Natalia Vila

Market orientation and innovation: an inter‐relationship analysis

Purpose – Market orientation analyses have focused on two broad‐ranging approaches: the behavioural and the philosophical. The concepts of innovation and market orientation are gaining ground steadily in the context of an increasingly competitive and highly volatile environment, subject to the pressures of rapid‐changing customer needs and desires. This premise underlies the general aim of this study, which is to determine to what extent companies operating in the same sector and with similar market orientation are similarly concerned about innovation.Design/methodology/approach – The population for this study comprises the leading 465 textile companies operating in Spain, listed in the ARDAN database. Data were gathered from in‐depth personalised interviews with 17 company directors operating within the textile sector. In order to verify the hypotheses, groups with similar market orientation were identified using a combination of two techniques: multidimensional scaling analysis; and cluster analysis. Af...

The importance of innovation in international textile firms

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to analyse the importance of innovation for firms involved in international marketing.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 154 general managers in the textile sector were interviewed on two main groups of questions: entry forms when going abroad; and innovative decisions in products, strategies, processes, and markets. Univariate (ANOVA) and multivariate (discriminant analysis) methods were used.Findings – The present results have demonstrated that not all types of innovation dimensions are required to find new clients in new countries.Research limitations/implications – This study has been based on a mature sector, as is the textile sector in Spain. The results obtained should be understood in this framework.Practical implications – These results should lead managers to adopt sophisticated entry modes (higher internationalisation degrees), even if they are still young enterprises, without new state of the art products, and without new market demands.Originality/v...

Consumer feelings and behaviours towards well designed websites

We analysed the effect of a well designed website in terms of five indicators: purchase intention, positive attitudes, trust, satisfaction and perceived risk. These effects (measured by 21 items) were successfully combined into a single construct using Raschs Model. The construct was then tested by building a website designed by experts for a fictitious clothes company. It was compared with four less-well-designed websites created by modifying the well designed website by removing one of the four major constructs [web security; customer service; amount and quality of information provided; and usability]. These websites were surfed by 350 consumers (in five subsamples); the experts were then asked to express their perceptions and attitudes of the sites a posteriori. The association between the five websites and the 21 items was displayed visually through a perceptual map built with DYANE software. This showed that a well designed website does not always have the best effect on all 21 items measured.

The Role of Packaging in Positioning an Orange Juice

Abstract This article revises the concept and positioning strategies according to the proposals of different authors. Positioning is related to variables in the marketing mix, and, specifically, to the main subject of this research study—packaging. The theories of different authors with respect to the functions of packaging and its constituent elements are revised and then attention is focused on four of its graphic elements: Color, shape, typography, and image. Within this framework, designer and consumer opinions are presented with the ultimate aim of identifying the associations between different positioning strategies and the different graphic design variables used to define an orange juice packaging.

Brand identity documentation: a cross‐national examination of identity standards manuals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the key features of an identity standards manual and assess the differences in the rules used for applying the brand to both low‐ and high‐context cultures, companies selling consumer goods and those selling services, and multinational and local companies.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on the analysis of 341 identity standards manuals and on the analysis of three key features found in the manuals: contents, normative tone, and development.Findings – The results divide the contents of the manual into two blocks: core and peripheral; and show that there are differences between the manuals of high‐ and low‐context cultures, companies selling consumer goods and those selling services, and multinational and local companies.Research limitations/implications – Type I errors could have been introduced and the conclusions must be regarded as tentative.Practical implications – The findings show that applying the brand at an international lev...

The concept mapping approach in marketing: an application in the travel agencies sector

Presents the concept mapping technique as a tool in marketing research. The advantage of this technique lies in the development of qualitative research techniques like focus groups, by structuring results in an objective form; through representing the ideas expressed on a perceptual map. Technique requires statistical tools such as multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. Its study has been applied here to identify sets of variables that foster customer, given that it represents one of the most strategic sectors in Spain.

The Market Orientation - Innovation - Success Relationship: The Role of Internationalization Strategy

Abstract This paper is focused on how relationships between market orientation strategy, innovation and business success could differ in an international context. The article develops a theoretical framework as an overview to the main relationships between these concepts. It also shows that international strategy can play a determinant role in this framework. Therefore, the article presents a study that includes interviewing 154 Spanish textile firm managers with the aim of contrasting market orientation– innovation–success relationships and the role of internationalization strategy. Results show that market orientation is related to innovation, and innovation to success, both in international and non international firms. However, some differences between both sub-samples were identified.

Successful SME web design through consumer focus groups

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to pursue two major objectives. First, to identify the key design variables for building successful transactional SME (Small Medium Enterprises) websites. Second, the transactional relevance of each key design variable is tested in order to establish priorities.Design/methodology/approach – The present paper is developed through seven consumer focus groups. Two approaches were used: an ethnographic summary of each focus group (qualitative approach) and a systematic coding procedure (quantitative approach).Findings – The findings indicate that a transactional website should have three main strong points: it must be secure; price information should be provided; and a wide range of images should be shown. But not all these factors are equally important.Practical implications – These results lead one to recommend that managers should expend more effort to make the website more secure and detailed in terms of content. Second, even e‐services have not obtained the highe...

Competitive Group Analysis of Public Transport Services

Abstract The aim of the present paper was to evaluate five passenger transport service providers (EMT urban buses, METROBUS metropolitan area buses, RENFE local trains, METRO underground trains and trams, TAXI) in a tourism-receiving metropolitan statistical area of Spain. User perceptions of the public transport services were obtained and the results indicate that public transport is making great efforts to adapt to user preferences. Despite the general level of satisfaction with public transport, however, not all the brands are equally interested in differentiation. The brands with less well-defined positioning, perceived as less closely associated with the different attributes examined (EMT and METROBUS), are also those with the lowest innovation levels.

Success and Internationalization: Analysis of the Textile Sector

ABSTRACT The aim of the present paper is to investigate the relationship between business success and international involvement by examining international enterprises to see if they are more successful. To do this, 154 general managers in the textile sector were interviewed on two main groups of questions: (i) entry forms when going abroad; (ii) business results (sales, profit etc.) and competitive indicators (loyalty, satisfaction, image etc.) obtained.