Purpose While previous research predominantly portrayed sporting rivalry as a threat to sport sponsorship outcomes, this study aims to examine its potential benefits and the impact of gender on sponsorship outcomes in a sporting rivalry research context. Design/methodology/approach The study combines social identity theory and sponsorship research to explore (rival) sport consumers’ responses to a sponsorship leveraging strategy involving sporting rivalry in two experiments (Study 1 n = 406, Study 2 n = 327), depending on their gender and level of team identification. Findings The data revealed that female sports consumers with medium to strong team identification tend to respond positively to the rivalry reference of the team sponsor, while the opposite is true when the sponsor of the rival team references the rivalry in its sponsorship leveraging, and vice versa for male sport consumers. Leveraging sponsorships with a rivalry reference created ambivalent sponsorship outcomes among sports consumers, depending on gender and the level of team identification. Consequently, rivalry marketing contexts must be considered as a double-edged sword with ambivalent consequences on consumers’ behavior. Research limitations/implications This research focused on one sponsorship case and one country, and data were gathered in a region where the rivalry between two cities does not affect only sporting spheres. Practical implications Before integrating sporting rivalry into sponsorship-leveraging measures, sponsors should carefully consider potential negative responses from some sports consumer groups. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to consider both rival sport consumer groups and to focus on the impact of gender on sports consumers’ responses to leveraging sponsorship with rivalry references. It advances the literature regarding the effects of rival sponsorship as an identity threat to the rival team’s sponsor and supporters and considers how this affects sponsorship outcomes, further providing valuable knowledge about gender dynamics in a competitive marketing or rivalry research context.
Purpose Disruption, long treated in marketing scholarship as an episodic departure from equilibrium, has become a permanent feature of the competitive landscape. This study aims to lay the conceptual foundations for a marketing theory of persistent disruption, arguing that firms no longer experience disruption as isolated events with a clear before, during and after, but instead operate continuously within overlapping, interacting disruptive forces – technological, geopolitical, ecological and institutional. Design/methodology/approach The authors first reconceptualize disruption itself, proposing that the conventional exogenous–endogenous binary be extended into a feedback system in which a firm’s response to one disruption becomes a source of disruption for others, with marketing positioned at the critical interface of this loop. Building on this, this study develops a triadic framework – sensing, seizing and shaping – to characterize marketing’s role under persistent disruption, showing that these capabilities are disrupted simultaneously rather than sequentially, and to introduce the Disruption–Marketing Response Matrix, a typology crossing disruption origin (endogenous/exogenous) with response domain (upstream/downstream) to identify underdeveloped theoretical territory. Drawing on the nine papers in this Special Issue, this study also develops an integrated five-stage marketing reinvention framework spanning disruption recognition, stakeholder engagement and agile operating models. Findings The authors argue that emerging markets, with their institutional volatility and resource constraints, constitute an underutilized theoretical laboratory for understanding marketing under sustained disruption, and that new-age technologies (artificial intelligence [AI], generative AI, machine learning, extended reality, Internet of Things, robotics and blockchain) should be understood not as discretionary tools but as infrastructure that reconstitutes the marketing environment itself. Drawing on the nine contributions in this Special Issue, this study distills seven theoretical implications spanning the persistence of disruption, the feedback-based collapse of the exogenous–endogenous distinction, the simultaneous disruption of dynamic marketing capabilities, the diagnostic value of the Response Matrix, emerging markets as theory-generating contexts, technology as infrastructure and marketing’s expanding role in societal value creation. Research limitations/implications This conceptual study advances theory by proposing new constructs and frameworks for studying persistent disruption. It identifies opportunities for longitudinal research, measurement of market-shaping capability and greater integration of institutional theory and computational methods to advance marketing scholarship. Practical implications This study presents a Disruption–Response Action Matrix that helps managers diagnose disruption types, assess sensing, seizing and shaping capabilities, prioritize capability investments and guide marketing reinvention under persistent disruption. Originality/value The question facing academia and industry is not how to recover from disruption, but rather how to build the capabilities needed to function within it as a permanent condition, given disruption is shown to be becoming a constant phenomenon. Through this study (and this Special Issue), the authors offer that the aggregate effect of concurrent disruptions has created an environment that existing marketing theory does not fully cover. The authors see this as a call to develop new theoretical constructs that take the permanence of disruption as their starting point rather than their exception.
