Purpose Most countries and companies are embracing environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities to achieve sustainability; however, it has increased corporate greenwashing promotion and raised consumer exposure to irrational statements. This study aims to provide an evidence-based framework for corporate strategic ESG investment by quantifying the economic value of activities, overcoming greenwashing issues and measuring the relative importance of each green activity. By moving beyond consumer awareness, this research provides specific managerial solutions for rebuilding consumer trust and making credible ESG commitments. Design/methodology/approach Using contingent valuation and swing weighting methods, data from 1,000 South Korean respondents are analyzed to measure willingness-to-pay (WTP) for corporate anti-greenwashing activities. The Seemingly Unrelated Regressions method in this study reveals the experimental and cognitive factors differentiating the value of each green activity. Findings Consumers are willing to pay approximately 7% additional cost on annual plastic consumption expenses to support corporate efforts against greenwashing. Preferences vary based on prior experiences and values. Environmentally friendly activities receive slightly higher support than integrity-related initiatives. Practical implications The results of this study help corporations establish environmentally friendly strategies aligned with consumer preferences and determine acceptable green product price increases. Our findings provide an evidence-based framework to counteract customers' skepticism by identifying corporate green activities as credible ESG progress and offering a clear pathway to ensure financial benefits and public trust repair. Originality/value This study moves beyond consumer-level awareness of greenwashing to provide corporate strategy insights. Quantifying the economic value of green trust recovery and identifying preferred ESG activities offer novel perspectives on developing sustainability strategies with public support.
Purpose The current work investigates how consumers process sensory, affective, behavioural and intellectual brand experiences in the immersive environment of metaverse and the moderating role of product types (utilitarian vs hedonic).Design/methodology/approach This research follows a between-subject experimental design consisting of three studies with a 2 & times;2 factorial design of Immersion (Low vs High) and Product Types (Utilitarian vs Hedonic) covering 496 participants. Hypotheses were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and process model for mediation analysis.Findings The findings reveal that fun mediates the affective elaboration to influence sensory and affective brand experiences for hedonic products. Perceived diagnosticity mediates the cognitive elaboration to influence behavioural and intellectual brand experiences for both utilitarian and hedonic products. Social presence mediates both cognitive and affective elaboration to influence the sensory, affective, behavioural and intellectual brand experiences of hedonic products.Originality/value The current work contributes to the literature by examining brand experience in virtual environments of metaverse from a fresh perspective of affective-cognitive elaboration. It provides a nuanced perspective on the causal elements of fun, perceived diagnosticity and social presence that enhance the sensory and cognitive experiences of users in an immersive virtual environment. Additionally, the work establishes the boundary condition of product types (utilitarian vs hedonic) and provides impetus for brands to create engaging experiences that appeal to the mind and senses.
Purpose This study investigates how influencer type (human vs virtual) and emotional appeal (nostalgic vs neutral) interact to shape consumers' green purchase intentions within the context of social media influencer (SMI) marketing.Design/methodology/approach A 2 (influencer type: human influencer vs virtual influencer) & times; 2 (emotional appeal: nostalgia vs neutral) between-subjects online experiment was conducted using Weibo-based advertisements promoting an eco-friendly product. The study also examines the mediating roles of concerns for social connection and creativity.Findings Results reveal a significant interaction between influencer type and emotional appeal. Human influencers (HIs) paired with nostalgic appeals elicit higher green purchase intentions than other conditions, while virtual influencers (VIs) are more effective when using neutral emotional appeals. Furthermore, the effect of HIs using nostalgic appeals is mediated by consumers' concerns for social connection, whereas the effect of VIs using neutral appeals is mediated by concerns for creativity.Originality/value This study contributes to influencer marketing and green advertising research by identifying effective combinations of influencer type and emotional appeal. It advances understanding of how emotional fit and psychological mechanisms drive green consumption and offers strategic insights for optimizing both human and virtual influencer campaigns in sustainability-oriented marketing.
