Rafael Currás-Pérez

Brand credibility in cause‐related marketing: the moderating role of consumer values

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the moderating effect of consumer altruistic values upon two drivers of brand credibility in cause‐related marketing (CrM): cause‐brand fit and consumer attribution of altruistic brand motivations.Design/methodology/approach – This is a quantitative study. Data have been collected through personal interviews at households using the random route sampling technique. The sample is formed by consumers of insurance and personal hygiene products, using different brand‐social cause combinations. Data have been analysed through structural equation modelling and multigroup analysis to test the moderation hypotheses.Findings – Findings show that altruistic consumers use mainly altruistic attribution to form their judgement on brand credibility in CrM messages, whereas non altruistic consumers base their assessment on cause‐brand fit.Research limitations/implications – Real brands have been used in the empirical study and thus further research should replicate t...

Dual nature of cause‐brand fit

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the dual nature of social cause‐brand fit by studying the influence of two cause‐brand fit categories, functional fit and image fit, on the formation of brand corporate social responsibility consumer perception (CSR perception) in a cause‐brand alliance (CBA) context.Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical model is proposed, based on previous research, which explains the effect of functional fit and image fit on altruistic attributions, brand credibility and CSR image; these relationships were assessed through structural equation modelling. The model was estimated with a sample of 299 Spanish consumers of toiletries and cosmetics products, randomly selected. Two newly created, printed CBA advertisements served as the basic stimulus of the study.Findings – This research shows that consumers perceive functional and image fit differently, and each has its own mechanism for influencing brand CSR perception. While functional fit has a direct, although gentl...

Cause-related marketing influence on consumer responses: The moderating effect of cause–brand fit

The traditional focus on the study of cause–brand fit in cause-related marketing (CrM) is that it is a mediator variable between consumer perceptions and subsequent responses. However, the literature is not conclusive on this point. This study adopts a new perspective, considering cause–brand fit as a moderator variable rather than a direct antecedent to consumer evaluations of CrM. Thus, the main objective of this research is to examine the moderator role of cause–brand fit in the influence of two corporate associations elicited in CrM (corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate ability (CA) associations) on brand attitude and two behavioural consumer responses (purchase intent and support to non-profit organisation (NPO)). For this, a theoretical model is proposed, and it is estimated with a sample of 595 Spanish consumers of insurance and personal hygiene and toiletries products. Results show that when consumers perceive high social cause–brand fit, the positive influence of CSR associations on the formation of brand attitude is amplified. However, when cause–brand fit is low, brand attitude is formed via CA associations. Finally, consumer behavioural responses in favour of the brand (i.e. purchase intent) and social cause (i.e. support to NPO) are reinforced in a context of high cause–brand perceived fit.

Social network loyalty: evaluating the role of attitude, perceived risk and satisfaction

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyse the determinants of social networking site loyalty, paying special attention to the roles of user attitude, perceived risk and satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach – The impact of uses and gratifications of social networking sites, attitude, perceived risks and satisfaction on social networking site loyalty is tested through structural equation modelling techniques. The sample consisted of 811 Spanish social networking site users collected through a personal survey. Risk is measured as a formative construct.Findings – Data analysis shows that attitude is a key variable in increasing satisfaction and loyalty towards social networking sites. Sociability and entertainment gratifications and perceived risks (psychological, time loss and social) are the main drivers of user attitude towards social networking sites.Practical implications – This research enables managers to know what aspects to highlight in their communication strategies to increase social networ...

Determinants of user behaviour and recommendation in social networks : An integrative approach from the uses and gratifications perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the determinants of social network use behaviour using Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Uses and Gratifications Theory. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative study was carried out with data gathered by personal interview using a structured questionnaire. Relationships proposed in the theoretical model were estimated through structural equation models. In total, 811 users of social networks over 14 and residents in Spain were part of the sample. Findings – Results indicate that use attitude and the subjective norm, both TPB variables, directly and significantly influence social network loyalty. Thus, network loyalty can be achieved if the individual shows a favourable attitude towards use and receives positive feed-back (comments, opinions, etc.) from friends, acquaintances and other individuals in their environment. Perceived control has no influence on social network loyalty. Finally, this research highlights the importance of socialisation an...

Antecedents and Consequences of Consumer Commitment in Traditional and Low-Cost Airlines

ABSTRACT The present work aims to gain further knowledge regarding the influence of consumer commitment on loyalty in traditional and low-cost airlines. A survey of 592 consumers of traditional and low-cost carriers demonstrates that commitment is built on the basis of trust and identification, which are in turn driven by corporate reputation in both types of airline. With regard to post-purchase behavior, in low-cost companies, customer repurchase intention and word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendation are mainly triggered by satisfaction. With traditional airlines, commitment plays a more important role, having a significant effect on repurchase intention and acting as the principal predictor of WOM recommendation.

Effects of the intensity of use of social media on brand equity: An empirical study in a tourist destination

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive research of the effects of the intensity of use of social media on destination brand equity. The authors use the schema theory and a multidimensional approach of brand equity to analyse how social media communication affects brand awareness, brand image, customer value, brand quality and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The authors carried out a quantitative study through a personal survey with structured questionnaire. The study population were international tourists, over 18 years of age, who were visiting the city of Valencia, Spain. Respondents were asked to take the questionnaire upon arrival in Valencia, that is, before they had any direct experience of the tourist destination and when their knowledge of the city came only from the sources of social media information they have used. The final sample size was 249 interviewees. Findings Findings confirm a positive effect of the intensity of social media use on brand awareness. Results also suggest that brand awareness influences other dimensions of brand equity and highlight the influence of the destination affective image on the intention to make WOM communication. Originality/value Its originality lies in a unique approach for data collecting and using the schema theory of cognitive psychology to understand the phenomenon of social media influence on tourist perception of destination brands. The findings contribute to the development of better social media marketing in order to manage destination brands online.

Education Students’ Attitude towards the Use of Gamification for Competencies Development

Gamification is gaining momentum as an educational innovation to motivate and to engage students in their learning process. Nevertheless students’ beliefs towards educational methodologies can affect both their motivation and attitude towards a given educational methodology. This study main goal is to explore key drivers of students’ attitude towards the use of gamification as an educational methodology to develop their competencies. Using Keller’s ARCS model (1987) a research model is developed and tested via Partial Least Squares (PLS) on a sample of 128 undergraduate students enrolled in a private Higher Education institution in Spain. Main results suggest that perceived attention, perceived relevance, and perceived confidence influence in a direct and positive way students’ attitude towards the use of online educational video games to develop their competencies. Both attention and confidence also affects students’ perceived relevance of online educational video games as a suitable means to develop their competencies. Managerial implications for managers of Higher Education institutions are addressed.

Attitude, Quality and Satisfaction Toward Distributor Brands in Durable Goods: The Influence of Consumers’ Price Consciousness

This study analyzes how consumers’ general attitude towards distributor brands, the perception held by the individual on the quality differences between distributor and manufacturer brands, as well as the anticipated satisfaction with the product are key variables for explaining the intention to purchase durable goods with distributor brands. As a significant contribution the influence of consumers’ price consciousness as a moderating variable is tested.

The Role of Parasocial Interaction and Teleparticipation on Teleshopping Behaviour

Nowadays, television media has evolved into an important channel of direct selling that brands and advertisers are exploiting. Many technological changes (e.g., digital television appearance or the integration of Internet in the TV medium and mobile technology) have increasingly led to consumers see television as a channel for purchasing products and services and as a source of information (Beyer et al., 2007). However, researchers have put little interest on teleshopping, one of the consumer behaviour phenomena.