Purpose This research explores the impact of augmented reality (AR) face filters, prevalent across social media platforms such as Snapchat, on users’ well-being and self-concept. While AR technology provides various benefits, its potential negative impacts remain underexplored, particularly in the context of AR face filters. Therefore, this study aims to examine how AR face filters influence people’s perceptions of their actual and ideal selves, resulting in negative psychological and behavioural intentions. Design/methodology/approach This study applies self-discrepancy theory to explore how AR face filters reshape users’ perceptions of their actual and ideal selves. It further examines the moderating role of body image on the relationship between AR face filters and the ideal-actual attractiveness gap. Additionally, the mediating role of psychological discomfort between the ideal-actual attractiveness gap and propensity towards cosmetic surgery, as well as self-acceptance, was examined. The hypothesised model is analysed using the Hayes PROCESS macro. Findings The findings reveal that the use of AR face filters increases the ideal-actual attractiveness gap. An increased gap results in psychological discomfort, which further increases propensity towards cosmetic surgery and decreases self-acceptance. Research limitations/implications This study investigates the use of AR face filters in distorting self-perceptions and their broader psychological implications. A longitudinal research design could provide valuable insights into how these effects emerge and evolve over time, offering a more comprehensive understanding of their long-term implications. Practical implications Retailers and developers of AR face filters could consider incorporating warning signals or educational messages to provide users with clear and transparent information about the potential negative consequences of using these filters. Such measures can help mitigate the harmful effects of these AR filters and promote healthier self-perceptions among users. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to empirically demonstrate that the use of AR face filters can lead to several negative psychological and behavioural outcomes, including an increased intention to undergo cosmetic surgery. This study provides novel insights into how AR face filters influence users’ self-concept and well-being. Moreover, it extends the understanding of self-discrepancy theory in the context of AR face filters, highlighting critical moderating and mediating factors that shape user experiences.
PurposeThis paper aims to address the academic research gap on “de-influencing,” where influencers share negative feedback about brands. Specifically, the authors define de-influencing, explore its impact on consumers’ attitudes toward targeted brands (H1a and H1b) and examine its effect on engagement intentions (H2) via the underlying mechanism of consumers’ affective reactions (H3). The research contributes to the literature on influencer marketing, electronic word of mouth, negative advertising and affect-as-information in advertising. Design/methodology/approachAcross three studies (n = 460), a pilot study using secondary data from TikTok, and a fourth study that appears in the Supplementary material, this research tests the proposed hypotheses using online panels and student samples. In the hypothesis-testing studies (Studies 1–3), the authors use employ between-subjects experimental designs in which the influencer’s endorsement strategy is manipulated (de-influencing, positive influencing) and consumers’ attitudes, engagement intentions, and affect are measured. Enhancing the robustness of their findings, the authors examine different product categories, both fictitious and real brands, and known and unknown influencers. Further, Study 2 employs a longitudinal design. FindingsThe findings show that de-influencing leads to more negative attitudes toward the brand and reduces consumers’ intention to engage with the posted content. Importantly, the impact of de-influencing on consumers’ attitudes was more pronounced (i.e. carries more weight) compared with positive influencing. In addition, consumers’ affective reactions was identified as the underlying mechanism explaining why de-influencing (vs. positive influencing) reduces engagement intentions. Finally, although de-influencing enhanced perceptions of helpfulness, these positive perceptions do not translate into improved attitudes toward the influencer or greater engagement intentions (i.e. did not benefit the influencer). Research limitations/implicationsThe paper acknowledges several potential limitations and areas for future research. One limitation is that the findings may not apply to influencers whose personal brand is built on negativity or “honest reviews,” as consumers may more readily engage with their negative content. In addition, future research should examine how the language and tone used in expressing negative opinions shape consumer perceptions and engagement. Finally, future studies could investigate how brands can recover from negative endorsements and identify the conditions under which de-influencing may actually strengthen brand trust or credibility. Practical implicationsThe research highlights significant implications for both influencers and brands. For influencers, de-influencing fails to bolster consumer engagement or improve consumer attitudes, suggesting they should address grievances privately with brands to avoid negative consequences. For brands, the study emphasizes the importance of monitoring influencer content, particularly in the context of de-influencing, as it can sway consumer perceptions of both familiar and unfamiliar brands. Brands should implement corrective actions, such as apologies or product replacements, to mitigate negative impacts. In addition, contracts with influencers should include clauses to manage negativity and protect brand reputation. Originality/valueDe-influencing is a novel persuasion strategy that has recently been adopted by influencers. Despite its growing popularity in influencer marketing and calls for research on de-influencing in the academic literature, de-influencing suffers from a lack of academic research and empirical investigation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is among the first works to conceptually define this phenomenon, empirically investigate the outcomes of such negative strategies and address calls for research on the unexplored dark side of influencer marketing.
