Individual Consumption Research Articles

Role of Artificial Intelligence in Marketing Automation in China

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Marketing Automation in China Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study found that the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing automation in China has revolutionized the marketing landscape, offering unprecedented opportunities for efficiency, personalization, and data-driven decision-making. AI technologies, such as machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics, have enabled Chinese businesses to automate and optimize various marketing processes, leading to enhanced customer engagement and improved ROI. AI-powered marketing automation tools have facilitated precise targeting and segmentation, allowing brands to deliver highly personalized content and offers to individual consumers at the right time through the right channels. This level of personalization has significantly improved customer experiences, fostering stronger brand loyalty and higher conversion rates. Furthermore, AI has enhanced the ability of marketers in China to analyze vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, providing deep insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and trends. This has enabled more informed strategic decisions, agile responses to market changes, and proactive identification of new opportunities. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Technology Acceptance Model, Social Cognitive Theory & Resource-Based View (RBV) may be used to anchor future studies on Role of Artificial Intelligence in Marketing Automation in China. Organizations should prioritize hiring skilled AI professionals and investing in robust AI infrastructure to effectively leverage AI technologies for marketing automation. This includes building in-house capabilities or partnering with external vendors to develop and implement AI-powered marketing solutions tailored to specific business needs. Encourage marketing teams to experiment with AI-driven tools and technologies in their campaigns and initiatives. Create a supportive environment that rewards innovation and learning from failures, enabling organizations to iterate and improve AI-driven marketing strategies over time. Policymakers should collaborate with industry stakeholders to develop regulatory frameworks that govern the ethical use of AI in marketing automation. This includes establishing guidelines for data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and consumer protection to ensure that AI technologies are deployed responsibly and ethically.

Assessment of Salivary Flow Rate, pH, and Calcium Level Following Ajwa Date (Phoenix dactylifera) Consumption in Caries and Caries-free Individuals

Assessment of Salivary Flow Rate, pH, and Calcium Level Following Ajwa Date (Phoenix dactylifera) Consumption in Caries and Caries-free Individuals

Generating zonal hourly water consumption patterns in water distribution networks using end-use data

ABSTRACT patterns is a requisite for the design and operation of water distribution networks. This study uses end-use water consumption data to create zonal water consumption patterns. The process involves extrapolating end-use data to create flow variation in the water distribution network. In this study, the water consumption patterns of 30 household consumers as the end-use data were monitored for a period of one year. To validate the results of the presented methodology, zonal water consumption patterns of nine district-metered areas were also measured. The Normal and the Gumbel probability distributions were applied to individual water consumption patterns to generate comprehensive zonal water consumption patterns for different population sizes. The results indicate that the maximum Gumbel’s probabilistic distribution function with considering the leakage effect created better results. This innovative approach holds the potential to create comprehensive zonal water consumption patterns tailor-made for different population sizes.

Associations Between Characteristics Of Large National Regions And Individual Smoking: A Scoping Review

Objective — to systematize scientific knowledge on the effect of living conditions in large national regions on tobacco consumption at the individual level. Material and Methods — The goals and methodology of the systematic review were previously specified and recorded in the protocol PROSPERO CRD42021234874. We conducted a search for publications on the topic of our study in PubMed, Google Scholar, OpenGrey, CrossRef and eLibrary databases through December 31, 2021. Article search, selection and analysis were carried out by two trained researchers, with the participation of a third researcher whenever necessary. After removing duplicates, ineligible articles, and full-text screening, 204 publications were included in this review from the initial pool of 9,717 publications. Results — Published articles on the topic under consideration varied significantly in terms of the sample size, study design, regional characteristics, and considered outcomes (smoking). The most convincing were the dependences of individual tobacco consumption on the legislative characteristics and tobacco environment in the regions. Regional characteristics unrelated to tobacco use were not often analyzed in reviewed studies. As shown in our review, to date, they did not confirm any impact whatsoever. Conclusion — We examined the features of research on the topic under consideration and highlighted the best evidence-based predictors of the regional environment in relation to smoking. We also identified poorly studied areas of research requiring further attention.

