Yolanda Polo

The acceptance and diffusion of new consumer durables: differences between first and last adopters

The diffusion process of an innovation, whether it be a product, a service or an idea, will vary in function of the characteristics of that innovation, as well as of the agents to whom it is directed. The objective of this paper is to differentiate the behaviour of the different adopter categories that emerge at the time of the adoption of new products. Uses the methodology proposed by Mahajan et al., based on the Bass model, which allows for a distinction to be drawn between five categories of adopters, namely innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards, with reference to the acceptance process for new consumer durables. This is employed in an empirical application carried out with respect to the adoption of various consumer durables that are frequently found in the majority of households, whilst the demographic and socio‐economic characteristics of the individuals who make up each adopter category are used in order to differentiate their behaviour.

Loyalty to grocery stores in the Spanish market of the 1990s

Abstract In this paper we examine the different characteristics that have been associated with store loyalty in the grocery sector and how these characteristics have changed over time. We also analyse whether the characteristics associated with the loyal consumer in Anglo-Saxon countries are relevant for the study of a buyer with a Latin character, such as the Spanish. Finally, we determine the extent to which the process of identification of the loyal buyer is improved if we discriminate between consumers in function of their involvement with the purchasing process and of their available time. The results indicate that customer involvement has a limited discriminatory power in the study of repetitive purchasing in the same store in the acquisition of the grocery products being analysed. However, the buyers’ available time is shown to be an aspect that should be taken into account when studying this phenomenon.

Effect of brand extension strategies on brand image

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a model that shows how extending a brand affects the overall brand image. The relations between the relevant variables in brand extension strategies in the UK and Spanish markets are analysed to determine if the brand extension strategies have the same effect on brand image.Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study was conducted in the UK and Spain using structural equation analysis. Two pre‐tests were conducted to select the brands and the extensions.Findings – Results show that the brand extension strategy dilutes the brand image in both markets. It is found that brand image before extension and fit has positive effects on brand image after extension. The concurrence between the models studied in the two markets suggests that UK and Spanish consumers respond similarly to brand extensions.Research limitations/implications – The study was only conducted in two countries. Researchers are encouraged to test the model in more countries.Practic...

Determining factors in family purchasing behaviour: an empirical investigation

Analyses the factors which determine family purchase behaviour. The family has traditionally been considered as an important decision‐making unit with respect to the large quantity of products and services which are purchased by households on a daily basis. Sets out to determine the variables which exert an influence when choosing a product or service (socio‐economic, individual, etc.). Concentration is centred on an analysis of the role of the spouses in an attempt to determine whether there exists a particular purchasing pattern according to the sex of the consumer. The empirical analysis has been carried out on the basis of a survey of 600 Spanish families. Using the Multiple Correspondence Analysis technique we can observe that joint decisions are made by young couples, only where the wife works, whilst in a situation where the wife does not work or the spouses have been married for many years, it is the husband alone who decides.

Intrafirm diffusion of new technologies: an empirical application

Research on the diffusion of new technologies has centred on the study of the interfirm rate of diffusion, paying much less attention to intrafirm aspects. This paper attempts to overcome this gap in the literature by analysing the factors that influence the speed with which a new technology, the ATM, is fully adopted. The data over which the hypotheses are tested belongs to the Spanish savings banks market. The results show that the rate of intrafirm diffusion is explained by innovation, firm and market characteristics. In testing our hypotheses we make use of both traditional methods and survival analysis techniques.

How to Make Switching Costly The Role of Marketing and Relationship Characteristics

Customer switching costs have emerged as one of the fundamental drivers of customer retention. Although the consequences of these costs have been well documented in the literature, research on the determinants of switching costs remains limited. The present study seeks to address this issue by investigating the extent to which switching costs are influenced by marketing variables—price and advertising—and relationship characteristics. The authors develop a conceptual framework about the drivers of switching costs and test the framework empirically in the mobile phone industry using a hierarchical Bayes approach. The empirical results show that by using price and advertising—both service and brand advertising—firms are able to make switching costly for customers. Moreover, relationship characteristics significantly contribute to explaining consumers’ differences in the cost of switching. Finally, this study illustrates the key role played by competitors’ marketing actions in affecting the cost of switching for customers of the focal firm. Implications for decision makers are discussed.

Adopter categories in the acceptance process for consumer durables

Seeks to determine the adopter categories for a new product using an innovation diffusion model which assumes that the potential adopters of an innovation are influenced by two means of communication, namely the mass media (external influence) and word of mouth (internal influence). The literature contains many examples of studies devoted to the analysis of the diffusion of innovations, where an attempt is made to explain the characteristics of the different adopters according to the moment in time at which they acquire the innovation, the type of product (consumer durables, habitual) and the number of categories. The majority of these studies try to explain the behavior of the innovator as compared to that of the imitator, and very few of them differentiate between two or more adopter categories. Concentrates on a study of the diffusion of the glass‐ceramic hob unit and attempts to explain the differences which exist between different categories of adopters.

Food retailing strategies in the European Union. A comparative analysis in the UK and Spain

Abstract In this paper we analyse differences and similarities in the strategies adopted by the main food retailers operating in the UK and in Spain through the first half of the 1990s. We find seven main profiles of strategic behaviour in each market, including three which have been adopted in similar fashion in both countries (hypermarkets operating on a national scale, small local supermarkets and large supermarkets). We explore possible causes of the similarities and differences in strategic behaviour, and conclude that economic, demographic and cultural factors offer only a very limited explanation. The differences appear rooted in differences in the historical development of the retail industry in both countries, and in specific strategic choices linked to, but not necessary consequences of, those historical differences.

Switching Costs, Network Effects, and Competition in the European Mobile Telecommunications Industry

This paper empirically analyzes the joint effect of switching costs and network effects in determining the level of competition in the European mobile communications industry. Theoretical reasoning argues that switching costs and network effects may confer some market power that firms can strategically exploit to reduce competition and thus increase profits. Theoretical predictions are completely confirmed by the empirical evidence and important asymmetries between the market structures in the different European countries can be observed. These asymmetries are clearly related to the levels of switching costs and network effects---the greater their importance, the lower the rivalry in the market. This suggests that the recent efforts of policymakers to reduce the negative consequences of switching costs and network effects have not been successful enough and these efforts must be strengthened, at least in several countries.

Strategic groups analysis (SGA) as a tool for strategic marketing

Argues in favour of the convenience of using strategic groups analysis (SGA) as a business management tool that is especially useful for strategic marketing planning. To illustrate the great versatility offered by SGA, we take as a reference the results obtained from a study of the Spanish retail grocery sector. By way of this empirical work, we analyse how SGA responds to some of the information demands considered as essential for the design of the marketing strategy of every firm (the analysis of the environment and the main alternative strategies, the attractiveness of each strategy, the analysis of rivalry, the strengths and weaknesses of firms, the threats and opportunities offered by the market, etc.). In summary, the paper shows that SGA is a powerful tool which could help managers to concentrate the activity of their firms in solid strategic options.