Purpose Research on community tourism recognises the value of community stakeholder involvement, yet limited attention has been paid to how these stakeholders navigate transitions from top-down to bottom-up governance under conditions of declining institutional support. This study aims to examine how community stakeholders respond to transitionary periods and theorises how these responses reshape community-led tourism. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on an ethnography of a long-standing community festival in a post-industrial Scottish town, combining netnography, ethnographic observation, and 46 interviews with community stakeholders. Findings Findings identify three processes of community responsibilisation – enduring discontent, enforced responsibility and embedded responsibility – that community stakeholders negotiate during transitioning from community-based to community-led tourism. These processes are driven by conditions of institutional withdrawal that trigger reactive and proactive approaches to co-producing community festivals. Research limitations/implications The study is based on a single case of a specific cultural festival within a single geographical context, which may limit transferability to other forms of community tourism or governance arrangements. Practical implications The findings highlight how institutional withdrawal reshapes event-related responsibilities and may overburden communities. Monitoring fatigue, declining volunteer capacity, funding fragility and sustained discontent can help mitigate risks and support the sustainability of community-led events. Originality/value This study theorises the transition from community-based to community-led tourism as a process of community responsibilisation. This transitional perspective advances understanding of how institutional withdrawal redistributes responsibility to community stakeholders. It contributes to community tourism research by rebalancing celebratory narratives of community tourism to reveal a darker side of how responsibilisation empowers yet constrains communities.
Purpose This study aims to explore contract ambiguity as a contract adjustment tactic to respond to two characteristics of interfirm conflict (intensity vs frequency) and examine how contract ambiguity influences relationship satisfaction in conjunction with institutional factors. Design/methodology/approach The authors test their model with data from 207 interfirm relationships. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical moderated regressions are used to test the hypotheses, followed by four supplementary analyses to verify the reliability of the findings. Findings In contract adjustment tactics, higher conflict intensity is associated with greater contract ambiguity, whereas higher conflict frequency results in less ambiguity. High conflict frequency offsets the ambiguity-generating effects of high conflict intensity, ultimately driving firms to reduce contract ambiguity. In addition, relationship importance moderates the above correlations. Moreover, in the post-adjustment stage, formal governance through legal development and informal governance through social engagement moderate the impact of contract ambiguity on relationship satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The authors advance contract learning theory by uncovering the role of contract ambiguity as a contract adjustment tactic and enrich the conflict management literature by examining the effectiveness of contract ambiguity to manage two characteristics of conflict (intensity vs frequency). The authors also demonstrate how legal development and social engagement vary the effect of contract ambiguity on relationship satisfaction. Practical implications The authors suggest that firms should consider the characteristics of interfirm conflict when selecting a contract adjustment tactic. The authors recommend that the focal dyad adjust the contract contingent on the requirement of external legal development. The authors also recommend that the focal firm increase social activities with its partner following contract adjustment to leverage the advantages of contract ambiguity. Originality/value This study conceptualizes and distinguishes two characteristics of interfirm conflicts and examines the effectiveness of contract ambiguity to manage conflicts. By correlating them with relationship importance, legal development and social engagement as contingent variables, the authors provide substantive theoretical and practical implications for optimizing relationship satisfaction and contract adjustment tactics in interfirm relationships.
