Market Research Research Articles

The surveillance, gamification and datafication of children’s finance: a feature and tagline analysis of child finance apps

Purpose Children’s finances are increasingly digitised through the emergence and development of a range of finance applications, or apps, for managing chores, saving and spending. This paper aims to offer a preliminary scoping study of these child finance apps in the nascent consumer research area of children’s FinTech. Design/methodology/approach This paper undertakes a qualitative analysis of the design features and marketing taglines of child finance apps to explore their role in the digitisation of children’s financial literacy, consumer socialisation and economic agency. Findings The present analysis reveals five key design functions of child finance apps: chore management; child savings; payment and spending systems; parental control features; and banking and finance features. Furthermore, three key child consumer themes emerge from the analysis of these child finance apps: gamification of child household labour; surveillance of children’s consumer participation; and datafication of children’s financial lives. Originality/value To date, there is little research into the increasingly popular use of child chore, consumption and financial management apps, and thus a research gap or problem is that we do not yet have sufficient understanding of how finance apps operate through their design and marketing to influence the financial conditions of contemporary childhoods. This study is significant in bringing theories of surveillance, gamification and datafication from digital platform studies to the fields of childhood studies, children’s consumer research and child FinTech studies. The findings suggest that child finance apps use gamification features to encourage children’s financial learning, surveillance features to enable parenting care in children’s financial development and datafication to exploit children’s financial data within the finance industry. This study is clearly limited to the app environment, and so future work should investigate the use and perceptions of these apps in more detail using more situated social research methods with families and children.

Beyond the mind: Understanding the influence of mental health on youth NEET status in Europe-A systematic literature review.

In the fields of labor market and education research, there is a vast interest in mental health factors affecting unsuccessful school-to-work transitions, dropout from school and labor market disconnections for young people. Young people who are not in employment, education or training are conceived of as NEET. To get an overview we conducted a systematic review of the present literature on the influence of mental health on the likelihood of becoming NEET in Europe. A Systematic literature search was conducted in four databases on February 21, 2023, with an update on January 15, 2024. 33,314 articles were screened whereas 41 studies involving 8,914,123 individuals were included. Poor mental health such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder, autism, depression, borderline, and psychosis during childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with becoming NEET. Mental health issues, whether mild or severe, heighten significant the risk of adverse education and employment outcomes in early adulthood, extending to young individuals with personality disorders, borderline personality disorder, and psychoses. These observations inform early intervention strategies for children and young people grappling with mental health challenges. Timely treatment is essential. Future research should focus on the gap in research like specific disorders such as eating disorders and anxiety.

Test-based measurement of skill mismatch: a validation of five different measurement approaches using the NEPS

Skill mismatch is a key indicator of labour market research that has received significant attention. To date, various approaches of test-based measurement of skill mismatch have been used in research, generating differing results. However, it remains unclear which method is the most valid for measuring skill mismatch. This study provides a comparative validation of five commonly used approaches to test-based measurement of skill mismatches in reading and mathematics to detect the most valid method. Drawing on the 2016 wave of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) Adult Cohort, I find significantly varying distributions for the different measurement approaches, and highly valid skill mismatch measures for the statistical and the mixed approach. Overall, the mixed approach emerges as the most valid method. The findings highlight the critical importance of measurement approaches in skill mismatch research.

How Product-Background Color Combination in Brand Post Affects Product Evaluation on Instagram

The influence of visual content and heuristic cues, such as color composition on Instagram, on product evaluation remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of product-background color combinations (similar vs. contrastive) on product evaluation. Two empirical analyses were conducted, and the findings revealed that when the color is similar between product and background, it can significantly influence product evaluation in both brand layout and post situations on Instagram. The product type (functional vs. sensory-social) was found to moderate the relationship between product-background color and product evaluation. This study contributes to the existing literature on color theory and visual marketing research, providing valuable practical implications and novel insights for leveraging color cues when presenting products on brand Instagram accounts.

