Business Commons^™

Getting Connected: Exploring The Role Of Sustainability Labels In Tourism Marketing Communications, Elvira Kizilova

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While sustainability has become an important brand differentiator in many industries, current research suggests that tourism businesses rarely use sustainability labels in their communications, e.g., on their websites or other types of advertisements.

This dissertation examines the role of sustainability labels in increasing consumer preferences for sustainable travel destinations. Drawing on social exchange theory and anthropomorphism framework, we propose that sustainability labels increase consumer visit intentions, willingness to recommend a destination to someone else, and willingness to pay price premium for the sustainable offer. These effects are mediated by perception of goal congruence and connectedness with a destination. We further …

How Many Latours Is Too Many? Measuring Brand Name Congestion In Bordeaux Wine, Christopher Buccafusco, Jonathan S. Masur, Ryan Whalen

Faculty Scholarship

Firms rely on brand names to market goods to consumers, and consumers rely on brand names to locate goods that satisfy their preferences. If multiple firms are using the same or similar names, consumers may be confused about which product to buy, and firms may not obtain the benefits of their investments in quality. Recently, both firms and scholars in a number of industries have expressed concern about brand name congestion—too many firms clustering around too few terms. This paper applies computational linguistic analysis to chateau names in the Bordeaux wine region to study the degree of brand congestion within …

The Stressors Faced By Retail Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nada Elnahla, Leighann C. Neilson

AMTP Proceedings 2021

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, brick-and-mortar retail workers have been hailed as heroic frontline employees. No matter where a retail store is located or the severity of the lockdown, retail workers have many new regulations and guidelines to follow and implement in order to protect both themselves and their customers. Using a qualitative research methodology, this exploratory research focuses on how the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting drastic changes in the retail sector are affecting the workers in North America. Four main stressors are identified: fear of the unknown, fear of infection, mistreatment by consumers, and the role of the powerless …

Bridging The Gap Between Customer Value And Firm Performance: Strategic Implications Of Social Media Marketing Relationships, Manisha Mathur

AMTP Proceedings 2021

No abstract provided.

Examining The Use Of Social Media In Building A Student Personal Brand And The Impact Of Demographics, Tulay Girard, Musa Pinar

AMTP Proceedings 2021

The extended abstract is uploaded for publication in the 2021 AMTP conference proceedings.

As (Un)Real As It Gets – Exploring The Persuasiveness Of Advertising Posts By Virtual Influencers, Sphurti Sewak

AMTP Proceedings 2021

No abstract provided.

Wine Consumer Culture Positioning: Case Of The Global Success Of Yellow Tail And Casillero Del Diablo, Samit Chakravorti

AMTP Proceedings 2021

This paper qualitatively discusses through the lens of consumer cultural positioning literature the global success of two wine brands: Yellow Tail of Casella Wines of Australia and Casillero del Diablo of Concha Y Toro of Chile. These two brands have made meaningful gains in many markets across the globe despite the high fragmentation in the world of wine and have mad themselves stand out as icons of “global” brands in the wine world. Analysis of secondary data reveals that the marketing actions of the two brands align with findings from branding literature. Both brands identified different but meaningful consumer cultural …

Factors Impacting One’S Self-Classification Into One Of The Five Categories Of A Typology Delineating Green (And Not So Green) Consumers, Sam Fullerton, Tammy Mccullough, Estelle Van Tonder

AMTP Proceedings 2021

A sample of 1,243 adult residents of the United States provided insight into an array of issues germane to sustainability. Upon completing a 65-question survey on sustainability, each respondent placed themselves in an eco-group that they felt best corresponded to their own behavior and attitudes towards the task of keeping the planet green for ourselves, and perhaps more importantly, for our posterity. The five groups ranged from the eco-destroyer to the eco-warrior. Within the survey, each respondent provided their opinions regarding seven multi-item scales that primarily addressed green issues; some scales addressed business behavior while others addressed issues such as …

Engaging With Customers On Social Media: Insights From Business-To-Business Companies, Emory Serviss

AMTP Proceedings 2021

Social media are an important part of a company’s ability to directly engage with customers. However, the lack of an established definition of engagement creates challenges for scholars and practitioners attempting to assess return on investment derived from social media marketing. In addition, limited scholarly literature exists regarding how B2B customers specifically react to social media. To enhance understanding of how a B2B company’s social media activity affects customer engagement, this manuscript will examine social media utilization and customer response.

