Customer Brand Research Articles

Brand Trust in the Mongolian Cashmere Industry

Brand trust holds significant importance in the Mongolian cashmere industry. This study examines the primary predictors of customer brand trust among Mongolian cashmere users. Our research includes a survey with 815 participants, both Mongolian cashmere users and non-users. We utilized an online platform to reach the participants, employing convenience sampling. The study investigates the relationship between various factors and brand trust within the context of Mongolian cashmere brands. Our analysis confirmed that brand quality and commitment to environmental responsibility significantly increase consumer trust. These results offer valuable implications for cashmere brands aiming to bolster consumer trust and foster loyalty.

Effect of consumer brand involvement on brand advocacy: a moderated mediation model

ABSTRACT This study explored the mechanisms and contexts through which consumer brand involvement can influence brand advocacy. A moderated mediation model was empirically tested with a random sample of 387 Chinese consumers in Hong Kong. The results indicated that consumer brand involvement exerts a direct impact on brand advocacy and an indirect influence through a positive interaction between relation motivational orientation and affective brand commitment, and task motivational orientation and normative brand commitment. The findings contribute to the brand advocacy and customer brand engagement literature. This study also makes a theoretical contribution to the involvement – commitment model. Practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Does cybercrime affect brand loyalty to deposit money banks in Nigeria

The financial service industry, especially banking, has benefited greatly from the introduction of information technology. The technology has allowed them to offer a wide range of electronic banking services that have expanded scope of participants. This, however, has exposed the banks to cybercrime risk, posing serious threat to their survival. The study aimed to determine how the brand loyalty of the banks’ customers is affected by cybercrime associated to the use of e-banking platforms. The study used self-structured and administered questionnaires to gather primary data from 200 clients from (10) deposit money banks (DMBs) and examine the effects of cybercrime on customers brand loyalty. A regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between customer brand loyalty and the considered cybercrime activities. The finding identifies a strong inverse association between brand loyalty and financial losses brought on by cybercrime. Also, the evidence shows that card theft significantly reduces brand loyalty. The study further discovers that recurring security vulnerabilities significantly reduce brand loyalty and lastly, the paper demonstrates that the most notable adverse effect on brand loyalty was caused by identity theft. The study's conclusions demonstrate a strong and unfavourable correlation between consumer brand loyalty and cybercrime. The article offers comprehensive recommendations, including policies, strategies, and interventions that show how cybercrime can be combated to reduce the risk of thefts in the banking sector.

Navigating the Digital Divide for Sustainability: Emotional and Cognitive Pathways to Food Waste Reduction Through Social Media Advertising

Applying behavioral reasoning theory, this study examines the effect of social media food waste advertising on consumers’ intention not to waste food, with customer–brand communal engagement and awareness of food waste consequences acting as mediators, and fast-food customers’ altruism as a moderator. Structural equation modeling was applied to data from 422 customers of Malaysian retail fast-food chains. The findings reveal that social media food waste advertising positively affects customers’ intentions not to waste food directly and indirectly through two mediators: awareness of food waste consequences and customer–brand communal engagement. The stronger mediator was awareness, and it indicated that cognitive factors play a greater role in pro-environmental behaviors than emotional ones. Additionally, this study demonstrates that customer altruism moderates the cognitive pathway but not the emotional pathway. The results of these findings suggest that social media campaigns should focus on both cognitive and emotional dimensions as well as personal value to maximize effectiveness. The findings have implications for fast-food chains to design more effective social media campaigns that promote food waste reduction as part of broader sustainability goals in the food industry.

From Function to Relation: Exploring the Dual Influences of Warmth and Competence on Generative Artificial Intelligence Services in the Hospitality Industry

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has emerged as a transformative force in the rapidly-evolving hospitality industry. This study examined the correlation of acceptance of GenAI services with perceived warmth and competence, and the consequent correlations with customer outcomes in the hospitality industry. Employing a Hospitality Service Dialogue System prototype, this study collected responses from 1,306 hotel guests. Perceptions of warmth and competence correlated with increased customer intention to use GenAI services and satisfaction. Satisfaction correlated significantly with customer–brand identification and attachment. The Technology Readiness Index moderated the relationships of warmth and competence with the acceptance of GenAI services. This investigation extends the stereotype content model and the behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes map framework by integrating them with the technology acceptance literature, unveiling service innovations enabled by technology in the hospitality industry. This study provides hotel managers, technology developers, and marketers with strategic directions for implementing GenAI.

