Driven by the competitive market that product designers face today, a growing interest emerges in exploring experiential material qualities to enhance product experience. The maturing of the research ...area calls for standardization to evolve to more streamlined and systematic approaches to conduct characterization experiments. To this aim, we conducted a literature review on 64 cases of experiential characterization studies in the materials and design domain. In this paper, we summarize the current state of the art, formulate an overview to facilitate systematic studies to explore experiential qualities of materials, and identify gaps or opportunities for further research. The presented learnings shed light on the following aspects used in materials experience studies: (i) variables, (ii) stimuli, (iii) interaction modalities, (iv) experimental set-up, (v) methods employed in the conducted studies, and (vi) respondents. Two important gaps were identified with regard to the physical material representations in an abstract form as a critical element for multimodal material characterization experiments, and to an integration of extensive user aspects beyond demographic variables to facilitate consumer segmentation. Additional future research suggestions were formulated, concerning within-material-class comparisons, complementary methods and experimental set-up, and the temporality of materials experience.
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•Abstract physical material representations are defined as crucial aspect of multimodal material characterization experiments.•The integration of extensive user aspects is needed to facilitate consumer segmentation within materials experience context.•A gap is defined in longitudinal studies to understand the temporality of materials experience.
AbstractThe present paper is a systematic review that brings together and systematizes the articles on luxury marketing based on the target segment’s religion. Religion is believed to guide ...consumers’ judgments and decisions toward luxury. The mainstream marketing literature has not focused properly on Muslims who make a growing potential market niche that is agreed to require a customized approach. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first attempt undertaken to systematize existing research in this field. A review protocol is designed and implemented. A total of 46 articles on consumer behavior toward luxury sourced from 2011 in peer-reviewed academic journal studies are analyzed. A novel model has been developed which identifies four luxury purchase predictors and offers comprehensive dimensions of each. Based on the identified literature gaps, the study offers suggestions for future researchers as well as luxury marketing practitioners to advance their marketing strategies. This paper theoretically contributes to the existing literature on luxury marketing by proposing a novel framework that can be tested in different marketplaces and used for comparative purposes. The review adds structure and integrates the different findings to enable wider dissemination of the results to audiences interested in marketing luxury considering consumers’ personal, social, cultural, religious, and global factors.
This study investigates the effects of self-ecotourism personality differences on consumer perceptions of actual, ideal and social self-ecotourism congruity. Additionally, we study the effects of ...actual, ideal and social self-ecotourism congruity on the willingness to pay more for ecotourism. Finally, our study explores to what extent demographic variables moderate the effect of self-ecotourism personality differences on consumer perceptions of self-ecotourism congruity and of self-ecotourism congruity on the willingness to pay more for ecotourism. This moderated mediation model is tested in a sample of 1041 adult consumers from the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium (Flanders), and the data are analyzed with multi-group structural equation modelling. The results show that the more ecotourism is perceived to have a stronger responsible, emotional and, to a certain extent active, personality than a respondent’s personality, the more ecotourism is considered by that person as congruent with the actual, ideal and/or social self. In turn, actual, ideal and social self-ecotourism congruity increase the willingness to pay more for ecotourism. Demographic factors, particularly gender and level of income, significantly moderate this process. Contributions to self-congruity theory and the role of individual and brand personality are offered, as well as managerial implications for branding and promoting ecotourism.
•A more responsible and emotional self-ecotourism personality is more self-congruent.•A more active self-ecotourism personality is more congruent with the ideal self.•Self-ecotourism congruity determines the willingness to pay more for ecotourism.•This personality and congruity mechanism differs between demographic segments.
In this article we adopt a systemic view to investigate the multidisciplinary challenges for managing communication within complex multistakeholder settings. We zoom in on communication challenges ...from a multilevel perspective distinguishing a macro level (i.e. the entire stakeholder network), a meso level (i.e. communication and media players connecting the macro - and micro level) and a micro level (i.e. stakeholder engagement journey). In doing so, we review literature from multiple research domains within and across marketing communication and (social) sciences disciplines, we derive the main research gaps and propose a more diversified and multidisciplinary approach in addressing future communication research in complex multistakeholder settings.
