Role of Interactive Communications in Building Brand Relationships with Business Customers

Asia Branding ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 177-198
Author(s):  
Bang Nguyen ◽  
T C Melewar ◽  
Don E. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Business Customers

scholarly journals Does brand-relationships matter? The role of brand attachment in salesperson performance in retailing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavia Braga Chinelato ◽  
Cid Gonçalves Filho ◽  
Clodoaldo Lopes Nizza Júnior
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Sales Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Salesperson Performance ◽  
Brand Attachment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Salesperson performance is accepted as a relevant factor of retailing success. However, scarce studies reveal the relationship between sales performance and brand relationship. The purpose of this study is both, from one side, to empirically demonstrate the impact of salesperson brand attachment (SBA) on sales performance and, on the other side, to identify the mediators of this relationship in small retailing. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with a sample of 206 small retailers from different sectors of an emerging country. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS3. Findings The results demonstrated that SBA is relevant to driving sales performance through two relevant paths – one following SBA–satisfaction–performance and one path following the SBA–commitment–performance. The model was able to explain 63% of the outcome performance. Practical implications Regarding small retailers, where the owners, employees and managers have higher levels of interaction than the large national retail chains, the marketing executives must invest in improving the attachment to the brand and create emotional bonds and cognition between marketers and the brand. They must develop strategies to promote job satisfaction and organizational commitment because they determine performance. Originality/value Despite the relevance of small businesses for economies worldwide and the importance of salesperson brand relationships, no study has been developed to demonstrate the impacts of such relationships on salesperson performance in retailing. Furthermore, in addition to the central role of organizational commitment in the sales research, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore how to mediate the relationship between brand attachment and sales performance.

The Role of Emerging Technologies in Developing and Sustaining Diverse Suppliers in Competitive Markets

2013 ◽  
pp. 95-105
Author(s):  
Alvin J. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Management ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Electronic Procurement ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Business Customers ◽  
Business To Business

As organizations seek to maintain competitiveness in an ever-challenging global economic environment, considerable attention has been focused on rationalizing and realigning supply bases to match market realities. Firms are reducing and restructuring the number and types of suppliers from which they buy goods and services worldwide. This restructuring has a direct impact on minority suppliers. This chapter focuses on how minority suppliers can use technology, with particular focus on electronic procurement systems and related methods, to strengthen performance and attractiveness to potential business-to-business customers. Through the use of e-procurement, electronic auctions, and multiple customer relationship management processes, minority firms can strengthen relationships that lead to long-term success.

Looking at you: celebrity direct eye gaze influences social media post effectiveness

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
pp. 3051-3076
Author(s):  
Jasmina Ilicic ◽  
Stacey M. Brennan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Verbal Cues ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderating Role ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce and examine the effect of a celebrity’s eye gaze on self-celebrity connection. A celebrity’s direct (vs averted) eye gaze can be used as a tactic in social media posts to increase self-celebrity connection and behavioral intentions. Examining the effectiveness of a celebrity’s eye gaze is important, as celebrities regularly use social media to manage their brand image and to build a relationship with consumers. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 examines the effect of a celebrity’s eye gaze (direct vs averted) on self-celebrity connection. Study 2 investigates the role of celebrity authenticity in explaining the effect of a celebrity’s eye gaze on consumer–celebrity brand relationships. Study 3 examines the moderating role of a non-Duchenne smile (fake, social smile) in diluting the effect of a celebrity’s direct eye gaze on self-celebrity connection and the downstream consequences on behavioral intentions. Findings The findings from Study 1 indicate that a celebrity’s direct (averted) eye gaze strengthens (weakens) self-celebrity connection. Study 2 provides evidence of celebrity authenticity as the explanation for stronger consumer–celebrity connection when a celebrity is featured with a direct eye gaze. The results of Study 3 show that a fake smile in a celebrity’s social media posts can weaken relationships with and behavioral intentions toward celebrities with a direct eye gaze. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited, as it focuses only on eye gaze and smiles as non-verbal cues depicted in celebrity images on social media. Practical implications This paper has important implications for celebrities, celebrity brand managers (including digital/social media marketing managers and public relations professionals) and advertisers. Celebrities, celebrity brand managers and advertisers should develop social media posts that can strengthen consumer–celebrity relationships and positively influence behaviors toward the celebrity through: 1) ensuring that photographs are taken with the celebrity looking directly into the camera at the target (audience); and 2) avoiding posting images of a celebrity’s direct eye gaze with a non-Duchenne (fake) smile. Originality/value This paper introduces and provides evidence of a celebrity’s direct eye gaze–self-celebrity relationship effect. Tactics, such as eye gaze, can strengthen consumer–celebrity relationships, which is crucial in building brand equity and in increasing financial value for the celebrity.

