Edgar Centeno

Green consumer behavior in an emerging economy: confusion, credibility, and compatibility

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of deeper motivations and inhibitors of green consumer behavior in the context of emerging economies. Based on the findings, it aims to provide implications for marketers and policy making.Design/methodology/approach – Based on an ethnographic approach, in‐depth interviews and observational data were used to study 15 Mexican families from four urban regions of Mexico with different incomes. Thematic analysis was used to develop and validate themes and codes.Findings – The findings highlight three dominant themes related to uncertainty in the adoption of environmentally‐friendly behaviors: consumer confusion, trust and credibility, and compatibility. Overall, green behaviors seem to be ingrained in the traditional heritage of savings and frugality rather than based on strong environmental values. It is suggested that the factors that drive consumers from positive attitudes and intentions to the actual adoption of green behavi...

The use of communication activities in the development of small to medium‐sized enterprise brands

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate how small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) use particular brand communication activities to develop their brands.Design/methodology/approach – As a means to build some understanding about this phenomenon, a “contemporary marketing practices” perspective was used as a theoretical framework to 30 holistic case studies in Mexico. Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with brand owner/managers.Findings – Findings suggest four categories of brand communication activities based on interactional, transactional, and e‐marketing approaches, including “close and personal”, “mass‐personalisation”, “mass”, and “e‐communication” activities.Research limitations/implications – Many more activities were found in interactional marketing as it appeared to be more suited to SMEs and context. Future research may address key activities for further investigation such as word‐of‐mouth as a key role in SME brand communication.Practical implications – This study confirms the key pa...

Green Shades: A Segmentation Approach Based on Ecological Consumer Behavior in an Emerging Economy

Despite important environmental problems in the urban centers of many emerging economies, marketers and policymakers are currently not adequately equipped with the tools and information to identify important consumer segments in regard to their pro-environmental behaviors. This research presents the findings from an empirical study with 715 Mexican consumers. A cluster analysis identifies five segments that differ not only on the intensity, but also the specific type of pro-environmental behavior. The findings suggest that marketing managers and policymakers should consider different combinations of ecological behaviors and include demographic and attitudinal variables, such as perceived consumer effectiveness and environmental and social values, rather than only focusing on high or low adoption levels of pro-environmental behaviors in general.

Let Us Listen to the Voice of Women in Management in the Twenty-First Century: A Longitudinal Study

The role of women in business in terms of their job responsibility has been a topic of interest for many scholars. It has provided extensive discussions about, for instance, their strong and weak management capabilities and possible setbacks to their promotion and consolidation in positions of responsibility. Conciliation between family and work lives has also been a hot topic for researchers.

Infusing Personality to Brands: The Key Influence of SME Owner/Managers

As consumers go into relationships in their own personal lives, it has been argued that consumers may understand brand relationships better by personifying the brand. This process by which brands forms a relationship with consumers is based on the theory of anthropomorphism of brands. For this study, brand as a person is defined as brand personality and other human-like traits which may be linked to functional attributes and benefits. Importantly, no research today has studied this dimension in detail in relation to the personality of SME brand owner/managers (O/Ms). Our aim is to explore the link between the personality of the brand O/M and that of the brand. Thirty case studies were used for data collection. Semi-structured interviews offered sufficient structure to keep the interview on the right track and also flexibility for appropriate discussion and exploration. Data was analyzed through thematic coding. NVivo helped to systematically and objectively compare and contrast theory-driven and data-driven codes. Two key findings emerged from the study: (1) a clear indication that there are close similarities between personality traits of O/Ms and their brands, and (2) two distinctive types of brand personalities emerged, one being more rational and the other more social. This study sustains prior arguments that organizational identity in SMEs often mirrors the personality and characteristics of the owners. Some implications may indicate that (1) this brand dimension may help improve brand emotional relationships with consumers and may also reinforce a coherent brand identity; (2) training programs for O/Ms designed to develop brand strategic tools such as brand personality may assist brand SMEs to become more competitive in the marketplace.