The research examines the role of effective communication in effects of nostalgic advertising on promoting brand self-congruence, brand love, brand advocacy and purchase decision. Furthermore, the research also investigates the moderating role of sensory brand experience in enhancing the relationships between nostalgic advertising and brand outcomes. Data were collected through survey questionnaires from 510 consumers who have experienced nostalgic advertising campaigns from popular food and beverage brands in Vietnam and analyzed by PLS-SEM model. The findings show that nostalgic advertising has the strongest effect on effective communication, meaning that nostalgia-evoking advertisements help brands communicate more effectively with customers and lead to purchase decisions. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that sensory brand experience moderates the relationships between nostalgia advertising, brand self-congruence, effective communication, and purchase decision. The current research contributes to the theory of consumer-brand relationships and the SOR paradigm by recommending that advertising managers, brand managers, and product designers use nostalgia combining sensory brand experience in advertising to enhance the connection between consumers and brands, leading to a purchase decision. The study has provided a new perspective on the F&B (food & beverage) area and nostalgia advertising, extending a premise for future scholars.
The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and signaling theory (ST) have been used in this study to explore the various factors that have an impact on purchase intention and actual purchase behavior (APB) for online luxury fashion products. Through a structured and validated survey instrument, the researcher aimed to collect data from 463 online customers from the Economic City (Mumbai) in India. AMOS for SEM and Hayes PROCESS macros in SPSS for complex relationships have been used for the analysis. The results show that attitude towards online shopping, PBC, and eWOM were positive predictors of consumer online purchase intention for luxury fashion products. Further, online purchase intention exhibits a positive and significant relationship with APB. Additionally, perceived risk has a significant moderating role in the relationship between online purchase intention and APB. The three-way interaction (moderated-moderation model) between online purchase intention, perceived risk, and eWOM on APB was also found significant. The study has several contributions to academics and practical implications for e-commerce and brand managers. This is the first study conducted jointly with variables of both theories to check their influence on APB for online luxury fashion products in India.
This research investigates how corporate reputation influences consumers' purchase intention in a new energy vehicle product-harm crisis, taking Tesla as an example of a high-visibility brand. Drawing on signaling theory, this paper compares corporate social responsibility (CSR) reputation and corporate capability reputation and extends the concept of product knowledge as a selective boundary condition for signal interpretation. An integrated signaling-based framework was developed in which corporate reputation serves as the independent variable, consumer satisfaction and consumer brand identification operate as internal evaluative mechanisms, consumer purchase intention is the dependent variable, and product knowledge is introduced as a boundary condition. Questionnaire data were collected from new energy vehicle users or prospective consumers. The results show that both CSR reputation and corporate capability reputation positively influence consumer satisfaction and consumer brand identification, and that both attitudinal variables positively influence purchase intention. Product knowledge significantly strengthens the effects of corporate capability reputation on consumer satisfaction and consumer brand identification, whereas its moderating role in the CSR reputation pathways is not significant. These findings suggest that product knowledge functions as a selective boundary condition of competence-based rather than value-based reputation signals in new energy vehicle product-harm crises.
While prior research indicates that influencer - brand congruence enhances consumer responses, less is known about how congruence operates across different influencer types. Grounded in Congruity Theory and Mind Perception Theory, this research examines how influencer - brand congruence and influencer type (human vs. virtual) jointly shape consumers' behavioral engagement through influencer authenticity. Across two randomized experiments, the findings reveal a differentiated mechanism. Congruence directly increases consumer responses when the influencer is human. In contrast, for virtual influencers, congruence serves a compensatory function by strengthening inferences of authenticity, which, in turn, drive observable engagement behavior. These findings demonstrate that congruence-based persuasion mechanisms do not operate uniformly across ontological source types, as authenticity judgments become more contingent on congruence cues when perceived experiential capacity is uncertain. By incorporating a consequential click-through proxy alongside self-reported consumer engagement, this research extends congruity scholarship beyond attitudinal outcomes to observable consumer behavior and clarifies how mind attribution shapes persuasion in hybrid human - AI endorsement contexts.