Revisiting The Beneficiaries Of The Scotus Ruling Striking Down Paspa, Sam Fullerton, Ronald Dick, Michael Mccall

AMTP Proceedings 2021

A Supreme Court ruling in 2018 essentially rendered restrictions on sports gambling to run counter to states’ rights, thus in conflict with the Constitution of the United States. As a consequence, 13 states and the District of Columbia now have legalized sports gambling. Initial research into the consequences of this ruling identified 12 potential beneficiaries. Subsequent research entailing an assessment of new literature and a survey of executive opinion involving a number of marketing executives who work within the field of sports marketing expanded the findings from the earlier study. This extension of the preliminary study found 14 beneficiaries rather …

B2b Social Media Marketing: A Content Analysis Of The Role Of Scope On Firm Performance, Nicole Beachum, Marianne Loes, Stacy Wellborn, Catherine Hessick

AMTP Proceedings 2021

Both in the literature and in practice, social media marketing is encouraged for organizations looking to build and maintain relationships with their target markets. However, there is a need to better understand the value of social media marketing specifically for B2B organizations. A review of the literature finds that social network theory, social capital theory, and resource advantage theory offer support for the use of social media marketing to ultimately improve firm performance. This paper leverages text mining and content analysis methodologies to examine the relationship of B2B social media use (in terms of frequency of posts and platforms) and …

The Effect Of Profanity And Quality On Perceived Review Helpfulness And Purchase Intentions, Dustin R. Wilcox, Ismail Karabas

AMTP Proceedings 2021

This extended abstract explores the effect of profanity usage and writing quality on the perceived helpfulness of online customer reviews and customers’ purchase intentions. Customer reviews have become increasingly important in recent years. Topics related to customer reviews are valence, quality, and the presence or absence of profanity. While previous research has connected some of these topics, the moderating effect of profanity on review quality is scarce. We expect that readers will find low quality negative reviews containing profanity less helpful, high quality negative reviews containing profanity more helpful, and high quality reviews containing profanity more helpful. Furthermore, we expect …

Brand Wonder, Sunil Erevelles, Emily Hoffmann, Maanasi Bulusu

AMTP Proceedings 2021

Affect is a core construct in the understanding of how consumers respond to marketing stimuli, such as brands, products, and communications, and is critical in the achievement of marketing outcomes (Erevelles 1998). Despite an extensive body of literature on affect in marketing that exists today, there appears to be an incomprehensible gap in the literature on the study of one type of emotion. This emotion has been described as “humanity’s most important emotion,” and the “one emotion (that) inspired our greatest achievements in science, art, and religion” (c.f., Prinz 2013, p1). That emotion is wonder. Adam Smith, often known as …

Using Fomo To Promote Sports Events: Exploring Technology Usage And Involvement Effects, Julia E. Blose Dr., Rhonda W. Mack, Robert Pitts, Y. Xie

AMTP Proceedings 2021

No abstract provided.

The Youtube - Savoring Model: Youtube As A Means Of Increasing Savoring For An Upcoming Consumption Experience, Marc P. Dupont

AMTP Proceedings 2021

YouTube started primarily as a means of entertainment. However, in recent years it has become a platform for both information-seeking and information-giving behaviors. Using the consumption, participation, and production framework for user generated media, YouTube is examined as a platform to influence an individual’s savoring and remembered enjoyment of a consumption experience. This study proposes a model for utilizing YouTube as a means of increasing savoring for an upcoming consumption experience through elaborative processing, minimizing distractions, and encouraging remembered enjoyment.

Consumer Perceptions Of Podcast Advertising: Theater Of The Mind And Story Selling, M. Olguta (Olga) Vilceanu, Kristine Johnson, Alexis Burns

AMTP Proceedings 2021

COVID-19 has changed the ways in which people manage education, work, and entertainment. This study sought to identify the types of attitudes and behaviors which promote mutually rewarding connections between podcasts, audiences, and advertisers. Survey results underlined the utmost importance for the podcast advertising industry to connect and engage listeners, in order for the overall billion-dollar ad buys to have the desired effect. About two-thirds of the participants listen to 6 or more shows during an average week and prefer live-narrated ads where podcast hosts banter and tell convincing stories about their experiences with advertised products. Key findings indicate that …

Less Talking, More Empathy: How To Use Emojis To Help People Feel Good, Farhana Nusrat, Yanliu Huang

AMTP Proceedings 2021

Text therapy is an affordable and convenient form of counselling that allows clients to text with a Therapist. It is quite common for therapists to use emojis while talking to their clients via texts. In this study, we examine how use of emojis in the context of text therapy impacts clients’ overall counselling experience. In two studies, we show that using emojis with concise messages (vs. long messages) lead to greater clients’ overall satisfaction, higher willingness to pay, and increased positive word of mouth.