Vaccination equilibrium: Externality and efficiency

I study individual consumers’ choices of getting vaccinated. A vaccine reduces the severity of an infectious illness, but may produce side-effects and other disutilities at the time of administration. Such private benefits and disutilities vary across consumers in the population. The infection probability depends negatively on the total mass of vaccinated consumers. This is an externality. One consumer’s vaccination choice has negligible contribution to the total mass of vaccinated consumers. Consumers do not internalize the externality. I characterize a unique Vaccination Equilibrium, the sustainable vaccination mass resulting from individual decisions. I show how vaccine improvements in benefits, side-effects, and infection likelihood change the Vaccination Equilibrium. The first-best or efficient vaccination mass takes into account the externality and consumers’ benefits and costs. The unique Vaccination Equilibrium is never first best. Taxes, subsidies, and mandates may change the Vaccination Equilibrium.

Economic Sanctions and Food Consumption: Evidence from Iranian Households

Abstracts Despite scholarly consensus on the harmful effects of economic sanctions on civilians, there is little micro-level empirical research on how and to what extent economic sanctions affect the food consumption of citizens in sanctioned countries. One of the methodological barriers to studying the micro-level dynamics of sanctions is the limited availability of reliable data in sanctioned countries, which are often governed by authoritarian leaders. Our study leverages an original dataset comprising approximately 1 million observations related to the income and expenses of Iranian households from 1991 to 2021. We assess the impact of economic sanctions on individual food consumption at the national level and among distinct demographic segments. To illustrate how and to what extent international sanctions affected citizens' eating habits, we pay particular attention to 2012–2015 and 2018–2021, when Iran was subject to the most severe sanctions. Our findings demonstrate that while all segments of society feel the effects of economic coercion, low-income citizens' food consumption is more likely to deteriorate due to sanctions. Nonetheless, the geographical impact of sanctions presents a mixed picture, with rural and urban areas each exhibiting specific vulnerabilities to certain food items. We discuss the implications of our findings for sanctions policy and human rights.

The appeal of blurred imagery: Enhancing advertising and brand attitudes for luxury goods

Blurred imagery is a commonly employed tactic by luxury marketers. Yet, there has been little research on how blurred imagery in advertising is processed by consumers and whether it yields positive results. To address this gap, we look at whether the effect of the use of blurred imagery depends on the type of luxury goods being promoted and on the degree to which an individual consumer is motivated by social influence motives. We first conduct an image-analytics study to examine whether the level of blurring in a luxury-goods images influences the liking of images. Using a theoretical framework based on perceptual fit, two additional studies examine the impact of blurred imagery on ad and brand attitudes. The results show that for luxury products consumed privately and among consumers with low conspicuity, there is a stronger perceptual fit for blurred imagery in an advertisement, thereby resulting in more positive attitudes toward the ad and the brand.

TAS2R38 bitterness receptor genetic variation is associated with diet quality in Koreans

Genetic variation in the bitter taste receptor gene taste receptor type 2, member 38 (TAS2R38) is associated with an individual's bitter taste sensitivity, food preference and consumption, which may also influence overall diet quality. This study aims to determine whether the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor genetic variation is associated with overall diet quality using the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI). A total of 41,839 individuals from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study were analyzed for their TAS2R38 diplotypes (rs713598, rs1726866, and rs10246939), general characteristics, and KHEI scores by obesity status. Results revealed that in the non-obese group, individuals with the AVI/AVI diplotype had a significantly higher score of ‘ratio of white meat to red meat’ than individuals with the PAV/* diplotype (3.89 ± 3.23 vs. 3.79 ± 3.18, adjusted p = 0.029). However, obese individuals with the PAV/* diplotype showed a significantly higher level of the mean score of ‘moderation’ (19.32 ± 5.82 vs. 18.92 ± 5.80, adjusted p = 0.026) and total KHEI score (61.07 ± 12.19 vs. 60.52 ± 12.29, adjusted p = 0.008) than those with the AVI/AVI diplotype. Finally, an interactive effect between bitterness genetic variation and obesity level was observed in those scores of ‘ratio of white meat to red meat’ (adjusted p = 0.007), ‘moderation’ (adjusted p = 0.013), and total KEHI (adjusted p = 0.007). In conclusion, TAS2R38 genetic variation is associated with overall diet quality in Koreans, which is more evident in the obese group.

