The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and its applications has drastically transformed consumer behavior (CB). As consumers interact with these applications on multiple platforms and touchpoints, it becomes crucial to understand how these interactions affect consumer behavior and its components, including personality, attitude, engagement, decision-making, and trust. The research on the relationship between artificial intelligence and consumer behavior (hereafter referred to as AI CB) revolves around these topics and has grown exponentially in recent years. A rigorous review is required to provide directions for future studies by comprehending the extensive literature, understanding research gaps, and identifying the future directions for scholarly work. This article aims to address this research gap by analyzing 107 AI CB articles using the bibliometric and framework-based methodology to provide insights into publication trends, dominant theories, methods, antecedents, decisions, and outcomes in the AI CB literature. Most importantly, the review identifies clusters of research fronts and provides a thematic framework for current research. These clusters or themes relate to AI interaction with consumer behavior dimensions, including consumer acceptance and trust, consumer interaction and engagement, attitude and personality, decision-making, and adoption. This thematic framework and TCM-ADO analysis offer future research directions to advance theory development and have implications for industry and society.
PurposeThe present research takes a qualitative approach to examine young adult consumers’ perceptions and intentions toward non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The goal of the study is to identify consumer sub-segments of young adults based on their perceptions of/intentions toward NFTs.Design/methodology/approachThis research utilized qualitative/thematic analysis.FindingsThe results revealed three sub-segments of young adults with different perceptions of NFTs. The largest group, Authenticators, perceive NFTs as luxurious digital possessions that are prestigious, have premium prices and are high quality. They are most likely to be early/late majority, but some are innovators/early adopters. The second-largest group, Pessimists, hold negative views about NFTs, seeing them as fads, silly and/or a waste of time and believing that investing in them is risky. These individuals are most likely to be laggards in terms of adoption. The smallest group, Futurists, hold forward-thinking views about NFTs. They are most likely to see themselves as innovators/early adopters, think of NFTs as the future of asset ownership, investment and digital life, and do not perceive them as overly risky.Originality/valueThe findings add to the scant literature on NFTs in marketing by documenting three potential sub-segments of young adult consumers for NFTs. NFT marketers should take care in effectively marketing NFTs’ value and addressing their risks to consumers as they relate to the identified consumer segments.
Given the many ways luxury firms can communicate their sustainability efforts on social media, this study employs complexity theory to identify the non-linear causal pathways resulting in positive affect on luxury brands’ sustainability posts. A sample of 127 Instagram posts created by 14 luxury brands addressing Earth Day (April 22) and “Blackout Tuesday” (June 2) were collected to represent two types of sustainability events (environmental and social sustainability). Employing a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study identifies a different number of solutions resulting in positive consumer affect for environmental and social sustainability toward a social media post, as measured by the percentage of comments containing at least one red heart emoji (). This study contributes to luxury branding theory and practice by demonstrating that positive affect towards a luxury brand’s sustainability social media posts is due to interactions among assorted causal conditions.
Cuteness is a feature of a variety of products and is common in marketing communications. Despite its popularity among mainstream brands, there is limited academic attention to cuteness in the context of luxury brands. While cuteness and luxury may appeal to different customers, luxury brands sometimes incorporate cuteness in their product design or brand communication. The potential impact of cuteness on luxury brand equity warrants investigation. Across four experiments with 662 participants, this research examines the effect of cuteness on luxury brand equity. Results show that cuteness enhances luxury brand equity through perceived uniqueness, as cuteness is less commonly associated with luxury brands. However, this positive effect only exists for traditional luxury brands, not for masstige or mass consumer brands. This research advances the literature on cuteness, particularly regarding its implications for luxury brands, and offers insights for luxury brand managers.
We analyzed and compared the Journal of Consumer Behaviour content in its first 20 years of publication. Articles were categorized into seven topics (Internal Factors, External Factors, Decision Process, Social Issues, Internet, Managerial Issues, and Research Methods) with subtopics. Authorship, citations based on Google Scholar, geographic representation of authors, and methodologies employed across the first 20 years were also explored. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the journal and consumer behaviour. This analysis provides suggestions for future research to be published by the Journal of Consumer Behaviour.
Storytelling can arouse consumers' emotions and affect purchasing behavior through desires and attitudes. While the marketing literature discusses storytelling, there is a lack of consensus because of the diverse conceptual and operational definitions used. To untangle the complexities and consolidate the fragmented knowledge about storytelling in marketing, this research examines how the marketing literature has addressed the influence of storytelling on consumers' purchasing behavior. The findings aid in understanding how the topic has been discussed from a marketing perspective in consumer behavior studies. Through a systematic literature review using a bibliometric analysis, we demonstrate that the marketing literature features four strands about the uses of storytelling to influence consumers' purchasing behavior. First, storytelling stimulates the consumer's identification with the brand. Second, storytelling allows consumers to experience emotional value. Third, storytelling supports engagement behaviors. Finally, storytelling has a downside in that it also propagates harmful speech. This study concludes with a roadmap for future research about how storytelling impacts consumers' purchasing behavior.