Trust remains a critical barrier to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in financial services, yet extant research has not systematically examined how distinct communication strategies differentially shape cognitive and emotional trust. Grounded in Dual Process Theory and enriched by Theory of Mind, this study investigates how privacy communication and empathetic language influence users' trust formation through complementary cognitive (System 2) and affective (System 1) pathways. Privacy communication is theorized as a structural assurance that activates analytical evaluation of the chatbot's competence and integrity, whereas empathetic language triggers intuitive perceptions of warmth and benevolence aligned with the experiential dimension of mind perception. A 2 & times; 2 between-subjects experiment (N = 163) using a GPT-based investment chatbot in a simulated banking scenario reveals that privacy communication significantly enhances cognitive trust (F = 15.43, p < .001, eta(2) = .088), while empathetic language significantly increases emotional trust (F = 15.76, p < .001, eta(2) = .090). Both factors independently strengthen overall trusting beliefs, with no significant interaction effects, confirming an additive dual-pathway model. These findings advance dual-process trust theory in AI-mediated financial services and offer actionable interface-design insights for banking executives seeking to build user confidence through complementary rational and relational trust mechanisms.
Drawing on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, this paper investigates the impact of external marketing stimuli on the internal evaluations and behavioral reactions towards apparel blind boxes among Gen Z consumers based on their research findings, especially the moderating role of consumer knowledge. Leveraging survey data from 403 U.S. respondents, we analyze the influence of core stimuli - authenticity, personalization, informativeness, and promotional efforts, on perception of perceived risks (functional/financial) and perceived values (utilitarian/hedonic), influencing purchase intention and WOM. The findings suggest that authenticity and personalization are effective strategies to lower perceptions of functional risk and to raise values on both hedonic and utilitarian levels. Informativeness and promotional efforts enhance perceived values and do not attenuate perceived risks. Among the constructs based on the organism, all but functional risk have positive effects on purchase intention and WOM. Importantly, consumers' knowledge is also an important moderator between stimulus-perceived value interactions which can affect consumer responses. These findings provide additional theoretical insights into digital retail experiences via the SOR lens and thus provide strategic guidance for marketers seeking to engage Gen Z consumers in the blind box retail format.
As conversational AI agents (CAIAs) become embedded in customer - firm interactions, the theoretical models employed to account for their acceptance increasingly appear inappropriate. This systematic literature review synthesizes 58 empirical studies (2018-2025) and exposes a core tension: established frameworks such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) rest on assumptions of instrumentally rational users evaluating stable system attributes, yet CAIAs are adaptive, probabilistic, and socially responsive in ways that render those assumptions problematic. The resulting mismatch, we argue, is responsible for contradictory empirical findings, particularly at the intersection of trust, anthropomorphism, and perceived risk. Where rationalist models fall short, the Computers as Social Actors (CASA) paradigm proves more apt at capturing relational dynamics, though it too offers only a partial account. By distinguishing between utilitarian and relational agent types and between high-stakes and low-stakes decision contexts, the review uncovers boundary conditions that earlier syntheses have left unexamined. Drawing on consumer decision-making, value co-creation, and relationship management scholarship, we develop a marketing-centred research agenda comprising five theoretically grounded directions. Managerial guidance is offered for CAIA design attuned to distinct phases of the customer journey.
