PurposeThis study aims to examine the effects of brand authenticity and perceived quality of personalization on brand trust in the pharmaceutical context and the effect of brand trust on patients' medication adherence intention and brand advocacy. The moderating influence of health literacy is also studied to see if the strength of these relationships is conditioned by consumers' capacity to process health information.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was developed based on constructs from relational exchange theory, branding research and ability-based information processing models. Data were gathered through a structured online survey of UK consumers who had used prescription medication in the last few months. Structural models were evaluated using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and significance was assessed using bootstrapping.FindingsThe results show that brand authenticity and quality of personalization have significant and positive effects on brand trust and the effect of brand authenticity is stronger. Finally, brand trust is predicted to influence both medication adherence intention and brand advocacy, supporting its key role in healthcare branding. Health literacy was found to positively moderate the authenticity - trust relationship, but did not significantly moderate the personalization - trust relationship. Overall, the model showed a significant amount of variance in trust (58%), intention to adhere (35%) and advocacy (43%).Originality/valueThis paper extends branding research by showing how authenticity and personalization quality function in the sensitive and high-stakes context of pharmaceuticals. It examines brand trust as a bridge between branding cues and medication adherence intention and brand advocacy, while incorporating health literacy as a boundary condition.

This study examines digital sustainability signals and the psychological mechanisms (authenticity and trust) that relate to consumers' sustainable food purchase intentions. While the attitude-behavior gap remains a persistent challenge in sustainability research, our study focuses on upstream factors that may help explain why intentions vary in strength. Drawing on signaling theory, this research develops and tests a framework that combines positive signals (e.g., influencer credibility) and negative signals (e.g., perceived greenwashing) to investigate the impact on green brand authenticity, brand trust, and purchase intention. Data were gathered from a survey of 324 adult social media users who follow influencers with a focus on sustainability and have recent experience buying eco-labeled food products. Using PLS-SEM, results indicate that influencer credibility has a significant and positive effect on perceptions of green brand authenticity, whereas the influence of greenwashing has a significant and negative effect. Authenticity shows a strong prediction of brand trust, and this in turn predicts green purchase intentions with trust mediating the authenticity-intention relationship to some degree. The results indicate authenticity as a key mechanism by which digital signals affect sustainable consumption. The research provides practical insights for food brands seeking to strengthen the psychological conditions that support sustainable consumption intentions.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used to produce and distribute sustainability-related brand communication, yet its effects on consumer brand perceptions remain insufficiently understood. This study examines AI-enabled green brand communication as a sustainability signalling mechanism and investigates its associations with purchase intention through brand identity, brand aspiration, and brand image, while also considering the moderating role of perceived green authenticity. Data were collected in the United Kingdom between March and May 2025 through an online questionnaire completed by 324 adult social media users familiar with sustainability-related brand communication, and the proposed relationships were examined through reliability, validity, structural path, and moderation analyses. The results show that AI-enabled green brand communication is positively associated with both brand identity and brand aspiration. Brand identity and, more strongly, brand aspiration are positively associated with brand image, while brand image is positively associated with purchase intention. Perceived green authenticity further strengthens the positive associations between AI-enabled green brand communication and both brand identity and brand aspiration. The findings suggest that AI-enabled sustainability communication can support favourable brand evaluations and purchase intentions, but its effectiveness depends on whether consumers perceive the message as authentic, credible, and aligned with the brand’s environmental positioning.

As more consumers make purchase decisions based on social media content, digital marketers have become keen to unveil the use of social media content as a marketing tool. In recent years, it has become evident that the role of social media could have a negative effect on consumers, by creating fear and misunderstanding of topical issues and causing panic buying. This study aims to discover whether social media, through the spreading of inaccurate information, maybe responsible for panic buying. Data will be collected and analysed in order to indicate the perceived dominant factors that drove consumers to panic buying. The analysis of the data is aiming to reveal how user-generated content may lead to perceived scarcity and creation of more inaccurate information that will enhance panic buying.