Entitled To Be Served: Does Self-Checkout Make Customers Feel Less Rewarded?, Farhana Nusrat, Yanliu Huang

AMTP Proceedings 2021

The adoption of self-service technologies (SST) has been rising over the last few years, and among different SSTs, self-checkout systems are one of the most popular options. In this study, we examine how self-checkout service impacts customers’ shopping outcomes compared to regular checkout service. We propose that self-checkout (vs. regular checkout) systems, would make customers feel less rewarded and less satisfied with their purchases. We conducted four studies to test our hypotheses and showed that self-checkout (vs. regular checkout) service makes customers feel less rewarded, less satisfied with their shopping outcomes, and less likely to return to the store. We …

Video Ad Project: The Relationship Between Involvement, Aad, Effectiveness, And Skills Gained, Vivek Madupu, Venkata Rajasekhar Moturu

AMTP Proceedings 2021

A semester-long group project was given to undergraduate students in multiple sections of the Advertising course. The project involved students working in teams and creating video ads of 30, 60, or 90-seconds. Following the project presentations in the class, surveys were conducted to collect students’ opinions and perceptions of the Video Ad project. Sixty-four students spread out in three semesters from an American University in Mid-West filled out the surveys. Results indicate that the Students’ attitude towards advertising is positively related to how effective the project is. However, attitude towards advertising is not related to the project’s involvement and video-making …

Turn The Other Cheek Or An Eye For Eye: Exploring Brand-To-Brand Dialogue On Social Media, Veronica Thomas, Kendra Fowler

AMTP Proceedings 2021

While popular press articles frequently highlight humorous, snarky exchanges between brands on social media, academically, this behavior is relatively unexplored. As consumers’ perceptions of the use of humor in brand-to-brand dialogue may have meaningful managerial and theoretical implications, this research examines consumers’ perceptions of brands that engage in dialogue with one another on social media. To understand the dyadic relationship between two brands who engage with one another on social media, we explore two different types of humorous comments (low aggression and high aggression) and how the type of humor employed affects consumers’ perceptions of both the brand initiating the …

Adapting To Slow-Moving Crises: The Personal Protection Equipment Supply Chain In The Time Of Covid19, Jennifer Shullih, Stephen Lemay

AMTP Proceedings 2021

In this paper, we look at the supply chain for PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. We look at the way the supply chain has responded to the pandemic, the coordination of the supply chain relative to the needs of primary users, and the consequences of its use. We find that the supply chain has continued to function more as a commercial supply chain than as an emergency supply chain largely because of a lack of centralized coordination. We include an analysis of existing concepts as they apply to this supply chain, but also incorporate preliminary results from a …

Post-Pandemic Impulse Buying Behavior: Exploring The Antecedents Of Impulsive Buying Across Product Categories During Post Covid-19 Era In The China, Pei Wang, Sindy Chapa

AMTP Proceedings 2021

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, online purchases have become the new normal. Based on the S-O-R framework, this study proposed a model to understand consumers’ impulsive shopping behavior during post COVID-19 era in China. This study investigated the antecedents of impulsive purchase behavior, while exploring the product categories most likely to be consumed because of the pandemic. An online survey was employed using a convenience national sample frame in China. A total sample of 322 was used to test the proposed model, hypotheses and answer the research questions. Theoretically, the study provides an alternative model that explains the role of website …

Encouraging And Rewarding Customer Loyalty: Key Considerations For Sports Teams, Vassilis Dalakas, Madeleine Tseng, Joanna Melancon

AMTP Proceedings 2021

Sports is an ideal context to study loyalty because sports fans often transcend simple behavioral and affective loyalty and integrate their commitment to a team into their self-identity. Season ticket packages often serve as loyalty rewards programs, offering tiered benefits and perks to consumers in exchange for their level of patronage. This paper offers insights on the impact of various reward types on consumers’ perception of their relationship with a team. Theoretical foundations and insights from sports marketing professionals suggest that those benefits that are exclusive to a team’s season ticket holders and/or premium seat buyers, as well as social …

