Barbara Duffek, Andreas B. Eisingerich, and Omar Merlo share insights from a global study on influencer marketing, revealing five properties that contribute to authenticity and suggesting six strategies that will help managers to align their stakeholders, build trust, and get the most out of influencer marketing.

In many markets, volatility has become routine. Brands are increasingly learning that customer affection alone is insufficient to withstand buy-local movements, geopolitical friction, or viral scandals. When disruption strikes, a critical question emerges: which customers will stand by the brand, and how can firms ensure that their efforts are focused where they will have the greatest impact? Drawing on recent work on brand immunity, this paper outlines how managers can apply this concept in everyday decision-making. Brand immunity refers to customers’ resistance to changing their brand evaluations when confronted with negative information. We translate this idea into actionable guidance through the Integrated Brand Immunity Process, a continuous four-phase cycle that frames resilience as a strategic capability. Central to the diagnostic phase of this process is the Customer Immunity Management Matrix, which maps customers by value and immunity strength to help managers determine which relationships to anchor, fortify, leverage, or minimize. By integrating this prioritization with an explicit assessment of threat nuance and ongoing renewal, the process converts empirical insight into a practical framework for building customer resilience in turbulent times.

Hedonic digital services such as games and music streaming claim a growing share of consumers’ time, yet how they shape perceived quality of life remains poorly understood. Across one qualitative and two quantitative studies in gaming and music streaming, we show how distinct service benefits (productivity-enhancing, sensorially pleasing, and cognitively stimulating) enhance perceived quality of life through three mechanisms: dependability, entertainment, and flow. In both contexts, flow contributes over and above dependability and entertainment, and perceived quality of life predicts consumers’ real-money purchase decisions, demonstrating that the well-being a service provides has direct financial consequences for the firm. By integrating flow into the consumer–digital service relationship literature, the research clarifies how functional and hedonic benefits operate through distinct psychological paths, and shows that providers can strengthen well-being and engagement by balancing dependability and entertainment with features that foster flow.

Branding is a critical driver of new venture success, yet existing research remains fragmented and often overlooks the unique realities these firms face: severe resource constraints, the liability of newness, founder influence, and the challenge of building legitimacy with customers and investors. The current study presents a systematic literature review of branding in new ventures, mapping research trends and employing a grounded theory approach to integrate prior work. Specifically, we consolidate dispersed findings into an integrative framework comprising three dimensions: Brand Microfoundations and Identity Configuration (what the brand is), Market Enactment and Co-creation (how the brand is realized with stakeholders), and Contextual Logics and Constraints (when and why specific branding choices are made). For each dimension, we examine key sub-topics, propose a targeted agenda for future research, and derive actionable managerial recommendations, such as approaches to Minimum Viable Brand development and effective digital activation. Our synthesis offers both conceptual clarity for scholars and practical guidance for managing brands in resource-constrained, early-stage ventures.

The authors offer a systems-level, managerial and strategic framework that organizes cross-disciplinary evidence on how marketing has harmed consumers, and most importantly to offer thoughts on how marketing might instead make well-being a central component of value creation.

This study examines how different stakeholders perceive influencer authenticity, revealing the misalignments that arise when each group prioritizes different aspects of authenticity. In doing so, the authors generate new theory on influencer marketing and provide managerial insights for brands and agencies to collaborate effectively with influencers to resolve these misalignments and ultimately build and sustain influencer authenticity. Using exploratory, in-depth interviews with consumers, influencers, brand managers, and influencer marketing agencies, the study triangulates stakeholder perspectives on influencer authenticity. Specifically, it examines the misalignment among these groups through the lens of assemblage theory and explores how these misalignments may be resolved to produce successful and lasting influencer assemblages. Finally, it explores how influencer marketing agencies can help manage authenticity misalignments.

