Harry A. Taute

Brand tribalism: an anthropological perspective

Purpose – Companies should move beyond product attribute positioning to fostering affective-laden relationships with customers, as customers often want to feel engaged with the brand they purchase. These brand tribal members share something emotively more than mere brand ownership. As measures of brand engagement continue to evolve, proven instruments measuring brand tribalism and studies investigating its explanatory power are limited. The purpose of this paper is to help fill this research fissure by offering a three-study approach, leaning on Sahlins anthropological theory of segmented lineage. Design/methodology/approach – In Study 1, the authors develop and evaluate the measurement properties of a brand tribalism scale. Using survey data in Study 2 and Study 3, the applicability of brand tribalism on brand-response variables across two technological contexts is examined. Findings – Data drawn from ordinary brand users confirm scale validity while questioning the efficacy of communal social structure...

Personal Opinions and Beliefs as Determinants of Collegiate Football Consumption for Revered and Hated Teams

Although personal opinions and beliefs are robust influencers of consumer behavior, research linking such factors to sport consumption is deficient. Hence, two studies are developed. Study 1 explores beliefs (i.e., internal locus of control for game outcomes) and opinions (i.e., personal expertise about a team, attitude toward the head coach) as determinants of fans’ willingness to attend games and purchase apparel of their favorite college football team. Study 2 examines these same determinants of fans’ willingness to attend games involving their least favorite college football team. There is partial support for the posited relationships in both studies.

The Effect of Nonverbal Signals on Student Role-Play Evaluations

Although salespeople have long been urged to recognize and adapt to customer needs and wants by observing communications style and other cues or signals by the buyer, nonverbal communications by the salesperson have received much less empirical scrutiny. However, nonverbal communications may be important in this context; research in several disciplines intimates that nonverbal signals are equally, perhaps more, important than verbal signals in persuasive communications. In a first study, the authors examined the National Collegiate Sales Contest (NCSC) scoring system in a classroom setting, and on finding a distinct nonverbal contribution to total sales presentation variance, they concluded that appropriate nonverbal signals should receive more weighting in the NCSC scoring system. The authors then reviewed the extant literature for a multi-item measure of nonverbal sales behaviors; finding none, they developed a measure of nonverbal sales behavior in role-play presentations in a second study. The article empirically demonstrates the importance of nonverbal signals in student sales presentations for personal selling instructors and practitioners and describes how specific nonverbal signals may apply differentially to aspects of sales presentations.

A sequential process of brand tribalism, brand pride and brand attitude to explain purchase intention: a cross-continent replication study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and replicate the indirect effect of smartphone brand tribalism on purchase intent via brand pride and brand attitude. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 190 US (Study 1) and 432 Qatari (Study 2) smartphone consumers, path analysis is used to evaluate the hypotheses. Findings For these disparate samples, only the defense of the tribal brand dimension of brand tribalism influences brand pride, which in turn leads to a sequential process of brand attitude and purchase intention. Research limitations/implications Using only smartphone data from the USA and Qatar may hinder external validity. As effect sizes in this context are understood, researchers have additional benchmarks for future brand tribalism and brand pride research. Practical implications The psychological underpinning and presence of brand tribes in society cannot be overlooked by strategists. Such tribal-laden following is too evident within smartphone communities. By further understanding the effect of brand tribalism on brand pride and subsequent attitudinal response and behavioral intent, marketers and brand leaders are in an improved position to develop strategies that appeal to targeted customers, ultimately growing and strengthening their brand value. Originality/value Supported by the anthropological view of brand tribalism, this paper contributes to the branding literature by examining the indirect effect of brand tribalism on purchase intention via brand pride and brand attitude. The posited model, previously untested and replicated here across two ethnically diverse samples, shows more explanatory power for defense of the tribal brand on brand pride as compared to the other brand tribalism dimensions. A novel and valid, multi-item brand pride measure is also developed.

Determinants of Intentions to Purchase Unhealthy Food and Beverage Options: A Dual-Process Theoretical Perspective

Research evinces that both cognitions and emotions illuminate consumer decision-making processes; however, quantitative examination of such factors concomitantly as antecedents (i.e., dual-process theory) of unhealthy food and beverage purchases is deficient. To address this research fissure, survey data from undergraduate business students (N = 268) at a southwest U.S. university were collected during regularly scheduled classes to help explain corn-fed beef and soft drink purchase processes. Specifically, self-expression via food consumption, organic food brand tribalism, nutrition seeking, attitude toward the corn sweetener industry, and emotional response toward ranchers that raise their cattle on a corn diet, among others, were modeled as determinants of intentions to purchase corn-fed beef and soft drinks. Data collected for this model support dual-process theory in a food and beverage consumption context; mediating factors are also uncovered. Implications and future research directions are offered.

