Brand Usage Research Articles

Dispel the Clouds and See the Sun: Influencing Factors and Multiple Paths of User Retention Intention Formation.

To achieve user retention through multifactor synergy, Internet enterprises must reduce costs and increase efficiency and sustainable development. In response to the dilemma that Internet companies are experiencing increasingly high user acquisition costs and serious user churn, this paper investigates a sample of 46,695 user reviews of nine product series from Xiaomi Ecological Chain. Case studies and qualitative comparative analysis are used to explore the influence mechanisms of quality of experience, brand trust, and brand attachment on users' retention intentions. Our findings are as follows. (1) Brand attachment alone is not necessary for high user retention intention, but user perception, cognition, and brand trust are necessary. (2) Quality of experience positively impacts brand trust, attachment, and user retention intention. Therefore, improving user perception and cognition is critical in generating high user retention intention. (3) Five configuration paths can achieve high user retention intention, while three configuration paths lead to low user retention intention, and there is an asymmetric relationship between these paths. Among them, the role of quality of experience-driven configuration paths in generating user retention intention is the most prominent. (4) User perception and cognition can substitute with brand trust and attachment in the substitution relationship between configuration paths. Our findings have important theoretical and practical implications for revealing the realization paths of high user retention intention in Internet companies and provide a new perspective for future research.

Counterfeit brands and Machiavellianism: Consequences of counterfeit use for social perception

Despite efforts to study counterfeit consumption, little is known about consequences of such behavior for social perception, particularly how consumers who purchase counterfeit products are perceived by others in terms of their morality. Across two experiments (N1 = 182, N2 = 337) employing different stimuli (brands and models), we tested the effect of counterfeit consumption on the perception of a consumer in terms of Machiavellianism trait. Additionally, we explored the boundary conditions and mechanisms underlying this effect. The findings reveal that the effect of counterfeit consumption on perceptions of consumer Machiavellianism is not universal. Specifically, we discovered that individuals with high (vs. low) levels of brand engagement in self-concept (BESC) tend to perceive individuals using counterfeit brands as more Machiavellian (Study 1). Furthermore, our findings suggest that this negative social perception is driven by an increase in the perception of consumers’ inauthenticity, especially in observers with high levels of BESC (Study 2). This research contributes to the understanding of how users of counterfeit brands are perceived in terms of their morality, shedding light on the underlying factors that influence these perceptions.

Strategies For Presenting And Marketing Islamic Branded Products To Non-Muslim Consumers

Buying behavior of consumers and decision-making process and criteria of Muslim and non-Muslim consumers are fundamental in spreading the brand of Islamic ethical marketing. Many factors including environment, globalization, purchasing power, consumer population, religious and ethical considerations are essential in increasing the worldwide acceptance of Islamic marketing to all races regardless of religious belief. Hence, the paper attempts to identify the appropriate strategies for presenting these Islamic brands and logos to non-Muslim consumers across the global- space. The paper shall provide insight into how Islamic distribution strategies are displayed to every consumer regardless of their faith or cultural practices. The paper likewise builds upon previous scholarly efforts and research outcomes focusing on management approaches and business strategies suitable for increasing the chances of accepting Islamic brands and logos in Muslim and non-Muslim countries. Previous studies helped in understanding the concepts, current business practices, managerial and theoretical perspectives of Islamic branding. The findings indicate that the usage of Islamic brands played a mediating role in strengthening Islamic branded products across non-Muslim countries. Islamic brand was found to create positive impressions about Islam for non-Muslim consumers. It was also discovered that Islamic brands uniquely secured consumers and customers for Islamic products more than non-Islamic products. The study recommends that Islamic marketing designers should build a monitoring logistic to track the level of Islamic product acceptance across the Muslim and non-Muslim world.

Deciphering consumer commitment: Exploring the dual influence of self‐brand and self‐group relationships

AbstractConsumer‐brand relationships are highly valued as brand‐committed consumers are thought to deliver many positive outcomes for affiliated brands. However, in addition to connections between individuals and brands, consumer‐brand relationships also involve relationships between individuals and other brand users. Little attention has been given to the potential consequences associated with commitment to other brand users as compared to the brand itself. Therefore, our framework establishes two distinct types of consumer‐brand relationships (i.e., self‐brand relationships vs. self‐group relationships) that differentially influence brand commitment versus group commitment, leading to contrasting effects on both desirable and undesirable brand outcomes. Specifically, our studies illuminate that while brand commitment is largely associated with favorable brand‐related outcomes, group commitment does not protect against brand switching and is negatively related to willingness to pay price premiums and positive word‐of‐mouth. Our main contribution is uncovering how consumer‐brand relationships face tradeoffs between brand and group attachments, whereby commitment provides both conditional benefits as well as unintended consequences.

