This study investigates the impact of influencer marketing on impulsive buying behavior and overconsumption among young consumers by utilising the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM). In an era of massive global advertising expenditure, this research examines how digital stimuli and parasocial interactions trigger spontaneous purchasing decisions. Adopting a descriptive and exploratory quantitative design, data was collected via an online survey focusing on the young consumer demographic. The results identify a “Persuasion Knowledge Paradox,” where a significant majority of participants express skepticism toward paid advertisements, yet nearly half engaged in immediate impulsive purchases. These findings suggest that the “Illusion of Friendship,” or parasocial interaction, functions as a psychological bypass that allows affective triggers to override cognitive critical defences. Notably, a substantial portion of the sample reported post-purchase regret, owning items purchased via social media that remain largely unused. While limited by the use of a convenience sample, the study highlights the risks of digital overconsumption and financial vulnerability for young consumers in the modern social commerce landscape. Ultimately, this paper contributes to the literature by explicitly linking the relational intimacy of influencer marketing to the physical manifestation of overconsumption, providing a nuanced understanding of how contemporary digital environments facilitate a transition from cognitive awareness to spontaneous consumption.
Background: The influence of social media advertising on consumer behaviour has received significant acceptance. However, there exist limited knowledge on the mechanisms through which advertising quality impacts purchase intention. Even though the direct influence of social media advertising on consumer behaviour has been widely researched, the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between advertising quality and purchase intention have received less attention. Hence, the relationship between Facebook advertisement quality and purchase intention, with a specific focus on the mediating roles of consumer trust and perceived risk is being investigated to address this gap using Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed for the analysis. Methods: A quantitative research design was adopted. Survey data were collected from 520 active Facebook users in Ghana and Guyana. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to examine the direct and indirect relationships among the variables. Standardized path coefficients (β), t-values, and significance levels were used to evaluate the hypothesized relationships. Results: The findings indicated that advertising quality significantly increased consumer trust (β = 0.48, p < 0.001) and significantly reduced perceived risk (β = −0.41, p < 0.001). Advertising quality was also found to exert a significant positive influence on purchase intention (β = 0.37, p < 0.001). In addition, consumer trust positively affected purchase intention (β = 0.52, p < 0.001), while perceived risk negatively influenced purchase intention (β = −0.44, p < 0.001). Consumer trust was found to significantly reduce perceived risk (β = −0.46, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that consumer trust mediated the relationship between advertising quality and purchase intention (β = 0.25, t = 5.87, p < 0.001). Perceived risk also mediated this relationship (β = 0.18, t = 5.12, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a sequential mediation effect was identified, whereby higher advertising quality increased consumer trust, which in turn reduced perceived risk, ultimately enhancing purchase intention (β = 0.10, t = 3.94, p < 0.001). Implications: The study contributes to the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework by explaining how advertising quality shapes internal consumer evaluations that influence purchase behaviour. From a managerial perspective, it is recommended that marketers design clear, credible, and visually appealing social media advertisements in order to strengthen consumer trust, reduce perceived risk, and ultimately improve purchase intention in digital markets.
The rising trend of students showing support for their professors on social media has caught the attention of academic circles. It highlights the importance of not only word-of-mouth recommendations but also personal brand advocacy in education. This study builds upon recent literature on personal branding to shed light on how professors can foster brand advocacy among students. The study involved a survey of 327 students from different academic fields and found that when professors effectively address their students’ needs for relatedness and competence, the students develop strong attachment and satisfaction with their professors. This, in turn, positively impacts students’ willingness to advocate for their professors as brands. Additionally, the research found that satisfaction positively correlates with students’ trust in their professors. These findings suggest that building positive relationships with students and addressing their emotional and educational needs can foster professor brand advocacy. This study has important implications for educators as it emphasizes the significance of personal brand advocacy in education.