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of firm-generated content (FGC) on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) influencers, focussing on inclusive marketing strategies and enquires the ability of LGBTQ+ influencers to enhance brand engagement and loyalty within diverse communities.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was utilized, and data was collected via social media platforms. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to explore the relationships between FGC, influencer content, dimensions of place attachment and brand loyalty.FindingsAccording to the findings FGC positively influences LGBTQ+ influencers, which in turn affect in a significant way place identity and place social bonding. Both dimensions of place attachment were found to have a positive impact on brand loyalty, which indicate that LGBTQ+ influencers have an important role in enhancing brand engagement through inclusive marketing.Practical implicationsFirms in order to increase their brand loyalty and customer engagement, need to adopt inclusive marketing strategies that resonate with LGBTQ+ communities. In order to do so they need to work with LGBTQ+ influencers that can effectively communicate the brand’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, thus fostering a stronger emotional connection with the brand.Originality/valueThis study introduces a conceptual framework that highlights the mediator role of place attachment in the relationship between influencer marketing and brand loyalty. This research contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of leveraging LGBTQ+ influencers in inclusive marketing campaigns.

This study investigates the relationship between user-generated content on social media and panic buying, with a focus on how attitudes towards food waste and brand value act as moderating variables. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data from an online survey with 370 responses were analyzed. The findings show that user-generated content significantly contributes to the dissemination of inaccurate information, which in turn triggers panic buying. However, the impact of inaccurate information on panic buying is moderated by consumer attitudes towards food waste and brand value. Specifically, consumers with negative attitudes towards food waste and high brand trust are less likely to engage in panic buying when exposed to misinformation. These results suggest that promoting responsible consumption and leveraging brand value can mitigate the adverse effects of misinformation during crises. This study contributes to sustainability by providing insights into developing strategies for retailers and policymakers to manage consumer behavior, emphasizing the importance of accurate information and brand communication in reducing panic buying tendencies.

PurposeThis research explores the intricate relationship between fashion, identity and religion in Muslim hijabi fashion. More specifically, it examines the impact of global brands’ inclusion of Muslim veiled females in their fashion lines.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a qualitative approach, the research involved 20 in-depth interviews with Muslim women who wear hijab and those who dress modestly without it. Participants were chosen through judgemental sampling, focusing on individuals interested in fashion and brand trends. The study investigated perceptions of brand strategies, the role of influencers and consumer responses within this context.FindingsThe research suggests consumers have different viewpoints about these brands that are compliant with hijabi fashion. This incorporation benefits Muslim women by enhancing their status and recognition, hence fostering the growth of the Muslim fashion industry. In Western society, it promotes a sense of belonging and individuality. Certain individuals see the exploitation of their religious affiliation for financial gain, thereby raising doubts about these companies’ comprehension of Islamic modesty. This has engendered a sense of distrust and suspicion.Originality/valueThis research illuminates the intricate connection between religion, fashion and market dynamics in the realm of Muslim hijabi fashion. This paper explores the multifaceted responses of Muslim women to the marketing methods used by global fashion designers, which include a delicate balance between cultural representation and commercial exploitation. The results shed light on the ways in which fashion both empowers and creates divisions among religious and cultural groups.

The purpose of the study is to investigate how environmental concern, eco-labelling, influencers and user-generated content affect Generation Z's green purchase intention. The objective of this study is to contribute with a new scope that combines influencers and user-generated content on digital platforms with environmental concern for Generation Z. The study also aims to add new value in predicting Generation Z's green purchase intention and results that can be implemented in future marketing strategies. To test the framework, a quantitative research approach, with an online survey, was applied to collect data from Generation Z. The sample size consisted of 393 individuals from Generation Z. Structural Equation Modelling was applied to test the hypothesized framework. All hypotheses were accepted, and hence, this research has identified key variables to predict Generation Z's green purchase intention. Additionally, this paper found that environmental concern has a significant positive impact on Generation Z's user-generated content and eco-labelling, and influencers positively affect Generation Z's user-generated content. This study can aid companies that employ an influencer marketing approach to comprehend how they can motivate customers to buy sustainable products more frequently. This study provides crucial and valuable insights into further understanding how the sustainable consumption behavior of Generation Z can be impacted by the utilization of influencer marketing and their concern for the environment. It also provides a deeper understanding of how influencers and their perceived concerns for the environment can be combined with user-generated content and eco-labelling, as well as subsequent effects on the green purchase intention of members of Generation Z.