Purpose Motivated by the increasing busyness of modern lives and the rise in video game adoption, this study aims to explore how a busy mindset affects consumers’ gaming preferences, highlighting the relevance of retro (nostalgic) gaming as a psychological coping mechanism and a means to restore emotional stability in fast-paced environments. Design/methodology/approach Five studies, including one preregistered quasi-field study (Study 1) and four controlled experiments (Studies 2–5), rely on various manipulations of perceived busyness and video game types (retro vs modern) to investigate how a busy mindset impacts preference for retro (vs modern) games. In addition, using both direct and indirect approaches, the studies assess the role of emotional instability as the mechanism of the effect. Findings The results show that a busy mindset increases consumers’ preference for retro games through heightened emotional instability. This process is moderated by power: when perceived power is baseline (vs high), busyness heightens emotional instability and shifts preferences toward retro games, whereas when power is high, this compensatory motive is attenuated, and the preference shift no longer emerges. Research limitations/implications Busyness can lead to both stress-driven loss of self-control and a heightened sense of self-importance that strengthens self-control, a contradiction not addressed in this study but important for future research on gaming preferences. Furthermore, while this study offers insights into the link between mindset, emotional stability and video game preferences for stress relief, future research could further explore retro gaming’s impact on well-being, including effects on happiness and life meaning. Practical implications Recognizing that consumers with a busy mindset gravitate toward retro games, marketers and developers can strategically position retro gaming options in contexts where busyness is prevalent, such as during peak work seasons or within productivity-oriented platforms. Targeted advertising that emphasizes the calming and nostalgic aspects of retro games may appeal to these consumers. In addition, game developers can also explore incorporating retro-style features within modern games to attract busy consumers seeking an escape, blending nostalgia with contemporary gameplay elements to enhance emotional appeal. Social implications This study highlights how busy lifestyles and resulting emotional instability drive consumers toward nostalgic gaming as a coping strategy, underscoring the social need to balance work and leisure. By revealing gaming’s therapeutic potential for stress relief, especially through nostalgic escapism, this research advocates for accessible retro games as a comforting retreat and supports public discussions on gaming’s mental health benefits. Originality/value This research fills a gap by introducing perceived busyness as a state and/or trait-based driver of video game genre choice, integrating work on busyness, affect regulation, power and nostalgic consumption. It offers guidance on timing, placement, creative emphasis and segmentation for retro titles, complementing traditional nostalgia marketing tactics observed in other industries.
Purpose In today’s digital world, uncertainty marketing tactics are gaining popularity, from well-known brands to emerging ones to invoke customers’ interest and attention. The purpose of this research is to investigate how epistemic motivations – need for cognition and need for cognitive closure interact with an Individual goal orientation (learning vs outsourcing) to influence responses toward uncertainty marketing practices. Design/methodology/approach Across six studies, this research demonstrates that motivational congruence elevates purchase intentions, trust and perceived self-efficacy. Findings Perceived self-efficacy mediates the relationship between need-goal congruence and behavioral outcomes, stating its role as a key psychological mechanism in navigating uncertain offerings. Research limitations/implications Findings contribute to the existing knowledge on uncertainty marketing by identifying need-goal alignment as a critical predictor of its success, while integrating epistemic motivation into consumer decision-making process. Practical implications The findings reveal that goal-congruent messaging will be critical for marketers in the uncertainty marketing practices. Originality/value Results offer actionable guidance for designing segmentation strategies and goal-congruent messaging to increase consumer engagement in contexts involving ambiguity and information concealment.
Purpose This study aims to expand the boundaries of place brand co-creation going beyond the intentional and planned participation in structured co-creation activities. It responds to a need to clarify place brand co-creation and to a lack of theoretical clarity in how different forms of resident involvement and engagement with the brand shape brand meaning. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on two qualitative studies across five European cities, the research adopts a practice theory lens to examine both deliberate and unintentional forms of co-creation. Study 1 draws on interviews (n = 28), netnography and participant observation in Luton; Study 2 uses auto-driven photo-elicited interviews (n = 20) across London, Leicester, Oxford and Budapest. Findings Place brand co-creation occurs along three dimensions (structure, intentionality and temporality) that form the place brand co-creation spectrum. Four archetypes of place brand co-creation are identified along those dimensions based on the planned/unplanned and active/passive nature of resident involvement and in combination to seven identified resident roles. Research limitations/implications The place brand co-creation spectrum offers scholars and place managers a tool to understand and facilitate resident engagement, highlighting how even unintentional actions contribute to brand meaning. The findings are based on resident–municipality dynamics and do not explore other stakeholder perspectives (e.g. visitors, businesses) in broader stakeholder ecosystems. Originality/value The place brand co-creation spectrum offers a nuanced and dynamic conceptual model of place brand co-creation, extending existing theory by integrating unintentional and passive forms of co-creation and by applying practice theory to brand meaning formation.
Purpose Drawing on the find-remind-and-bind theory, this study aims to investigate the impact of brand gratitude on consumer-brand relationship quality (BRQ). It identifies perceived sincerity as the underlying mechanism, examines brand loyalty and advocacy as downstream consequences and delineates how the effectiveness of brand gratitude is moderated by the service experience stage, interaction channel and latency.Design/methodology/approach This research uses a multi-method design comprising one field study and four experiments. Study 1 establish the effect of brand gratitude on behavioural BRQ. Study 2 tests the mediating role of perceived sincerity and consequential outcomes of customer loyalty and advocacy. Studies 3-5 investigate the moderating roles of service stage (beginning vs end), interaction channel (face-to-face vs digital) and latency (immediate vs delayed).Findings The results provide robust evidence that brand gratitude enhances BRQ through increased perceptions of sincerity. Furthermore, brand gratitude expressed at the end of the service experience and through face-to-face channels was found to be more effective in increasing BRQ. Additionally, brand gratitude is more effective when expressed immediately via digital channels rather than following a delay.Research limitations/implications The study findings offer novel theoretical implications and practical insights. This research extends the find-remind-and-bind framework to the branding and services context, demonstrating how and when brand gratitude fosters relationship quality.Practical implications For managers, the findings provide a strategic framework to design effective moments of brand gratitude.Originality/value This research shifts the focus from consumer-felt gratitude to brand-expressed gratitude, establishing it as a critical driver of relationship quality. The findings reveal that the effectiveness of brand gratitude is dependent on the service experience stage (beginning vs ending), interaction channel (digital vs face-to-face) and latency (immediate vs delayed). This research offers a comprehensive framework for how brands can leverage gratitude to enhance consumer-brand relationships.
