Brand anthropomorphism is recognised as an important construct in marketing, yet it lacks clarity in operationalisation and valid measurement. The objective of this research, therefore, is to develop ...and validate the brand anthropomorphism scale (BASC). Brand anthropomorphism is defined as the perception of brand as an entity that has analogical human-like features, mental and emotional states that people believe to be distinctively human. It is conceptualised as a multidimensional superordinate construct. Across six studies (N = 1666), this research develops a valid and reliable measure of brand anthropomorphism that has psychometric properties for convergent, discriminant and predictive validity. The results indicate that brand anthropomorphism is a valid predictor of outcomes such as brand trust and brand commitment. Finally, in support of incremental validity, it is identified that the BASC explains variance in brand trust and brand commitment above and beyond the measure of brand anthropomorphism commonly employed in the literature. Theoretical implications for research and implications for practice are also discussed.
•A 12-item scale to measure brand anthropomorphism was developed and validated.•The scale exhibits a good model fit as demonstrated with confirmatory factor analysis.•The scale exhibits high levels of convergent, discriminant and predictive validity.•The scale measures brand anthropomorphism better than the currently utilised assessment method.•Brand anthropomorphism positively affects brand commitment and brand trust.
Social media firestorms imply the sudden occurrence of many, predominantly negative social media expressions against a brand. Do such firestorms leave a mark on consumers and their brand judgments—in ...the short term but also over time—to a degree that deserves managerial attention? What kind of firestorms have the strongest destructive potential? This manuscript treats firestorms as a digital form of brand crisis and proposes a conceptual framework to identify which firestorms harm short- and long-term brand perceptions and become part of consumers' long-term memory. A unique data set combines secondary data about 78 real-life firestorms with daily brand perceptions obtained from the YouGov panel and survey data from 997 consumers. The results indicate that of all affected brands, 58% suffer from a decrease in short-term brand perceptions, and 40% suffer long-term negative effects, suggesting that social media firestorms can indeed harm businesses but also show that strong variations exist. Contingency analyses of the conceptual framework with regressions and generalized estimating equations indicate that social media firestorms are most impactful in terms of negative brand association changes and/or memory effects when they are initiated by a vivid trigger (e.g., video in the first firestorm tweet), linked to a product/service or social failure, characterized by a large volume of social media messages, and when they last longer.
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•Social media firestorms as a digital kind of brand crisis are relevant phenomena.•Negative effects of firestorms can occur in both the short- and long-run.•Their consequences for brands and consumers vary strongly with contingencies.•Firestorms that spark many tweets and those caused by product failures are impactful.•Vivid triggers of social media firestorms relate to more negative effects.
This research investigates the impact of brand perception on brand loyalty and brand purchase intention using the lenses of complexity theory. First, the study conceptualizes and operationalizes ...perceptional and behavioral components of brand equity. It then examines the dimensions of brand perception, and by assessing the consequences of favorable brand perception, the study enables a better understanding regarding whether a brand marketing approach helps to improve marketing performance. The research was conducted using a mixed methodology, beginning with interviews in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the dimensions of brand perception. These were followed by a questionnaire survey, and the resulting data were analyzed through content analysis and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results indicate that brand awareness, perceived quality, brand association, brand fondness, brand image, and product country image have a strong impact on the management of brand perception. The finding illustrates that it is the combinations of various perceptional elements of brand equity rather than any single factor that have strong impacts on brand loyalty and brand purchasing intention. The results support the importance of brand perception for the fashion industry, which needs to be more interactive in order to increase their customers' brand loyalty and brand purchasing intention.
Brand activism (BA) has attracted substantial attention due to consumers’ rising expectations for brands to address social and political issues. However, empirical research on consumers’ ...understanding of activist brands (i.e., brands that engage in brand activism) remains limited, mainly due to the absence of a valid measurement tool. To fill this gap, the authors introduce a two-dimensional consumer Activist Brand Perception (ABP) scale with eight items. Drawing from extensive literature analysis, relevant manifestations of BA are identified as the foundation for the scale. Through a rigorous scale development process involving qualitative and quantitative assessment, the (ABP) scale emerges as a reliable instrument to capture consumer perceptions of activist brands, enabling researchers to comprehend how consumers view activist brands.
This study investigates the evolving role of sustainability as a catalyst for consumer behavior. This article aims to provide a clear comprehending of the concept of sustainability, elucidate its ...practical applications, and explore how these principles can be effectively integrated into both traditional business models and the realm of e-commerce. It underscores how sustainable initiatives are influencing immediate buying choices and molding brand perceptions, consequently affecting long-term performance. Drawing upon authoritative sources like the United Nations, IBM, World Economic Forum, and the Boston Consulting Group, it furnishes a holistic grasp of brand sustainability and its wide-ranging consequences. The study discerns sustainability as an increasingly influential factor in consumer decision-making, molding instantaneous purchasing judgments and brand outlooks, with far-reaching effects on overall business success. The results of the research reveal that sustainability manifests uniquely for each brand, offering numerous avenues for conventional businesses and e-commerse to incorporate sustainability into their strategic frameworks. Brands responding agilely to sustainability will likely see better financial results. By investing strategically, disseminating initiatives effectively, and measuring their impact, sustainability can become a potent source of lasting competitive advantage.
