Prashant Mishra

The effect of content credibility on consumer-based brand equity: the case of Indian television channels

With the entry of foreign direct investment (FDI) the media industry has proliferated and multiple brands now vie for eyeballs in the television industry. Consequently content of the channels is no longer directed by fourth estate prerogatives. This is reflected in the proclivity of the news channels in resorting to sensationalism and constant ‘breaking news’. Thus the purpose of this article is to explore the influence of credible content and packaging on consumer-based brand equity of television channels. Here credibility measures have been taken from journalism content credibility constructs, on the other hand, Aaker’s (1991) dimensions of CBBE have been used to measure the brand equity construct. The study reveals that content credibility only explains 47% of the variance in brand equity. However, there are strong correlations between the constructs.

Have Green, Pay More: An Empirical Investigation of Consumer’s Attitude Towards Green Packaging in an Emerging Economy

Green packaging has emerged as a solution for several environment-related issues. There is a growing concern about environmental issues among consumers which is forcing manufacturers to produce more environment friendly products. Using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as a theoretical framework, the current research investigates the relationship of the three variables (concern for the environment, knowledge about green packaging and beliefs about positive consequences of using green packaging) with consumer attitude towards paying a premium for green packaging. A survey was conducted among prospective customers in major cities of eastern and western India in June 2012. As predicted by the TRA, positive relationships exist between beliefs, consequences and attitudes toward paying more for green packaging. Overall concern levels, knowledge levels and beliefs were quite high for consumers in the sample. It is suggested that knowledge plays an important role in developing positive beliefs about green packaging. Results of the study also indicate that consumers are ready to pay premium for green packaging conditioned to the beliefs, though paying a premium based on knowledge and concern does not show sufficient support in the study. The study helps to extend the understanding about the process of attitude development towards green packaging.

Market orientation and customer-based corporate brand equity (CBCBE): a dyadic study of Indian B2B firms

The relationship between market orientation (MO) and one of its most important consequences – firm performance – has received considerable attention in marketing research. Performance has been largely judged through financial or objective measures. This paper connects assimilation of MO in firms with corporate brand performance since academics have not used judgmental or market-based measures in assessing performance. We have introduced customer-based corporate brand equity to obtain a rounded idea of firm performance. This is achieved through a dyadic study, instead of self-assessment, wherein the marketing chiefs of B2B firms and their respective organisational customers are surveyed to gauge the effects of incorporating MO. We have shown that corporate brand performance is enhanced significantly in the presence of organisational innovativeness. From a practitioner’s perspective, the study details the organisational actions to be taken to assimilate MO and how those can be exploited to enhance corporate brand performance.

Structural equation modelling of determinants of consumer-based brand equity of newspapers

ABSTRACT In an increasingly competitive media market, branding is a potent tool in the hands of media firms. Though significant developments have taken place in the realm of practice, there is sparse research in the academic domain on consumer-based brand performance drivers in the media industry. The objective of this article is to establish the variables that affect the customer-based brand equity (CBBE) of newspaper brands. A survey of local newspapers was undertaken, among consumers in India, to establish a brand equity model for newspapers, based on Aaker’s CBBE theory. Data were collected through survey, and factor analysis of the data indicated that localisation, ideology, credibility, and entertainment are the variables that influence CBBE. Subsequently, structural equation modelling revealed that all the variables had positive impact on brand equity. For marketers of newspapers, this study identifies the factors that they need to focus on if they want to garner the equity of the brand. For the first time, a model is being proposed to predict the CBBE of newspapers, and this can be the basis for further research into whether this model is feasible for other media products as well.

Religiosity and consumer behavior: a summarizing review

ABSTRACT This article is a summarizing review on religiosity and consumer behavior. Review findings from marketing literature indicate that religiosity influences consumer outcomes like materialism, intolerance, ethics, and risk aversion. It also impacts consumer attitude toward religious products and economic shopping behavior. A conceptual framework is presented to depict how certain dimensions of religion can explain the psychological mechanisms underlying these effects. Specifically, we propose prayer (religious rituals), religious exclusivism and divine retribution (religious beliefs), frugality (religious values) and religious community involvement and religious identity (religious community) as possible antecedents that drive the previously established differences in consumer behavior. For each of these antecedents, we offer definitions and integrate research findings from psychology, religion and marketing to build testable propositions. This essay complements preceding work and at the same time expands and broadens it by developing theory regarding the causal linkages between religiosity and consumer outcomes.

An ethnocentric perspective of foreign multi-brand retail in India

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the ethnocentric tendencies of Indian consumers towards foreign multi-brand retailers (FMBRs), and the influence that such ethnocentrism has on their attitudes towards, and future purchasing behaviour from, these international retailers. Design/methodology/approach The paper used a mall intercept method with a randomised data collection process to secure data from 119 organised retail shoppers in a major metropolitan Indian city. The analysis was carried out using analysis of covariance, bootstrapping mediation, multiple regression analysis, and Johnson’s relative weight analysis. Findings Two main results are as follows: concern for livelihoods of small retailers and a perception that earnings of foreign retailers are unjust are revealed as the most significant drivers of negative attitude towards FMBRs, and although high ethnocentric customers have a strong negative attitude towards FMBRs, they are open to the idea of making future purchases of goods that are not available with small retailers, from the foreign retail outlets. Research limitations/implications The study sample is from a single metropolitan city, albeit one which serves as a miniature version of the Indian society. As a limitation, the results might not be generalisable to small, non-metropolitan Indian towns. Practical implications These results provide valuable input regarding the marketing strategy and sustainability of foreign retailers planning to launch operations in India. For example, FMBRs should position themselves as not being in competition with existing small retail shops by offering a different array of products. Further, younger and more educated Indians are the least ethnocentric towards FMBRs, thus making them an attractive target segment. Originality/value Extant research has studied consumer ethnocentrism of Indian consumers towards foreign brands and products, but not towards FMBRs. This paper attempts to fill that research gap.