Personal values, green self-identity and ethical motives have been widely studied as important, but mostly separate, predictors of pro-environmental behaviors. Scholars call for more research on the ...combined effects of these variables, to explain pro-environmental behavior. In this regard, this study presents a model of electric car adoption intention, in which personal values determine green self-identity, which in turn influences consumer intention to adopt electric cars directly and also indirectly via ethical motives of ecological care and moral obligation. Second, this work explores how personal values moderate the relationships between green self-identity, ecological care, moral obligation and electric car adoption intention.
Data were collected through a survey in a sample of 2005 car drivers residing in Belgium, Denmark and Italy. Results confirm that four value domains (i.e., self-transcendence, self-enhancement, openness-to-change and conservation) influence green self-identity, which in turn determines consumer intention to adopt electric cars both directly and indirectly via ecological care and moral obligation motivations. Furthermore, consumers who find self-transcendent and openness-to-change values important tend to express their green self-identity directly into intentions and through moral obligation evaluations. Conversely, individuals who find self-enhancement values important express their green self-identity directly into intentions, while they take the ecological and moral considerations to behave green less into account. Finally, consumers who find conservation values important translate their green self-identity less into intentions to adopt electric cars, and tend to consider less the ecological and moral aspects of consumption choices.
Microalgae-based food is a source of proteins that, in comparison to meat, offers significant environmental and health-related benefits. A successful market introduction largely depends on consumer ...acceptance of this food. The current study investigates the motivational drivers and barriers of the adoption of Spirulina (a specific type of micro-alga)-enhanced food. By means of two qualitative studies and a quantitative survey with 1325 Belgian participants, early adopter consumer segments of Spirulina-enhanced food are identified (sporting individuals, vegetarians and foodies), and compared with a contrast group (life enjoyers). The motivational drivers and barriers to the adoption of eco-friendly Spirulina-enhanced food across the identified consumer segments is assessed. The results show that health consciousness and the willingness to compromise on taste are major motivational drivers of the adoption intention for sporting individuals, vegetarians and foodies. Neophobia only has a negative effect on this adoption intention for the foodies, while it does not play a role for sporting individuals and vegetarians. Neither food involvement nor environmental concern is a significant driver of Spirulina-enhanced food adoption intention. Implications for marketers and for policy makers are proposed.
•Sporters, vegetarians and foodies are early adopters of eco-friendly Spirulina-enhanced food.•Health consciousness and the willingness to compromise on taste are motivators to adopt this food.•Neophobia only has a negative effect on this adoption intention for the foodies.•Neither food involvement nor environmental concern is a driver to adopt Spirulina-enhanced food.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate “how” and “when” the stereotypes of competence and warmth, that are evoked by a foreign company’s country-of-origin (COO), affect blame ...attributions and/or attitudes toward a company’s products when a company is involved in a product-harm crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
Study 1 (n=883) analyzes the psychological mechanisms through which perceived COO competence and warmth differently affect blame attributions and evaluative responses. Study 2 (n=1,640) replicates Study 1’s findings, and it also investigates how consumer ethnocentrism, animosity toward a country, and product category characteristics moderate the hypothesized COO’s effects.
Findings
COO competence leads to more favorable attitudes toward the involved company’s products. This effect increases when the company sells high-involvement or utilitarian products. COO warmth leads to more favorable attitudes toward the involved company’s products directly as well as indirectly by diminishing blame attributions. These effects increase when consumers are highly ethnocentric, or the animosity toward a foreign country is high.
Originality/value
This paper frames the investigation of COO stereotypes in a new theoretical and empirical setting, specifically, a product-harm crisis. It demonstrates that consumers differently evaluate a potential wrongdoing company and its harmful products in a product-harm crisis based on their perceptions of a company’s COO competence and warmth. Finally, it defines the moderating effects of individual, consumer-country-related and product characteristics on the hypothesized COO effects.