Consumers and their celebrity brands: how personal narratives set the stage for attachment

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 831-847
Author(s):  
Bennie Eng ◽  
Cheryl Burke Jarvis
Keyword(s):  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Professional Lives ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Brand Attachment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relationship Norms ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to demonstrate how consumer attachment to celebrity brands is driven by perceived narratives about the celebrity’s persona, which triggers communal (i.e. altruistic) relationship norms. The research investigates the differential role of narratives about celebrities’ personal vs professional lives in creating attachment and identifies and tests moderating effects of narrative characteristics including perceived source of fame, valence and authenticity. Design/methodology/approach Three online experiments tested the proposed direct, meditating and moderating relationships. Data was analyzed using mediation analysis and multiple ANOVAs. Findings The results suggest relationship norms that are more altruistic in nature fully mediate the relationship between narrative type and brand attachment. Additionally, personal narratives produce stronger attachment than professional narratives; the celebrity’s source of fame moderates narrative type and attachment; and on-brand narratives elicit higher attachment than off-brand narratives, even when these narratives are negative. Practical implications The authors offer recommendations for how marketers can shape celebrity brand narratives to build stronger consumer attachment. Notably, personal (vs professional) narratives are critical in building attachment, especially for celebrity brands that are perceived to have achieved their fame. Both positive and negative personal narratives can strengthen attachment for achieved celebrity brands, but only if they are on-brand with consumer expectations. Originality/value This research is an introductory examination of the fundamental theoretical process by which celebrity brand relationships develop from brand persona narratives and how characteristics of those narratives influence consumer-brand attachment.

Restaurant brand pages on Facebook

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 1662-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhee Kang ◽  
Liang (Rebecca) Tang ◽  
Ann Marie Fiore
Keyword(s):  
Online Community ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Active Participation ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Brand Trust ◽  
Sales Promotions ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of members’ active participation in customer–brand relationships, considering brand trust and brand commitment in an online community context. It also investigates the moderating effect of monetary sales promotions in building and maintaining customer–brand relationships. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on an online survey sent to Facebook users who have been engaging with restaurants’ brand pages on Facebook. The empirical data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling. Findings – Results revealed that members who actively participated in activities on restaurant, Facebook fan pages were likely to feel that the brands were trustworthy and developed commitment toward the brands. The moderating effect of monetary sales promotions between active participation and brand trust was supported. In particular, active participation was more likely to generate brand trust for members who had less interest in monetary sales promotions on restaurant Facebook fan pages. Practical implications – This study provides practical implications for restaurant marketers on the applications of Facebook as a branding tool. Marketers are advised to identify active members who can contribute to the maintenance of the community by encouraging active communication and engaging in marketing activities. As active participants are critical to the success of a restaurant Facebook page, marketers are encouraged to develop marketing strategies that can generate members’ interest and increase participation in a marketing campaign. Originality/value – Although Facebook has been widely used to improve customer–brand relationships in the food service industry, research on the effect of an online community scares. The study proposes a conceptual model to examine the role of active participation in customer–brand relationships and the role of monetary promotions in enhancing customer–brand relationships. Management and marketing strategies for practitioners in the food service industry are suggested.

