Alexander Zauner

Taking a deeper look at online reviews: The asymmetric effect of valence intensity on shopping behaviour

Abstract This study tests the asymmetric effect of user-generated, open-ended online reviews on online shopping behaviour (intention-to-buy, intention-to-recommend, and willingness-to-pay). Three online experiments involving manipulating the valence intensity of online reviews for hotels, books, and running shoes (overall customer sample of n = 818) provide empirical support for the proposed relationship. The valence intensity of online reviews moderates the effect of online reviews on purchase intentions. In other words, a significant change in online shopping behaviour was found for positive medium and strong reviews but not for negative ones. Based on these findings, managers should encourage customers to share their positive consumption-related experiences by offering strong arguments that will convince other customers.

Sponsoring, brand value and social media

El aumento de compromiso y participacion de los individuos en los medios sociales, en la ultima decada, posibilito que las empresas explorasen nuevas modalidades de comunicacion y proyectos de patrocinio. Ademas de investigacion general en lo que se refiere a los medios sociales o al patrocinio, las cuestiones en relacion a las consecuencias de las acciones conjuntas (actividades de patrocinio en los medios sociales) permanecieron poco exploradas. El presente trabajo analiza si la imagen percibida de la marca y la credibilidad de la celebridad endosante de un importante equipo deportivo podria influenciar la valorizacion percibida de la marca de la empresa patrocinadora en el escenario de los medios sociales. Ademas, estos resultados se comparan entre los clientes actuales y los no clientes de la empresa patrocinadora. Curiosamente, resulto que la credibilidad percibida de la celebridad endosante casi no seria un factor en la construccion de las percepciones en relacion a los clientes actuales. Nuestros hallazgos contribuyen a la discusion actual en la literatura sobre las ventajas del uso de medias sociales para promover patrocinios.The increasing involvement of individuals in social media over the past decade has enabled firms to pursue new avenues in communication and sponsoring activities. Besides general research on either social media or sponsoring, questions regarding the consequences of a joint activity (sponsoring activities in social media) remain unexplored. Hence, the present study analyses whether the perceived image of the brand and the celebrity endorser credibility of a top sports team influence the perceived brand value of the sponsoring firm in a social media setting. Moreover, these effects are compared between existing customers and non-customers of the sponsoring firm. Interestingly, perceived celebrity endorser credibility plays no role in forming brand value perceptions in the case of the existing customers. Implications for marketing theory and practice are derived.

Customer perceived value - Conceptualization and avenues for future research

Abstract Given the present dynamic consumption environment due to technological innovations as well as interlinked economic developments on the macro-, micro-, and societal-level, researchers and managers have been increasingly showing interest in the concept of customer perceived value. However, especially given its vast empirical application, surprisingly little effort has been paid to synthesize various perspectives on the dimensionality, abstraction, and model taxonomy of customer perceived value. Therefore, based on a comprehensive literature review, this article identifies the predominant conceptualization of customer perceived value, thus also providing a sound basis for future empirical assessments of this concept, and discusses avenues for future research. In addition to contributing to research, this study also contributes to practice by comprehensively positioning customer perceived value as a key source of competitive advantage in the context of relationship marketing, management, and business models.

The Consumption-System Wireless Telecommunications and the Perceived Value - Loyalty Intentions Link

Firms are increasingly involved in marketing of consumption-systems that contain both a significant product and service subsystem (Mittal, Kumar and Tsiros 1999). Consumers evaluate the value of the product and the service both separately but also virtually combined. As a result, Shankar et al. (2009) posit that products and services combined into innovative marketing offerings help companies to attract new customers and increase demand among existing ones by providing superior perceived value. Following urges from research (Johnson, Herrmann and Huber 2006) and practice (Shankar, Berry and Dotzel 2009) alike, the interactions between the perceived value of the product (e.g., cellular phones) and the service (e.g., wireless telecommunication services) as well as their affect on loyalty intentions require clarification. The objective of this study is to examine the degree to which perceived value gained from the performance in one part of the system (as with the product) affects perceived value gained from the performance in the other part of the system (as with the service) and vice versa.