Cigarette tax pass-through in Vietnam: evidence from retailers’ data

PurposeThis study aims to estimate the pass-through rate of the increases in the excise tax and TCF tax on tobacco in Vietnam. This study seeks to shed light on how the tax burden is split between consumers and producers and inform policy discussions in the country. Using panel micro-level data collected from three waves of a nationwide retailer's survey, this study provides an evidence-based pass-through estimation for tobacco tax in Vietnam and contributes to the understanding of tax policy on smoking and smoking-related issues.Design/methodology/approachFollowing increases in the excise tax and TCF tax on tobacco in 2019, the differential effect of the tax hike on the “treatment group” (domestic cigarettes) versus the “control group” (illicit cigarettes) using a difference-in-difference (DID) analysis has been studied. The study utilized unique longitudinal retailers’ data on cigarettes prices in Vietnam from 2018 to 2019 to estimate the tax pass-through rate for some of the most popular factory-made cigarette brands.FindingsThis study found evidence of an over-shifting of cigarette taxes on smokers. Specifically, it discovered that the tax increase is absorbed more by low-priced brand smokers compared to premium brand users due to (1) the limited increase in prices under a pure ad valorem system and (2) the way the Vietnamese currency is denominated. Additionally, there is evidence of cushioning to mitigate price shock on consumers as the real prices increase gradually over the period of one year after the tax change.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to collect and analyze a unique panel micro-level data from three waves of a nationwide retailers’ survey, which captures the changes in marketing and pricing strategies of the tobacco industry in Vietnam before and after an increase in excise tax in 2019. The results of this study could be used as a reference for future policymakers in considering increasing taxes on tobacco.

Effects of Person–Environment Fit on Users’ Willingness to Contribute Knowledge in Virtual Brand Communities

Virtual brand communities and users’ knowledge contributions have become strategic resources for enterprises. It is of great significance to explore the driving mechanism of users’ willingness to contribute knowledge in virtual brand communities to promote the sustainable development of enterprises. Previous studies on the potential drivers of users’ willingness to contribute knowledge placed a great emphasis on either communities or users alone but overlooked the synergistic effects generated by both. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of person–environment fit on users’ willingness to contribute knowledge. Based on two theories, we develop and test a mediation model to investigate the effects of person–environment (P–E) fit and psychological contract fulfillment on users’ willingness to contribute knowledge in virtual brand communities. Hierarchical regression methods and bootstrap analysis were used to examine data collected from 287 online survey responses. The results indicate that the three constructs of P–E fit, including values–culture (V–C) fit, needs–supplies (N–S) fit and demands–abilities (D–A) fit, have significant positive effects on users’ willingness to contribute knowledge, and transactional and relational psychological contract fulfillments partially mediate these relationships. We provide some theoretical contributions to explore users’ willingness to contribute knowledge in virtual brand communities, and practical implications are also offered. The limitation of this study is that it does not consider the influence of users’ willingness to contribute with regard to actual contribution behavior.

THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ON BRAND EQUITY AND CONSUMER RESPONSE IN LUXURY FASHION BRAND

This study aims to analyze and determine the effect of social media marketing on brand equity and consumer response in luxury fashion brands, especially in Manado, Indonesia. The data analysis method used Structural Equation Modeling - Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) in this study. This study used a questionnaire to collect data from luxury fashion brand users by distributing it to female consumers of luxury fashion brands in Manado. The findings suggest the test results that have been conducted that social media marketing has a positive and significant effect on the brand equity of luxury brands. The test results show that brand equity affects consumer responses as measured by brand preference, consumer willingness to pay premium prices, brand loyalty, and commitment to maintaining a relationship with a brand, especially luxury fashion brands. Keywords: social media marketing, brand equity, consumer response

Analisis Pemanfaatan Keberadaan Micro Influencer dalam Strategi Media Sosial Instagram sebagai Strategi Pendekatan ke Audiens di Era Digital

This research employs a qualitative methodology with a constructivist paradigm approach to comprehend the cultural significance of social media. The study is primarily descriptive, seeking to depict how social media has emerged as the predominant platform for individuals to receive information, share content, engage in interpersonal aspects of their lives, and acquire knowledge about the surrounding world. Utilizing qualitative methods, this investigation delves into perceptions, experiences, and social constructions associated with social media usage in society. The findings offer profound insights into the role and influence of social media within the audience framework during the digital era. Drawing from the research findings on the three influencers, namely @mahesaputriadriano, @cindyosmann, and @gabrielangelica, it can be concluded that by effectively employing algorithms and strategies, social media exerts a significant impact on enhancing brand awareness, user engagement, and purchase conversions, as supported by research and studies.
 Keywords: influencer, mikro influencer, media sosial, public relations