Purpose This study aims to investigate how choice sets influence consumers' sequential health product choices. We examined how their composition (homogeneous vs mixed) affected consumers' perception of hedonic value in a prior health product and their subsequent health choices, considering consumption timing and consumers' age differences.Design/methodology/approach We used a scenario-based experimental design with two studies. Study 1 (n = 196) examined whether choice set type (mixed vs homogeneous) affected perceived hedonic value and subsequent choices. Study 2 (n = 431) replicated Study 1 and added consumption timing (same vs different) as a factor, using a 2 & times; 2 between-subjects design with mediation analysis.Findings Health products chosen from a mixed choice set were perceived as lower hedonic than those from a homogeneous set, decreasing preference for health products in subsequent choice situations when consumption timing was the same. However, with different consumption timing, mixed choice sets better promote sequential health choices. These effects were stronger among younger consumers (aged 20-43 years).Originality/value The originality lies in identifying choice sets as marketing interventions that influence sequential health choices. Previous research focused on one-shot decisions; this study uniquely reveals how choice set composition in prior health choice situations affects perceived hedonic value and subsequent health choices, bridging marketing with sequential choice psychology.
Purpose This study aims to explore the role of marketing using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the competitive marketing performance of small businesses (SMBs), utilising the Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities (DC), and the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework. Design/methodology/approach This research examines the existing literature on the relationship between Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and marketing, with a particular focus on its role in competitive marketing performance in SMBs, following the PRISMA guidelines. This analysis aims to enhance understanding of how SMBs can leverage GenAI in their marketing strategies to improve their competitive edge, while underscoring the significance of limited budgets, niche-market focus, the development of AI competencies and infrastructure, and ethical considerations. Findings This research develops a theoretical framework that proposes eight key research propositions for GenAI marketing. Using this framework, chatbots, multimodal GenAI, large language models, and deep learning in GenAI can significantly improve competitive marketing performance by increasing revenue, reducing costs, maintaining business continuity, and enhancing positive customer experiences and retention, particularly when applied through personalised customer interactions, high-quality marketing content creation, and data analytics for market insights. Additionally, factors such as limited budgets, niche market focus, AI expertise, infrastructure development, and ethical considerations may shape the interaction between GenAI and marketing in small businesses. Originality/value Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities (DC), and the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework, together with existing literature on GenAI-enabled marketing and competitive marketing performance, this study develops a theoretical framework that explains the relationships among GenAI, marketing, and the competitive marketing performance of SMBs. The research emphasises the link between GenAI and marketing, examining its effect on competitive marketing performance, while also considering influencing factors such as limited budgets, a focus on niche markets, improvements in AI skills and infrastructure, and ethical concerns.
Purpose This study applies behavioral reasoning theory (BRT), which emphasizes values and context-specific reasons, to analyze behavioral factors for a deeper understanding of socially responsible consumption (SRC) adoption intention. Furthermore, it incorporates multi-dimensional consumption values to strengthen the explanation of SRC adoption intention within the BRT framework. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a consequent mixed-method approach, integrating qualitative thematic analysis alongside quantitative partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The qualitative study identifies “social influence,” “awareness of consequences” and “warm glow” as potential reasons supporting SRC adoption and “perceived expensiveness” and “skepticism” as reasons against it. The study also finds that the “low availability” of SRC-promoting products moderates the effects of “consumption values,” “attitude” and “reasons for” SRC adoption intention. The quantitative study confirmed these findings, and together, both studies offer conclusive insights. Research limitations/implications This study bridges gaps in SRC literature by addressing value-attitude and attitude-intention discrepancies while expanding BRT with a multidimensional approach. It helps businesses achieve Sustainable Development Goal 12 by aligning marketing strategies with diverse consumer values and context-specific reasons. Additionally, this study highlights low product availability as a moderating barrier, urging businesses to enhance visibility and accessibility through strategic marketing activities. Originality/value This study enriches SRC literature by investigating beyond prior research that focused only on motivators and single-dimensional values influencing attitudes and intentions. Expanding on BRT, this study examines how multidimensional values shape SRC intention while considering both reasons for (motivators) and reasons against (barriers) adoption.