BackgroundDespite extensive research into technology users’ privacy concerns, a critical gap remains in understanding why individuals adopt different standards for data protection across contexts. The rise of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and big data has created rapidly evolving and complex privacy landscapes. However, privacy is often treated as a static construct, failing to reflect the fluid, context-dependent nature of user concerns. This oversimplification has led to fragmented research, inconsistent findings, and limited capacity to address the nuanced challenges posed by these technologies. Understanding these dynamics is especially crucial in fields such as digital health and informatics, where sensitive data and user trust are central to adoption and ethical innovation. ObjectiveThis study synthesized existing research on privacy behaviors in emerging technologies, focusing on IoT, AI, AR, and big data. Its primary objectives were to identify the psychological antecedents, outcomes, and theoretical frameworks explaining privacy behavior, and to assess whether insights from traditional online privacy literature, such as e-commerce and social networking, apply to these advanced technologies. It also advocates a context-dependent approach to understanding privacy. MethodsA systematic review of 179 studies synthesized psychological antecedents, outcomes, and theoretical frameworks related to privacy behaviors in emerging technologies. Following established guidelines and using leading research databases such as ScienceDirect (Elsevier), SAGE, and EBSCO, studies were screened for relevance to privacy behaviors, focus on emerging technologies, and empirical grounding. Methodological details were analyzed to assess the applicability of traditional privacy findings from e-commerce and social networking to today’s advanced technologies. ResultsThe systematic review revealed key gaps in the privacy literature on emerging technologies, such as IoT, AI, AR, and big data. Contextual factors, such as data sensitivity, recipient transparency, and transmission principles, were often overlooked, despite their critical role in shaping privacy concerns and behaviors. The findings also showed that theories developed for traditional technologies often fall short in addressing the complexities of modern contexts. By synthesizing psychological antecedents, behavioral outcomes, and theoretical frameworks, this study underscores the need for a context-contingent approach to privacy research. ConclusionsThis study advances understanding of user privacy by emphasizing the critical role of context in data sharing, particularly amid ubiquitous and emerging health technologies. The findings challenge static views of privacy and highlight the need for tailored frameworks that reflect dynamic, context-dependent behaviors. Practical implications include guiding health care providers, policy makers, and technology developers toward context-sensitive strategies that build trust, enhance data protection, and support ethical digital health innovation. Trial RegistrationPROSPERO CRD420251037954; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251037954

While prior research highlights the importance of building customer resistance to brand switching, the mechanisms through which businesses can reduce customer switching remains a black box. The present study addresses this important gap by articulating how brands can leverage the key benefits they provide to customers with the objective of reducing actual switching behavior and enhancing customer resistance to switch. Critically, the present study highlights how enriching benefits offered by brands can help reduce customer switching across various field settings and among diverse study respondents. Moreover, this research theoretically delineates and empirically tests the mechanisms of self-esteem and self-betrayal, through which brands' enriching benefits lead to customer resistance to switching. A key managerial implication is that businesses can significantly benefit from building enriching benefits, which not only boost customers' self-esteem but also reduces their feelings of self-betrayal, ultimately leading to a lower propensity to switch to alternative offerings.

ABSTRACT Background Menopause, defined as the cessation of periods for over 12 months, can have a profound impact on women in numerous ways. Understanding women's experiences of menopause can lead to improved care and support during this transformative period. Objectives The objective of this systematic review is to identify and summarise published qualitative studies that consider the lived experiences of women with menopause in the UK and to serve as a basis for future research in the field of menopause. Search Strategy EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were searched initially in March, and then updated in April 2024. Inclusion Criteria Peer‐reviewed papers with full text available in English, focused on women experiencing menopause in the UK, studies published from January 2000 to April 2024, qualitative or mixed methods study design with qualitative analysis. Data Extraction and Synthesis Two authors independently performed title and abstract screening for eligibility. Conflicting opinions were resolved with a third author. Reviewers familiarised themselves with the data and coded the text line by line. Thematic analysis was utilised to place the codes into broader themes. All studies were assessed using an appropriate quality assessment tool. Main Results Thirty‐two studies were included in the review with 3462 participants involved. 173 primary codes were extracted and organised into subthemes and 3 overarching themes. These key themes were the biopsychosocial dimensions of menopause, understanding of menopause and strategies to manage menopause. Discussion Menopausal experiences documented in the literature are shaped by a range of individual and societal factors. While initiatives to support menopausal women are in place, this review also identifies key knowledge gaps and marginalised groups that would benefit from targeted research and interventions. It emphasises that menopause is not merely a collection of symptoms, but, for many, a pivotal life transition. A deeper understanding of these experiences allows us to more effectively support women through this significant phase of life. Conclusions This review concluded that the menopausal experience extends beyond physical symptoms, also affecting mental health, personal and professional life, and self‐identity. Additionally, menopause is shaped by individual life experiences and various personal factors. Patient or Public Contributions The studies analysed in this review contain original data from women in the UK undergoing menopause. The qualitative data delves into their experiences with symptoms, accessing various sources of support from NHS and non‐NHS sources as well as alternative therapies.