Influencer Marketing with Social Platforms: Increasing Brand Awareness and User Engagement

Influencer marketing is an increasingly popular marketing strategy that uses social media "influencers" to market products or services. The background of Influencer marketing can be traced back to the rise of social media. As people rely increasingly on social media for information and social networking, companies recognize the potential of social media and want to use it for marketing their products and services. This paper examines the role of influencer marketing in three areas: brand message creation and communication and user interaction. The AASAL model and the consumer decision process model are used as the theoretical framework to study and validate the impact of influencer marketing on brand impressions and development. It is confirmed that influencer marketing uses influential individuals on social media to help build and communicate brand values, product messages, and service messages. These influential individuals, usually social media bloggers, internet celebrities or celebrities, are evident and influential in a specific field or topic and can attract many fans and followers. By connecting with these influential individuals and having them post relevant information about their brands, products or services, companies can help increase brand awareness and create a positive image for their brands by promoting their products and services among the influencers' fans. Influencers' fans usually trust influencers' recommendations and suggestions, thus increasing the interaction between users and the brand and greatly enhancing a company's brand awareness and sales. However, this marketing strategy also has some limitations and needs to be viewed and used critically.

Pengaruh Brand Ambassador Selebriti Korea Selatan terhadap Niat Beli Produk Perawatan Kulit dan Kosmetik yang Dimoderasi Etnosentrisme Konsumen

The phenomenon of many local skincare and cosmetics companies using South Korean celebrity Brand Ambassadors has been criticized by netizens because South Korean celebrities are considered not to represent Indonesian skin and can create the perception that "Only white is beautiful". Based on this phenomenon, the author's purpose of conducting this study is to determine the purchase intention preferences of consumers in Indonesia for South Korean Celebrity Brand Ambassadors on local skin care and cosmetics brands with consumer ethnocentrism as a moderating variable. This study uses quantitative research. Respondents in this study are the users of Somethinc brand, a local brand of skincare and cosmetic product, who use Twitter actively and are aged 13 to 38 years. The data obtained from 224 respondents were processed using the PLS-SEM analysis technique with SMARTPLS 4. The results showed that South Korean Brand Ambassadors had an effect on purchase intention, but consumer ethnocentrism did not moderate the relationship between Brand Ambassados and purchase intention. Therefore, local skincare and cosmetics brands are expected to use South Korean Brand Ambassadors to increase consumer purchase intentions better. Keywords: Foreign Brand Ambassador; consumer ethnocentrism; purchase intention; local brands

Facebook Official Pages as Sites of Market Development: A Comparative Netnographic Study of Canva and Visme

Purpose: The study examines the online brand image development and user engagement strategies adopted by Canva and Visme. Both of these companies provide graphics-based online design tools that can create impressive visual assets without needing graphic design experience. The study also investigates how these brands communicate with their subscribers, and their notable strengths and weaknesses. Theoretical Framework: The research The study utilises Netnography or virtual ethnography, a term given by Kozinets in 2015. It simply means the study of social interaction i.e. digital communication. Interactions between groups provide a ready data set for companies to analyse in order to establish a sound marketing strategy. Design/Methodology/Approach: The data was collected through observation and extraction of archival data from 2017 to 2022. Findings: The findings indicated that Canva has mastered the social media marketing campaign as its market reach has exceeded Visme. Both of these companies started around the same time, but Canva has managed to stay ahead of its main competitor in terms of user engagement and number of subscribers. Research, practical and social implications: The study offers a strong pedestal in the choice of marketing strategies to be adopted on social media. Understanding the target audience, its choices and cultural habits are pivotal to having a successful campaign. Originality/Value: This type of comparative research has yet to be done before where a netnographic study has been conducted on the Facebook pages of two companies offering the same services in the field of design.

Me, like Chanel: Examining Antecedents and Consequences of Consumers’ Luxury Brand Engagement on Instagram

This study investigates the key antecedents and outcomes of consumer–brand engagement (CBE) in the context of luxury brands on social media. Based on data collected from 547 nonstudents—specifically, young consumers who followed luxury brands on Instagram—the results reveal that predicting variables (consumer involvement, need for status signaling, and brand self-expressiveness) have a differing effect on CBE dimensions (cognitive processing, affection, and activation) and brand outcomes (brand attitude, brand usage intention, and self–brand connection). The study provides valuable managerial and academic implications and suggestions for future research.

