Jaywant Singh

The differential impact of brand equity on B2B co‐branding

Purpose – Co‐branding strategies are now seen increasingly in business‐to‐business (B2B) settings, however, there has been little research in this area. This study aims to investigate the benefits of a B2B co‐branding strategy where the partner brands have different brand equity positions.Design/methodology/approach – This study employs a scenario approach incorporating three real multimedia software brands and three fictitious brands in nine hypothetical alliances over 97 respondents. Using repeated measures ANOVA, the study examines the balance of benefits derived from brand partnerships between high‐, medium‐ and low‐brand equity levels firms.Findings – It was found that brands with equivalent equity levels shared the benefits of the co‐branding equally, while lower equity brands benefited more from the alliance than higher equity partners. The results also suggest that very dominant partners gain a greater proportion of functional benefits (such as technical expertise) from the co‐branding strategy.Re...

In 25 years, across 50 categories, user profiles for directly competing brands seldom differ: affirming Andrew Ehrenberg’s principles

ABSTRACT It has been claimed that the user profiles of directly competing brands seldom differ. This surprises many in marketing, leading to some doubts about the validity of the claim. In the empirical generalization tradition, the authors: re-examine the previous claim using newer data; consider the scope of the claim in terms of brands in emerging markets, private labels, variants, and composite segments; and discuss potential boundary conditions. Despite attempts by marketers to differentiate brands and provide customized features for distinct target audiences, the evidence of the current study confirms that user profiles of directly competing brands seldom differ.

Measuring customer loyalty to product variants

This. paper. measures. patterns. of. loyalty. for. variants. of. a. product,. such. as. different.pack.sizes.or.flavour ..Unlike.brands,.product.variants.are.functionally. highly.differentiated ..The.study.undertakes.large-scale.analysis.of.panel.data.and. the. results. shows. that. product. variants. can. attract. markedly. different. loyalty. levels ..However,.these.different.loyalty.levels.are.closely.related.to.big.differences. in. the. variants’. market. shares. –. higher. loyalty. predictably. goes. with. higher. sales .. Some. variants.were. found. to. be. very. popular,. and. some. are. bought. by. only. a. fraction.of. the.market ..However,. neither. large. nor. small. variants. seem. generally. to. attract. a. special. or.unusually. loyal. customer.base ..The. functional. differentiation. embodied. in. product. variants. therefore. affects. consumers’. preferences. but. not. the. persistence. of. these. preferences,. i .e .. loyalty ..The. study. also. illustrates.a.methodological.basis. for. the.analysis.of.consumer.panel.data .. The.mathematical.model.used.here.provides.benchmarks.for.the.variants’.loyalty. measures ..The.study.has.practical.implications.in.analysing.market.performance. of. variants,. customer. switching. behaviour,. and. understanding. the. relationship. between.product.differentiation.and.consumer.choice .

A review of the relationships and impact of market orientation and market positioning on organisational performance

The debate concerning the importance of adopting a market orientation in collaboration with market positioning strategies has gone on for years. Nevertheless, on their own, market orientation and market positioning do not guarantee profitable firm performance unless marketers employ and integrate both on a long-term basis. Achieving this synergy is somewhat problematic owing to focus on short-term operational exigency, as well as the lack of research identifying the relationship between the two concepts. This review fills the gap in the literature by answering two questions: What is the relationship between firm market orientation capability and firm market positioning strategies? How does this relationship impact the performance of organisations? The article sheds light on these issues and contributes to the debate by proposing relationships between positioning strategy and market orientation. Furthermore, the researchers propose how positioning mediates the relationship between market orientation and business benefits.

Service guarantee as a recovery strategy: The impact of guarantee terms on perceived justice and firm motives

Abstract Purpose – When services fail, recovery efforts are often contingent upon the terms set in service guarantee policies. Service guarantees set the pledged recovery compensation (payout) and procedures (ease of invocation), and these two terms signal justice rendered to customers and the firm’s motives. This study focuses on how service guarantees are implemented as recovery strategies, and the impact of guarantee terms on customer justice perceptions, motive attributions and repatronage intentions. Design/methodology/approach – A between-subjects experiment was conducted in parcel delivery services. Findings – Customer justice perceptions vary across guarantee payout levels. Payout in the form of discount does not restore justice, and leads to inferences that the firm offers the guarantee to maximise its profits. Conversely, full refund restores justice. Full refund plus discount is perceived as undeserved, and does not enhance justice perceptions. A moderately easy-to-invoke guarantee is perceived as fair, when it includes full refund. Inferences of negative firm’s motives, however, diminish perceived fairness of easy-to-invoke guarantees. Research limitations/implications – Future research could examine the interaction of guarantee scope with payout and ease of invocation, and how types of motives differentially impact justice perceptions. Practical implications – Full refund can enhance justice perceptions, whereas discount is perceived as unfair. Firms should offer full refund as guarantee payout, but refrain from offering a discount. Flexibility should be embedded in guarantee invocation procedures. Originality/value – This study demonstrates that service guarantees employed as recovery strategies signal justice and the firm’s motives.