This study explores the buying behavior and identity recognition of Swedish toy collectors, specifically adult collectors of collectible action figures—an under-researched segment in buying behavior literature. Using an exploratory, inductive qualitative approach, 10 individual case studies were conducted, applying elements of grounded theory to uncover the factors influencing the buying behavior of Swedish adult collectors of collectible action figures. The findings identify four key factors influencing the buying behavior of Swedish adult collectors of collectible action figures: nostalgia, gratification, a sense of community, and prestige, with nostalgia emerging as the dominant motivator. Additionally, the collectors identify themselves primarily as passionate, hobbyist, and expressive collectors, with some acknowledging aspects of inquisitive-like behavior to support their hobby. This study contributes to academic understanding by deepening insights into the emotional and identity-driven motivations behind collecting, particularly of Swedish adult collectors of collectible action figures. It also offers practical implications for marketers, suggesting strategies for positioning action-figure toys to align with nostalgic appeal and collector identities. Future research could broaden the geographical scope or focus on the collecting process and other categories of collectibles. This study fills a critical gap in consumer behavior literature by illuminating the psychological and social dynamics of adult toy collectors, specifically action figure collectors.
Apparel sponsorship represents a major competitive arena for sportswear brands. Prior research suggests that challenger brands often overinvest in sponsorships to compete with more prominent rivals, yet there is little guidance on how these brands can enhance their competitiveness effectively. This study examines the extent to which team identification and team performance can strengthen a challenger brand’s position against leading competitors. A best–worst discrete choice experiment (BWDCE) was conducted among an Australian football club fans. The findings showed that both team identification and team performance were significantly associated with fans’ preferences for their team’s sponsoring brand and willingness to pay (WTP) a price premium. This study provides empirical evidence of the role of psychological and contextual factors in mitigating the prominence bias that often favours market leaders. It also offers a practical framework for identifying sponsorship-related factors that can generate greater economic value and higher profitability for challenger brands.
This research investigates the effects of habit, perceived risk, religious norms, and behavioral intent on consumers’ water conservation behavior in addition to the basic variables of the Theory of Planned Behavior which are attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and behavioral intention. We also examine the moderating role of information publicity in the context of individuals’ and households’ water conservation behavior: The study employed a quantitative survey research method. An online self-administered questionnaire was used. An online survey was used to ask Tunisian citizens about their intentions and behaviors about water conservation. We used measurement scales that had previously been validated and considered reliable in previous studies. The conceptual model and research hypotheses were tested through exploratory and confirmatory analyses. The findings highlight that behavioral intention toward water conservation is directly influenced by attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and habit. However, we found that religious values have little bearing on behavioral intention. The results further confirmed that information publicity had a moderating effect on the associations between attitude and behavioral intention. The research offers empirical evidence on the influence of several psychological and social factors on the adoption of water conservation behavior. The results provide insightful information that helps scholars, decision-makers, and marketers comprehend the significance of the psychological and social factors that influence people to adopt water-saving behaviors and practices. Additionally, it provides significant recommendations for governments and organizations to encourage and educate consumers to modify their water wasting habits and practice conservation.
Innovation paths that link biodiversity protection with modern market dynamics are necessary for the preservation of heritage livestock breeds. Conceptual development efforts have mostly concentrated on food products, leaving wider innovation prospects underexplored, despite increased interest in native pig breeds in Mexico. This study looks at how two structured creativity methods—brainwriting (6–3–5) and SCAMPER—can aid in the formulation of early concepts pertaining to the value-adding of native Mexican pig breeds. Between August and November 2025, thirteen teams took part in creativity workshops that produced a variety of ideas. Thematic analysis showed that although brainwriting produced fewer but more cohesive and connected solutions, SCAMPER generated a significant number of exploratory ideas. Participants created multifaceted innovation concepts across techniques, including culinary items, experiential offers, educational programs, therapeutic applications, cultural events, and conservation-focused models. These results show that structured creativity methods can uncover diverse value pathways that extend beyond traditional food-based approaches. The findings contribute to research on sustainable marketing, biodiversity conservation and creativity-based innovation by demonstrating how interdisciplinary, facilitated ideation processes can broaden the strategic landscape for heritage-breed valorization. Practical implications for producers, educators and policymakers include opportunities for cross-sector collaboration, cultural engagement and diversified conservation strategies.
Traditional marketing strategies emphasizing mass communication and short-term conversion have become increasingly inadequate in an era characterized by personalization, emotional resonance, and sustained trust-building. As technological capabilities expand, consumer expectations now demand relationship-based marketing approaches. In response to these shifts, the CONNECT methodology—originally developed in 2019 to support international student success—offers a structured seven-stage framework adaptable to modern marketing contexts. This paper reinterprets CONNECT—Cultivate Trust, Optimize Pathways, Nurture Motivation, Network Strategically, Engage Continuously, Collaborate with Stakeholders, and Track & Transform—through the lens of contemporary marketing theory and practice. By integrating current academic literature (2020–2025), case analyses, and conceptual modeling, this study positions the CONNECT framework as a robust, consumer-centric, and emotionally intelligent marketing strategy. The proposed conceptual model offers pathways for operationalization, empirical validation, and practical application across diverse marketing environments.