This study empirically investigates the causal relationships between the antecedents of coopetition - a strategic relationship in which competition and cooperation coexist - and the performance outcomes derived from such relationships among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in B2B industries. Grounded in the Resource-Based View and the Relational View, the study develops an integrated framework that examines the interrelationships among coopetition readiness, a coopetition-oriented mindset, actual coopetition activities, and both marketing and management performance. Using 120 valid data points, the proposed model was tested through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The empirical results demonstrate that coopetition readiness has a significant positive effect on a coopetition-oriented mindset, which serves as a critical conduit through which firms translate preparedness into actual coopetition. Furthermore, coopetition is found to exert positively affects both marketing and management performance. These findings provide robust empirical evidence that, beyond conventional competitive or cooperative strategies, coopetition represents an effective strategic approach for SMEs to overcome constraints associated with limited resources and capabilities and secure sustainable competitive advantage.
Artificial intelligence (AI) products are becoming increasingly intelligent and autonomous. However, not all customers prefer highly autonomous AI products. This study applies the concept of specific self-efficacy (SSE) to classify customers and identify those who are more likely to prefer highly autonomous AI products. Using two scenario-based experiments, the results show that (1) when SSE is high, AI products with low AI autonomy elicit higher acceptance intention, whereas when SSE is low, products with high AI autonomy are more strongly preferred; and (2) perceived usefulness and perceived autonomy threat mediate the interaction effect of SSE and AI autonomy on customers' acceptance intentions. Theoretically, these findings enrich the literature on AI marketing. Practically, the results help enterprises better understand customers' acceptance of AI products and support the development of AI offerings tailored to different target segments.
Many luxury brands have adopted artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to offer personalized online shopping services. Underpinned by cognitive appraisal theory, this study examines sequential psychological mechanisms in AI chatbot-driven online luxury shopping experiences in information-seeking and problem-solving contexts. A between-subjects design (AI chatbot usage purposes: information-seeking vs. problem-solving) was employed, and 416 responses were collected in the United States. PLS-SEM was used for data analysis. The results reveal that AI chatbot service authenticity and perceived parasocial interaction increase pleasure and satisfaction, prompting online luxury purchase intention and brand loyalty. However, AI chatbot usage purposes did not serve as a moderator. This study contributes to AI chatbot service literature by adopting a consumer-centric approach to understanding the impact of AI-powered service agents on consumer engagement and commitment to luxury e-retailers. Furthermore, this research suggests that luxury brands develop an advanced level of personalization through AI chatbot services as an online retailing strategy to target Millennial and Generation Z consumers who desire a personalized touch. This study helps luxury brands enhance the effectiveness of chatbot services and achieve long-term profitability by leveraging AI-powered chatbots aligned with the brand's identity and image.
With a rapidly evolving digital landscape, short-form videos have emerged as an engaging form of entertainment, keeping users hooked for hours and inducing addiction. As influencers master the art of captivating audiences with creative content, businesses are quick to harness this engagement, turning scrolling habits into sales opportunities. This study investigates how Instagram Reels impact purchase intention that leads to actual conversions, with addiction being a moderator. Referring to the theory of planned behavior, we conceptualize this study where attitude was measured through escapism, entertainment, and informativeness, while subjective norms were assessed through peer influence. We collected data from 313 Instagram users and analysed it through integrated structural equation modelling (SEM) and artificial neural networks (ANN). The results indicate that while scrolling addiction influences purchase intention, it does not moderate the effect between attitude and purchase intention.
Despite the progressive acceptance of AI applications in various contexts, there is still a lack of research that elucidates the specific factors influencing viewers' psychological and behavioral responses when experiencing AI-generated advertising content. Drawing upon the advertising value theory and stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, our research examines the influence of salient features of AI-powered advertising videos on experience evaluation, thereby affecting consumers' responses to the brand. This investigation collected 839 online responses in Vietnam and Australia, and used the PLS-SEM technique to empirically analyze the research model. Our findings suggest that entertainment, message authenticity, information understandability, and aesthetic quality are crucial factors influencing consumer experience in both countries. The moderator role of customer innovativeness towards experience evaluations and brand outcomes is identified. The current research advances the understanding of existing theoretical literature by expanding advertising value theory through integrating new traits of AI-created video advertisements and reinforcing the power of the S-O-R model in the AI-applied context. Consequently, the study provides empirical evidence of cultural differences in responses to AI-driven ads, providing practical insights for businesses to implement AI-driven marketing strategies.