A Case Study: How Social Media Advertisement Influences Consumer Behavior Toward a Fast-Food Restaurant

Social media has become an increasingly important platform for shaping consumer behavior toward brands. Subsequently, social media is widely utilized and favored in most nations. This study examines the role of social media advertisement in shaping consumer behavior toward McDonald's. A mixed-methods approach was used, consisting of a survey of social media users and an analysis of McDonald's social media presence. The study found a mixed customer response to social media advertising. While a significant portion of respondents expressed initial interest in exploring products or services further after encountering them on social media, the research also identified a segment of customers who were less likely to be swayed by such marketing. The study also highlighted the influence of social media advertising on consumer behavior, particularly purchase decisions (beta = 0.340). However, the effectiveness of these ads likely depends on individual consumer interests and motivations. McDonald's should consider this when tailoring their social media advertising strategies

The physical environment matters: room effects on online purchase decisions.

People as individual consumers are regularly targeted in sustainability campaigns or communications with the hope of enhancing sustainable behavior at an individual level, with subsequent sustainability transformation at a larger societal scale. However, psychological motivation is complex and campaigns need to be based on an understanding for what individual, and contextual, factors support or hinder sustainable behavioral choices. In a discrete choice experiment, participants made hypothetical online purchases in each of three rooms designed to evoke associations to hedonic, gain, and normative goal frames. Participants were shown a campaign message intended to prime sustainable textile consumption prior to the purchase. For each product (t-shirt or bananas) hedonic (comfort/look), gain (price), and normative (organic/ fairtrade) attributes were varied in an online choice experiment. Preferences for the normative attribute of t-shirts increased in the normative room compared to the room with gain associations. No effect of the rooms with hedonic or gain priming was observed on the choice. The study supports the hypothesis that the physical room can enhance goal frame activation and behavioral choice but concludes that such priming effect is sensitive to specificity of the prime.

Saved by a brand: An odyssey of personal deliverance

It remains hard to understand the process whereby people claim to have been saved by a brand. How can a commercial entity take on religious meanings like salvation? Our research addresses this mystery by diving deep into the lives of individual brand fans. We describe their journey of salvation by a brand in detail, from the key moment of brand revelation, when the brand appears as savior, to the ways in which the brand delivers them from their sufferings. For these fans, the brand becomes a companion that helps them significantly improve their existence. Our findings demonstrate that the religious dimension of brands is not limited to brand communities and their rituals. This dimension also emerges through the efforts of individual consumers who create their own brand religions and find salvation in the process. Religions do not have a monopoly on salvation; brands can be saviors too.

The COVID-19 pandemic, lifetime consumption, and endogenous discounting under a Stone–Geary-type preference: given the passage of three years

ABSTRACT In this paper, we consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medium- to long-term lifetime consumption profiles. Previous studies have focused on the attributes of health damage that are the primary determinant of people’s time preference rate. This approach has also been applied to research on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual consumption profiles. However, such a framework has one drawback: consumption levels among the aged were estimated to be much lower than they actually were. We address this drawback and further brush up on the existing results by adopting a Stone–Geary-type utility function. Despite this, the key findings based on the analysis are maintained. This paper attempts to make new estimates that also consider the experience of the pandemic over 3 years. Taken together, the negative impact on economic welfare is large in scale and may cause long-term problems in terms of social policy that cannot be overlooked.

Effect of Sorbitol on Some Physiological and Biochemical Parameters in Diabetic Rats

This study aims to estimate the role of sorbitol consumption in diabetic rats. Sixty male rats were purchased, acclimatized and divided into four groups; negative-control rats were received distilled water, positive-control rats were administered glucose orally, experimental-1 diabetic rats were administered sorbitol 100 mg and experimental-2 rats were administered sorbitol 200 mg orally. After 60 days, sera were collected and tested quantitatively by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Glucose elevation was seen in experimental-2 but not in experimental-1; while insulin was increased significantly in rats of both experimental-1 and experimental-2 but decreased in rats of positive-control when compared to those of negative-control. Although catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were decreased significantly in experimental-1, experimental-2 and positive-control, malondialdehyde was elevated significantly in these groups when compared to values of negative-control. For lipid profile, lower high-density lipoprotein were showed in experimental-1 and experimental-2 and more severely in the positive-control than negative-control group; while values of low-density lipoprotein were elevated significantly in positive-control but not in experimental-1 and experimental-2 when compared to negative-control. Values of triglyceride varied insignificantly in experimental-1 and experimental-2; however, they increased significantly in comparison with negative-control but not to positive-control. To our knowledge, this experiment represented the first in vivo study to evaluate the effect of sorbitol on biochemical and biomarkers of diabetic rats. Our findings revealed the safety of sorbitol at low dose but the risk might increase at a higher dose. Therefore, it was necessary to investigate the effects of sorbitol consumption in healthy and diseased individuals.