Off-brand: A 6-year study of medication brand and generic name usage in a multifacility academic healthcare system.

Usage of medication brand names in electronic health records may introduce conflicts of interest, perpetuate false perceptions of brand superiority, alter prescribing practices, and cause confusion leading to errors. We sought to identify the frequency of brand name medication usage in clinical documentation, as well as factors associated with increased usage. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all clinical documentation written at our healthcare system (a multifacility academic urban healthcare system) between 2015 and 2020. We used string-matching and regular expressions to identify medication mentions. We conducted bivariate analyses to identify associations between brand name usage and author-, note-, and medication-level factors, and a multivariate Poisson regression to clarify independent associations between individual factors and brand usage. A total of 104,456,653 notes from 37,285 unique authors were included in our analysis. A total of 162,906,009 medication mentions were identified, of which 36.0% were brand name mentions with a steady year-over-year decrease. Factors associated with the usage of a brand name include: author role, years since release, length and syllabic complexity of the generic name, service type, and encounter context. Over-the-counter availability did not affect usage. There was sizable individual variation between note writers.

Trending copy culture of Bangladesh: Brand product perspective

Purpose: This study aims to reveal the copy culture of Bangladesh. Research methodology: Qualitative research was designed for this study, and an ethnographic approach was used for data collection along with in-depth interviews with copy brand users. The judgmental and snowball sampling methods were used in this study. Semi-structured questionnaires and mostly open-ended questions were designed based on the objectives of this study. Results: The findings were analyzed under three main themes: Copying Us or copying them, Consumer Subjectivity as individuals, and Fragmented Authenticity. Limitations: Due to financial and time constraints, this research focused only on the capital city of Dhaka. In the case of broader research, this study can be analyzed in other regions of the country, which will provide a wide range of information regarding copy-culture attitudes. Contribution: In Bangladesh, people follow foreign trends and famous people’s lifestyles through copy brands. This study defines how and why copying culture encourages people to purchase from the local market. The reason that allures customers to buy replicate products is the availability and affordable price of the product, which is at a time creatively designed likely to match the original version. Novelty: This study can help others to take decisions based on the findings on copy culture.

Impact of Technology-Evoked Mental Imagery on Brand Personality and Brand Association for Beauty Brands among Women in India

The increased dependence of customers on smart technology for convenience has motivated marketers to turn to new-age technologies for the representation of products and promotion of brands. This study analyses the influence of mental imagery generated by augmented reality on brand personality and brand association for skincare/cosmetics products among women in India. The cross-sectional study collected data through the mall intercept method. The significance of this study is the usage of real brands and gathering real experiences towards mental imagery evoked using virtual try-on links. The originality of the brands and the experience of the respondents could create a realistic relationship between the constructs under study and avoid the researcher’s bias. Path analysis was performed to analyse the statistics and the data fit with the proposed model through IBM AMOS 22.0 software. The findings showcase that elaboration dimension of mental imagery has a significant relationship with brand personality and brand association. However, the quality dimension of mental imagery did not have a significant relationship with brand personality and brand association. The findings contribute to the existing literature on branding and information processing and provide significant insights for marketers when adopting augmented reality to create brand-evoked mental imagery among customers.

It takes two to tango: young Chinese consumers’ perspectives on global smartphone brands

PurposeThis paper aims to study how brand owners and users enhance brand bond with three objectives. First, brand owners’ effort (BOE) to exercise care, innovate frequently and differentiate their brands enhances users’ bond with the brand. Second, brand users’ competence (BUC) in their knowledge and experience with the brand’s reputation, value and service quality improves brand bond. Third, BOE significantly enhances BUC.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposed an integrative model with new concepts and tested it with 2,135 young Chinese consumers using global smartphone brands. Results are drawn from structural equation modeling and comparisons between stakeholders and among smartphone brands.FindingsThe results show that BOE and BUC are significant and equally effective at enhancing brand bond. BOE also shows a significantly stronger effect on BUC than on brand bond. The temporal comparison between 2015 and 2018 confirms the changing reality of the smartphone world. As for brand comparison, young consumers perceive that iPhone differentiates itself from Huawei and Samsung rivals in terms of BOE and BUC on brand bond. However, none of these brands show significant differences in terms of BOE effect on BUC.Research limitations/implicationsPlease see detail in the Conclusion and Discussions.Practical implicationsPlease see detail in the Conclusion and Discussions.Social implicationsPlease see detail in the Conclusion and Discussions.Originality/valueThis study introduced a validated model with new concepts based on the global smartphone industry, perceived by young Chinese consumers. The results prove that it takes both the owners and users together to contribute to the brand bond, but brand owners’ role on BUC is more significant.