Purpose This research aims to investigate how the timing of subscription activation, immediate versus delayed, shapes consumers’ long-term subscription commitment and identifies the psychological mechanisms underlying this effect. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a series of experiments across different contexts, including controlled laboratory experiments, online experiments with diverse samples and a randomized field experiment across multiple subscription settings. This design enables causal inference, process-level testing and stronger generalizability of their findings. Findings Across four studies, immediate subscription activation reliably increases long-term subscription likelihood relative to delayed activation. This effect is explained by a serial mediation process, whereby immediate activation heightens psychological ownership, which in turn enhances perceived value, ultimately strengthening long-term commitment. Moreover, ownership-framed onboarding cues moderate this process by attenuating the negative consequences of delayed activation. Research limitations/implications The research extends temporal framing theory to long-term subscription behavior by identifying psychological ownership and perceived value as key mechanisms. Future research may explore additional service categories, consumer traits and complementary mediators. Practical implications Managers should prioritize immediate access where possible, strategically design onboarding experiences to cultivate ownership and emphasize early value realization to reduce churn and increase customer lifetime value. Originality/value This research introduces subscription activation timing as a theoretically meaningful and managerially actionable design lever, demonstrating how and when immediate access fosters sustained subscription commitment.
Purpose The extant literature on the psychological contract is overly focused on human resources (HR) outcomes, such as work engagement, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship behaviour, thereby undermining its boundary-spanning benefits for marketers. Drawing on psychological ownership (PO) theory, the purpose of this paper to examine the role of psychological contract fulfilment (PCF) in converting employees into customers (i.e. employer-brand patronage) and compares its efficacy with employee discounts. Design/methodology/approach Three separate studies, including two experiments, were conducted on a total sample of 738 respondents, and data were analysed using SmartPLS 4 and analysis of covariance. Findings Results show that PCF significantly influences employer-brand patronage, and employee brand identification mediates this relationship. The two experiments show that (i) employer discounts can be counter-productive in PCF situations as they weaken the PCF’s effect, (ii) PCF can lead employees to ignore competitors’ discounts and (iii) employer discounts partially offset the loss caused by psychological contract breach, but employees prefer competitors’ services if the psychological contract is breached. Research limitations/implications The results are relevant to service-sector organisations but may not be generalisable to manufacturing organisations. The study does not provide insights into the elasticity of employer-brand patronage with varying discount levels. The study did not examine potential moderators, such as individual factors (e.g. personality, self-concept), target factors (e.g. attractiveness and accessibility) and PCB attribution (i.e. intentional vs unintentional). Practical implications HR and marketing managers need to recognise the boundary-spanning benefits of PCF in converting employees into customers. Results show that employee discounts are counter-productive in influencing employer-brand patronage; managers can reallocate employee discount investments to the PCF budget to address employees’ needs in areas such as compensation, training and development and work-life balance facilities. Lastly, managers should foster psychological ownership among employees to enhance employee brand identification, which supports employer brand patronage. Originality/value The study advances understanding of the mechanism underlying employees’ purchase of employers’ services and initiates a research stream at the intersection of the psychological contract, employee brand identification and PO theory to explain employer-brand patronage. This is the first study to compare the efficacy of employee discounts with psychological contract fulfilment.
PurposeAugmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have revolutionized how firms interact with customers. The purpose of this study is to provide a systematic empirical account of (a) the comparative effects of AR versus VR, (b) their potential negative impacts, (c) the underlying mechanisms, or (d) the role of contextual moderators in the relationship between these technologies and customer responses. Design/methodology/approachThis meta-analytic review integrates effect sizes from 206 papers, comprising 235 independent studies, to develop a generalizable model of AR and VR. The review tests the comparative effects of these two technologies, explores competing models in each one that incorporate both positive and negative effects, and examines relevant moderators to address inconsistencies in prior research on the two technologies. FindingsThe findings demonstrate that while AR is effective in triggering behavioural responses, VR is more effective in engaging customers through various pathways, including decision fluency, spatial presence theory, experiential approach and technology acceptance model. However, the dark side of these technologies, such as privacy concerns and perceived risk, negatively impacts customer responses to both technologies. Furthermore, the study highlights the significant role of contextual variables, such as technology, customer, product and national factors, in moderating the relationship between AR and VR with customer responses. Research limitations/implicationsThis study encourages future research to explore AR and VR technologies in emerging areas like the metaverse. Practical implicationsThe study provides recommendations for marketing managers to effectively integrate AR and VR technologies into their marketing strategies, optimizing potential benefits while minimizing adverse outcomes. Originality/valueThrough the development, testing, and identification of an optimal model within the AR and VR technologies literature, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of the underlying theories and establishes a superior model for explaining the impact of AR and VR on consumer responses.
Purpose A program co-designed by consumer behaviour academics, older adults and educational/support agencies was developed to scale ways to bridge seniors’ information and communication technologies (ICT) capacity gap, improve users’ online experiences and mitigate perceived risks. Design/methodology/approach Research methods included interviews, surveys, workshops and evaluations of ICT resources. Through a co-design process, a model of risk-aware inclusion was developed, showing how confidence and trust, not just competence, drive sustained engagement with technology. Findings The primary output is the development of open-source, scalable impact tools and online resources to improve ICT capacity. The primary outcome is expanded means and use of ICT educational opportunities. The primary impact is an improved policy implementation of ICT education and overall well-being. Research limitations/implications Participants were recruited primarily from a socially connected, educated and digitally motivated older adult population. This introduces potential selection bias and limits the generalisability of the findings to the most digitally excluded populations. Practical implications The resulting ICT resources provide governments, industry and affinity organisations with resources to support older adults based on actual lived experiences, tailored workshops, educational programs and partnerships. Social implications Social impacts are evident in online resources for improving ICT capacity, which help mitigate consumers’ social isolation and related health concerns. Originality/value This project is distinctive in how it reconceptualised digital inclusion by shifting the analytical and practical focus from skills acquisition to risk perception. Rather than assuming older adults’ exclusion stems from a lack of technical ability, the project demonstrated that perceived security, privacy and functional risks are the primary barriers to digital participation.
PurposeArtificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into home appliances. While some companies choose to prominently highlight its presence by embedding “AI” in product names (e.g. LG’s AI DD Washing Machine, Samsung’s AI EcoBubble), others (e.g. Electrolux, Bosch, Mitsubishi Electric and Miele) incorporate AI without explicitly labelling it. This study aims to investigate whether and how labelling an appliance as an “AI” one affects consumer perceptions. The research explores the mechanism underlying the effect of AI labels on consumer responses and investigates boundary conditions. Design/methodology/approachThe research uses a series of experiments (Studies 1–4) and text analysis (Study 5). Studies 1, 2 and 3 test the effects of AI-labelling on consumer responses across Eastern and Western cultures and investigate the mediating role of autonomy. Study 4 provides managerial implications by demonstrating the effectiveness of different framing strategies. Lastly, Study 5 provides real-world evidence using YouTube subtitles and comments text analysis. FindingsConsumers prefer non-AI-labelled home appliances over AI-labelled ones. This effect is mediated by perceptions that AI curtails consumer autonomy and is moderated by culture. Consumers from individualistic cultures, characterised by an independent self-construal, perceive AI-labelled appliances as diminishing their personal autonomy and respond less favourably than consumers from collectivistic cultures, characterised by an interdependent self-construal. The negative effect of AI-labelling on individualistic consumers’ responses is mitigated when the appliance is framed as enhancing rather than curtailing personal autonomy. Research limitations/implicationsThis investigation focuses on home appliances; future research can explore whether the pattern of results observed in this study applies to other product or service categories. Most of these studies use hypothetical scenarios; whereas this is a common practice in consumer research, testing our hypotheses in the real world and with more consequential dependent measures will enhance its external validity. Practical implicationsMany firms currently rely on AI-labelling to signal innovation and gain a competitive edge. The current research shows that this tactic can backfire in consumer contexts if the psychological needs of consumers are not considered. Rather than using AI as a blanket differentiator, marketers should use it selectively, recognising that it may prompt concerns about autonomy, especially among consumers from individualistic countries. To alleviate such concerns, marketers should emphasise user control features, frame AI as a supportive assistant rather than an autonomous decision maker and use framing that highlights consumer agency. The latter strategies should be adopted primarily when marketing to Western (rather than Eastern) consumers. Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to examine the role of AI-labelling on consumer responses to home appliances. Given the forecasted rapid growth of the AI-enabled home appliances market, and the increasing tendency to label such appliances as AI enabled, it is critical to understand the effect of the practice on consumer responses. The research provides valuable insights for global brands, recommending branding strategies that reflect cultural sensitivities.
