François Marticotte

The impact of brand evangelism on oppositional referrals towards a rival brand

Purpose This study aims to build on the notion of brand evangelism developed by Becerra and Badrinarayanan (2013) by examining how brand relationship variables regarding one brand (i.e. brand loyalty, brand community identification and self-brand connection) influence oppositional referrals to a rival brand (i.e. desire to harm and trash-talking) in the high definition (HD) videogame console industry. Design/methodology/approach A survey of online communities devoted to video gaming was conducted using a sample of 809 respondents, all owners of either a PlayStation or an Xbox. Findings The results show that the desire to harm the rival brand is strongly and positively associated to participation in trash-talking. Brand loyalty is connected to both dimensions of oppositional brand referrals. Consumers’ connection with the brand affects trash-talking only indirectly through the desire to harm. No association is found between identification with the brand community and oppositional brand referrals. Originality/value This study is the first to demonstrate the mechanism linking brand relationship variables regarding a focal brand with consumers’ disparagement of a rival brand, showing that a desire to harm plays a central role. Just as the desire for retaliation drives negative word-of-mouth in the context of an unsatisfactory experience with a brand (Gregoire and Fisher, 2006), the desire to harm drives trash-talking against a rival brand by brand evangelists. This study improves our understanding of the relationships consumers build with their preferred brands and how this relationship may influence their rejection of competing brands with which they do not have direct experience.

The nurturing of relationships in commercial and retail banking

ABSTRACT The objective of this paper is to develop a better understanding of the factors associated with nurturing relationships between relationship managers and their clients in the banking industry. The Nominal Group Technique and a content analytical approach were both used to respectively collect and interpret the data. Results found the nurturing of relationships to be endogenous and asymmetrical in nature. The consequence is a personal, individualistic process maintained on behalf of the bank. The complexity associated with managing commercial portfolios requires commercial account managers to be more involved with their clients in the nurturing process than retail branch managers.

Which Personality Traits are Promoted by Managers? the Brand Personality of National and International Brands from the Supply Side

Brand personality is one of the most debated concepts in the field of brand management since the pioneer study by Aaker (1997). Some consider it as an important component of brand equity (Keller & Lehmann, 2006) via the “brand association” dimension. The associations are based, in parts, on exposures to communications (Yoo, Donthu and Lee, 2000) and thus, images and messages promoted by firms.

Nostalgia’s Role in Retromarketing

Consumption related to the past is trendy. The successful new retro products are often modified to fit today’s taste and functional and performance standards. Many product categories including those that traditionally focused on innovation and creativity, such as cars and music, are influenced by the retro movement. Despite its popularity, few empirical studies (Brown et al. 2003a, b) have embraced the consumers’ reactions toward a retromarketing offer. Retromarketing is a wise marriage between the past and the present in a way to offer the best of both worlds (Brown 2001; Brown et al. 2003b). Nostalgia and retromarketing look like concepts that are interlinked, but few studies have assessed how nostalgia can impact the consumers’ reaction toward a retro product. Therefore, the objectives of this study are twofold: to assess how the mix of the old and the new in a retro product influences consumers’ behaviors and, specifically, if nostalgia ever plays any kind of role.

Rock on! Factors Influencing the Brand Equity of the International Comeback Rock Groups

The global industry of popular music has generated more than

e-WOM Scale: Word-of-Mouth Measurement Scale for e-Services Context*

18 billion in 2008 (IPI, 2008). These revenues come primarily from the sale of music (on physical media and digital) and show tickets. Artists are at the heart of this activity. If the technology leads to adverse effects (e.g. illegal downloading), it can also propel almost anybody to international stardom. The recent cases of Paul Potts and Susan Boyle, contestants of the TV show Britain’s Got Talent and internationally mediated through social media, are clear examples. Conversely, the leading bands and performers of previous decades continue to be a part of everyday audiophile. This applies, for example to dead stars (eg, Elvis Presley, James Brown, John Lennon) and to those who have decided to withdraw from the spotlight (e.g. Tina Turner, Simon and Garfunkel, ABBA). Although the place of marketing in music is debated (Kubacki & Croft, 2004), it is clear that major music bands of international fame such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, are SMEs generating millions in revenues each year. These bands are commercial brands. These groups, and others, have a presumed strong brand equity. The Rockband phenomenon (e.g. video games) for instance, thrives on these brands and help them expand promoting these groups towards younger fans who would have otherwise ignored the existence of these groups.