Unhealthy Food and Beverage Consumption: An Investigative Model

Regardless of benefactor—marketer or policy maker—understanding purchase processes of unhealthy food and beverage options would be of value. Yet, quantitative investigation into this domain is not complete; to address this research lacuna, data were collected to help explicate purchase processes for corn-fed beef and soft drinks made with artificial sugar. Specifically, nutrition information usage, organic food brand tribalism, self-esteem, and feelings about shopping smart for healthy food were modeled as chronological determinants of intentions to purchase corn-fed beef and soft drinks. The data collected support this sequential model. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.

A Brand Foci Model to Explain Achievement Needs: A Contradictory Explanation: An Abstract

While the union between consumers and their adored brands has been typified as brand communities (McAlexander, Schouten, & Koenig, 2002) and brand tribes (the focus of this research) (e.g., Cova & Cova, 2001), researchers have gone beyond the nature of the consumer brand relationship to delve into its outcomes. Thus, understanding consumers’ attitudes and behaviors associated with brand tribe membership is a valuable investigative domain for marketing researchers (e.g., Gruner, Homburg, & Lukas, 2014). The purpose of this research is to examine the anthropological perspective of brand tribalism in an Eastern culture.

Explaining Motivational Needs Through Positive Affect and Brand Tribalism: An Abstract

Smartphone communities have relational and social attributes that parallel brand tribes: they demonstrate augmented forms of value systems, brand enthusiasm, and defense mechanisms (Taute & Sierra, 2014). Mobile communications users have been examined as tribes in Europe (Jurisic & Acevedo, 2011) and in the USA (Taute & Sierra, 2014); yet, determinants and outcomes of smartphone users’ brand tribalism need further inspection. To help close this research gap and offer acuity to this sequential process, we conjecture that positive affect toward a smartphone brand (PosAFF) antecedes both components of brand tribalism (i.e., defense of the tribe – DEFENSE and positivity associated with being a member of a brand tribe – TribePOS). In turn, these tribe dimensions lead to individuals’ motivational need for power (NPOWER) and need for achievement (NACHIEVE). Students enrolled in marketing courses at a southwestern US university completed the questionnaire during regularly scheduled classes. The mean age of respondents (N = 190) is 21.63 years (SD = 1.60). Whites (60%), Hispanics (28%), and Blacks (7%) are represented. In terms of favorite smartphone, iPhone (74%) and Droid (23%) are noted most.

When Purchase Intent Is Not the Endgame: A Sequential Process to Understand Brand Tribalism, Brand Love, and Motivational Needs—An Abstract

Across sundry sectors, consumers demonstrate proclivity to become part of brand tribes, which are exemplified by shared beliefs, brand admiration, unique rituals, and responsibility to fellow members and the community (Muniz and O’Guinn 2001). The understanding of consumers’ behaviors in brand communities and tribes is a valuable domain of investigation for marketing researchers (e.g., Gruner et al. 2014). The importance of smartphones in society is also well understood. As Android and iPhone users make up diverse social networks with a common ardor for their espoused brands, they are aptly classified as tribes (Taute and Sierra 2014).

A brand foci model to explain achievement needs: a contradictory explanation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the indirect effect of smartphone-brand tribalism on the need for achievement. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 272 South Korean respondents, path analysis is used to evaluate the hypotheses. Findings Only the sense of community dimension of brand tribalism affects brand pride (PRIDE), which in turn leads to a sequential process of brand attitude, purchase intention, and need for achievement (NACHIEVE). Research limitations/implications South Korean data may confine generalizability. As effect sizes in this context are understood, researchers have an additional benchmark for future brand tribalism and PRIDE research. Practical implications The psychological underpinning and, the presence of brand tribes in society cannot be overlooked by strategists. Such tribal-laden following is also evident within smartphone communities. By further understanding brand tribalism outcomes, marketers and brand leaders are in an improved position to develop strategies that appeal to targeted customers, ultimately growing and strengthening their brand tribes. Originality/value Supported by the anthropological view of brand tribalism, this research contributes to the branding literature by examining the indirect effects of brand tribalism on the NACHIEVE through brand-related attitudes and behavioral intentions. Where previous research using westerners indicates the explanatory power of defense of the tribe on brand-related factors, no effect in this regard is found here using eastern smartphone consumers.