Michele Quintano

The influence of tourists’ national culture on their behaviors in a sport mega-event

Purpose The impact of national culture on tourist behavior has been analyzed in several studies, but none of them focused on its discriminating impact on behavioral intentions during a mega-event. Using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, this paper aims to explore the influence of national cultural values on tourist behaviors (experience, satisfaction and behavioral intentions) during the America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) in Naples. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a quantitative analysis of primary data gathered through a survey of a convenience sample of tourists (n = 612) conducted during the ACWS organized by the City of Naples in April 2013. Findings The findings confirm that national cultural clusters represent an important driver of behavioral intentions: tourists from different geographic clusters showed different intention to return and intention to recommend by word of mouth, caused by different levels of individualism and uncertainty avoidance. Practical implications For destination marketing managers, this study throws light on how the national culture of tourists may influence their experiences and behavioral intentions. Originality/value Despite the richness of works on the tourism experience, few studies have investigated the effect of national culture on tourists’ experience, satisfaction and behavioral intentions during and after a sport mega-event.

How Do Firms Process Info? Monitoring Brand Equity Drivers in Food and Beverage Sectors

Abstract The main purpose of this chapter is to show how to set a quantitative analysis of consumer behavior in the food and beverage industry and how the results from such analysis could be entered into producers’ decision making. The goal is to bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical needs of companies to improve their performance. The theoretical framework is the analysis of the relations among key brand equity drivers (brand experience and brand trust) and consumers’ behavior intentions (intent to buy, intent to use word-of-mouth, willingness to accept brand extensions). The empirical research proposes a structural equation model for analyzing such relations. The case study concerns the consumption of two product categories: coffee (nonalcoholic drink) and beer (alcoholic drink). Particular attention is paid to the interpretation of results and their use for managerial implications.

Evaluating tourist behaviour in sport mega-events through a structural equation model

In defining destination marketing strategies, a specific role is played by megaevents as critical tool to improve the economic development. In tourism marketing literature, researchers have analysed the holistic perspective of tourist behaviour to understand the factors that influence the level of satisfaction and the intentional behaviours. Accordingly, the paper aimed at analysing relationships among destination image, event satisfaction and tourist behavioural intentions in sport mega-event. Six research hypotheses have been formulated and empirically tested by using structural equation models (Partial Least Squares - PLS approach) on survey data from 304 international tourists who attended the America’s Cup World Series in Naples. The findings put in evidence the relevant role of the mega-event to create value for tourist in destination management.

The impact of consumer-brand engagement on brand experience and behavioural intentions: An Italian empirical study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of consumer-brand engagement and brand experience on behavioural intentions (i.e. intent to re-purchase, willingness to accept brand extension, willingness to pay a premium price) in relation to food brands. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose a conceptual model comprising five latent variables and 26 manifest variables. A questionnaire with questions relating to pasta and coffee was given to an Italian consumer sample (n=400). The model was tested using structural equation modelling of the resulting data to examine the research hypotheses. Findings The empirical study confirms the predictive role of the two selected drivers of brand value. Both consumer-brand engagement and brand experience influenced behavioural intentions, but these brand constructs had different roles in the two product categories examined in the study, pasta and coffee. Research limitations/implications This study does have limitations. First, the generalisability of the findings should be considered. The study refers to only two product categories in a specific country. It would be interesting to investigate the issue of food brand engagement and brand experience in different countries, and to compare the results. Furthermore, it would be valuable to investigate the impact of brand engagement and brand experience in other product categories. Practical implications The results have an important implication for marketing managers: they should develop long-term and strong brand relationships. Such consumer engagement and/or experiential actions can be key competitive advantages for food companies. Originality/value The study provides empirical support for the effect of consumer-brand engagement and brand experience on consumers’ behavioural intentions in the food industry.