BackgroundIn recent years, the adoption of large language model (LLM) applications, such as ChatGPT, has seen a significant surge, particularly among students. These artificial intelligence–driven tools offer unprecedented access to information and conversational assistance, which is reshaping the way students engage with academic content and manage the learning process. Despite the growing prevalence of LLMs and reliance on these technologies, there remains a notable gap in qualitative in-depth research examining the emotional and psychological effects of LLMs on users’ mental well-being. ObjectiveIn order to address these emerging and critical issues, this study explores the role of LLM-based offerings, such as ChatGPT, in students’ lives, namely, how postgraduate students use such offerings and how they make students feel, and examines the impact on students’ well-being. MethodsTo address the aims of this study, we employed an exploratory approach, using in-depth, semistructured, qualitative, face-to-face interviews with 23 users (13 female and 10 male users; mean age 23 years, SD 1.55 years) of ChatGPT-4o, who were also university students at the time (inclusion criteria). Interviewees were invited to reflect upon how they use ChatGPT, how it makes them feel, and how it may influence their lives. ResultsThe current findings from the exploratory qualitative interviews showed that users appreciate the functional support (8/23, 35%), escapism (8/23, 35%), and fantasy fulfillment (7/23, 30%) they receive from LLM-based offerings, such as ChatGPT, but at the same time, such usage is seen as a “double-edged sword,” with respondents indicating anxiety (8/23, 35%), dependence (11/23, 48%), concerns about deskilling (12/23, 52%), and angst or pessimism about the future (11/23, 48%). ConclusionsThis study employed exploratory in-depth interviews to examine how the usage of LLM-based offerings, such as ChatGPT, makes users feel and assess the effects of using LLM-based offerings on mental well-being. The findings of this study show that students used ChatGPT to make their lives easier and felt a sense of cognitive escapism and even fantasy fulfillment, but this came at the cost of feeling anxious and pessimistic about the future.

The consideration set has been widely studied as a consumer tool to simplify purchase decisions. However, important questions remain about how a retailer's private label strategy may impact consumers' consideration sets. In the present study, we employ the Associative Network Theory of Memory as a theoretical foundation and examine how private label consideration at the retailer level may affect consumers' decision-making at the product category level. Results from two empirical studies indicate that a higher number of private labels considered at the retailer level enhances consideration set heterogeneity at the category level. Critically, this stimulated heterogeneity further increases the purchase probability of private labels in consumers' consideration sets. This chain of effect also adds explanatory power to the impact of private label attitude on private label purchase probability through serial mediation. Consequently, retailers are encouraged to dilute consumers' consideration sets by constructing and communicating a diverse private label portfolio.