Patrocínio, valorização da marca e mídias sociais

El aumento de compromiso y participacion de los individuos en los medios sociales, en la ultima decada, posibilito que las empresas explorasen nuevas modalidades de comunicacion y proyectos de patrocinio. Ademas de investigacion general en lo que se refiere a los medios sociales o al patrocinio, las cuestiones en relacion a las consecuencias de las acciones conjuntas (actividades de patrocinio en los medios sociales) permanecieron poco exploradas. El presente trabajo analiza si la imagen percibida de la marca y la credibilidad de la celebridad endosante de un importante equipo deportivo podria influenciar la valorizacion percibida de la marca de la empresa patrocinadora en el escenario de los medios sociales. Ademas, estos resultados se comparan entre los clientes actuales y los no clientes de la empresa patrocinadora. Curiosamente, resulto que la credibilidad percibida de la celebridad endosante casi no seria un factor en la construccion de las percepciones en relacion a los clientes actuales. Nuestros hallazgos contribuyen a la discusion actual en la literatura sobre las ventajas del uso de medias sociales para promover patrocinios.The increasing involvement of individuals in social media over the past decade has enabled firms to pursue new avenues in communication and sponsoring activities. Besides general research on either social media or sponsoring, questions regarding the consequences of a joint activity (sponsoring activities in social media) remain unexplored. Hence, the present study analyses whether the perceived image of the brand and the celebrity endorser credibility of a top sports team influence the perceived brand value of the sponsoring firm in a social media setting. Moreover, these effects are compared between existing customers and non-customers of the sponsoring firm. Interestingly, perceived celebrity endorser credibility plays no role in forming brand value perceptions in the case of the existing customers. Implications for marketing theory and practice are derived.

Patrocinio, valorización de la marca y medios sociales

El aumento de compromiso y participacion de los individuos en los medios sociales, en la ultima decada, posibilito que las empresas explorasen nuevas modalidades de comunicacion y proyectos de patrocinio. Ademas de investigacion general en lo que se refiere a los medios sociales o al patrocinio, las cuestiones en relacion a las consecuencias de las acciones conjuntas (actividades de patrocinio en los medios sociales) permanecieron poco exploradas. El presente trabajo analiza si la imagen percibida de la marca y la credibilidad de la celebridad endosante de un importante equipo deportivo podria influenciar la valorizacion percibida de la marca de la empresa patrocinadora en el escenario de los medios sociales. Ademas, estos resultados se comparan entre los clientes actuales y los no clientes de la empresa patrocinadora. Curiosamente, resulto que la credibilidad percibida de la celebridad endosante casi no seria un factor en la construccion de las percepciones en relacion a los clientes actuales. Nuestros hallazgos contribuyen a la discusion actual en la literatura sobre las ventajas del uso de medias sociales para promover patrocinios.The increasing involvement of individuals in social media over the past decade has enabled firms to pursue new avenues in communication and sponsoring activities. Besides general research on either social media or sponsoring, questions regarding the consequences of a joint activity (sponsoring activities in social media) remain unexplored. Hence, the present study analyses whether the perceived image of the brand and the celebrity endorser credibility of a top sports team influence the perceived brand value of the sponsoring firm in a social media setting. Moreover, these effects are compared between existing customers and non-customers of the sponsoring firm. Interestingly, perceived celebrity endorser credibility plays no role in forming brand value perceptions in the case of the existing customers. Implications for marketing theory and practice are derived.

Community marketing in social media – can marketers leverage Facebook groups of celebrities?

Social media networks (e.g., Facebook) have become a major factor influencing various aspects of consumer behaviour and have thus also become the targets of marketers. Social networks that gather special interest groups, such as celebrity fan groups, provide a particularly attractive point of leverage for community marketing. However, there remain open questions regarding the success of community marketing activities in social media. The present study attempts to close this gap by investigating whether 1 the image of the brand, and 2 the celebrity endorser credibility of a top sports team influence the perceived customer value of the sponsoring firm. Based on a survey of members of a Facebook fan group of an Austrian celebrity sports team (n = 322), we identify a direct positive impact of celebrity-centred community marketing in social media on customer value. Our findings emphasise the relevance of coordinated marketing activities that use social media to create customer value.

Strategic port planning: A case study of the Rotterdam seaport cluster applying the SWOT framework

Seaports are distinct and dynamic entities with conflicting functions and tasks. Being confronted with a complex and competitive environment, their position and development is challenged. Consequently, seaports require strategic planning and analysis to direct change, rather than merely respond to it. Regardless of its relevance, a scarcity of research focusing on determinants of seaport clusters exists. The research aims to increase the understanding for internal and external conditions of the Rotterdam seaport cluster by conducting an explorative study. The Rotterdam seaport cluster constitutes a unique and complex case, due to its advanced position in terms of size, technology and productivity. Applying the SWOT framework, an internal perspective was chosen to facilitate the emergence of strengths and weaknesses such as geographical location and lacking intra-port competition. Also, opportunities including increasing world trade and inter-portco-operation, and threats such as growing competition and industry concentration are disclosed. In doing so, the foundation for future strategic planning considerations and implications for other port clusters are provided.