Consumer perceptions of cobrands: the role of brand positioning strategies

Cobrands (or brand alliances) are increasingly popular as a viable strategic option for commercial success. Yet the impact of perceptions towards the parent brands’ positioning strategies on consumer evaluation of the cobrands has not been investigated so far. Our study examines the role of positioning strategies in consumer evaluation of cobrands. Employing an experimental design, we create three cobranding scenarios in different product categories (tablets, cosmetics and smart phones). The data are collected via structured questionnaires resulting in 160 valid responses. In line with the conceptual model and research objectives, consumer evaluation of cobrands is tested in relationship to the prior positioning of the parent brands, product fit and brand fit. The results confirm brand positioning as a robust indicator of consumer evaluation of cobrands. Our finding suggests that post-positioning strategies of parent brands are influenced by positioning of the cobrand, which in turn is influenced by the positioning of the parent brands in the alliance. Parent brands were found to ‘adopt’ the positioning perception of its partner. The findings have managerial implications for designing appropriate positioning strategies for cobrands. The study identifies a number of further research areas. Keywords: brand positioning, brand alliances, quasi-experimental design, brand fit, product fit

New Brand Extensions: Patterns of Success and Failure

ABSTRACT The success of brand extensions is crucial for businesses. This study examines the performance of successful and failing new brand extensions. The analysis framework consists of purchase data for 47 extensions across 30 consumer packaged-goods categories in a large-scale U.K.-based consumer panel. The results show that the performance of successful new extensions is comparable to that of established ones by the second quarter following their launch. Successful extensions continue to gain customers from that point forward. Failing extensions, however, show declines in both the number of customers and the repeat-purchase rate from the third quarter onwards. The study suggests a diagnostic framework to assess the performance of new brand extensions.

Managing online service recovery : procedures, justice and customer satisfaction

The internet has changed the way services are delivered and has created new forms of customer-firm interactions. Whilst online service failures remain inevitable, the internet offers opportunities for delivering efficient service recovery through the online channel. Notwithstanding, research evidence on how firms can deliver online service recovery remains scarce. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of two online service recovery strategies – online information and technology-mediated communication – on customer satisfaction, switching and word of mouth intentions.,A scenario-based experiment is employed. Data are analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.,Online information and technology-mediated interactions can be used as online service recovery strategies. When fair, online service recovery can restore customer satisfaction, lower switching and enhance positive word of mouth. Interactional justice delivered through technology-mediated communication is a strong predictor of satisfaction with online service recovery. Yet, customers in subscription services show greater expectations of online service recovery than those in non-subscription services.,Further research could examine the impact of online service recovery on relational constructs, such as trust. Since customers participate in the online recovery process, future research could investigate the role of customers as co-creators of online service recovery.,Service managers should design online recovery strategies that meet customer need for interactional justice, for example, bespoke e-mails, and virtual chat communications with genuine customer care.,Online information and technology-mediated communication function as online service recovery strategies. Customer perceptions of justice towards online service recovery restore satisfaction, and encourage loyal behaviour.

Measuring brand choice in the older customer segment in Japan

As populations around the world age, brand choice behaviour by older customers becomes an increasingly important issue for marketers. This is especially the case in Japan, which has the largest older customer segment as a proportion of the population of any country. Our study measures brand choice behaviour of the older customer segment in Japan in fast-moving consumer goods categories. We employ an 11-point purchase probability scale, the Juster, to calculate brand performance measures such as penetrations, buying frequency and sole buying for three age-based customer segments. The Juster output is used as input into a mathematical model, the Dirichlet, for benchmarking the brand performance measures. The findings here reveal new insights into the brand purchase behaviour of older customers. There are more similarities than differences between the brand purchase of younger and older customers in most categories analysed here. The results have practical implications for understanding and creating appropriate marketing strategies for the older customer segment. Our study also demonstrates a novel method for analysis of brand choice data collected via a survey instrument, as compared to the traditional consumer panel data. The research framework in our study is recommended for further empirical research in other regions where demographic changes are presenting challenges to marketers, and where panel data are often not easy to obtain.

IT usage for enhancing trade show performance: evidence from the aviation services

Purpose While trade shows remain an important customer relationship management (CRM) tool, recent advancements in information technology (IT) have raised concerns about the future of trade shows. This study aims to examine the antecedents and consequences of IT integration into trade shows. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a questionnaire-based survey with senior and middle managers in the aviation services, resulting in 135 valid responses from industry professionals. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings The findings demonstrate differential but significant impact of perceptions toward website design and firm motivations toward the integration IT in the three stages of trade shows marketing. The results also show significant impact of IT usage on the perceptions toward the accomplishment of trade show objectives. Further, the results vary according to the levels of experience of the professionals. Research limitations/implications This study did not account for the differences in perceptions toward IT implementation across personnel from different departments, such as IT, finance and operations management. In addition, it did not examine situational factors and individual characteristics as additional antecedents of IT usage in trade shows, including pricing, return on investment, convenience and the social media. Practical implications Exhibitors are advised to integrate IT in supporting pre-trade show activities to approach potential customers. Exhibitors should integrate electronic interactions and personal communications during the show to reduce the amount of unanswered customer queries, focusing on timeliness and accuracy of information content, ease of navigation and graphic attractiveness of corporate websites, as effective CRM tools. Originality/value This paper offers novel insights into hitherto unknown aspects of trade show performance. The results have managerial implications for adopting IT as a CRM tool for effective trade show management.