Purpose This research investigates the direct and interactive effects of distributive, procedural and interactional justice on relationship performance. Based on social exchange and contingency theories, it aims to resolve the contradictory views on whether justice dimensions interact in a complementary or compensatory manner, providing a comprehensive perspective on the vital role of justice in channel relationships. Design/methodology/approach This research used primary data gathered from 253 Indian general trade consumer durable distributors. The structural equation modeling approach is used to analyze the direct and interactive effects in the research model. Findings This study finds that although the three-justice dimensions improve relationship performance, distributive justice substantially impacts the Indian distribution system. Further, aligned with contingency theory, distributive and procedural justice reveal compensatory (i.e. negative) interaction, while consistent with social exchange theory, distributive and interactional justice exhibit complementary (i.e. positive) interaction. Research limitations/implications This study provides novel insights into the differential direct and interactive impacts of three justice dimensions on channel performance and recommends context-specific justice strategies for distribution channels in emerging markets. Practical implications The findings suggest that managers should design channel policies that recognize the importance of justice perceptions and strategically allocate resources to raise the perceptions of a specific or constrained justice dimension to optimize channel performance. Originality/value Prior studies offered contradicting views on how the three-justice dimensions interact; however, this study resolves these inconsistencies by highlighting the important role of context in shaping the nature of these interactions.
Purpose Retailers' lifetime value has implications for practice and research, but little research has dealt with it using a pragmatic approach to date. This study aims to calibrate retailers' lifetime value and provide new perspectives in framing marketing strategies and tactics to enhance shareholder value.Design/methodology/approach Real-world data were collected from 900 retailers and from internal records of two fast-moving consumer goods companies. Multiplicative and Poisson regression models were applied, and two lifetime-value models - discounted cash flow and Pareto - were incorporated.Findings The discounted cash flow model captured the group's lifetime value more accurately, and the Pareto model captured individual retailer lifetime value more accurately. In fact, the discounted cash flow model underestimated, and the Pareto model overestimated retailers' lifetime value.Practical implications The findings should help managers to design marketing actions for individual retailers and groups of retailers to increase shareholder value in the retail setting.Originality/value By modeling and expanding the horizons of the retailer's lifetime value theory using real-world, objective data, this research makes a significant contribution to the body of marketing and retailing literature.
Purpose Social media creates opportunities for organizational improvement in general and in functions such as marketing. Cultural attributes of employees also affect the ways in which communication channels are used and, therefore, affect organizational goals and decision-making. We empirically investigate the effect of employee cultural dimensions on social media use and its implications for organizations in general and in functions such as marketing. This is likely to be the first study to connect cultural dimensions to social media use. Design/methodology/approach We use survey data and statistical analysis to investigate the moderating effect of cultural dimensions on productivity through the use of social media and face-to-face communications. The social media platforms analyzed in our study are Facebook and a general category denoted as “Other Social Media” to capture excluded platforms and enterprise-specific social media. The cultural dimensions analyzed are power distance (PD), uncertainty avoidance (UA) and individualism-collectivism (IC). We use arguments derived from prior literature on social media use and cultural dimensions to develop our hypotheses. Findings Not surprisingly, face-to-face communication is strongly associated with productivity and this result is in consonance with intuition. However, Facebook is negatively associated with productivity, whereas other social media is positively associated with productivity. However, when we introduce Hofstede's cultural dimensions as a moderator, the negative effect of Facebook on productivity is amplified for employees with high UA. Research limitations/implications Our research findings are (1) limited by the demographic constraints of the survey data, (2) limited to Hofstede's cultural dimensions and (3) that the data is self-reported from the surveys. Implications are that any generalizations may need to take these limitations into consideration. However, these limitations provide an opportunity for other scholars to expand on this work and mitigate some of these limitations. Practical implications Firms can develop marketing and communications strategies that improve productivity and marketing success through understanding the role of cultural attributes on the effectiveness of social media platforms. Organizations should not rely exclusively on social media platforms and may have to fall back on the traditional tried-and-true mode of face-to-face communication. Firms can benefit from constraining the use of platforms such as Facebook that drain productivity, particularly when high UA is a prevalent cultural trait. Our findings from the other social media category suggest that firms can enhance productivity by having an enterprise-oriented social media platform. Social implications Implications across the globe are: (1) the need to recognize and understand the effect of social media usage on productivity, (2) the simultaneous need to understand the cultural attributes of employees, which have implications for global and country-wide strategies and (3) the need to take proactive steps to improve workplace productivity after accounting for cultural differences. Physical meetings may need to be complemented by other digital forms of communication. Instead of relying on serendipity, firms could institute formal policies for periodic face-to-face meetings. In the context of global teams, the frequency and nature of such meetings have to be considered. Originality/value To the best of our knowledge, such a study has not been undertaken previously. This would be the first such study to connect cultural dimension characteristics of individuals to social media usage and traditional face-to-face communications to organizational outcomes such as productivity.