Contemporary online advertising is characterized by the integration of advertising in other content and brand interactivity. Integrated advertising embeds a persuasive message into informative or ...entertaining content. Brand interactivity refers to interactions consumers have with brands in advertising messages. A two (integration vs. no integration) x two (brand interactivity vs. no brand interactivity) between subjects experiment (n = 576) examines the effect of online advertising's brand interactivity and its integration in other content on young teenagers' (11–14 years) brand memory, awareness of selling intent, critical processing, brand attitude, and their personal information sharing. Brand interactivity has a positive effect on memory, awareness of selling intent, brand attitude and personal information sharing. Integration of advertising in other content has a negative effect on memory, but has no effect on awareness of selling intent, brand attitude and personal information sharing. Surprisingly, awareness of selling intent leads to less critical processing. The main contribution of the study is that it disentangles the effects of brand interactivity and message integration in contemporary advertising formats, and suggests adaptations to well-known theories, such as the Affect Transfer Mechanism and the Persuasion Knowledge Model, in the context of young teenagers' responses to these formats.
•Brand interactivity enhances young teenagers' brand information recognition.•Brand interactivity enhances young teenagers' brand attitude.•Not integrating brands in ads enhances brand information recognition & brand attitude.•Interactivity enhances awareness of selling intent & brand inclusion's appropriateness.•Brand attitude has a positive effect on personal data sharing.
Environmental sustainability in sport management is emerging as a topic of concern. The current paper reports on a study that address the desirability and feasibility of repair solutions in the ...domain of sport equipment with a short lifespan. A badminton shuttle is taken as a case study. By means of video observations (n = 8), a survey among badminton players (n = 404) and an expert interview, the desirability issue was addressed. A research by design approach was used to gain insights in the feasibility of repairing feathered badminton shuttles taking into consideration three important elements: disassembly, reassembly and quality control. Feathered badminton shuttles do have an impact on the environment as they are on averaged bought and used at an amount of 133 shuttles per player per season and discarded in more than 97% of the cases after use. Users of shuttles are triggered by cost savings and by environmental consequences of repair, but still prefer recycling above repairing as a sustainable strategy. They have a slightly preference for a full service option for repairable shuttles, but consider possible alternatives to get access to repairable product as too abstract. The repair process of the feathered shuttle is technical feasible, convenient, time efficient and cost efficient and results in good quality products. Though, the research was conducted using a mix of methods and approached diverse topics of concern when considering repair of consumable sport equipment, researchers ask for further investigation as well to deepen insights in adoption processes of repairable products, to strengthen insights in design processes for repair as to conceive appropriate business models for this emerging product-service category.
•Badminton shuttles have a lifetime of only 8 min during competition and are not recyclable afterwards.•Repair must focus on replacement of the shuttles' feathers as these are most fragile and have a high environmental impact.•Repair of badminton shuttles is technically feasible and realizes a considerable lifetime extension without loss of quality.•Adoption of repaired shuttles is desirable on condition of equal quality and performance.
•Reusable alternatives to wasteful single-use products are often discarded before they reach their end of life.•Barriers to long-term reuse are related to user willingness, ability, and routine and ...differ between product categories.•Proposed interventions target long-term behavior and the development of sustained routines after the adoption phase.•Concrete recommendations for designers increase the chance of long-term reuse, benefiting society and the environment.•In the future, case-based research can help finetune the categories to make them more applicable.
With escalating concerns about pollution and resource depletion caused by single-use products, the need to adopt reusable alternatives is widely acknowledged. This paper presents an investigation into the barriers and motivators to the long-term use of reusable products. The qualitative research consists of thirty-two semi-structured interviews with consumers, addressing the acquisition, usage, and discontinuation of the use of reusable products. From the results, we distinguished four product categories - intimate care, daily shopping, at home, and on the go - providing tailored insights into specific barriers. Next to this, we argue that willingness, ability, and routine are needed to increase the chances of successful long-term reuse. Based on these insights, we developed suggestions for designers including several design strategies and intervention points. We recommend incorporating the suggested product categories into future research, delving into persistent usage thresholds through case studies. Besides this, alternative reuse models should be further explored.
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