In the social media era, consumers express their thoughts and feelings about many products and services more openly and freely than before through online platforms and social media outlets. Social media monitoring provides capability for listening, tracking, and gathering relevant content across wide ranges of social media channels. This allows marketers to propose more suitable products and services, ameliorate customer service, and implement a unique and beneficial value proposition. This study aims to investigate how organizations within the Canadian financial service industry can effectively glean, analyze, and utilize targeted information from social media platforms to improve customer satisfaction. This article plans to fill the gap in the literature by focusing on qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, utilizing a questionnaire for selected companies and extracting and analyzing relevant data from X (formerly Twitter) in order to ameliorate competitive edge and customer satisfaction. This study investigates the applications of social media monitoring for businesses in the Canadian financial sector. The findings of this research study suggest that there is a connection between social media monitoring and customer satisfaction. The results of this research can be beneficial for organizations to better understand the importance of social media monitoring and actively monitor their social media platforms to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. Moreover, decision makers could employ the research outcomes to monitor categories and factors that are associated with negative comments on social media outlets, and take actions promptly to diminish possible negative consequences.
The fast emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in online marketplaces has prompted critical inquiries about consumer perceptions of AI-authored content. Online reviews function as a leading factor that influences buying decisions, although there is limited understanding of how review origin (whether composed by humans or AI) affects authenticity perceptions and willingness to purchase, especially in developing markets where e-commerce trust remains low. This research investigated the effect of AI-generated customer reviews on purchase intent and perceived authenticity among Nigerian e-commerce users. The research employed a survey experiment using a simulated product page from AliExpress, as well as 300 participants between 25 and 40 years old, to examine direct, mediating, and moderating effects through a PLS-SEM model. The findings indicate that AI-generated reviews are regarded as less genuine than human-written reviews (β = −1.418, p < .001). In addition, the study found perceived authenticity to be a significant predictor of purchase intent (β = +0.766, p < .001) while completely mediating the connection between review source and intent (indirect β = −1.086, p < .01). Unexpectedly, platform trust did not moderate this relationship. The research results enhance marketing theory by using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) in AI environments to demonstrate that authenticity serves as a crucial cognitive factor in digital persuasion. From a practical perspective, the research indicates the need for both local and global e-commerce platforms to maintain clear review disclosure to customers, while Nigerian regulatory authorities need to create disclosure standards for consumer protection. Nevertheless, this study confirms that authenticity continues to be a fundamental element of trust and purchasing behaviour, even within a marketplace driven by AI.
PT Pertamina Patra Niaga (PPN) has experienced a downturn in the market share of its Pertamax Series—Indonesia’s flagship non-subsidised gasoline—from 26.9% in 2017 to 21.9% in 2022, even though national demand for higher-octane fuels climbed from 15.8 to 19.2 percent during the same period. This study designs a customer-driven marketing strategy to regain that share by embedding the RISE Model service-improvement cycle including SERVQUAL, Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA), TRIZ and the 7P marketing-mix framework into a single, mixed-methods research design. SERVQUAL indicated that all 51 service attributes registered negative GAP 5 scores, signalling latent dissatisfaction. IPA grand means of 4.27 (importance) and 3.40 (performance) positioned 11 attributes in Quadrant I (“Concentrate Here”), 20 attributes in Quadrant II (“Keep Up the Good Work”), 14 attributes in Quadrant III (“Low Priority”), and 6 attributes in Quadrant IV (“Possible Overkill”). Each shortfall was reframed as a contradiction in the 12 × 12 Service-TRIZ matrix. Principles such as Segmentation, Dynamicity, and Prior Counteraction generated low-cost, high-leverage ideas including QR-code pre-payment and dispenser lane exclusively for non-subsidised fuels. Combining TRIZ solutions produced the “Pertamina Signature” concept: the energy station that bundles premium fuels, seamless digital payment, revitalised hygiene standards, and lifestyle-oriented physical evidence. A coherent 7P model aligns (1) product innovation—roll-out of bioethanol Pertamax Green 95 pilots—with (2) value for money pricing via digital payment; (3) place optimisation using geospatial traffic heat-maps; (4) geo-fenced app promotions; (5) upskilled frontline personnel; (6) smart-queue processes; and (7) refreshed visual identity.