Intentions to Pursue a Sales Career: Integrating Intentions to Study Sales and Learning Experience: An Abstract

Students in business schools are sceptical about their choice of sales as a career in spite of the plethora of sales positions available to management graduates (Peltier et al., 2014). The knowledge of the students and their evaluation of career choices have shaped their own perceptions since they attach more consideration to career and employment (DelVechhio & Honeycutt, 2002). However, academia has stressed more on improving the inherent intention of students towards pursuing a sales career rather than focusing on the underlying factors leading to inferior judgement. One of the ways in which this could be achieved is through a favourable learning experience. In this context, the present study explores the moderating role of learning experience on the effect of intentions to study sales (as a subject) on student opinions towards salespeople and sales careers (that subsequently affects sales as a career choice). The hypotheses tested in the study were related to: positive intention of the students to study sales will result in better perception towards a sales career (H1); favourable perception towards salespersons and sales career will result in higher intention to pursue a sales career (H2); and learning experience moderates the relationship between intention to study sales and opinions towards salespersons and sales career (H3). The measures for the constructs in the conceptual model were derived from existing literature. The data was collected using survey method (n = 294) from final year masters students of a large Indian Business School. The data analysis was conducted in three phases: Phase 1 was exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) to assess the dimensionality and reliability and test for convergent and discriminant validity of the study constructs. In phase 2, we ran the structural model without the moderator (learning experience), and in phase 3, we ran the structural model with the moderator. Intentions to study sales as a subject were found to influence student opinions about a sales career and salespersons. The latter opinions are found to affect intentions to pursue a sales career. Learning experience is found to have a positive moderating effect on the relation between intentions to study sales and student opinions about a sales career and salespersons. From a theoretical standpoint, the present study brings together the antecedents and consequences of student opinion towards salespersons and sales career and highlights the role of learning experience in creating a favourable attitude of students towards sales jobs.

Impact of M-Commerce Website Design on Consumers’ Behavioral Intentions: An Empirical Study of Age as a Moderating Influence

This study examines the effects of the design of mobile phone websites (color contrast, font, and layout) and the emotional reactions of the consumer (pleasure, arousal, and dominance) on behavioral intentions (to purchase, revisit, and recommend). The moderating effect of age is considered. A factorial 2 × 2 × 2 design was developed. A mobile phone website, with eight different alternatives, was especially designed for the experiment. The research was conducted on French consumers. Through online and personal survey questionnaires, 312 responses were collected. More than half of the respondents were up to 45 years of age. Data was analyzed using ANOVA and linear regression. The results show significant effects of the design of the mobile website and the consumers’ emotional reactions on intentions to purchase, revisit, and recommend the website. Moreover, age moderates the impact of website design on the intent to recommend it.

Drivers of brand equity of television news channels: evidences from emerging market

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to map the variables that affect the customer-based brand equity (CBBE) of media channels (television news) in an emerging market context. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted structural equation modelling (SEM) to investigate the causal relationships between CBBE and the variables that affect brand equity for television news channels. Findings The analysis revealed that localization, ideology, credibility and entertainment are the variables that influence CBBE of television news channels (media brands). Subsequent analysis using SEM indicated that apart from the sole negative impact of entertainment, all the variables had positive impact on brand equity. Research limitations/implications This study is confined to one of the metros of emerging market hence it cannot be generalized. Also the variables that indicate brand equity have been tested only for television news channels hence they may not hold true for other form of television stations. Practical implications For marketers of news channels this study identifies the factors that they need to focus on if they want to garner the equity of the brand in an emerging market scenario. Social implications The content factors identified that influence television news brand equity are reflections of the social requirements of an emerging market. It indicates what the audiences in such markets expect from their television news channels and is part of the social discussion. Originality/value The study contributes to brand equity literature by finding the antecedents that can influence any media brand in the emerging market scenario.

Consumption Emotion, Satisfaction and Word of Mouth: A structural Study of Demographic Correlates Consumption Emotion, Satisfaction

Consumption emotions are of importance to marketing organizations as they help them to understand the consumer and therefore have some measure of control over post purchase behavior. Many previous studies have recognized that consumers’ emotions have a significant influence on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Though it is accepted that women and men differ in their emotional responses there have been almost no research throwing light on how their emotional responses are different to service consumptions like watching a movie. Neither there has been research to show whether age and income play a role in creating differences in consumption emotion. This paper follows the pleasure arousal model and tries to assess whether age, income and gender play a role in causing differential effect on pleasure and arousal and thereby generating different levels of satisfaction and word of mouth for movies.