Purpose This paper aims to investigate consumers' cognitive, emotional and behavioural engagements in online value destruction (OVD), following negative experiences with brands. Prior research has examined value destruction as a customer-firm relationship, whereas this study looks at the phenomenon through the lens of consumer-to-consumer relationships. Shifting the focus from a service-dominant to a consumer-dominant paradigm reveals several new aspects of value destruction involving consumer care and well-being.Design/methodology/approach This research adopts a mixed-methods research design, triangulating qualitative and quantitative methods. Study 1 uses netnography to examine consumers' online value-destroying behaviour and explores key themes in depth through 18 semi-structured interviews with consumers who have engaged in OVD. The results are derived through coding and thematic analysis. Study 2 is a confirmatory survey with 503 participants, which is analysed through structural equation modelling.Findings The findings reveal consumers' motivation to engage in value destruction, the different types of and responses to consumer-driven value destruction and, finally, the consequences of engaging in value destruction. Findings were synthesised into a conceptual model of online consumer-driven value destruction, comprising three main phases: drivers, engagement and outcomes.Research limitations/implications Despite the contributions to research and practice, some limitations in this study are acknowledged. Firstly, it only addresses text-based communications between consumers while there are other aspects of the context, such as videos and images that can potentially destroy value as well. Secondly, it also focused on cognitive, emotional and behavioural drivers of OVD behaviour, while other consumer characteristics, such as cultural differences, personality and attitude towards value-destroying behaviour, were not accounted for due to the capabilities of the methods used. Thirdly, another limitation is that the internet is a dynamic field that comes with innovation and change. Social media and review aggregators, have undergone numerous changes and are expected to continue to evolve in security, terms and interface, which can change the consumer behaviours on such media. Fourthly, a relatively large percentage (48.7%) of the respondents were above 50 years old, which may have also caused the high percentage of respondents out of employment (52.7%).Practical implications This paper proposes managerial implications and recommendations for mitigating OVD. By using the insights offered on the nature of OVD, managers can anticipate problems and adopt pre-emptive, handling and damage-control strategies.Social implications Active advocates of consumer groups can also be interested in understanding the power they possess with social media and how to harness it for their benefit. Illuminating the destructive potential of the online context can help consumers be more conscious about the way they engage in such behaviour considering the potential harm for the business.Originality/value This paper makes an empirical and theoretical contribution to value destruction literature by examining the phenomenon from a consumer-to-consumer perspective and conceptualising it within the consumer-dominant paradigm. Specifically, it offers insights into consumer engagement dimensions (cognitive, emotional and behavioural) before, during and after OVD engagement. A key contribution is proposing a positive kindness element within the OVD process that is built on consumer collegiality and concern for others' well-being.
Purpose This study aims to propose a meta-analytical framework using the underpinnings of cognitive-affective-conative framework to synthesize the online shopping cart abandonment (OSCA) literature. Further, this study identifies consistent relationships between OSCA and its antecedents from global perspective.Design/methodology/approach This study synthesized the findings of 72 studies by performing a meta-analysis using bivariate analysis and meta-analysis structural equation modeling. Additionally, heterogeneity tests and moderation analysis were conducted to examine the reasons for inconsistent findings.Findings The results indicate that while cognitive factors, i.e. attitude towards website-related factors (perceived informational and visual effectiveness) mitigate customer hesitation leading to OSCA, personal factors (perceived risk, perceived cost and perceived transaction inconvenience) trigger it. Moderation analysis shows that these effects vary in the OSCA literature depending on differences in methodological (gender dominance, country of the study and sample characteristics) and contextual (buying process stage, product categories and time period) factors across studies in the OSCA literature.Research limitations/implications This study synthesized the most popularly studied factors in OSCA domain. Future empirical studies can focus on understudied factors that have been suggested in future research directions.Practical implications This study suggests pragmatic strategies, such as incorporating augmented reality, corporate digital responsibility and targeted deals to mitigate OSCA and address customer hesitation.Originality/value This study, being a pioneer meta-analysis in OSCA domain, offers novel insights into the OSCA literature. This study proposes a model using the cognitive-affective-conative framework to consolidate the relationships between the antecedents in the OSCA domain and also demonstrates potential causes of contradictory results reported in this domain. Thus, this meta-analysis is a silver line in the OSCA domain.