PurposeThis study investigates the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistants (VAs)' conversational styles on consumer attitudes. This study addresses the following research questions: 1. How do AI conversation styles (abstract vs concrete) influence consumer attitudes in hedonic and utilitarian service contexts? 2. What role does regulatory focus (promotion vs prevention) play in moderating the relationship between AI conversation styles and consumer attitudes? 3. How can AI developers optimize conversation styles to enhance user satisfaction and engagement based on service context and regulatory focus?.Design/methodology/approachFour experiments were conducted to explore the effect of AI VAs' conversational styles on consumer attitudes.FindingsThe results indicate a significant interaction between conversational styles, usage context and regulatory focus. In hedonic contexts, an abstract conversational style enhances consumers' positive attitudes, whereas in utilitarian contexts, a concrete conversational style has a more pronounced effect. Additionally, consumers with a promotion focus tend to evaluate abstract conversational styles more favorably, while those with a prevention focus exhibit a preference for concrete conversational styles. These findings offer valuable insights for designing AI VAs, suggesting that optimizing conversational style based on usage context and consumers' psychological states can enhance user satisfaction.Originality/valueThis research offers a comprehensive understanding of when and how AI conversation styles should be tailored to optimize consumer satisfaction and engagement. From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the literature by integrating service context and regulatory focus into the discourse on AI conversation styles. It provides a nuanced framework for designing AI VAs that resonate with users' emotional and functional needs across different contexts. Managerially, the findings offer actionable insights for AI developers and marketers to enhance user experience by customizing conversation styles according to specific usage scenarios and user psychological orientations.
PurposeGiven the fast-paced integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing practices, this study aims to investigate how AI-enhanced marketing agility influences marketing ROI through customer engagement and sales performance in Chinese e-commerce SMEs.Design/methodology/approachDrawing from dynamic capabilities theory (DCT) and the resource-based view (RBV), and using survey data from 317 marketing managers and executives, we combined partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis and artificial neural networks (ANN) to validate our theoretical framework.FindingsWe examined how AI can enhance the established dimensions of marketing agility, revealing distinct operational mechanisms and value-creation pathways: AI enables marketing agility to operate through parallel dual-mediation pathways, i.e. simultaneously enhancing customer engagement and sales performance, an uncommon phenomenon under traditional resource constraints.Originality/valueWhile previous literature has established that marketing agility enhances firm performance, this study's novelty lies in the "parallel dual mediation" framework, which extends our understanding previously confined by assumed resource trade-offs. Also, AI-enhanced agility exhibits both autonomous operation and synergistic integration, which refines linear capability-performance assumptions. These findings offer practitioners valuable insights and caveats on leveraging AI technology to enhance marketing performance.
PurposeThis study aims to explore the mechanisms of action between cross-boundary cooperation differentiation of time-honored brands (THBs) and brand trust.Design/methodology/approachSix groups of cross-boundary cooperation cases of time-honored brands (THBs) were selected as research objects based on social cognitive theory. Seven hundred and ten valid questionnaires obtained through a network platform called SoJump were employed to explain the synergistic relationship and internal mechanism among cross-boundary cooperation differentiation of THBs, perceived coolness and brand trust. Furthermore, the moderating effect of consumer traditionality was analyzed.FindingsCross-boundary cooperation, product differentiation and image differentiation of THBs have a significantly positive influence on brand trust. Perceived coolness mediates the influence of cross-boundary cooperation, product differentiation and image differentiation of time-honored brands (THBs) on brand trust. Consumer traditionality shows a negative moderating effect in the action path of cross-boundary cooperation, product differentiation and image differentiation of THBs and brand trust.Originality/valueThe obtained conclusions clarify and perfect the key path of cross-boundary cooperation of THBs influencing brand trust, providing theoretical evidence for THBs to rapidly determine consumption demands in the digital era and promote rapid development through brand cross-boundary innovation. This study also provides practical inspiration for bridging the gap between the traditional skills of THBs and consumers' demand for freshness.