Background Several researchers and policymakers have acknowledged the alarming association between social media (SM) usage and anxiety symptoms in young adults. While primary care holds a crucial role in the improvement of health outcomes for those presenting with anxiety, there has been no research on GPs’ perceptions of the impact of SM on anxiety. Furthermore, there has been little discussion of SM as a risk factor in anxiety-related consultations. This study is the first to use empirical research to inform how primary care can adapt to address SM’s impact on anxiety within young adults. Aim To identify the facilitators and barriers within primary care to addressing SM’s impact on anxiety among young adults. Design & setting A qualitative study of GPs in the UK. Method Following an exploratory pilot interview, semi-structured interviews with GPs ( n = 7) were transcribed and thematically analysed, following an inductive approach. Results The following six facilitators were identified: a framework to facilitate discussion; open GP attitudes; GP training; referral pathways; larger stakeholder influence; and young adult education of social media’s impact on anxiety. The following three barriers were identified: a lack of GP awareness of SM’s impact on anxiety; cautious GP attitudes; and increased pressure on the health service. Conclusion This qualitative study revealed a diversity of perceptions, and these novel findings are instructive in the adaptation of primary care services to meet the current mental health needs of young adults, as well as better assisting GPs in engaging in these conversations, especially within university practice.

In today’s connected market, brands are more likely than ever to face negative press that can put their customer relationships to the test. Building and fortifying positive aspects of the brand-customer relationship (such as brand commitment, brand love and self-brand connections) may ward off some of the impact of negative information on customers, but this does not always provide full protection. Even customers who love a brand can turn against it when negative information enters the picture. Considering this, the current study provides an exploratory investigation into a new way to build up customer resilience that would otherwise not be formed simply by strengthening positive attributes of the customer-brand relationship. It argues that brands can strengthen their customers’ immunity to negative brand-related information by using an immunity metric (i.e., merely asking customers to reflect on their immunity makes them more resilient to actual negative information in the future). The construct of immunity has the dual benefit of being diagnostic of relationship strength, as well as acting as an immunizing agent. We test this effect and the process underlying it using three pilot studies, three multi-method studies, and interviews with customers and managers across different contexts. By doing so, the study establishes the theoretical and practical value of customer immunity to negative information and makes critical conceptual and pragmatic contributions to the existing body of customer research.

PurposeThis study aims to explore the extent to which customer orientation and creative benefits offered by a firm may weaken rather than strengthen customer engagement. In doing so, it sheds new light on how customer orientation and creative benefits may facilitate rather than hinder engagement by customers.Design/methodology/approachA field study provides a test of the proposed effects in a hedonic consumption setting with 1,703 customers of an online dating service. Furthermore, an experimental study with 277 executives in a functional consumption setting (new mobile app) helps affirm the robustness of the field study findings.FindingsThis research theorizes and examines how communal relationship norms between customers and a firm, along with customers' psychological empowerment, mediate the effect of customer orientation and creative benefits on customer engagement. A provocative finding of the study is that communal relationship norms help boost, whereas psychological empowerment reduces, the effects of both customer orientation and creative benefits on customer engagement.Research limitations/implicationsThe research examines different relationship norms and how they can become integral to customer-company relationships; this perspective helps reveal the underlying dynamics. It contributes to the literature on customer engagement by theorizing and demonstrating the link between customer orientation and customer engagement, two central constructs in the marketing literature. It theorizes and demonstrates that providing creative benefits brings about a direct competitive advantage for the product itself, and acts as a significant variable that explains the company-customer relationship.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the advantages and challenges associated with encouraging customer engagement. First, they suggest that companies emphasize their customer orientation and creative benefits. Second, managers should try to minimize the possible process of raising customers' psychological empowerment while maximizing the impact of communal relationship norms.Originality/valueThis study identifies psychological empowerment as a key reason customer-oriented companies that provide creative benefits still struggle to engage their customers. It also suggests viable tactics to overcome barriers to enhanced customer engagement, such as by minimizing the effects of customers' psychological empowerment while maximizing the impact of their perceived communal relationship norms.