Amid the global surge in new energy vehicle (NEV) adoption, understanding culturally nuanced drivers of young consumers' purchase intentions remains a critical yet underexplored issue. This study bridges this gap by pioneering a four-dimensional perceived value model (Price, Social, Functional, Cognitive Value), integrating Technology Sense and Low-carbon Awareness as dual drivers, while uniquely incorporating Mianzi and Saving Consciousness as cultural moderators. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis of 466 responses reveals: (1) Technology Sense enhances purchase intentions through all value dimensions, whereas Low-carbon Awareness strengthens price, social, and cognitive values; (2) Cultural factors negatively moderate the relationship between perceived value and purchase intention, exposing contextual barriers to NEV adoption. The study's key contribution lies in advancing a culture-adaptive theoretical framework that synergizes environmental psychology and technology adoption models, offering transformative insights for cross-cultural consumer behavior research and sustainable marketing strategies.
This study investigates the influence of digital immigrants' source credibility on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions toward sustainable electronic devices in Turkey, an emerging market transitioning to eco-conscious practices. Grounded in source credibility theory, the research introduces environmental knowledge as a novel dimension alongside trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness, addressing the growing consumer expectation that communicators possess specific knowledge about environmental and sustainability issues. Data collected from 600 respondents were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).The results revealed that trustworthiness (beta = 0.66) had the strongest effect on consumer attitude, followed by attractiveness (beta = 0.25), expertise (beta = 0.22), and environmental knowledge (beta = 0.20). These credibility dimensions shaped consumer attitudes, which in turn influenced brand trust, brand image, and purchase intention. The findings confirm that credible digital immigrants positively affect sustainability-driven consumer decision-making. This research extends source credibility theory by integrating a context-specific dimension and provides strategic guidance for brands seeking to engage consumers through trustworthy, environmentally informed communicators. Companies can leverage digital immigrants as effective brand ambassadors to foster consumer trust and loyalty in sustainability-focused markets.
Apologies are commonly used as a key strategy for service recovery in online environments, integrating both verbal and non-verbal communication elements. With the growing use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in digital marketing, emojis have become critical non-verbal cues. However, the combined effects of verbal cues (apologies) and non-verbal cues (emojis) on consumer responses remain unexplored. This research investigates these effects through two experimental studies using online survey data, analyzed with SPSS 26.0. The study develops a dual-path model to examine how apology type (sincere vs. instrumental) interacts with emoji presence and sentiment to shape consumer perceptions. The results reveal that sincere apologies significantly enhance perceived sincerity and subsequent forgiveness compared to instrumental apologies. Importantly, we identify the mediating role of perceived sincerity in the relationship between apology type and customer forgiveness. Additionally, the study uncovers two key interaction effects: (1) emojis amplify the positive impact of sincere apologies, and (2) negative-valence emojis paradoxically enhance the effectiveness of sincere apologies. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of multimodal communication in service recovery and provide actionable insights for crafting effective apology messages in digital contexts.
In the highly competitive e-commerce landscape, crafting a compelling customer experience strategy is crucial for business differentiation and sustained success. Drawing on the Stimulus - Organism - Response (S - O - R) framework, this study investigates how personalization, as an external stimulus, influences key psychological states, including hedonic motivation, cognitive and emotional experiences, and e-satisfaction, and how these, in turn, drive repurchase intention in a developing economy. Data from 366 Vietnamese online consumers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that personalization exerts the strongest impact across the model, particularly on hedonic motivation, which subsequently enhances both cognitive and emotional experiences. Emotional experience emerged as the most influential factor shaping e-satisfaction, while e-satisfaction itself proved central in strengthening repurchase intention. Notably, both cognitive and emotional experiences also exert direct effects on repurchase intention, highlighting the dual pathways through which customer experience fosters loyalty. Mediation analysis confirmed that organismic states significantly mediate the link between personalization and repurchase intention. These insights extend theoretical understanding of the S - O - R framework and provide practical guidance for leveraging personalization and experiential strategies in emerging e-commerce markets.