Analysis of Supply Chain Management Practices in Stevedoring Business to Improve Operational Performance at PT Kutai Jaya Pundinusa

PT Kutai Jaya Pundinusa (KJP) operates in the dynamic and competitive stevedoring industry, leveraging on its established brand, skilled workforce, strong operational strategy, and certifications such as ISO. This research explores new competitive dimensions for KJP through thematic analysis, PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT analysis. Using a qualitative research design, including in-depth interviews with internal and external stakeholders, the research identified opportunities and challenges facing KJP. The proposed vision is to become a leading and innovative stevedoring company by embracing digital transformation and sustainable practices. The key strategies proposed include improving operational efficiency, digital transformation, human resource development, expanding market reach, and strengthening customer relationships. The programmes formulated include process mapping, adoption of new technologies, employee training, market research, strategic partnerships, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. The study also emphasised the importance of overcoming internal challenges such as reliance on manual processes, high dependence on key suppliers and customers, and resistance to change among senior employees. Recommendations include investment in advanced digital technologies, exploration of new markets, and promotion of sustainable practices to ensure long-term growth and competitiveness in the stevedoring industry. By aligning strategic objectives with the proposed vision, KJP aims to successfully navigate the competitive landscape and achieve sustainable growth.

Cultivating Brand Loyalty through Content Marketing: The influence of Digital Content Characteristics on Loyalty towards Consumer Electronic Brands

The research paper explores the impact of digital content marketing on brand loyalty towards consumer electronic brands. It examines whether content characteristics: type, quality, and platform influence consumer loyalty towards electronic brands. The study uses a questionnaire of 72 respondents and employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) for testing the effect of content characteristics on brand loyalty among consumers. The findings suggest that content platform and quality has a significant positive influence on brand loyalty. However, no significant effect of content type was found on the brand loyalty. The study recommends that consumer electronics brands should focus on selecting the right platforms and creating high quality content to enhance brand loyalty. Future research could explore additional content characteristics that may potentially influence brand loyalty. The study is useful for consumer electronic brands, marketers and researchers who seek to gather and develop insights pertaining to the enhancement of their content marketing strategies to yield better marketing outcomes.

From E-Commerce to the Metaverse: A Neuroscientific Analysis of Digital Consumer Behavior

The growing interest in consumer behavior in the digital environment is leading scholars and companies to focus on consumer behavior and choices on digital platforms, such as the metaverse. On this immersive digital shopping platform, consumer neuroscience provides an optimal opportunity to explore consumers’ emotions and cognitions. In this study, neuroscience techniques (EEG, SC, BVP) were used to compare emotional and cognitive aspects of shopping between metaverse and traditional e-commerce platforms. Participants were asked to purchase the same product once on a metaverse platform (Second Life, SL) and once via an e-commerce website (EC). After each task, questionnaires were administered to measure perceived enjoyment, informativeness, ease of use, cognitive effort, and flow. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine differences between SL and EC at the neurophysiological and self-report levels, as well as between different stages of the purchase process. The results show that SL elicits greater cognitive engagement than EC, but it is also more mentally demanding, with a higher workload and more memorization, and fails to elicit a strong positive emotional response, leading to a poorer shopping experience. These findings provide insights not only for digital-related consumer research but also for companies to improve their metaverse shopping experience. Before investing in the platform or creating a digital retail space, companies should thoroughly analyze it, focusing on how to enhance users’ cognition and emotions, ultimately promoting a better consumer experience. Despite its limitations, this pilot study sheds light on the emotional and cognitive aspects of metaverse shopping and suggests potential for further research with a consumer neuroscience approach in the metaverse field.

Research on the Importance of Design Management in Enterprise Business Strategy

Due to its unique characteristics, design art has received attention in recent years and sometimes plays a decisive role in corporate marketing strategies. However, the excellent design does not necessarily mean that cooperation can be facilitated. It may be the relationship between the enterprise and the design, design works, and audience. Designers act as service providers in this stage, and they also have strong subjective consciousness. Sometimes, they may overemphasize the characteristics of the design itself and neglect the role of design services. The design direction should be led by the overall development strategy of the enterprise and market research results. Therefore, scientifically integrating design content plays a very important role in the enterprise’s business strategy. Some scholars propose to strengthen design management and pay more attention to its importance in the enterprise’s business strategy.