Sufficiency as relations of enoughness

AbstractAn expanding body of literature discusses the importance of sufficiency for sustainable development. However, conceptual vagueness stands in the way of the practical application of sufficiency as a sustainability strategy. The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of the concept of relations of enoughness, building on the general notion of ‘enough’, which is prevalent in sufficiency literature. Relations of enoughness will be explained based on the widespread use of sufficiency advocating for changes and reductions of individual consumption with the goal to reduce environmental impacts such as carbon dioxide emissions. Diverse uses and understandings of sufficiency can be united in a shared structure of ‘enough/too much/too little of X regarding Y’. Relations of enoughness can be connected to sustainability by expanding them into chains of enoughness, which serve as a conceptual foundation for the sustainable consumption corridor approach. Finally, the premises of sufficiency and potential for further research are discussed.

OBTAINING ADDITIVES USED TO IMPROVE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF DIESEL FUEL

One of the important large-scale petroleum refining products is diesel fuel (DF). It ensures the continuous operation of the transport fleet of various industries, and is also widely used by individual consumers. The chemical and fractional composition of diesel fuel determines the environmental temperature conditions in which diesel fuel (DF) can be used. There are diesel engines for temperate and cold climates. There is a serious shortage in the production of diesel fuel with improved low-temperature properties; the existing demand is covered by less than half [1]. In fact, in 2014, the production of diesel fuel amounted to 2.2% of the total output. The need for low-solidification fuels for our country, taking into account its natural and climatic conditions, is 40%. Thus, the importance of measures aimed at reducing the existing deficit is beyond doubt. The main goal of the article is to develop methods for the production and use of new additives and additives based on domestic petrochemical products. The cetane number of diesel fuel is one of the most important indicators responsible for reliable engine operation. The use of diesel fuel with a cetane number below 40 leads to harsh engine operation, accompanied by increased wear and its gradual destruction [4]. If the cetane number becomes more than 60 points, the power of the internal combustion engine (ICE) decreases, the fuel does not burn completely, fuel consumption increases, and the exhaust gases contain soot [5]. Keywords: diesel fuel, additives, cetane number, dewaxing, low temperature properties.

Joint association of drinking alcohol and obesity in relation to cancer risk: A systematic review and data synthesis

BackgroundRates of alcohol consumption and obesity are increasing in many Western populations. For some cancer types, both heavy alcohol consumption and obesity are independently associated with increased risk. Whether combined exposure to both synergistically increases an individual's risk of cancer is unclear. We performed a systematic review to assess whether alcohol and obesity interact to confer higher risk for cancer than the additive sum of their effects. MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted from the inception date to 13 February 2024 of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science to identify studies of alcohol, obesity, and cancer risk. We aimed to undertake a meta-analysis if there were sufficient data. ResultsThe literature search identified 17,740 potentially eligible studies. After review, 24 studies were included. Eleven reported on the association between alcohol consumption and cancer risk in individuals according to their body mass index (BMI), nine reported on the association between BMI and cancer risk in individuals according to their alcohol consumption, and six studies examined potential synergistic interactions between alcohol consumption and obesity on cancer risk. However, there were insufficient data and significant heterogeneity in the cancers studied to undertake meta-analysis, therefore a systemic review and narrative synthesis was conducted. Overall, there was no consistent pattern of interaction between alcohol use and overweight/obesity on cancer risk across cancer types. ConclusionsWhile alcohol and obesity are prevalent and important risk factors for a range of cancers, data are lacking on whether their combined exposure may synergistically increase an individual's risk for cancer. Further study across more cancer types is required to better understand the nature of interactions between alcohol use and obesity on cancer risk.

Not all sunshine and rainbows: exploring the dark side of AI in interactive marketing

PurposeThe surge of artificial intelligence (AI) applications and subsequent adoption by consumers and marketers has ignited substantial research exploring the benefits and opportunities of AI. Despite this, little attention has been given to its unintended negative consequences. In this paper, the authors examine both the practitioner and academic sides of ethical AI. In doing so, the authors conduct an extensive review of the AI literature to identify potential issues pertaining to three areas: individual consumers, societal and legal. The authors identify gaps and offer questions to drive future research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors review recent academic literature on AI in marketing journals, and top ethical principles from three top technology developers (Google, IBM and Meta) in conjunction with media reports of negative AI incents. They also identify gaps and opportunities for future research based on this review.FindingsThe bibliographic review reveals a small number of academic papers in marketing that focus on ethical considerations for AI adoption. The authors highlight concerns for academic researchers, marketing practitioners and AI developers across three main areas and highlight important issues relating to interactive marketing.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the under-researched negative outcomes of AI adoption. Through an extensive literature review, coupled with current responsible AI principles adopted by major technology companies, this research provides a framework for examining the dark side of AI.

