Johanna Gummerus

Customer loyalty to content‐based Web sites: the case of an online health‐care service

Past e‐service research has largely concentrated on customer responses to online retailers. The present study sheds light on the determinants of customer loyalty to a content‐based service, a healthcare Web site. Content‐based service providers must build a loyal customer base in order to attract advertisers and sponsors. Lack of trust has been one of the most important reasons for consumers not adopting online services involving financial exchanges, but trust appears to be equally important to exchanges that require divulging sensitive information, such as health issues. Results reveal that loyalty to the health site is satisfaction‐driven, but that trust is the main antecedent of satisfaction. Need fulfilment, responsiveness, security and technical functionality of the Web site are shown to influence trust. Managerial implications are provided.

Value creation processes and value outcomes in marketing theory Strangers or siblings

The present article alleviates the often-cited ambiguity of the value concept by proposing that value research consists of two main streams: value creation processes and value outcomes. The prior considers the parties, activities, and resources involved in value creation, whereas the latter explains the value outcomes customers perceive. Furthermore, the article investigates the value approach offered by the Service-Dominant logic, which proposes that value is co-created by firms and customers, and that beneficiaries determine the value [outcomes] (Vargo and Lusch, 2008). Finally, the article discusses how value creation processes and value outcomes might be interlinked, and creates a number of propositions to this end. It is in particular proposed that experiences offer a shared platform for investigating value creation processes and value outcomes.

The service revolution and its marketing implications: service logic vs service-dominant logic

Purpose – The purpose of this conceptual paper is to analyse the implications generated by a service perspective. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual analysis of two approaches to understanding service perspectives, service logic (SL) and service-dominant logic (SDL), reveals direct and indirect marketing implications. Findings – The SDL is based on a metaphorical view of co-creation and value co-creation, in which the firm, customers and other actors participate in the process that leads to value for customers. The approach is firm-driven; the service provider drives value creation. The managerial implications are not service perspective-based, and co-creation may be imprisoned by its metaphor. In contrast, SL takes an analytical approach, with co-creation concepts that can significantly reinvent marketing from a service perspective. Value gets created in customer processes, and value creation is customer driven. Ten managerial SL principles derived from these analyses offer theoretical and practi...

Remembered eating experiences described by the self, place, food, context and time

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore remembered positive eating and food experiences, aiming to gain an understanding of the nature of these past experiences.Design/methodology/approach – Positive food‐related experiences were gathered through focus group interviews. These experiences were inductively categorised into recurring themes and dimensions within the themes.Findings – An analysis of the qualitative data led to the recognition of several themes involving eating that were related to childhood memories, eating related to tourist experiences, as well as memories of commensal eating and homemade food. The experiences were drawn together into dimensions to provide deeper comprehension of the observed themes. As a result, the study suggests that remembered eating and food experiences are characterised by the self, place, food, context and time.Practical implications – The study provides knowledge on what constitutes memorable positive and pleasurable food‐related experiences, which the con...

The role of brand images in consumer practices: uncovering embedded brand strength

Purpose – The present paper seeks to analyse the role of brand images in consumer practices for uncovering brand strength.Design/methodology/approach – By employing a qualitative approach, data are analysed based on three elements that constitute the practices: objects (what tools or resources are required in the practice), images involved, and competences (what competences does the practice require).Findings – The authors suggest practices as an additional unit of analysis for understanding brand strength based on image. Towards this end, the paper identifies and systematically categorises consumer practices and proposes that consumers develop novel and personal practices related to brands. The findings reveal embedded brand strength in mundane, routinised practices.Originality/value – The paper presents a novel approach for understanding the past (image heritage) and current (image‐in‐use) dimensions of brand images and their embeddedness in consumer practices.

Young consumers’ responses to suspected covert and overt blog marketing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the responses of young consumers to suspected covert and overt product-brand recommendations in a blog. Design/methodology/approach – Experimental design was applied to investigate the effect of covert and overt marketing on young consumers’ perceptions of blogger credibility and their behavioural intentions. Findings – Overt marketing had a negative effect on behavioural intentions, such as future interest in the blogger, intention to engage in word-of-mouth, and purchase intention. Covert marketing did not affect the intended behaviour. Neither covert nor overt marketing influenced the blogger’s credibility. Research limitations/implications – The study was delimited to a small sample; one blog, one type of product recommendation, and a well-known brand. Young, well-educated consumers with experience in reading blogs may be able to filter the brand recommendations and focus on the content of the blog. Practical implications – This study has implications fo...