BackgroundOpen-world games, characterized by their expansive and interactive environments, may offer unique cognitive escapism opportunities, potentially leading to relaxation and enhanced well-being. These games, such as “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” allow players to experience a sense of freedom and autonomy, which can reduce stress and improve mental health. While previous research has examined the general impact of video games on mental well-being, specific studies on the effects of open-world games among postgraduate students are limited. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the relationships between cognitive escapism provided by open-world games and their effects on relaxation and well-being. The goal was to understand how the immersive nature of these games contributes to stress reduction and overall mental health improvement among postgraduate students. MethodsA mixed methods approach was used, which involved in-depth exploratory qualitative interviews and a survey of 609 players of popular open-world games. Quantitative data were collected using standardized questionnaires to measure open-world games’ affordance of cognitive escapism, relaxation, and well-being. Qualitative data were obtained through 32 in-depth interviews that explored players’ experiences and perceptions of cognitive escapism, relaxation, and mental well-being. ResultsQualitative data (n=32; n=15, 47% female; n=16, 50% male; n=1, 3% preferred not to disclose gender; mean age 23.19, SD 2.19 y) revealed that cognitive escapism through immersive game worlds allowed players to temporarily disconnect from real-world stressors, resulting in enhanced mood and psychological well-being. Players indicated that the nonlinear gameplay and freedom to explore interactive environments provided a sense of relaxation and mental rejuvenation. Quantitative analysis (N=609) showed a substantial mediating role of relaxation in the relationship between cognitive escapism offered by open-world games and well-being. Specifically, cognitive escapism had a significant positive effect on players’ relaxation (β=.15; SE 0.04; P<.001; 95% CI 0.0695-0.2331), which in turn had a significant and positive effect on players’ well-being scores (β=.12; SE 0.04; P=.002; 95% CI 0.0445-0.2032). ConclusionsThe study demonstrates that open-world games offer substantial benefits for cognitive escapism, significantly improving relaxation and well-being among postgraduate students. The immersive and autonomous nature of these games is crucial in reducing stress and enhancing mental health. Future research may investigate the long-term effects of regular engagement with open-world games and explore their potential therapeutic applications for managing stress and anxiety.

Customers today are increasingly demanding transparency from firms. This article discusses the concept of performance transparency and explores when and why transparency plays a key role for a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) effectiveness. In doing so, it addresses consumer skepticism as the logic of the transparency-CSR interaction and presents empirical evidence of the effect. It also discusses key principles for managing performance transparency effectively. Companies should monitor and track performance transparency regularly, initiate consistent transparency practices along with CSR activities, pay attention to the types of information made available, and adapt the transparency practices to the involvement level.

Purpose Prior work underscores the important role of customer advocacy for brands. The purpose of this study is to explore the critical role customers can play as brand heroes. The authors developed and validated a measurement scale composed of properties that are derived from distinct brand hero motivational mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted one exploratory pilot, using semi-structured interviews, with industry and academic experts, and employed three main studies across varying brands and market settings. Findings This study explores and empirically demonstrates how the brand hero scale (BHS) is related to, yet distinct from, existing scales of opinion leaders, market mavens, attachment and customer advocacy. The six-item BHS demonstrates convergent, discriminant, nomological and predictive validity across several different brand contexts. Research limitations/implications This research extends the extant body of work by identifying and defining brand heroes, developing and validating a parsimonious BHS, and demonstrating how its predictive validity extends both to a range of key advocacy and loyalty customer behaviors. Practical implications The study provides provocative insights for marketing researchers and brand managers and ascertains the important role heroes may play for brands in terms of strong customer advocacy and loyalty behaviors. Originality/value Building on the theory of meaning, this study shows that identifying and working with brand heroes is of great managerial importance and offers critical avenues for future research.

Background:Despite research demonstrating that those who use e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, express an interest in quitting, evidence-based vaping cessation interventions are lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of an mHealth vaping cessation intervention. Methods:Adults (N = 51) who were vaping nicotine were recruited online and enrolled in a 6-week mHealth intervention combining nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), self-guided cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and coaching support through telephone and asynchronous messaging. Feasibility and self-reported 7- and 30-day abstinence were assessed at baseline and 1-month postquit date. Results:The majority of participants completed treatment (45/51) and found the intervention helpful in supporting their vaping behavior change objectives. At 1-month postquit date, 48.9% (22/45) of study completers reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence and 28.8% (13/45) reported continuous 30-day abstinence. Conclusions:Findings provide preliminary support for an mHealth intervention approach to vaping cessation combining remote CBT-based coaching with NRT.