PurposeThis study examines how inter-organizational partnership characteristics-specifically goal alignment, partnership duration, and stakeholder diversity-affect corporate sustainability, and investigates the moderating role of alliance management capability (AMC) in resource-constrained innovation ecosystems.Design/methodology/approachWe surveyed 202 managers and employees at firms in the University of Tehran Science and Technology Park using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsAll three partnership characteristics-goal alignment, partnership duration, and stakeholder diversity-have significant positive effects on corporate sustainability. Notably, AMC exerts a paradoxical moderating role: it amplifies the positive impact of long-term partnerships but diminishes the effects of goal alignment and stakeholder diversity in high-AMC firms.Originality/valueThis study advances theory by demonstrating the paradoxical effects of AMC, showing that it can both enable and constrain sustainability outcomes depending on partnership characteristics, thereby extending the Resource-Based View and the Information Overload Hypothesis. Practically, the findings provide actionable guidance for managers to optimize partnership portfolios and strengthen sustainability strategies in innovation-driven and resource-constrained environments.
PurposeWith the boom of shale oil and gas in the USA as the context, the quick expansion of pipeline networks has garnered public concern regarding the economic consequences of pipeline failures.Design/methodology/approachThe survey examined 426 gas pipeline accidents in the USA from 2010 to 2020 and examined their impact on housing prices.FindingsIt was found that only a very serious accident on the ground pipeline (for example, an explosion, a fire and someone else was injured, which we called a "high exposure events"), reduce the price of a neighboring house, and other types of accidents did not cause any major changes in housing prices. Further analysis also showed that high exposure events would reduce housing prices within 1 billion meters of the pipeline by 8.2%, and this poor effect lasted an average of about 8 years.Originality/valueIn addition, we found that at the beginning of the business, the volume of the real estate transaction fell slightly, which shows that the power side of demand responds quickly to such things. Compared to the apparent impact of the pipeline accident, the impact of the pipeline installation on housing prices is not great, and statistically little meaning. The study also showed that different types of things are very different, so it is impossible to summarize all the situations with the results of the same thing.
PurposeThe study investigates the impact of sponsorships on brand value, the numerical value of brand equity.Design/methodology/approachOur sample consists of annual observations for 106 firms publicly traded on the major US exchanges for the period from 2000 to 2020. We follow an empirical modeling approach.FindingsOur estimates show that while Olympic sponsorships significantly improve brand valuations reported by Interbrand. However, the favorable impact on brand value grows in magnitude with sponsorship duration, but it falls as firm size and advertising expense increase. The results provide novel insights into the branding effects of Olympic sponsorships. Robustness checks support these results.Originality/valueWe draw on the social impact theory to propose variables that account for the strength, immediacy and the number of influencing sources for the Olympics and those firms sponsoring the games.
PurposeThis research investigates how AI assistants enhance user adoption intention and value co-creation (VCC) through appraisal support, a form of social support that makes users feel valued and supported, beyond merely receiving information. It explores the psychological and behavioral impacts of AI-driven appraisal support on technology adoption.Design/methodology/approachAcross four experimental, scenario-based studies, the research examines how AI-delivered appraisal support influences the adoption of AI services and VCC. It focuses on the mediating role of social cognition, specifically, users' perceptions of AI warmth and competence.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that AI-delivered appraisal support significantly increases the adoption intention of AI-facilitated apps (Studies 1 and 2) and enhances value co-creation (Studies 3 and 4). Furthermore, self-efficacy is a key moderator affecting the relationship between social cognition and VCC (Study 5).Practical implicationsThis research provides actionable insights for managers, suggesting the development of user-friendly features that enhance the social dimensions of human-machine interactions. Such features can boost the likelihood of adopting AI services and foster a culture of value co-creation.Originality/valueBy focusing on appraisal support, this study fills a gap in understanding the social dimensions of AI interactions. It highlights the importance of users feeling involved, cared for and respected in their interactions with AI.