An Empirical Study of the Impact of Customer Satisfaction on Brand Repurchase among Fast Moving Consumer Goods in Nizwa

There are many fast moving consumer brands available in the market, and this research analyses consumer’s preference, satisfaction and loyalty of these brands of daily consumer products. This study aims to identify the brand usage of selected FMCG products, satisfaction, brand loyalty of consumers. The study also analyses the impact of satisfaction on repeat purchase of selected FMCG brand products. A sample of 277 Omani consumers are selected for the study from Nizwa. The findings of the study revealed that 34% of the consumers use the Rainbow brand of evapourated milk. It is the most consistent and reliable brand in satisfaction among the Omani consumers. The impact of brand satisfaction on recommending evaporated milk is found to be significant for Rainbow, Omela, Al Mudhish and Al Marai. The impact of brand satisfaction on repurchase of Evaporated Milk is found to be significant for Rainbow, Omela, Al Mudhish, and Al Marai. In Arabic bread, 42% of the consumers use Al Kowther brand. 32% of the Omani consumers prefer Dahabi brand. Al Kowther is the most consistent and reliable brand in satisfaction among the Omani consumers. The impact of brand satisfaction on recommending Arabic bread is found to be significant for Al Kowther, Carrefour, Dahabi, Lulu, and Sohar brands. Impact of brand satisfaction on repurchase of Arabic bread is found to be significant for Al Kowther, Dahabi, Lulu, and Sohar brands. In the case of yoghurt, 50% of the consumers use Mazoon brand of yoghurt. 38% of the Omani consumers prefer Almarai brand. A’Safwah is the highest and most consistent and reliable brand in satisfaction. The impact of brand satisfaction on recommending yoghurt brand is significant for Almarai and Mazoon. Impact of brand satisfaction on repurchase of yoghurt is significant for Almarai, A’Safwah and Mazoon.

From devil to angel: How being envied for luxury brand social media word of mouth discourages counterfeit purchases

Luxury brand social media word of mouth (SWOM) often induces audience envy, which can be revealed to brand users and trigger their perceptions of being envied. Recent studies have demonstrated the influence of being benignly envied or maliciously envied on the purchase of genuinely branded items. We propose that this influence has spillover effects on counterfeit consumption. The results of four studies indicate that the perception of being maliciously envied rather than benignly envied induced brand users’ anxiety, increasing their perception of psychosocial risk and reducing their counterfeit consumption intention. Furthermore, the effects of being maliciously envied on counterfeit consumption are enhanced when brand users’ SWOM features high brand conspicuousness either by mentioning the brand directly or by displaying the brand logo prominently. Our findings have implications for practitioners, who could leverage envy on social media to deter counterfeit consumption.

The influence of negative travel-related experience on tourist’s brand loyalty

Perceptions of negative events related to service disruptions, negative consumer associations with other brand users, or business activities not in line with consumer ethical standards can lead consumers to abandon and change a brand. Focusing on a low-cost airline company, the study analyses how negative events can affect brand loyalty by considering the mediating effect of consumers’ psychological characteristics in terms of difficulty in choosing between alternatives (choice difficulty) and tendency to switch brands (brand switcher). The paper tests two hypotheses by administering a structured questionnaire to a sample of 260 tourists and shows that: (1) brand switcher negatively mediates the relationship between negative events and brand loyalty; (2) choice difficulty positively mediates the relationship between negative events and brand loyalty. The findings carry theoretical and managerial implications and confirms the value of communication strategies in increasing brand loyalty.

The Effect of Social Media Marketing on Brand Equity with Brand Experience as Mediation: Study on Uniqlo Product Users

This article aims to determine the effect on the relationship between social media marketing and brand equity moderated by brand experience with the aim of studying Uniqlo luxury brand users. A review and search of the literature was carried out in an effort to identify the variables used to construct the conceptual model. The expected findings are whether there is the same effect as previous research if it is carried out in Indonesia where previous research has a positive impact on luxury brand users in the USA. This study also explains several dimensions of the variables, namely entertainment, interaction, trendiness, customization, WOM (Social Media Marketing), sensory, affective, behavioral, intellectual (Brand Experience), which will form brand equity that will be embedded in the minds of customers or product users. luxury brand Uniqlo. This research provides a conceptual model that will provide understanding to customers of the luxury brand Uniqlo and also as an alternative in the field of marketing science. Furthermore, this research is also expected to help Uniqlo management, especially in Indonesia, have a marketing strategy that will form stronger Brand Equity. This paper is also expected to contribute theoretically, practically, and can be used for future studies.