of Central and North Gujarat were interviewed. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed. A grounded theory-based analysis was carried out.FindingsThe analysis brought out six criteria used by the retailers in selecting brands with demand for the brand as the most dominant factor. Other criteria included brand adoption by other retailers, profitability, influence of wholesaler/distributor and packaging.Originality/valuePrevious studies with regard to brand adoption by retailers have focused on large retailers who are approached directly by the brands. There is a lack of studies on how BoP retailers adopt brands. Most studies have approached the subject from a distribution perspective of reaching these markets.

Consumers’ brand identity complexity: conceptualization and predictive ability

PurposeThis study aims to integrate Roccas and Brewer’s (2002) social identity complexity theory with the brand symbolism literature to propose a new construct: brand identity complexity (BIC). Different than previous conceptualizations of identity complexity which focus on the degree of internal differentiation of the personal self, BIC focuses on the degree of complexity in the social self and is defined as a consumer’s subjective representation and psychological state of belongingness to multiple identity-constructing brand ingroups. BIC impacts the adoption of new brands as they relate to the social self.Design/methodology/approachThree experiments were performed to test BIC’s predictive power. Study 1 measures BIC and tests its influence on the adoption of new brands positioned as unique. Study 2 manipulates BIC through priming and tests its influence on the adoption of new brands that appeal to independence. Study 3 also manipulates BIC and examines its influence on the adoption of brand extensions.FindingsStudy 1 demonstrates that high BIC consumers are more likely to adopt a new brand that appeals to a unique social self. Study 2 shows that high BIC individuals are more likely to adopt a new brand that appeals to an independent self. Study 3 shows that high BIC consumers are more likely to adopt a brand extension with a low fit to the parent category. All three studies offer evidence of the mediating role of identity-driven payoffs.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings suggest that individuals perceive their multiple brand ingroups to be more or less complex. This outcome merges the social identity theory with consumer–brand relationship research and adds to an emerging stream of research that explores personal, situational and cultural differences in the social self and its relation to commercial offers.Practical implicationsMarketers can benefit from the findings by better understanding which brand appeals will be more effective with target consumers and under what conditions.Originality/valueThis research develops a conceptual framework for understanding the development of brand ingroup-based identity complexity.