Alejandro Mollá

Brand assessment: a key element of marketing strategy

The growing importance of the brand in the life of the company and in consumer perceptions has led many authors to base their analysis on brand value rather than the traditional approach in which its definition, its functions and its characteristics were amply developed. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the brand generates value for the company: brand value is the value of the marginal cash flows generated by a product due to the fact that it is identified with a brand. Brand value is generated by a series of multidimensional assets which interact in a complex way: loyalty; awareness; perceived quality; and identity. One of the main problems for a company wishing to develop a brand strategy is how to quantify this value. Studies the different methodologies available for this evaluation and distinguishes between financial and marketing methods. Concludes that marketing methods are worth greater consideration, since they give a wider vision of brand value by considering the consumer’s perspective and not only objective issues.

Shopping-centre selection modelling: a segmentation approach

This paper highlights the relevance of implementing a segmentation strategy in shopping-centres as their competitive environment becomes more turbulent. We have undertaken empirical research that uses the methodology of consumer choice modelling, as a way to ascertain the determinants of shopping-centre preference, which should form the base of strategy design. We construct a multinomial logit model which uses perceived shopping-centre value dimensions as explanatory variables. We estimate the model, first, for the sample as a whole and, second, by consumer segment, with the objective of comparing model fit and predictive efficiency. The analysis of results shows that estimation at the segment level produces better model fit; moreover, the parameter estimates are different for each group, which indicates that the preference structures and the sensitivity to changes in shopping-centre perceived value vary among segments.

Identifying patterns in channel usage across the search, purchase and post-sales stages of shopping

Different motivations explain channel choice for search, purchase and post-sales.Channel choice is affected by the product category: search/purchase goods.Product involvement is the most relevant variable explaining multichannel behavior.Cross-channel synergies as consumers use both channels at each shopping stage.Meaningful segments based on the choice of channel are identified and characterized. Consumers today are using various channels to complete their purchase process. As shoppers pursue different goals at each stage of the process, channel choice may be explained by different drivers for search, purchase and post-sales activities. Our research framework is based on an extension of the TAM Model with the support of the Motivational Model, differentiating two types of motivations for channel usage: intrinsic and extrinsic. Moreover, we rely on transaction costs economics to explain different channel usage at each shopping stages and for different product categories. Lineal regression and cluster analysis are applied to data collected through a survey answered by 1533 multichannel retail shoppers within two product categories (apparel and consumer electronics) in two countries (UK and Spain). Our findings show that segments with different usage patterns and motivations can be identified across the shopping process and that the drivers of channel usage are different depending on the stage of the buying process and the product category considered.

Website design and e-consumer: effects and responses

This research is focused on the study of the effects of different web layouts ? related to navigational structure and presentation of products ? on internal and behavioural consumer responses within an online shopping situation. Moreover, in our model we have introduced two types of variables ? involvement and atmospheric responsiveness ? which mediate the relationships between the constructs analysed. A website and a tracking behaviour methodology for a fictitious apparel retailer have been developed in order to carry out a 2?2 between-subjects experimental study. Our results show that if web marketers design stores without restrictive navigation cues (offering, in consequence, freedom of movement during navigation) and web animated layouts (including video and 360?-visualisation of products), they could be able to generate more positive responses on e-consumers, and consequently, improve their sales results.

Complaining at the Store or Through Social Media: The Influence of the Purchase Channel, Satisfaction, and Commitment

In the current omnichannel retail environment, customers have multiple channels to interact with firms to search for information, purchase, and after-sales. Within those channel social media can play a significant role, particularly as complaint channels. The aim of this paper is to analyze whether the choice to complain face-to-face or through social media depends on the purchase channel chosen and the satisfaction and commitment with the retailer. With data from an online panel our results show that the complaint channel tends to be the same as the channel chosen for purchase; moreover, satisfaction is positively related to complaining at store and negatively related to complaining through social media, and commitment is only positively related to complaining through social media.