Researchers have sought to understand salesperson motivation for more than 70 years and, as a result, have compiled a substantial and divers body of knowledge on the topic. The current study uses a bibliometric research design for performance analysis (N = 998) and science mapping (N = 621) to trace the evolution of the intellectual structure of the salesperson motivation literature over time, identify emerging research fronts, and outline key future research questions. The results show a substantial expansion in publication activity: only two articles were published in 1953 and nine in 2003, compared with 74 articles in 2021 The findings also show the intellectual structure changes in the field's thematic focus. Specifically, extrinsic rewards, intrinsic motivation, adaptability, psychological status and job attitudes, and self-development were the prevalent foci in pre-2017 publications, but adaptability, extrinsic rewards, intrinsic motivation, organizational climate, job satisfaction and competitiveness, and organizational engagement received the most attention in post-2017 publications, as ranked by theme cluster size. The prominent themes in the current scholarly works as of 2024 are extrinsic and intrinsic rewards, emotion and psychological well-being, adaptability, sales control system, and uncertainty and change. The paper concludes with future research questions, which are extracted from our identification of extant research fronts.
Despite its significance, understanding the factors shaping a firm's relationship with an IT service vendor (ISV) for its data center has received little attention. This is partly due to the challenge of accessing and surveying the hundreds of data center engineers employed by private firms. With help from service engineers at a global IT company, we approached 174 IT data centers and identified a mechanism influencing service quality dimensions that build trust, fostering positive behavioral intentions in the B2B data center service industry. The results supported the five identified service quality dimensions we identified. Among them, competence, communication, and appearance significantly impact trust. Trust, in turn, determines a firm's commitment to and referral intention for its ISV. Corporate reputation and customer's dependency also showed notable effects as control variables. We offer guidance for ISVs to retain customers and enhance performance in IT engineering services. Engineers need social skills (communication and appearance) alongside technical skills (competence), while maintaining responsiveness and standardized processes to sustain trust. Marketing efforts should prioritize corporate reputation.
Drawing from social exchange theory and flow theory, we investigate the antecedents of consumer trust in the context of multi-channel retailing. This study examines the impact of channel-integrated interaction, flow experience, and anticipatory value-in-use on positive word-of-mouth and trust. This study adopts a survey research design, administering questionnaires via WhatsApp groups and Facebook. A total of 305 respondents completed the questionnaire and resulting 207 processable responses. Structural equation modelling was performed to test the hypothesized model. We report the significant contribution of flow experience and anticipatory value-in-use as a psychological mechanism that create the consumer trust and positive WOM in the context of online shopping. The influence of integrated interaction and flow experience on consumer trust mediated by anticipatory value, furthermore consumer trust mediates the effect of anticipatory value-in-use on positive WOM. The findings significantly contribute to the multi-channel literature and flow theory by demonstrating the critical role of flow experiences and anticipatory value in determining consumer trust and positive WOM.
This study highlights the development of an empirical scale to 5 measure food authenticity and its dimensions from the consumer perspective. Data was analysed using the SPSS and AMOS 22 software to demonstrate reliability, validity and measurement invariance. The resultant scale revealed 10 identified nine scale items with three dimensions under the indexical authenticity condition and six scale items with two dimensions under the iconic authenticity condition. The scale demonstrated sound psychometric properties of reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, as well as measurement invariance. The scale 15 advances the indexical-iconic approach into the context of food authenticity. Methodologically, it serves as a rigorously developed and psychometrically sound scale that can be replicated in other food contexts. This study presents the first scale to measure food authenticity using the indexical and iconic approach.