PurposeThis article investigates the influence of marketing and organizational innovation practices on supply chain risk management (SCRM) capabilities, namely resilience and robustness, and examines both their direct and indirect effects on enhancing overall SCRM performance.Design/methodology/approachThis is explanatory research using a deductive approach. This study uses survey data from 267 manufacturing export firms analysed through partial least squares structural equation modelling.FindingsThe findings suggest that marketing innovation (MI) and organizational innovation (OI) practices significantly strengthen supply chain risk management (SCRM) capabilities, specifically robustness and resilience, which subsequently exert a substantial influence on enhancing SCRMP. Beyond these direct relationships, the analysis further indicates that MI contributes to SCRMP indirectly through both resilience and robustness, demonstrating partial mediation, whereas the effect of OI on SCRMP is realized exclusively through resilience and robustness, thereby evidencing full mediation.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the supply chain management (SCM) literature by linking innovation and supply chain risk management (SCRM), an area that has only recently gained attention. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study offers one of the first comprehensive examinations of how marketing innovation (MI) and organizational innovation (OI) relate with existing strategies to build resilience and robustness as core SCRM capabilities. In doing so, it contributes to both theory and practice by providing a broader perspective on the mechanisms through which innovation supports sustained SCRM performance.
PurposeToday, the metaverse is gaining prominence as a virtual space for forthcoming technological transformation, but its mass adoption remains limited. Its widespread adoption is hindered by several barriers, which affects it integration in the daily use. The study aims to identify and rank the barriers by providing comprehensive insights into their interconnected influences.Design/methodology/approachThrough the extensive literature review, 10 significant barriers were identified. Thereafter, the responses were gathered from 32 experts from academia and industry through a structured questionnaire. Later, grey influence analysis (GINA) was applied to rank the most significant barriers.FindingsThe findings reveal that privacy and security concerns, integration and interaction challenges and ethical and legal constraints are the top-ranked barriers. However, speed and cost constraints, tech-triggered health issues and environmental concerns were found to exert least influence. The GINA model further determines the cause-effect relationship among barriers by showing high-impact factors trigger cascading effects on other adoption challenges.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's results are generalized, and they may differ across different sectors, industries and user demographics. Future research can work to examine longitudinal and sectoral variations in adoption behavior.Practical implicationsThis study offers an advice to policymakers, platform developers and educators for addressing main issues like investing in privacy protection, digital literacy campaigns and inclusive policy framework to reduce the entry of barriers.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this study is the first one to apply GINA for the metaverse adoption by offering a systematic understanding of metaverse adoption barriers like how they influence each other. It gives a unique order of barrier influence, contributing a new systematic perspective to metaverse adoption research.
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop and validate a suitable measure for the perceived artificial intelligence usefulness (PAIU) construct in the context of online shopping.Design/methodology/approachThis study is descriptive and cross-sectional in nature. The term PAIU is conceptualized based on a literature review. It is then followed by the development and validation of the PAIU construct based on the procedure listed by Churchill (1979).FindingsThe findings reveal that the PAIU construct can be conceptualized as a first-order reflective second-order formative construct. The PAIU construct has four dimensions, namely recommender systems (RS) compatibility (5 items), content quality (CQ) (6 items), search functionality (SF) (5 items) and personalized communication (PC) (4 items), having a total of 20 items.Originality/valueThe study adds to the existing body of knowledge in two ways. Firstly, according to the best of the authors' knowledge, no published paper has so far conceptualized PAIU in the context of online shopping. Secondly, this study is unique as it construed PAIU as a first-order reflective second-order formative construct, by specifying the reasons and thereby justifying it as a formative concept.
PurposeThis study investigates how the platform's adoption of traffic pricing strategies (uniform pricing vs. time-segment pricing) affects creator decisions and platform profitability when creators can manage private domain traffic. Furthermore, it analyzes how these results are influenced by key factors, such as traffic conversion rate, market run effect and platform revenue-sharing ratio.Design/methodology/approachConsidering the fact that creators already possess the capability to manage private domain traffic, this paper constructs a three-stage game model involving a platform, a creator and a user.FindingsThe findings indicate that time-segment pricing outperforms uniform pricing, yielding higher profits for the platform. Across both strategies, platform traffic price rises with its conversion rate. Under time-segment pricing, regular time traffic price falls as the market run effect from prime time strengthens. Additionally, a higher revenue-sharing ratio leads creators to invest less in private domain traffic while buying more platform traffic.Originality/valueThis study fills the research gap by incorporating manageable private domain traffic and traffic temporal fluctuations into platform traffic pricing research, offering novel insights for traffic pricing management.