Over the past years, the rise of sustainability-driven marketing in the digital sphere has transformed the way in which brands communicate about environmental responsibility, a turn of events that has also heightened concerns about greenwashing (i.e., false claims that inflate or invent sustainable practices). This research critically analyses the changing nature of greenwashing in digital times by incorporating the knowledge of 24 peer-reviewed studies carried out over the last 6 years (2020–2025). In addition, the research bases its scholarship within marketing, psychology and environmental communication literature to critically examine the perception, recognition and reaction of consumers to greenwashing in online environments, including social media platforms, e-commerce, and corporate websites. Research shows that consumers are becoming more aware of deceptive sustainability claims. However, their ability to detect them remains inconsistent due to cognitive biases, trust in different platforms, and the complexity of digital marketing tactics. Importantly, the research shows that consumer reactions to greenwashing detection have become more severe because people lose trust in brands and sometimes publicly shame them and boycott their products. The research reveals that these backlash patterns are most intense among younger, digitally literate consumers who are also most active in industries with significant environmental impact, such as food and fashion. The findings from the research, therefore, highlight a significant disconnect between consumer intent (in terms of supporting sustainable brands) and their ability to detect authentic sustainability. In light of this, this paper presents a conceptual framework to assess consumer reactions to greenwashing while proposing policy solutions to improve transparency in communicating digital sustainability. The results demonstrate that reinforced digital literacy training, in combination with stronger regulatory control, is necessary to empower and protect consumers in an environment perpetuated with increasingly greenwashed digital information.
This study examines relationships among shopping behaviors and other time-use activities using American Time Use Survey data (2006–2023). Through factor analyses, structural equation modeling, and multiple regressions, the research investigates how grocery shopping and non-grocery shopping relate to other daily activities. The analyses reveal a robust factor that links both shopping behaviors with personal organization and planning activities, even across diverse economic conditions, including recession and pandemic periods. These relationships are considered within the framework of Self-Determination Theory to understand broader motivational aspects of consumer time allocation. The research demonstrates that shopping behaviors serve broader psychological functions beyond simple acquisition, representing expressions of autonomy, competence, and life planning processes. The findings provide insights for understanding consumer behavior and developing retail strategies within broader life management contexts.
This study investigates how technological uncertainty pressure affects employees’ innovative work behaviour (IWB), with a particular focus on the mediating role of IT self-efficacy and the moderating role of organizational involvement facilitation. As organizations continually adopt new technologies, employees are increasingly challenged to adapt, thereby creating a context of heightened technological uncertainty. We argue that technological uncertainty pressure negatively influences IWB, but that IT self-efficacy—defined as employees’ belief in their ability to manage technological demands—serves as a mediator in this relationship. Moreover, we hypothesize that involvement facilitation, referring to organizational practices that encourage employee participation in technology-related decisions, moderates the impact of technological uncertainty on IWB. Data collected from a survey of 350 employees across various industries were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results indicate that technological uncertainty pressure has a detrimental effect on IWB, with IT self-efficacy partially mediating this relationship. Additionally, involvement facilitation moderates the effect of technological uncertainty on IWB, such that employees who perceive higher levels of organizational support through involvement practices experience weaker negative impacts. This study contributes to the literature by elucidating the mechanisms through which technological uncertainty affects employee innovation. Theoretically, it advances research on self-efficacy and IWB in the context of digital transformation. Practically, it underscores the importance of enhancing IT self-efficacy and fostering organizational involvement in technology decisions to support innovation in environments characterized by rapid technological change.
Reviewer acknowledgements for International Journal of Marketing Studies, Vol. 17, No. 1, 2025.
This research deals with the links between the customer-supplier relationships and the perceived performance of the Tunisian banks. The conceptual framework sets out the theoretical foundations of the different types of relationships that may have an impact on the performance of banks and advocates the complementarity between the transactional and relational approaches so as to improve perceived performance. The results of a quantitative study about 600 customers of commercial banks in Tunisia indicate, on the one hand, the effective links between the transactional and relational approaches and the performance perceived by the customers and, on the other hand, the complementarity of both approaches in improving the performance of the Tunisian banks.