Preferential treatment in the service encounter

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine reactions when customers in service encounters receive preferential treatment (i.e. something extra in relation to other customers). The examination is conducted in a social context that allows the customer to compare what he or she receives with what other customers receive. The main effect variables are perceived justice and customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental method is employed to examine the effects of providing customers with preferential treatment. The study involves four treatment groups with various combinations of receiving or not receiving preferential treatment. Findings – Customers perceived preferential treatment as relatively unjust. This was true for customers who received the preferential treatment and for those who did not. However, customer satisfaction among those receiving preferential treatment was enhanced, thus signaling that preferential treatment affects perceived justice and satisfaction differentl...

Am I worth it? Gifting myself with luxury

Purpose – Consumers gift themselves with luxury fashion brands, yet the motives for self-gifting are not well understood. Whereas traditionally, self-gifting is defined as self-orientated in nature, luxury brands are seen as social statements, and self-gifting of luxury fashion brands that combine these two controversial areas is an interesting research topic. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue by exploring the self-gifting behaviour of consumers, in particular focusing on the personal motives of gifting oneself with luxury fashion brands. Design/methodology/approach – The study takes a multi-qualitative approach involving a small (n=19) but rich sample. Data collection and analysis were triangulated to reduce researcher biases. Findings – The study provides key dimensions for understanding consumers’ perceptions of luxury fashion brands and self-gifting motives (self and socially orientated). The findings reveal that reflections from others are part of the self-gifting phenomenon. It appe...

Guest editorial: relationship marketing – past, present and future

Purpose In a time when relationships have been recognized as an integral part of contemporary marketing theory and practice, what role can the sub-discipline of relationship marketing play? The aim with this special issue is to critically assess the state of relationship marketing and call for new ideas to take the field forward. Design/methodology/approach The editors had an open call for papers with an original perspective and advanced thinking on relationship marketing, resulting in 50 originally submitted manuscripts that were subjected to double-blind review. Of these, this issue presents five articles. In addition, the editors invited well-renowned thought leaders who have contributed to theory development within relationship marketing. This issue starts with their four thoughtful, forward-orientated contributions. Findings Several thought-provoking reflections and research findings are presented that urge relationship marketing researchers to explore novel avenues for the future of this area. A prominent way forward may be looking for a common ground in relationship marketing thinking, assessing the extent to which the different literature streams add to marketing research and when they do not and testing/deploying the learnings in new settings. Research limitations/implications The special issue does not address all areas of relationship marketing research. Potential areas for future relationship marketing research are identified. Originality/value To assess existent knowledge of relationship marketing is needed to take the field forward.

Game-changers: dynamic capabilities’ influence on service ecosystems

Purpose Service-dominant logic acknowledges that actors can influence how service ecosystems evolve through institutional work, but empirical research is only nascent. This paper advances understanding of ecosystem change by proposing that dynamic capabilities are a special type of operant resources enabling actors to conduct institutional work. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to explore which dynamic capabilities are associated with proactively influencing service ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on service-dominant logic, institutional work and dynamic capabilities, this exploratory study assumes an actor-centric perspective and proposes a conceptual model with a hierarchy of dynamic capabilities as the antecedents for successfully influencing service ecosystems. The research model was tested with survey data using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings Among the dynamic capabilities studied, “visioning” and “influencing explicit institutions” directly affect “success in influencing service ecosystems,” whereas “timing” does so indirectly through “influencing explicit institutions.” The other dynamic capabilities studied have no significant effect on “success in influencing service ecosystems.” “Success in influencing service ecosystems” positively affects the “increased service ecosystem size and efficiency.” Practical implications In addition to reactively positioning and competing at the marketplace, firms can choose to proactively influence their service ecosystems’ size and efficiency. Firms aiming to influence service ecosystems should particularly develop dynamic capabilities related to visioning, timing and influencing explicit institutions. Originality/value This research is the first service-dominant logic investigation of the linkage between the actors’ dynamic capabilities and their ability to influence service ecosystems.