scholarly journals Stimulating Customer Inspiration Through Online Brand Community Climates: The Mediating Role of Customer Interaction

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Cao ◽  
Zhimin Zhou ◽  
Salman Majeed
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Customer Interaction ◽  
Information Interaction ◽  
Online Brand Community ◽  
Future Research Directions

This study examines the impacts of the online brand community (OBC) climate on customer interaction and customer inspiration, which are yet under-explored in the extant literature. The data were collected online from the Chinese respondents (N = 504) to analyze the proposed constructs of the study. Findings show that supportive OBC climate and controlled OBC climate are positively related to customer interaction (including information interaction and social interaction) and exert a significant and positive impact on customer inspiration. A mediating impact of customer interaction is found on the relationship between OBC climate and customer inspiration. This study unravels the importance and mechanism of customer-brand relationships in the online environment and illuminates pathways for marketers and policymakers to positively influence customer inspiration for business promotion. This study updates existing literature boxes of consumer behavior and marketing in the context of online customer-brand relationships. Limitations and future research directions are noted.

scholarly journals Fashion Brand Love: Application of a Cognition–Affect–Conation Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae-Im Han ◽  
Dooyoung Choi
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Target Market ◽  
Ideal Self ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Fashion Brand ◽  
Large Numbers

A large numbers of studies have supported the crucial role of brand love in consumer–brand relationships; however, research that examines fashion brand love and its relationship with cognitive aspects and self-concept congruency remains limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify important factors that are associated with fashion brand love. A questionnaire in which participants provided self-reported responses was created to measure the constructs and structural equation modeling (SEM) and independent sample t-tests were conducted to test the hypothesized relationships. Our results indicated that consumers who know more about fashion brands are more likely to have stronger emotional attachment to their favorite fashion brand and brand love, in turn, has a significant effect on performing brand-loyal behaviors. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that fashion brand love is strongly associated with actual and ideal self-congruity. These findings suggest that it is important for fashion brands to focus on developing affective relationships with consumers to gain brand loyalty and one way to achieve this goal is to enhance brand awareness or knowledge among consumers. Fashion brands also need to invest in activities that aim to deliver a brand image congruent with actual and ideal self-concepts of the target market.

scholarly journals Fostering brand engagement and value-laden trusted B2B relationships through digital content marketing

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1759-1781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimmo Taiminen ◽  
Chatura Ranaweera
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Digital Content ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Value Perceptions ◽  
Relationship Value ◽  
Content Marketing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how digital content marketing (DCM) users can be engaged with business-to-business (B2B) brands and determine how such engagement leads to value-laden trusted brand relationships. Design/methodology/approach Through an online survey, data were collected from the email marketing list of a large B2B brand, and the hypothesised research model was analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling. Findings This paper identifies a bundle of helpful brand actions – providing relevant topics and ideas; approaching content with a problem solving orientation; as well as investing in efforts to interpret, analyse and explain topics through DCM – to foster relationship value perceptions and brand trust. Critically however, cognitive-emotional brand engagement is shown to be a necessary requirement for converting these actions into relationship value perceptions. Research limitations/implications This paper furthers the understanding of the dual role of helpful brand actions in functionally oriented DCM. Additionally, this paper offers evidence of the central role of cognitive-emotional brand engagement in influencing value-laden customer–brand relationships. Practical implications This paper introduces a bundle of helpful brand actions that forms the basis for the dual roles of a brand in enhancing customer value and in fostering brand engagement and building relationships. This approach helps practitioners to steer brand-related perceptions arising from DCM interactions towards building trusted brand relationships. Originality/value This paper contributes to the marketing literature by revealing a potential approach to DCM in managing customer relationships. Instead of focusing solely on the content benefit-usage link to support engagement, this paper reveals the potential of helpfulness as a brand-initiated DCM engagement trigger in engaging customers with the brand, vis-à-vis the content.

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