This study presents a reliable, valid, and generalizable four-item unidimensional scale that captures general bandwagon luxury motivation. After a thorough review of the bandwagon luxury literature, the authors developed an initial set of items which were then reviewed by academic experts. The scale was tested in a series of four studies to refine the scale and demonstrate its reliability and validity: Study 1 was conducted with a student sample in the Southeast, Study 2 with a student referral sample of adults in the Midwest, Study 3 with a national Qualtrics panel sample in the United States, and Study 4 with another national Qualtrics panel sample in the United States that included only those who had bought or consumed a luxury product in the past 12 months. Study 4 was done to corroborate the evidence from Study 3 with a sample of luxury consumers. The generalized bandwagon luxury motivation scale is positively related to status consumption motivation, congruity with one's internal self, a preference for visible luxury brands, and conspicuous consumption. It is negatively related to the inconspicuous luxury motivation of being unknown to the masses and independent self-construal. This research contributes to the literature by developing a generalized scale to measure the luxury bandwagon effect that is not limited to one luxury product domain.
PurposeCute products have found market success. The literature has identified various factors of cuteness, but the effect of size is under-addressed. This study aims to investigate whether and how size perception influences consumers' cuteness perception. Design/methodology/approachIn three experiments, size was manipulated in terms of visual cue, product description and product name to determine its impact on cuteness perception. FindingsThe results of the three experiments demonstrate that a size cue of smallness can heighten consumers' perception of product cuteness. The first two studies provided converging evidence for the main hypothesis that smaller objects are evaluated as cuter. Study 3 not only replicated the findings of the first two studies but also revealed that vulnerability acts as the underlying process for the smallness-cuteness relationship. Study 3 also showed that the purchase likelihood for an extended product warranty is higher in the small condition compared to the control condition. Research limitations/implicationsWhile the findings were robust across product types and size manipulations, possible boundary conditions related to product types or individual characteristics were not tested. Practical implicationsThe findings suggest how brand managers can use size perceptions to influence consumers' perceptions of the cuteness of their products and brands. Originality/valueThe findings inform brand managers about the nuances of size cues that may affect how customers perceive their products and identify a more generally applicable cuteness factor that may have downstream implications for marketing practitioners.
PurposeThis study aims to focus on understanding the consumer-luxury brand relationships among Generation Z. Generation Z is an up-and-coming generational cohort that has received limited research attention in the domains of both consumer-brand relationships and luxury branding, despite its growing size and purchasing power. Therefore, this study highlights the distinctive patterns of Generation Z’s relationship with luxury by identifying their choice of a luxury brand, the nature of the brand relationships, what characterizes these relationships and the internal and external influences that shape these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis study used brand collage construction. A total of 56 Generation Z respondents created brand collages that covered 38 different luxury brands. The data from the collages and their accompanying descriptions were evaluated using content analysis.FindingsThis study identifies Generation Z’s unique yet expansive view of luxury that encompasses not only traditional luxury but also masstige and non-traditional luxury brands. Moreover, the findings generally support that Generation Z’s relationships with luxury brands are characterized by “like” rather than “love”; while Generation Z may feel a high level of loyalty toward luxury brands in terms of attitudes and behaviors, they do not necessarily have strong, passionate feelings for them.Originality/valueThe findings of this study offer a comprehensive understanding of Generation Z’s brand relationship with luxury. Luxury marketers need to recognize that for Generation Z consumers, luxury is an integral part of their everyday lifestyle more than a display of success, which is clearly different from previous generations.
Purpose This study explores consumers' motivations to purchase luxury and counterfeit products using an international sample. In addition, it also examines the moderating role of interpersonal influence on this process. This study seeks to examine if the consumers who demand the highest quality express a preference for luxury goods over counterfeit goods. Design/methodology/approach Survey research was employed to subjects from the USA, India, China and Russia. Responses from US and India consumers were collected using online software, whereas responses from China and Russia were collected with the help of a local market research firm. Findings The findings of the study indicate that consumers tend to show similar reactions based on the luxury and counterfeit consumption process examined here. In terms of interpersonal influence as a moderator, however, the study found it significantly impacts status seekers' attitude toward luxury and how a perfectionist shopper perceives counterfeit consumption. Originality/value This study is one of the first in the literature to empirically address both luxury and counterfeit consumption. Further it considers consumers from multiple countries with high levels of luxury good purchases.
This research examines packaging-free shopping, which contributes to reducing the negative impact of plastic packaging on the environment, and its' relationship with green consumption values, value consciousness, and psychological traits. A mixed-methods approach is adopted with quantitative followed by qualitative research. Study 1 recruits 240 respondents from social media and the lead author's university website to examine different factors that increase consumers' likelihood of packaging-free shopping. Study 2 recruits packaging-free shoppers from Facebook Pages, explores these findings and provides further insights. Study 1 finds that consumers are driven more by green consumer values than by value consciousness, and consumers who are more conscientious are more likely to do packaging-free shopping. Study 2 supports this by finding that green consumer values drive packaging-free shopping, but this in only one part of their green efforts. The research contributes by illustrating the importance of conscientiousness specifically in the domain of packaging-free shopping and that these packaging-free shoppers are not driven in terms of value for money but by addressing their green consumer values. We recommend that packaging-free retailers and policy makers utilize promotional efforts to communicate how packaging-free shopping provides a balance with consumers' green values for these shoppers, how it fits in with their other green efforts, and how these shopping efforts are making a difference in helping the environment.