Purpose
Consumer demand for authentic brands is steadily rising. With increased pressure to accommodate this demand, researchers and marketers seek to understand how to influence a brand’s perceived ...authenticity. The purpose of this paper is to build a link between previous research on authenticity and thus gain a deeper understanding of the influencing factors of brand authenticity and its consumer outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on an extensive literature review, the authors identify various antecedents of brand authenticity that are closely connected with the brand’s past, its virtuousness, consumers’ self-identification with the brand perceiver’s own self and individuals representing the brand, as well as relational outcomes as consequences of a brand’s perceived authenticity. As brand authenticity is a subjective construct, the authors include brand involvement to test for moderator effects. For data collection, they conduct an online survey that generates 509 datasets. To test the hypotheses, the authors use structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results demonstrate that brand authenticity can be influenced by the identified variables (i.e. brand heritage, brand nostalgia, brand commercialization, brand clarity, brand’s social commitment, brand legitimacy, actual self-congruence and employee’s passion). Moreover, brand authenticity positively affects brand relationship quality, which in turn positively influences consumers’ behavioral intentions. The analyzed relationships do not vary due to consumer-specific characteristics (i.e. brand involvement).
Originality/value
In sum, the results regarding the antecedents of brand authenticity demonstrate that a company can influence brand authenticity through different approaches, and that it is therefore important to analyze which of the identified antecedents brand management should manipulate to positively impact the perception of the brand’s authenticity. In addition, the findings confirm the positive consequences on consumer behavior ascribed to the authenticity concept by marketing literature.
Consumers' perceptions of a brand (e.g., competence or warmth) may directly affect their brand trust, purchase intention, and ability to achieving corporate goals of sustainability. However, gender ...acts as a moderator in the influence of brand perception on purchase intention. This study examined the main effects of brand perception on purchase intention, the moderating effect of gender, and the mediating effect of brand trust by conducting two experiments and a path analysis. Findings from experiment 1 show that perceived warmth and perceived competence exert significant positive effects on purchase intention with brand trust as a mediator. Findings from experiment 2 indicate that perceived warmth is influential only for female customers, not for male customers, that is, gender moderates the relationship between perceived warmth and purchase intention. However, gender does not moderate the influence of perceived competence on purchase intention. The results of the path analysis are consistent with the experimental results, indicating that the conclusions of the study are robust and reliable. Finally, theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed.
•Mass Prestige of a Brand (MPS), Brand Perception (BP), and Propensity to Pay the Premium (PPP) positively influence Brand Evangelism (BE)•Brand Happiness (BH) mediates the association of Masstige ...(MBP, BP, and PPP) with BE.•Self-pleasing experience interacts with Masstige (MBP, BP, and PPP) to enhance BH among the consumers.•Consumers’ Product Beliefs interact with brand happiness to enhance their brand evangelism.
Grounded on the Masstige theory, this study examines the direct and indirect impact of Mass Prestige of a Brand (MPB), Brand Perception (BP), and Propensity to Pay the Premium (PPP) on Brand Evangelism (BE) via Brand Happiness (BH) as a mediator. Moreover, the moderating role of Self-pleasing Experience (SPE) between Masstige and BH and the interactive effect of Product Beliefs (PB) with BH to check its impact on BE was assessed. Two independent studies using cross-sectional and time-lagged approaches were conducted among cosmetics and clothing brand consumers. Results supported all the hypothesized paths with minor differences in impact size for both studies reflecting MBP, BP, and PPP as important predictors of BE through the underlying mechanism of BH. Likewise, results reveal that SPE acts as a catalyst to enhance BH in consumers, and this happiness further interacts with PB to motivate consumers to evangelize others to buy/use prestigious brands.
Should all brands initiate online customer engagement activities to entertain consumers beyond informing them? This work presents the idea that (in)consistency between the nature of an engagement ...initiative (i.e., entertaining or informative) and the perception of the brand (i.e., warm versus competent) influences the extent to which consumers perceive the initiative to be authentic. This in turn influences consumers' evaluation of the initiative and the brand. The results show that entertaining initiatives are suited for warm brands, but backfire for competent brands, while informative initiatives are equally suited for both types of brands. These effects are driven by the perceived authenticity of the initiatives. The findings yield specific guidelines for managers about how to preserve the brand's essence in the online initiatives they launch to foster ongoing customer engagement. The effects were found in four experiments and one field study, generalizing across different online media platforms (i.e., Instagram, Facebook, brand website), products and services (i.e., shoes, groceries, and recipe deliveries), and samples (i.e., Mturk, Prolific, students).
•We address an explanation for mixed outcomes of customer engagement initiatives.•(In)consistency between engagement initiative and brand perception affects authenticity.•Entertaining online initiatives are perceived as more authentic for warm than for competent brands.•Informative online initiatives are perceived as equally authentic for warm and competent brands.•Perceived authenticity affects consumers' evaluation of the initiative and brand.
As for homestays in China, the embedded distinctiveness is enriched by China's uniqueness in geographical conditions and cultural connotations. Consequently, for the sake of enhanced influences on ...the homestay market, an ascending number of peculiar homestay brands are forged and developed to raise their identification, recognition, and attraction.
This paper probes into the relevance involving host-guest interaction, brand perception, and tourist behavior intention.
The social exchange theory and brand relationship theory are adopted for the questionnaire survey to collect the data which are processed and verified through principal component analysis and linear regression.
First, host-guest interaction of homestays casts positive effects on tourist behavior intention. Secondly, host-guest interaction of homestays positively impacts brand perception. Thirdly, homestay brand perception imposes mediator effects on host-guest interaction and tourist behavior intention.
Contribution/Value: First, more emotional interpersonal communication is to be input. Secondly, the homestay brand perception that could never be replicated is to be shaped.
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