The Effect of Brand Authenticity, Brand Trust on the Relationship Between Customers Brand Satisfaction

The Effect of Brand Authenticity, Brand Trust on the Relationship Between Customers Brand Satisfaction

Consumerbased conceptualisation of brand transparency: scope, characteristics and contextual determinants

Purpose Escalating uncertainty surrounding brand communications has intensified consumer demands for transparency. Many definitions link transparency to the quantity of shared information, yet more information might not alleviate consumer uncertainty. The purpose of this paper is to develop a consumer-based conceptualisation of brand transparency that recognises the subjectivity in how transparency manifests for consumers. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts a qualitative approach, leveraging 10 exploratory interviews with experts and 20 in-depth interviews with consumers. Findings Confronted with information asymmetry, consumers rely on cues (openness, clarity, timeliness, evidence-based, explanatory) to evaluate a brand’s intentions to provide accurate information about focal domains in a way that establishes brand transparency. Focal domains of brand transparency (pro-social values, processes and product and service offerings) evolve in line with changing consumer expectations. Both consumer relationships and brand experiences influence brand transparency perceptions. Research limitations/implications This study challenges an inherent assumption that access to more information informs brand transparency perceptions; instead, consumers require transparency about salient and focal topics. By delineating the observable signals consumers use to infer transparency and highlighting how consumers’ biases towards certain brands and product categories influence their perceptions of brand transparency, this study contributes to customer–brand relationship literature. Practical implications The authors identify challenges for evoking brand transparency perceptions when information is salient. The authors stress the importance of open dialogue across all touchpoints to address consumer queries. Originality/value By challenging some assumptions of brand transparency literature, which have evolved from accounting and governance disciplines, this research introduces a distinctive perspective on consumer-based brand transparency.

Building loyalty in the fast fashion market: The key role of customer brand identification

ABSTRACT This research proposes a novel conceptual model based on the Social Identity Theory (SIT) to identify the customer’s path to brand loyalty in the fast fashion industry. For this purpose, the following constructs are considered: customer brand identification (CBI), customer brand satisfaction (CBS), active brand word of mouth (ABWOM), passive brand word of mouth (PBWOM) and behavioural brand loyalty (BBL). To accomplish this research goal, a sample of 368 customer surveys was collected in Spain, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results show that the main influences are, in this order: CBI on PBWOM, CBS on ABWOM and CBI on CBS. This study represents a pioneering effort in delving into the unexplored path leading from CBI to BBL in the dynamic fast fashion landscape. What is more, this research also introduces a highly novel perspective by differentiating between the active and passive components of customer word of mouth, a perspective that has thus far been under-researched. Several management guidelines are offered to improve the brand management strategies of operators in the industry through a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour.

Gamification and customer brand engagement: a review and future research agendas

PurposeExtant literature shows that gamification is an effective tool for enhancing customer brand engagement. However, there is a need for a structured review of the literature on how and to what extent gamification fosters customer brand engagement. This hybrid literature review synthesizes extant research on gamification and its impact on customer brand engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on 45 articles drawn from 33 journals from the Scopus database. This article conducts a systematic review of theory, context, characteristics and methods employed in extant research, identifies contemporary themes and presents future research avenues. It also conducts a bibliometric analysis to identify the most prominent journals, authors, articles and themes.FindingsThis review identifies various patterns and trends of psychological capital research, and it unfolds four major themes – gamification and customer engagement, gamification and e-marketing, gamification and sustainable marketing and gamification and customer experience.Practical implicationsThis review offers key insights into managerial implications.Originality/valueIt is one of the first endeavors to conduct a structured review of research related to gamification and customer engagement. It presents a conceptual framework that shows the relationships between gamification and customer engagement. This systematic review offers several future research agendas to spur scholarly research and presents key insights into the process of gamification in marketing to enhance customer brand engagement.

Exploring the mechanism of sustained consumer trust in AI chatbots after service failures: a perspective based on attribution and CASA theories

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been widely employed in brand customer service. However, the inherent limitations of computer-generated natural language content occasionally lead to failures in human-computer interactions, potentially damaging a company’s brand image. Therefore, it is crucial to explore how to maintain consumer trust after AI chatbots fail to provide successful service. This study constructs a model to examine the impact of social interaction cues and anthropomorphic factors on users’ sustained trust by integrating the Computers As Social Actors (CASA) theory with attribution theory. An empirical analysis of 462 survey responses reveals that CASA factors (perceived anthropomorphic characteristics, perceived empathic abilities, and perceived interaction quality) can effectively enhance user trust in AI customer service following interaction failures. This process of sustaining trust is mediated through different attributions of failure. Furthermore, AI anxiety, as a cognitive characteristic of users, not only negatively impacts sustained trust but also significantly moderates the effect of internal attributions on sustained trust. These findings expand the research domain of human-computer interaction and provide insights for the practical development of AI chatbots in communication and customer service fields.