Environmental issues are massively emerging in the current agendas of governments, businesses and consumers all over the globe. Consumers increasingly adopt a more energetic role in the environmental discussion and employ product consumption to manifest their contribution to the debate. Equally, a growing number of businesses try to affect positive social change, whereas others strategically approach green opportunities; at the same time, they persistently intensify their branding offerings to sustain loyalty. This article brings into discussion green consumption values as the authors aim to shed light into the way the latter moderate the effect of brand related factors, namely, brand experiences and brand personality, on brand loyalty. Based on data received from 413 participants and using the wearable technologies industry as the focal context, the study underscores the significance of green consumption values. Findings are discussed, and implications for managers are provided.

Using empirical data from the Kuwaiti mobile telecommunications sector, this study models a fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) to investigate the reciprocal effects of customer loyalty and its antecedents in an emerging market context. This study investigates the effect of perceived service quality, perceived service value and brand equity on customer loyalty and the simultaneous analysis of the reverse causality of these variables. Data pertaining to 350 subscribers were analysed. According to the results, the model reaches the equilibrium when brand equity and customer loyalty are increased and reach an optimal level. Based on these findings, the authors provide implications for managers in the mobile telecom industry.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how firm-generated content (FGC) impacts consumer brand awareness, brand loyalty and electronic word of mouth (eWOM), and how this, in turn, influences consumer purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach In order to test this conceptual framework, statistical analysis was carried out employing structural equation modelling. Findings The findings indicate that FGC has a positive impact on brand awareness, brand loyalty, eWOM and purchase intention. Furthermore, the results reveal that a link exists between consumer eWOM behaviour and brand awareness and loyalty. This study also demonstrates that company communication through Facebook and Instagram has a positive effect on consumer purchase intention. Finally, it has been shown that, regarding eWOM and purchase intention, FGC posted on Instagram has a greater impact on its users than that posted on Facebook. Originality/value Consumer purchase intention is increasingly impacted by the growing use of social media by companies and marketers. This changing environment has opened up new challenges. However, there is still much work to be done in understanding the full effects of FGC communication, and how this influences consumer brand perception and purchase intention.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the innovation adoption process taking place in the public relations field through the use of Web 2.0 applications and social network activities. Design/methodology/approach - Innovation adoption of electronic public relations (E-PR) is examined at personal, organizational, and environmental levels by employing, for each one of the previous, a number of different sub-dimensions leading to the creation and verification of a hierarchical tree structure. Findings - E-PR innovation adoption can be influenced at personal, organizational, and environmental levels. Each of the aforementioned levels is hierarchically linked to a number of factors that can actually speed up the process. Originality/value - Never before to the authors' knowledge the E-PR adoption process was examined as a hierarchical model bridging the innovation adoption literature with the public relations literature.

This paper explores the influence of mental intangibility on the size of the consideration set, for both tangible products and services. The research also examines the moderating effect of purchase involvement and objective knowledge on the set. Two experimental studies were conducted to examine these relations. Overall, the results indicate that mental intangibility positively influences the size of the consideration set, regardless of the offering type (product or service). This effect is stronger in low levels of knowledge. Consumer involvement does not seem to have a moderating effect on this relation. The studies' implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