PurposeThis research aims to explore how sustainability messages focused on different sustainability initiatives influence consumers’ willingness to pay premiums (WTPP) for sustainable products. It further investigates how response efficacy, fatalism, sustainability types and biometric joy help explain the relationship between sustainability initiatives and WTPP for sustainable products. Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a quantitative methodology, drawing on data from online experiments and biometric facial expressions. Three experimental studies were carried out to explore consumers’ responses to sustainable products. The proposed hypotheses were tested using between-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Hayes’ PROCESS Models. FindingsThe findings demonstrate that consumers exhibit higher perceived response efficacy and biometric joy, which, in turn, enhance their WTPP for products featuring sustainable ingredients or packaging than those focusing on sustainable manufacturing, logistics or donations. In addition, the results measured and manipulated fatalism were found to significantly moderate the relationship between the manipulation of sustainability initiatives and WTPP through response efficacy and biometric joy. While sustainability initiatives emerged as the primary driver of WTPP, sustainability types (i.e. environmental vs social) also significantly moderated specific relationships depending on the sustainability initiative presented. Research limitations/implicationsThis research highlights the effectiveness of sustainable packaging and ingredients as sustainability initiatives in promoting consumers’ perceived response efficacy, biometric joy and WTPP for sustainable products. It also underscores the role of controlling consumer fatalism in further strengthening these outcomes. Practical implicationsThis research offers decision-makers valuable insights into how consumers perceive various sustainability initiatives and the mechanisms underlying their responses, enabling more effective sustainability communication strategies for brands. Originality/valueThis research integrated response efficacy, fatalism and biometric joy to address the sustainable consumption attitudes and behaviour gap, offering novel strategies for effective sustainability messaging and future research directions.
PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of incorporating climate considerations into dietary guidelines that seek to affect public opinion. The study asks: What happens to public opinion when governments emphasize climate considerations in a policy tool traditionally focused on individual health guidance? Design/methodology/approachMedia portrayal of climate-friendly food consumption serves as the empirical resource for examining how public opinion may be shaped. Based on a review of 320 articles published in Danish newspapers, this study applies a quantitative content analysis approach that incorporates binary coding, optimal scaling and path analysis. FindingsThe findings provide insights into the construction of public opinion about dietary guidelines and uncover significant narrative structures in public media highly relevant for public and private stakeholders wanting to contribute to a climate-friendly food system. Research limitations/implicationsFirst, this study relies on coding media articles at a specific point in time, which may not capture changes in media discourse or public sentiment over time. Second, the study focuses on the analysis of newspaper articles. Future research can address these limitations through a mixed-method approach and by including other kinds of communication outlets. Practical implicationsBy introducing climate as a moderator to the study of public opinion, this study provides several implications for public and private stakeholders on how to promote more climate-friendly diets. Originality/valueThis study investigates an under-researched driver of climate-friendly food attitudes and motivations, that is media representations of dietary guidelines.
PurposeThis study aims to examine customers’ inertial brand repurchasing behavior in omnichannel grocery retailing. It identifies the conditions under which continuing to use the same channel or switching channels leads to a stronger or weaker impact on brand repurchasing. In addition, it evaluates the moderating effect of customers’ private label purchasing. Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a representative Japanese purchase panel data set from three years, including 4,071 unique customers from three major omnichannel grocery retailers. Customers’ brand repurchasing rates in shopping baskets are modeled, and the main effect of the channel switching pattern and the moderating effect of customers’ private label share are evaluated. To address the issue of customer self-selection in channel switching, propensity score analysis is applied. FindingsCustomers tend to repurchase brands when they continue using the same channel rather than switching channels. This tendency is stronger when continuing with online channels. In addition, the repurchasing rate is higher when customers switch from offline to online than from online to offline. Furthermore, private label share has a moderating effect on this relationship. Research limitations/implicationsThis study offers a new perspective on omnichannel grocery retailing by highlighting that inertial behavior is stronger in online grocery shopping and elucidating brand trialability and the discovery role of physical stores in channel switching from offline to online. Practical implicationsThe findings provide managerial implications for retailers to enhance omnichannel strategies, including assortment management and private label strategies. Originality/valueThis novel study investigates inertial behavior during channel switching across consecutive shopping trips, revealing the conditions that affect this behavior.