Exploring the influence of ‘Korean Wave’ on brand loyalty: The moderating role of product type

The ‘Korean Wave’ has significantly impacted the global economy, especially in Indonesia. However, there is a gap in understanding how Korean celebrities, as brand ambassadors, influence local consumer behavior and purchase intentions. This study aims to clarify this impact using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework. The roles of brand attachment, brand love, and brand loyalty, moderated by product type, were examined with 194 survey respondents, and data was analyzed using SmartPLS software. Key findings indicate that brand personality significantly influences brand attachment. Customer brand engagement positively affects brand love. Brand attachment impacts both brand loyalty and brand love, while brand love strongly influences brand loyalty. Brand loyalty significantly affects purchase intentions, confirming that loyal customers are more likely to make repeat purchases. Product type only moderates the influence of brand attachment on brand loyalty, not the influence of brand love on brand loyalty. The implications for marketers are significant. Businesses should leverage Korean celebrities as brand ambassadors to enhance brand visibility and loyalty. Aligning brand personality with ambassadors can deepen consumer attachment. Creating engaging content and focusing on emotional branding can foster stronger connections. Tailoring marketing strategies to different product types and monitoring brand loyalty feedback can enhance market performance. Despite its contributions, the study acknowledges limitations, including potential demographic biases and the need for broader cultural and product category exploration in future research.

Does Environmental, Social and Governance Disclosure Practices Promote Customer Brand Perception? The Moderating Effect of Customers’ Sustainability Responsiveness

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects have garnered considerable attention in corporate management on a global scale in recent times. As a result, researchers have paid notable attention to this subject. Though numerous studies have already explored various aspects of ESG in the context of emerging economies like Bangladesh, there is limited evidence on whether ESG practices promote customer brand perception (CBP). This study measures the impact of ESG on CBP deploying structural equation modeling in an emerging economy by analyzing the responses of 450 samples in accordance with the philosophies of triple bottom line theory and signaling theory. The results indicate that sustainability responsiveness, social and environmental disclosure practices, and CBP are positively impacted. Customers’ enhanced level of sustainability responsiveness strengthens the influence of governance disclosures in choosing a brand, while weakens the impact of environmental and social disclosures. However, the study concludes there is no significant effect of governance disclosures on CBP. The findings also reveal that social issues have the strongest impact on CBP among the ESG parameters. As sustainability concerns increase, customers either demand more sustainability performance from brands or their impression of the brands declines correspondingly. The study outlines a customer’s viewpoint on the requirements of ESG and sustainability concerns, which will contribute organizations to adopt appropriate ESG strategies and address sustainability challenges to win over customers and strengthen their brand image.

Physical evidence, branding, and behavior intention: Differential policy in integrated resorts marketing

This study explores and evaluates the physical evidence construct in integrated resort marketing. It contributes to the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory by introducing the concept of physical evidence and developing a novel framework in the context of integrated resorts. This conceptual framework enhances academic understanding of the relationship between physical evidence, branding, and the behavioral intention of tourists. The results indicate that physical evidence positively impacts brand image, brand experience, and impulsive gambling; moreover, the study reveals that both brand image and brand experience partially mediate the relationship between physical evidence and gambling behavior. In terms of practical implications for service organizations, this study suggests integrated resorts should prioritize the development of physical evidence as a distinctive marketing policy. By incorporating physical evidence into the customer brand strategy, integrated resorts can create long-term impacts on brand image and brand experience, ultimately influencing gambling behavior among tourists and visitors.

Introducing yourself to strangers: does conversational self-presentation matter in peer-to-peer accommodation

PurposeSelf-presentation has emerged as a pivotal marketing strategy for service providers seeking to craft virtual images in the peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation sector. However, the literature lacks an understanding of conversational self-presentation, which offers more informal and personal communication.Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon social interaction theory and uncertainty reduction theory, this study explores the impact of conversational self-presentation and its interplay with space sharing and review ratings on customer purchases.FindingsUtilizing the fixed effects model on a panel dataset comprising 498,817 observations from Airbnb, we discover a positive association between conversational self-presentation and customer purchases. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that space sharing reinforces this positive effect, while review ratings tend to diminish it. A deeper mechanism analysis indicates that perceived authenticity plays a mediating role in the relationship between conversational self-presentation and customer purchases.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlights the importance of conversational communication in enhancing host–guest relationships under information asymmetry. However, the proposed model can be extended to other accommodation-sharing platforms in various regions, identifying whether cultural differences exist in explaining the importance of conversational self-presentation.Practical implicationsMarketers are suggested to build a harmonious customer–brand relationship and achieve superior performance through effective online communication.Originality/valueThis study adds valuable insights to the literature about self-presentation, social interaction and customer behavior by revealing the significance of conversational self-presentation in driving the growth of P2P accommodation businesses.

