Larry Chiagouris

Customer retention: examining the roles of store affect and store loyalty as mediators in the management of retail strategies

This study presents a strategic view of the antecedents of loyalty through a model in which store affect and store loyalty mediate the effects of store characteristics on store outcomes and business performance. It is proposed that store atmosphere, store uniqueness, merchandise value and store familiarity are directly related to store affect and that store affect, operating via store loyalty, impacts word‐of‐mouth, willingness to pay and customer share. The model is tested using an aggregate dataset of 71 retail stores and 1966 shoppers. The results favor a mediated model in which store loyalty mediates the impact of store affect on store outcomes. Additionally, it is found that store affect also directly influences word‐of‐mouth and willingness to pay a higher price but not customer share. These results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and strategic managerial implications.

Brand trust in an age without trust: expert opinions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the influences of mistrust and recommend actions that managers can take to insulate their brands in a climate of mistrust.Design/methodology/approach – Brand trust has been studied extensively on a micro level to assess a wide variety of influences that impact trust and the effective actions managers can take to increase trust. There are macro trends, however, that have resulted in a climate of general mistrust by consumers of business and its products. Qualitative research in the form of a series of in‐depth interviews with experts in brand strategy was conducted to identify the trends contributing to a climate of mistrust and the potential managerial actions needed to insulate brands.Findings – Eight themes that have created a climate of mistrust were identified. These include the emergence of more cynical consumers, frequent consumer recalls, emphasis on the needs of business ownership over the needs of consumers, company structure, uneven quality adva...

Transitioning from Traditional to Digital Content: An Examination of Opinion Leadership and Word-of-Mouth Communication across Various Media Platforms

This study demonstrates that online product user reviews create opportunities for customer involvement with product and brand. It focuses on the resultant benefits to the firm, such as the attraction of valuable opinion leaders to the brand, positive word-of-mouth (WOM) communication about the brand, and brand preference. We examine subscribers of a leading paid subscription Web site and print magazine, as well as product review contributors, all customers of a major consumer product rating media organization. Results indicate a strong relationship between online contributors and opinion leadership, and increased WOM and brand preference for Web site subscribers.

How Do Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants Respond Differently to Interactivity Online?: A Model for Predicting Consumer Attitudes and Intentions to Use Digital Information Products

ABSTRACT The advertising industry has devoted substantial managerial focus on digital information and entertainment. Scholarly attention, however, has lagged. The current study examined the effects of perceived interactivity on attitude and intention to use a new product (adoption intention) in the context of digital information. In particular, the authors examined differences in response between younger “digital natives,” who were exposed to the Internet in childhood, and older “digital immigrants” exposed later in life. Results revealed that the control and communication dimensions of perceived interactivity lead to more positive attitudes and adoption intentions for digital natives but not always for digital immigrants.

The Consumption of Online News: The Relationship of Attitudes Toward the Site and Credibility

ABSTRACT The study examines the factors that influence the perceptions of consumers engaged in the consumption of news online. Measures of online communications effectiveness in the business sector are applied to the online news environment. Consumer reactions to two major cable news Web sites provide insight into the relationship between Web site credibility and attitude toward the site. The study points to the importance of several credibility measures (particularly those related to site design) that are significantly related to attitude toward the site. Conclusions related to media and consumption of online news are provided.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Tech Manager: How Technology Orientation and Interactive-Media Knowledge Can Drive (or Stall) Change

ABSTRACT Traditional media tools often are criticized for the waste of targeting noncustomers. Although marketing managers are aware of the potential for waste in the use of traditional media, such vehicles continue to dominate media budgets. In this article, we explored the conditions under which managers are more likely to act on their perceptions of media waste in comparing traditional media with interactive media. Based on a national survey of managers in the United States, we found that their perceptions of wastefulness of traditional marketing media on implementation of interactive-marketing technologies are contingent upon their own personal technology orientation and their hierarchical position in the organization. Specifically, perception of media waste will lead to an increase in interactive-marketing technology budgets and use if the manager is technology oriented or is in a senior management position.

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Internet Advertising Tools

ABSTRACT This study explores a wide variety of Internet advertising tools. It presents an assessment of the persuasive impact of Internet advertising tools based on the perceptions of senior executives at interactive advertising agencies. The persuasion matrix developed by McGuire (1978) is used as a framework for assessing the impact of Internet advertising tools on the response hierarchy of consumers. Based on this assessment, a series of research propositions are offered in the spirit of propositional inventories for future testing. Finally, included is a discussion that alerts managers to important issues involved in using Internet advertising tools.

Interactivity: Does One Size Fit all?

The literature documenting the positive effect of perceived interactivity on consumer attitude is substantial; however differences in consumer response based on individual differences are less-studied. Interactivity takes a cognitive toll and as a result, the effect of perceived interactivity on consumer response may not always be positive. The results of a study based on a sample of 443 adults, purposively sampled for both younger “digital natives” and older “digital immigrants,” suggest that perceived interactivity in digital information products, such as digital books, leads to more positive attitudes and adoption intentions for digital natives but not for digital immigrants. This surprising result is explained by differences in the value these two groups place on active control and two-way communication, two facets of perceived interactivity. Given the importance of age as a segmenting variable, implications for practitioners are provided.