Evaluation of Maximal Reliability for Multidimensional Measuring Instruments Using Structural Equation Modeling

Multidimensional measuring instruments are often used in behavioral, social, educational, marketing, and biomedical research. For these scales, the paper discusses how to find the optimal score based on their components that is associated with the highest possible reliability. Within the framework of structural equation modeling, an approach to point and interval estimation of the maximal reliability coefficient of general structure measuring instruments is outlined. The procedure allows obtaining in addition the linear combination of all scale components that possesses maximal reliability. The described method is applicable in empirical research with popular statistical software, and is illustrated using an example.

Strategies for surveying platform workers: lessons from a Belgian case study

AbstractJob quality among platform workers has been high on labour market researchers’ agendas. Nevertheless, many report difficulties in collecting data for this group of workers. Platform workers meet many of the criteria of hard-to-survey populations. The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether purposive, non-probability sampling can provide a good strategy for collecting information on the job quality of platform workers through an internet survey (SEAD Platform Survey). The study on which this paper is based, employed different strategies by dividing platform workers into categories based on type of activity. Sampling techniques were adapted to each category and included referral, social media advertisements, (virtual) convenience sampling and a web panel. Despite the cost and labor intensity of these non-probability sampling techniques, a sizeable sample (N = 490) of platform workers was collected. Moreover, the SEAD Platform Survey showed very similar characteristics to previous probability samples within the study population (LFS Module platform work, COLLEEM II, and the ETUI IPWS). Researchers focusing on (other) hard-to-survey (worker) populations can learn from this endeavor, showing that when there is little to no opportunity for probability sampling, purposive, non-probability sampling techniques can offer a good alternative to reach a rich, statistical resource.

Marketing research and brand management in the margarine market

Shifts in the Russian margarine market have produced changes in consumer behaviour patterns and caused a decline in sales of a number of brands. The study aims to reveal new trends in the fats and oils market and tests the hypotheses that end consumers tend to buy less margarine due to the rising popularity of a healthy lifestyle, the fast-growing demand for ready-made foods and baked goods, and customers’ high price sensitivity. The theories of brand management and marketing constitute the theoretical basis of the study. The research uses desk and field marketing research methods, survey, and statistical analysis. Calculations were carried out in statistical software SPSS and JASP. To assess brand management at the companies under review, we apply the brand loyalty index and the brand awareness indicator in Yandex Wordstat. The empirical evidence covers Nielsen panel data on retail audits in consumer goods markets for 2021–2023; data sourced from the QlickView analytical platform; OOO Profi Issledovania’s report based on the results of a field study of margarine brands in November 2023; and data from a survey conducted by the authors in November–December, 2023. The findings show that the share of margarines in total production volumes and solid fats sales is in decline. We confirmed the hypotheses that margarines consumption is decreasing due to a healthy lifestyle culture and the need to follow doctor’s recommendations. Price is found to be the key factor in choosing margarine brands.

Revolutionizing consumer insights: the impact of fMRI in neuromarketing research

This study performs a comprehensive bibliometric (performance analysis) and thematic content analysis of global research in "neuromarketing or consumer neuroscience" and "functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI." Utilizing the PRISMA framework and R package software, we analyzed thirty-six Scopus-indexed articles. The USA and California Institute of Technology emerged as leading contributors, with Rangel, A., and Reimann, M., as notable authors. Prominent themes include 'advertising,' 'product,' 'price,' and 'brand', with the “Journal of Consumer Psychology” and “Journal of Neuroscience” being key publications. The most cited article is "Marketing actions can modulate neural representations of experienced pleasantness," with 620 citations. In addition, fMRI has been used to study consumer behavior (impulsiveness, reward, emotion, decision-making, and memory) toward marketing stimuli such as price (WTP), advertising (celebrity endorsement, MSV), product (packaging design), and brand (Halal logo, label, and personality). This study provides an invaluable literature review matrix and detailed insights into the current trends in global neuromarketing research utilizing fMRI. This study highlights the significant impact of fMRI in both academic and commercial realms, offering new insights for targeted marketing and consumer behavior research. It provides valuable guidance for developing more effective advertising strategies, understanding consumer decision-making processes, enhancing business performance, and collaborating academically.