Online Social Influence and Negative Emotions toward Snow Sports Brands: Moderation and Mediation Effects

This article draws on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model to understand the role of negative emotions in the anti-brand behaviors of online users who consume snow sports brands. To this end, both the online social influence and the mediating effect of symbolic incongruence (stimulus) on the generation of negative emotions (anger, stress, frustration, fear, boredom and sadness) (organism), and how these influence the formation of negative customer brand engagement (nCBE) (response), are analyzed. The study also analyses the moderating effects of “level of expertise”, this makes it possible to capture differences in behaviors based on the profile of the users in each of the proposed relationships. Questionnaire responses of 400 ski and snowboard users over 18 years of age were analyzed using a quantitative methodology. The results obtained have important theoretical and practical implications, since they confirm that online social influences have both a direct and indirect (mediating) effect on negative emotions, which positively affects the nCBE of online users of snow sports brands. Significant differences in behavior based on experience level (moderation effect) were also found. The study proposes useful practical recommendations applicable in online environments that the extreme sports industry could use to neutralize/avoid highly detrimental consequences.

The effect of customer participation on brand preference: Do hotel brand type and star rating matter?

Drawing on value co-creation theory, this study proposes a novel model that incorporates the hotel brand type and star rating into the “customer participation—customer brand engagement—brand preference” model to explore their impacts on the formation of customer brand preferences. Data collected from 330 hotel patrons were analyzed to test the proposed model. The results suggest that customer participation positively affected three dimensions of brand engagement, viz., cognitive engagement, affective engagement, and behavioral engagement, which in turn positively influenced brand preference. Contrary to expectation, hotel brand type and star rating weakened the relationships between affective engagement and brand preference. This study enriches the discussion on the determinants of brand preference and describes its formation path. Implications, as well as future research opportunities, are offered.

Understanding national brand customer erosion: exploring socio-demographic and weight of purchase factors

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore brand customer erosion at both the category and brand levels while considering consumer socio-demographic characteristics and weight of purchase factors. Design/methodology/approach Data from 3,563 buyers encompassing 20,601 purchases were collected from a prominent household data panel. Findings Brand customer erosion varies depending on socio-demographic factors (householder age, family size, life cycle and social class) and weight of purchase; variations are evident depending on the specific brand. Originality/value The paper makes a substantial contribution to the established fields of marketing and consumer behavior literature by opening a new line of research. It does so by demonstrating, the impact of socio-demographic factors on customer erosion. Simultaneously, it presents results that contradict the limited existing research on the influence of weight of purchase on brand customer erosion.

Retraction notice: Quick-commerce: green initiatives on customer brand engagement

Retraction notice: Quick-commerce: green initiatives on customer brand engagement

The Effect of eWOM and Webcare on Customer Engagement and Brand Loyalty toward Live Streaming Platforms

Based on the negative electronic word of mouth (NeWOM) under the live streaming platform, the paper aims to explore the mechanism of proactive and reactive webcare on customer brand loyalty. We constructed three separate experiments with no webcare, proactive webcare, and reactive webcare in response to NeWOM during the live streaming platform. In this study, 210 valid questionnaires were collected for statistical analysis, including the Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson correlation analysis. Our findings reveal that proactive and reactive webcare positively influence cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement, with proactive webcare demonstrating greater effectiveness. We confirm a positive correlation between these forms of engagement and brand loyalty, highlighting the strong connection between behavioral engagement and brand loyalty. At the same time, this study provides crucial inspiration for the live-streaming platform managers to focus on providing proactive webcare and develop behavioral activities in live-steaming platforms to enhance customers’ brand loyalty.

Customer Brand Engagement and Value Co-Creation for Green Product During the COVID-19

Global warming that is happening today is the effect of extreme climate change. This is a concern for companies to issue environmentally friendly products. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many businesses to change their processes to adapt to the new normal. Due to the fear of contamination caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are starting to shop from home rather than going out, as they perceive it as low risk. Therefore, there has been a change in consumer attitudes and behaviour, and this pandemic has changed consumer buying behaviour. Brands are advised to continue to carry out genuine communication with the public through various social media to build stronger bonds (solid bonds) with potential consumers to create shared value creations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which adopts the new normal and stays at home. Aim: This study aims to understand better the nature of engagement that creates value co-creation during the COVID-19 period and in the future for green products. Method: This paper conducted an online survey with 130 adult subjects. This paper used structural equation modelling was used to test research hypotheses. Result: The results analysis revealed that customer experience has a significant effect on individual customer brand engagement and community customer brand engagement. In addition, individual customer brand engagement significantly impacts value co-creation. This paper contributes to consumer buying behaviour for green products during the COVID-19 pandemic.