The current article presents an analysis of the Journal of Advertising's first 50 years of publication. All articles and research notes, and most other pieces published from 1972 through 2021, were included in our analysis. Articles were categorized into nine topics with subtopics. The content was compared across the five decades of the journal's publication. Authorship, citations based on Google Scholar, and methodologies across the first 50 years were also explored. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for how both the journal and the field have evolved, how advertising is studied, and whether the journal is fulfilling its mission.
This research defines and develops a measure of inconspicuous luxury motivations (ILM). In four studies, we identify items, purify this list, establish reliability, and provide evidence of the validity of the ILM inventory. Study One involved three focus groups. Based on the themes derived from the focus group interviews and from the literature, we developed, tested, and refined the initial ILM inventory with three different surveys involving a student referral sample (Study Two), a college student sample (Study Three), and a national US consumer panel (Study Four). Construct validity was established. The nomological validity of the inventory was tested by looking at the relationships of the ILM dimensions to brand visibility preference, preference toward conspicuous consumption and attitude toward luxury consumption. The result is the nine-item, two-factor ILM inventory: an intrinsic motivation to enjoy privacy in luxury consumption and an extrinsic motivation of being associated with the experienced luxury elite.
This study examines the effect of value-expressive and social-adjustive luxury attitudes on sustainable behaviors, specifically ecologically conscious consumer behavior, and socially responsible consumer behavior. This study investigates the mediating effect of the desire for unique products on the relationship between value-expressive and social-adjustive attitudes and sustainable behaviors. The moderating roles of brand self-congruence and the cultural values of collectivism and masculinity on these relationships are also explored. The results offer support for the mediating role of the desire for unique products. Furthermore, the connection between the desire for unique products and ecologically conscious consumer behavior (but not socially responsible consumer behavior) is enhanced with the moderating cultural value of collectivism and the connection between the desire for unique products and socially responsible consumer behavior (but not ecologically conscious consumer behavior) is enhanced by the moderating factor of brand self-congruence. The findings help to explain the conflicting findings regarding luxury and sustainability.
While negotiation within ongoing buyer–supplier relationships is a key element in supply chain management, the emphasis in the literature has been on one‐time, isolated event negotiations. This research, through three scenario‐based experiments with supply chain managers, considers how buyers’ perceptions of past negotiation strategies help to develop future negotiation strategy expectations of their suppliers. If the buyers’ strategy expectations are not met (violated) by the suppliers, these buyers will seek to understand why. Using the combination of expectancy violation theory and attribution theory, this research examines the relational impact of a negotiation strategy expectation violation and the role of extra‐relational factors. The results suggest that relationship history does influence how buyers respond to negotiation strategy expectation violations and that the relational impact of a negative violation is tempered by the history as opposed to a single event reaction. While the findings support that extra‐relational factors can also have a relational impact, buyers perceive differences based on the type of extra‐relational factor (organizational or external) and the type of relational outcome (commitment and relationship value). The results of the interaction of the strategy expectation violation and extra‐relational factor may stretch the boundary conditions of attribution theory. The findings suggest that suppliers should consider how their buying partners may perceive their negotiation behavior and determine the potential relational ramifications of behavior outside of the buyers’ expectations based on previous exchanges.
Purpose This paper aims to test the relationship between millennials’ status motivation and their ecologically conscious consumer behavior (ECCB) and the mediating role of culture influencing this effect. Design/methodology/approach A panel of millennials was surveyed using established scales to measure their status motivation, cultural values and ECCB. Findings The findings demonstrate status motivation has a positive effect on millennials’ ECCB. The findings indicate that the cultural values of collectivism, power distance and masculinity mediate the relationship between status motivation and ECCB. Research limitations/implications This study looked at responses from one generation, millennials, in one country, the USA. Practical implications Status motivation can impact ECCB and cultural values mediate this relationship. Status motivation can directly impact ECCB, as well as work positively through the cultural values of collectivism and power distance and negatively through masculinity. Social implications The results suggest ECCB for status-motivated millennials is driven by both status motivation and their collectivism, power distance and masculinity. To encourage millennials’ ECCB, public policymakers and marketers should emphasize the social influences of sustainable behaviors and how these behaviors make them stand out from others who are not sustainable and target those who view women as equal to men. Originality/value This research examines how millennials’ status motivations impact their ecologically conscious behaviors both directly and through the mediating role of cultural values. This research contributes by answering the call for looking at the influence of cultural values on environmental behaviors. It offers a possible reason for the mixed findings previously in the literature regarding status and sustainability by illustrating status motivations may work both directly and through cultural values in influencing ECCB. Thus, it is one of the first studies to demonstrate culture’s mediating effect in the area of sustainability.