Revolutionizing consumer insights: the impact of fMRI in neuromarketing research

This study performs a comprehensive bibliometric (performance analysis) and thematic content analysis of global research in "neuromarketing or consumer neuroscience" and "functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI." Utilizing the PRISMA framework and R package software, we analyzed thirty-six Scopus-indexed articles. The USA and California Institute of Technology emerged as leading contributors, with Rangel, A., and Reimann, M., as notable authors. Prominent themes include 'advertising,' 'product,' 'price,' and 'brand', with the “Journal of Consumer Psychology” and “Journal of Neuroscience” being key publications. The most cited article is "Marketing actions can modulate neural representations of experienced pleasantness," with 620 citations. In addition, fMRI has been used to study consumer behavior (impulsiveness, reward, emotion, decision-making, and memory) toward marketing stimuli such as price (WTP), advertising (celebrity endorsement, MSV), product (packaging design), and brand (Halal logo, label, and personality). This study provides an invaluable literature review matrix and detailed insights into the current trends in global neuromarketing research utilizing fMRI. This study highlights the significant impact of fMRI in both academic and commercial realms, offering new insights for targeted marketing and consumer behavior research. It provides valuable guidance for developing more effective advertising strategies, understanding consumer decision-making processes, enhancing business performance, and collaborating academically.

Marketing Management in Agri-Business Organization

Strategic planning and execution are key components of marketing management in agri-business organisations, with the goal of maximising the reach and profitability of agricultural products. Traditional marketing concepts are blended with the specific difficulties and possibilities of the agriculture industry in this area. Important components include agriculturally specific advertising efforts, distribution methods, price strategies, product creation, consumer behaviour study, and market research. Supply chain knowledge, product seasonality, and familiarity with regulatory frameworks are all essential for successful marketing management in the agribusiness sector. Modern agri-business marketing techniques are greatly influenced by technological advancements and environmental initiatives. Businesses in the agricultural sector may get an edge in the market, strengthen relationships with customers, and expand their reach via the use of data analytics and digital technologies. Sustainable practices are becoming more important as stakeholders and customers want goods that are both ecologically and socially responsible. To keep up with the ever-changing nature of the agribusiness industry, this abstract focuses on the most important parts of marketing management and how new strategies are needed.

Sketching a comprehensive picture of the marketing discipline: a bibliometric analysis covering eight top-tier journals

Purpose This study aims to examine marketing trends spanning a period of 26 years to scrutinize North American influence in marketing research, as well as enhance comprehension of interdisciplinary marketing knowledge and identify prominent scholars, universities, countries, and articles that warrant further scholarly exploration. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses bibliometric methods to analyze the publications of eight top-tier journals (Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Marketing Science, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Consumer Psychology and International Journal of Research in Marketing) between 1996 and 2021, as found in the Scopus database. Findings The findings indicate that North American hegemony in the marketing discipline continues and that the impact of marketing on other disciplines remains controversial. Some universities have a deeply rooted tradition of marketing departments. Some articles from 26 years ago are still frequently cited. Research limitations/implications The study covers the period from 1996 to 2021. It includes only articles, uses a single database and is cross-sectional. Future research should explore longer time periods by using various databases for comprehensive analysis. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study constitutes one of the first attempts to understand the scholarly contributions of the marketing discipline by considering eight top-tier journals.

Strengthening Healthcare Supply Chains: A Comprehensive Strategy for Resilience in the Face of Natural Disasters