Loyalty Reward Programs By Brands Partnering With Sports Teams: Do Fans Prefer Team-Related Benefits?, Clara Loquier, Vassilis Dalakas

AMTP Proceedings 2021

This study used a sample of French consumers that included highly identified fans of French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), low-identification fans, and non-fans, to examine their responses to loyalty reward benefits for different brands. The reward benefits were either tied to the team (e.g., team-related experiences) or not (e.g., vouchers for the brand). Results showed that highly identified fans found the team-related benefits more desirable than the low-identification fans and non-fans. Also, highly identified fans found several of the team-related benefits more desirable than the benefits not relating to the team. The findings provide useful managerial insight regarding the …

Re-Envisioning A Masters Of Science In Marketing Degree, Danny Weathers, Scott D. Swain

AMTP Proceedings 2021

In response to changing market demands for marketing graduates, our university’s Department of Marketing began a major revision to its MS Marketing program. With input from faculty, administrators, students, industry contacts, and MS directors at peer institutions, the department developed a vision for the program that emphasizes “real-world” experiences and career support. This paper presents the research and decision-making that led to a new vision for the program, as well as the process that will be used to implement this vision.

Are Virtual Assistants Effective In Generating Customer-Firm Engagement? The Role Of Social Media As A Component Of Marketing Strategies., Neda Mossaei

AMTP Proceedings 2021

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the effects of utilizing voice assistants in addition to integrating social media in firms’ communication strategies. Many consumers are increasingly using voice assistants to communicate with companies. At the same time, the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the way customers are interacting with companies due to social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and mental overload during this unprecedented time. Firms that provide consumers with easier ways of communication, such as utilizing a voice assistant in customer service, could benefit from higher consumer engagement. The cognitive load theory is proposed to explore its applicability in assessing whether less mental effort …

Three Essays On The Impact Of Cuteness On Consumer Behavior, Alexis Taeeun Yim

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the last decade, the world has seen a rise in the popularity of cute stimuli. Adorable baby pictures, fluffy puppy videos, and whimsical emojis seem ever-present in social media news feeds and friends’ posts. In addition, products marketed toward adults that feature cute characters drive sales worth billions of dollars. The growing presence of cute stimuli in our daily lives is accompanied by emerging research on their social and behavioral impacts. Correspondingly, the current dissertation consists of three essays that contribute to the literature on cuteness by empirically testing the impacts of cuteness in the marketplace. To extend the …

Marketing Agility: The Concept, Antecedents, And A Research Agenda, Kartik Kalaignanam, Kapil R. Tuli, Tarun Kushwaha, Leonard Lee, David T Gal

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Changes in the way customers shop, accompanied by an explosion of customer touchpoints and fast-changing competitive and technological dynamics, have led to an increased emphasis on agile marketing. The objective of this article is to conceptualize and investigate the emerging concept of marketing agility. The authors synthesize the literature from marketing and allied disciplines and insights from in-depth interviews with 22 senior managers. Marketing agility is defined as the extent to which an entity rapidly iterates between making sense of the market and executing marketing decisions to adapt to the market. It is conceptualized as occurring across different organizational levels …

Crowdfunding Digital Platforms: Backer Networks And Their Impact On Project Outcomes, Yee Heng Tan, Srinivas K. Reddy

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Crowdfunding platforms serve to connect project creators and backers. Previous research has explored several project and platform determinants that impact crowdfunding outcomes. However, there has been limited research on these determinants at an individual level. Our paper addresses how backers may influence the outcomes of projects in crowdfunding platforms. We explore several methods commonly used in the industry to identify influence and show that centrality measures through a backer affiliation network best exemplifies influence. Using data from Kickstarter, we construct a weighted backer network based on 52,678 common projects backed by 11,134 backers. Controlling for digital media mentions and project …

Fostering Music Performers In The 21st Century: A Contemporary Professional Perspective Toward A New Curricular Agenda For Graduate Study In Music, Andre Januario

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

What if the core curriculum for graduate students in music performance were designed to prepare students to succeed in the world of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

This dissertation offers a hypothetical answer: a structured and systematic academic curricular framework for music graduate students of performance of concert music (especially those in terminal degrees, such as doctoral students), along with music instructors, professional music performers, school administrators, and college professors, seeking to prepare such students for achieving and maintaining a music career more in keeping with the current work environment, especially those skills demanded by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the …