The impact of infectious disease experience on household consumption: evidence from rural China.

The issue of low consumption among rural households in China has a longstanding history, and the experience of infectious diseases may exacerbate the existing challenges in fostering consumption growth. However, studies that characterize the impact of infectious diseases on household consumption are limited in China. This study aims to explore rural household consumption responses to infectious diseases post-assessment, and identify the underlying mechanisms. A total of 1,539 rural households from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) datasets of 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 were recruited as the study sample. The presence of infectious disease experience was employed as the independent variable and household consumption as the dependent variable. A panel fixed effects (FE) regression model was initially employed to identify the influence of infectious disease experiences on rural household consumption. The instrumental variable (IV) method was used to address potential endogeneity between independent and dependent variables. Robustness checks such as Propensity Score Matching (PSM) test were employed to ensure the reliability of the findings. The results reveal a statistically significant negative impact of infectious disease experiences on consumption over time, becoming no more significant at around 7-9 years post-disaster. This effect leads to more pronounced consumption deprivation for households with limited health insurance coverage and heightened healthcare resource constraints. The mechanism test indicates that infectious disease experiences affect the consumption levels of rural households through channels that include income constraints, the crowding-out of healthcare expenditure, and risk perception, with the precautionary savings motive acting as a moderator. Furthermore, the diminishing effect of infectious diseases on individual consumption surpasses that of natural disasters. Temporal discrepancy is observed in the impacts of infectious and chronic disease shocks on household consumption. The accumulation of liquid assets emerges as an effective strategy for households to mitigate the impact of infectious disease shocks. The findings underscore the importance of integrating short- and long-term policies to bolster consumption capacity, strategically allocate inter-regional medical resources, and fortify the resilience of rural households against economic risks.

Combining an improved Apriori algorithm and Social Network analysis to identify the unique sequential features of individual household electricity consumption behaviours

ABSTRACT The household’s electricity consumption behaviour follows a unique sequential pattern and can be identified by analyzing the electricity consumption data with fine granularity in a smart home context. This particular sequence is concretely embodied in a series of electrical activities with temporal association relationships, thus forming a unique household electrical appliance activity-based chain (EAAC). In this study, we propose a method that combines an improved Apriori algorithm and Social Network to construct a household EAACs. First, we improved the Apriori algorithm (Apriori (1,1)) by combining the temporal and transactional sequences and used it to mine the time-series activity associations among different household appliances. After that, we used the Sliding Window concept to splice the time-series associations and obtain the unique EAACs for each household. Next, we visualized the EAACs using the Social Network analysis to reflect the unique sequential features of household electricity consumption behaviours. Finally, the model was validated by analyzing two families’ actual household electricity consumption data, and future research directions were given.

Impact of product vs brand storytelling on online customer experience

PurposeIn this study, the effects are investigated of brand and product storytelling on customer assessments of perceived attitude, quality, experience, recommendation and purchase intention based on narrative transportation theory within the domain of winery e-commerce.Design/methodology/approachIn the research, two distinct constructs are introduced for brand and product storytelling, and multivariate analysis of variance is applied to analyze data collected from 391 respondents from the UK.FindingsIt is indicated in the study that embedding storytelling into elements, such as age verification screens on e-commerce sites, notably improves evaluations for both brands and products. Product storytelling broadly boosts customer appraisals in every evaluated aspect, while brand storytelling shows effectiveness in more limited cases. This suggests that narratives focused on products may have a wider appeal in enhancing the online customer experience.Originality/valueThis research underscores the strategic significance of balancing the focus between brand and product in crafting storytelling narratives for e-commerce contexts. It offers new insights into tailoring storytelling to meet individual consumer needs online, enriching the existing body of literature on storytelling’s application in digital commerce. Importantly, the study provides actionable guidance for wineries and other businesses aiming to enhance their online customer engagement through targeted narrative strategies.