The study’s primary purpose was to examine the role of Bedouin marketing in promoting economic growth in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a focus on camels. The study was qualitative, involving fifteen participants who were purposively selected for the study. The participants selected for the study were camel herders, marketers, or tourism promoters knowledgeable about marketing camel products and related activities. The study found that camels form a significant part of the Bedouin heritage in Saudi Arabia. The study further found that camel products, such as meat and milk, contribute significantly to the economy. The contribution towards the economy has been in the context of value-added products such as yogurt and cream, which can be sold internationally. Equally, activities such as camel caravan and racing and specific events such as the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival have been important tourist attractions and have contributed to tourism. To promote economic growth, the study found that Bedouin marketing should focus on specific selling points, such as the health benefits of camel dairy products and the associated cultural value. The study finds that Bedouin marketing is a key driver of economic growth in Saudi Arabia through the artistic value of camels, local entrepreneurship through value-added camel products, and tourism through camel-related events and activities.
With the recent expansion of the otaku goods market, the problem of individuals and dealers buying up limited-edition products and reselling them at exorbitant prices (“scalpers”) has become a serious concern, placing an economic burden on fans and causing market distortion. Measures against resale, such as determining buyers on a first-come, first-served basis or by lottery, are common; however, their effectiveness is limited because scalpers can buy up all the products using swarm tactics. This problem can be solved by selecting buyers through an auction system, but in practice this method is rarely used. This study examines the reasons why the auction method is not easily adopted and proposes a new method to eliminate scalpers. The auction method, which seeks a fair market price, is difficult to adopt because sellers prefer to deliver products to those who deeply appreciate their work rather than those willing to pay the highest price, a characteristic often associated with otaku goods. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a system that facilitates product ownership for individuals with a strong appreciation for the work. This study proposes embedding information media, such as microchips, into products to register ownership details. Owners could then access services such as bonus videos and images and receive email notifications marking the anniversary of their acquisition. We believe that unfair price inflation by scalpers can be suppressed by updating the owner’s information, provided the product is traded exclusively within this system, which may restrict reselling for a certain period after the transaction.
Personal branding has attracted significant interest from researchers and practitioners in the last decade. There have been numerous scientific studies covering different facets of personal branding. However, studies covering the scope of the interest need to be more comprehensive. The paper analyzes various research papers on personal branding, encompassing theoretical underpinnings, the strategic nature of personal branding, and future research opportunities identified by the different articles. The review identified four major themes: personal branding skills and attributes, the strategic nature of personal branding, personal branding, and personal branding, politics, and social media. These findings give a broader view for further research and practical application.
This research delves into the intricate relationship between Islamic pedagogical values and Muslim consumer behavior, drawing upon the timeless wisdom of the Quran and Sunnah. It establishes a valuable theoretical framework, supported by a generalized logistic model, to illuminate how Islamic principles influence spending decisions within permissible boundaries. The research meticulously outlines the lawful rules governing consumption in Islam, categorized by permissible and prohibited actions to guide Muslims in their choices. Key findings reveal the holistic nature of Islam, highlighting its comprehensive influence on all aspects of life, including consumption. Islamic pedagogical values emerge as a powerful force in shaping behavior, weaving a tapestry of rules encompassing obligations like adhering to Halal principles, and prohibits extravagance, wastefulness, and stinginess. Moderation emerges as a cornerstone, steering consumers away from both extremes and illustrating how the Islamic framework accommodates increased income without necessarily leading to a proportional increase in consumption. The research challenges mainstream economic assumptions, presenting Islam’s perspective on spending and shedding light on the religious dimensions that shape consumer behavior within an Islamic framework. Beyond economic principles, the research highlights the exemplary life of Prophet Muhammad, offering practical examples of simplicity, moderation, and ethical consumer behavior, even in challenging circumstances. It advocates for integrating these values into decision-making processes, particularly in consumption matters, encouraging individuals to align their financial choices with Islamic jurisprudence and contribute to the overall well-being of the Muslim community. In conclusion, this research significantly enhances our understanding of Muslim consumer behavior, emphasizing the role of pedagogical values and lawful rules. The findings hold valuable implications for stakeholders like marketers, policymakers, and businesses seeking to engage with Muslim consumers, offering insights into product categorization and tailored engagement strategies. The research also introduces practical tools for further analysis and exploration, while acknowledging limitations and encouraging future research to refine our understanding across diverse cultural and religious landscapes.