Effective and uninterrupted management of the healthcare supply chain and healthcare system preparedness for natural disasters (e.g., pandemics, earthquakes, forest fires, etc.) is essential to ensure that victims receive critical healthcare services and products with minimal disruption, even in the event of damage to transport and logistics infrastructure as a result of significant disasters. The article examines this issue using the example of Vital Health Systems, a prominent hospital system with multiple facilities across a wide region. The qualitative data for the study was collected through interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders in Vital Health Systems, including supply chain managers, procurement specialists, frontline staff, etc. The quantitative data for the study were based on reports, internal documentation and archival documents, industry reports, market research, government databases. Analysis of the supply chain resilience of Vital Health Systems to natural disasters was carried out using the PESTLE framework, based on which a comprehensive risk reduction strategy was proposed. This strategy, while rooted in theory, is highly practical and feasible, with measures to optimise stocks, creation of alternative transport routes and logistics networks, and use of technological solutions. Organisational and managerial proposals for minimising supply chain disruptions for Vital Health Systems in the event of natural disasters are based on the theory of transformational leadership, Denison’s organisational culture, Levitt’s diamond model, and McKinsey’s theory of strategic horizons. The role of healthcare professionals, supply chain managers, procurement specialists, and researchers in healthcare management and disaster preparedness is crucial in implementing these strategies.

Data-driven message optimization in dynamic sports media: an artificial intelligence approach to predict consumer response

ABSTRACT Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data have the potential to promote advancement across various industries. Sport management and marketing have also significantly transformed due to rapid technological advances such as those in AI and big data analytics. Especially sports companies, however, are still underutilizing the potential of AI. At the same time, considering the existing sport marketing research, the effectiveness and optimization of dynamic marketing stimuli in dynamic sport media settings remains unclear. This study aims to assess the differences between two AI models’ predictive capabilities with and without access to consumers’ biometric data when forecasting the influence of game features on consumers’ responses. Academic theoretical models indicate that individual biometric features have a considerable influence on consumers’ responses; nevertheless, it remains impractical for companies to access these data concerning message effectiveness and ROI evaluation. Therefore, the study attempts to enhance the feasibility of message optimization for companies by trialing a real-time prediction derived from game features alone, exemplifying how much predictive capability is lost by non-available consumer data. Two supervised machine learning models (one initial, primarily theoretical based model; one adapted model due to available data) were trained to reanalyze large-scale eye tracking and game-related data, resulting in high predictive accuracy and appropriate applicability of the models. Both models were able to predict consumers’ responses with over 90% accuracy (initial model: 96%; adapted model: 94%). This study exemplifies AI usage in sport marketing and management, enabling companies to implement more effective marketing messages and strategies for their sponsorship based on real-time evaluation.

Assuring the Sustainability and Growth of Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises in Botswana: An Exploratory Study

This paper explored the factors that impact the sustainability and growth of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Botswana. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to survey 348 owners/managers of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in the South Eastern District of Botswana. Descriptive and inferential statistics were generated from the gathered data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Version 27.0). findings revealed that entrepreneurial factors, firm-specific factors and exogenous factors impacted the growth and sustainability of manufacturing firms in Botswana. In addition, government policies and guidelines, innovation and creativity, human capital development, access to finance, financial management skills and managerial skills were also confirmed as significantly contributing to the growth and sustainability of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises in Botswana. Key recommendations derived from these findings include the need for policymakers in the government of Botswana and private sector partners to upskill owners/managers of manufacturing enterprises on business planning, financial management, financial literacy, quality management, and market research skills. Furthermore, efforts should be accelerated to promote products manufactured in Botswana to regional and global markets.

Exploring How Small Business Grow to Levels of Competitiveness and Sustainability: The Case of Liberia

Abstract Small businesses are regarded as the backbone of economies worldwide. Despite the government’s numerous sustainability efforts in the public sector, small businesses are acknowledged to contribute significantly to the expansion and prosperity of any economy. This is also true across Africa. Many Liberians rely on the viability and success of small businesses as their primary source of survival. Unfortunately, the results and trends for economic growth are not meeting expectations. This study explores how small businesses can achieve competitiveness and sustainability. A qualitative phenomenological method was used following a descriptive research approach. Five business owners representing two counties in Liberia were selected using purposive sampling. An in-depth individual interview was conducted and discussed. Data were analyzed and coded using thematic descriptive analysis with four identified themes. The findings reveal that small business owners have similar lived experiences with positive and negative aspects. It highlights the need for effective strategies to compete and maintain small businesses, including driving success, market research, and customer relationships. However, it emphasizes that knowledge and skills are essential.

QUANTUM COMPUTING FOR MARKET RESEARCH

QUANTUM COMPUTING FOR MARKET RESEARCH