ABSTRACTThe concept of emotional intelligence has become popular as a consulting tool as theory suggests that individuals who are high in emotional intelligence are likely to exhibit a higher level of performance outcomes. In this study, we examined the impact of emotional intelligence on sales performance. We hypothesized that the impact of emotional intelligence on sales performance was mediated by adaptive selling behaviour. Data were collected from sales people in the financial industries in Malaysia via the WLEIS emotional intelligence scale and ADAPTS adaptive selling behaviour scale, and were quantitatively analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Results were in keeping with the model. Emotional intelligence was not found to impact sales performance directly. It impacted on sales performance through a mediating variable; adaptive selling behaviour.Keywords: Emotional Intelligence; Adaptive Selling Behaviour; Sales Performance.1. INTRODUCTIONThe importance of the role of salespeople in today's complex marketing environment is undeniable. As the market is extremely competitive and customers are becoming less loyal and more sophisticated while at the same time becoming more demanding, the role of salespeople has become more imperative in developing good customer relationship. Salespeople play a key role not only in customer relationship management but also in understanding, creating, communicating and delivering values to customers, which in turn increases the sales performance of the firm (Paparoidamis & Guenzi, 2009; Weitz & Bradford, 1999). Therefore, it is not surprising that for decades sales management researchers have invested time in studying the determinant of salesperson performance. Researchers have come to agree that role perception, aptitude, skill level and motivation level are the main determinants of salesperson performance (Churchill et al., 1985). Although in recent years there has been considerable and growing interest in the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) in the Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources, and Management literature (O'Boyle Jr. et al., 2011), it has yet to receive sufficient attention in the sales performance literature. The research areas in the Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources and Management literature stress the importance of EI as a predictor of leadership, negotiation, perception of trust in leader-member relationship, organizational citizen behaviours, work-family conduct, and work performance (Ashkanasy & & Daus, 2002; Carmeli & Josman, 2006; Cote & Miner, 2006; Dulewicz et al., 2005; Humprey et al., 2008). The theory of emotional intelligence was set forth by the Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner in 1983. He based his theory upon the social intelligence concept developed by Thorndike in 1920. Gardner's concept was then expanded by Mayer and Salovey in the early 1990s; however, it did not come become popular until Goleman published his book in 1995. The concept of emotional intelligence has been developed in the fields of neuro-psychology and neuro-science, and focuses on a patterned structure of responses that regulates emotions: in particular, it focuses on the role of brain connectivity between the amygdale and the neural cortex (Roche, 2004). Regardless of its recent emergence in the literature, it already includes a large number of concepts. Of these many concepts, four main approaches to emotional intelligence have been widely used in recent years - the EQ-i Bar On; the ECi Goleman approach; the Four Branch Model of Mayer, Salovey and Caruso (MSCEIT); and the Four Dimension EI approach of Davies, Stankov and Roberts (1998) (Law et al., 2004; Rahim, Psenicka, Polychroniou, Zhao, Yu, Chan, Kwok et al., 2002). Although a variety of EI domains have been conceptualised over the years, the modern interest in EI began with Mayer and Salovey (1997). Mayer and Salovey (1997) describe emotional intelligence as a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use them to guide one's thinking and action. …

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of employee-based brand equity (EBBE) and perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an e-mail survey from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) firms in the UK and UAE. Sample sectors included cosmetics and toiletries, household care products, packaged food, soft drinks and tobacco firms. Quantitative data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The results suggest strong support for the hypothesized relationships, thereby providing strong validation for the proposed model. One interesting finding was that the PEU affected employee brand equity significantly stronger in the UK than in the UAE. This phenomenon is explained in the discussion section. Research limitations/implications Although several studies have indicated several other elements for EBBE, such as brand commitment and brand citizen behavior, the authors borrowed King et al. ’s (2012) EBBE concept and limited their variables on EBBE for brand endorsement, brand allegiance and brand consistent behavior. Practical implications Knowledge is expanded through an empirical study validating the proposed model, which provides meaningful insights for developing training tools for internal brand management. Firms have to increase the brand manager’s commitment to increase the employee brand equity, which in turn increases the firm’s performance. Originality/value This paper makes three imperative contributions to the branding literature: expanding the existing brand equity literature to incorporate employee brand equity; being the first known empirically tested PEU on employee brand equity; and empirically testing employee brand equity, which has been ignored in branding literature on firm performance.

In this study, we examined the impact of emotional intelligence on sales performance. We posited that the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on sales performance was mediated by adaptive selling behaviour (ASB). Data were collected from 281 sales people in the financial industries in Malaysia via the WLEIS emotional intelligence scale and ADAPTS adaptive selling behaviour scale, and were quantitatively analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Results were in keeping with the model. Three domains of EI were not found to impact sales performance directly but through ASB. Theoretical implications and managerial ramifications were also discussed.