Beyond personality: an emergence view of influential consumers

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-169
Author(s):  
Cinthia Beccacece Satornino ◽  
Demetra Andrews ◽  
Rebeca Perren ◽  
Michael K. Brady

Purpose Previous research studies assume that influential consumers (“influentials”), who play a powerful role in the marketplace, are persuasive (or not) based on innate, static personality traits. By contrast, this paper proposes an emergence-based view of influentials. Grounded in dynamic self-concept theory, this research establishes that individuals possess an “influential” self-concept that can be activated by firm-originated communications. Specifically, the authors examine the impact of firm feedback on the three dimensions of influentials (and the corresponding traits and behaviors): who they are (propensity to connect with others), who they know (WOM) and what they know (expert power). Design/methodology/approach The study tests whether an influential self can be evoked by marketers using a longitudinal experimental test with data collected in three periods. The data are analyzed using a multi-mediation model and partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The results reveal that even after controlling for the extroversion trait, firm-originated positive feedback increases perceived expert power of participants, which increases word-of-mouth behavior in a subsequent period, both directly and indirectly via an enhanced propensity to connect with others. Research limitations/implications Cultivating the influential self-concept requires time to ensure that the self-concept is sufficiently realized to become an enduring self-concept. Practical implications By cultivating influentials, practitioners are able to leverage diffusion mechanics and reduce costs and inefficiencies associated with traditional customer relationship management marketing strategies focused on finding them. Social implications These findings have implications across all domains that rely on the diffusion and adoption of ideas or products via influentials, including but not limited to public policy, politics, public health and sustainability, in that influentials can be evoked and leveraged to diffuse ideas in these important social domains. Originality/value This paper provides empirical evidence that firms can evoke influential consumer behavior challenging existing views of influence as a static personality trait. It casts a line to connect influential consumers to the nascent study of social emergence.

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Man Lai Cheung ◽  
Wilson K.S. Leung ◽  
Morgan X. Yang ◽  
Kian Yeik Koay ◽  
Man Kit Chang

PurposeGrounded in uses and gratification theory (UGT) and observational learning theory (OLT), this study aims to understand the impact of motivational factors on consumer-influencer engagement behaviors (CIEBs). Motivating factors, including entertainment, information seeking, reward and social interaction, are regarded as antecedents of consumers' OLT, as manifested by CIEB dimensions, including consumption, contribution and creation, and subsequently drive consumer engagement with the endorsed brands.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered questionnaire was distributed to Malaysian social media users. A total of 263 responses were collected and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the impact of motivational factors on CIEBs.FindingsThe results show that the three dimensions of CIEBs can be predicted by different gratifications (information seeking, entertainment, reward and interaction). In addition, two of the CIEB dimensions, consumption and contribution, were found to have a significant positive influence on consumers' engagement with endorsed brands.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights into how social media influencers (SMIs) could lead to CIEBs by creating entertaining and rewarding content that facilitates social interaction between consumers. SMIs and marketers that encourage consumers to browse, comment and share SMI-created posts will enhance consumer engagement with the endorsed brands, as engagement is driven by the consumption and contribution to SMI-created content.Originality/valueSMI marketing is increasing, and many brands are beginning to rely more on SMIs to promote brands. Yet, there is a dearth of studies that have examined how SMIs play a role in affecting consumers' engagement with endorsed brands. This study contributes to the marketing literature by developing and empirically testing the research model. Results suggest that social interaction, reward and entertainment are key motivational factors that drive CIEBs, which, in turn, foster consumer engagement with endorsed brands.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Shamim Hossain ◽  
Mst Farjana Rahman ◽  
Xiaoyan Zhou

PurposeSocial commerce is a subpart of electronic commerce (e-commerce), where social media is forced to support user contributions. The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of customers' interpersonal interactions in social commerce on customer relationship management (CRM) performance, based on the flow, commitment-trust and stimulus–organism–response (SOR) theories.Design/methodology/approachOn the basis of the SOR framework, the authors developed a study model to determine the impact on CRM performance of customers' interpersonal interactions in social commerce. The primary data of the study were collected from 640 users of social commerce through a web questionnaire during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic situation, and the authors tested the study model using the approach of covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsResults of the current study reveal that customers' interpersonal interactions in social commerce optimistically influence their perceived flow. Moreover, perceived flow absolutely controls users' trust and CRM performance. In turn, collective users' trust positively influences users' commitment and CRM performance. Finally, collective users' commitment absolutely influences the performance of CRM.Practical implicationsThe authors provide a valuable contribution to the theoretical field of online marketing and CRM. Besides, the findings of this study are relevant for marketers to know the issues for increasing customer trust, commitment and performance of CRM.Originality/valueThe current study develops a model based on the flow, commitment-trust and stimulus–organism–response (SOR) theories. The authors' research is the first to estimate the effect of customers' interpersonal interactions in social commerce on CRM performance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn Giroux ◽  
Frank Pons ◽  
Lionel Maltese

Purpose In the highly saturated sports industry where sport teams represent a complex offering loaded with intangible and tangible attributes, it is important to implement appropriate marketing strategies that will ultimately contribute to the development of strong brand equity. In this paper, the authors focused on the relationship between brand variables and marketing activities on the development of brand equity. More specifically, the purpose of this paper is to study the impact of brand personality on the evaluation of marketing promotional activities and the impact on the brand equity. Design/methodology/approach Respondents (2,400) were recruited through an online survey and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The survey revealed that the congruence between the brand personality and the promotional activities has a positive impact on its evaluation and on brand equity. In addition, the results showed that consumers who consider the financial strength of the team as an important factor evaluate more positively the value of congruent and incongruent promotional activities. Practical implications Brand managers should maintain consistency between their brand personality and their promotional activities in order to maintain and increase their brand equity. Originality/value The results contribute to the literature by investigating the impact of brand personality on the evaluation of promotional activities. Also, it examines an important factor (financial consciousness) that could influence how fans react in front of an incongruent promotional activity. This research brings a better understanding of the impact of brand personality on marketing strategies and brand equity.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guicheng Shi ◽  
Huimei Bu ◽  
Yuan Ping ◽  
Matthew Tingchi Liu ◽  
Yonggui Wang

Purpose This study aims to elucidate how different relationship investment efforts by a service firm affect its customers’ perceived relationship investment; to determine how perceived relationship investment influences various dimensions of relationship strength; and to explore the moderating effects of customer innovativeness and complaint propensity on the relationship between the perceived relationship investment and relationship strength. Design/methodology/approach To minimize common method variance, data were collected from pairs of life insurance agents in China and their clients using self-report questionnaires. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicate that customers value financial effort most followed by social effort and structural effort. Perceived relationship investment influences the affective strength most strongly, followed by cognitive strength and conative strength. Customer innovativeness and complaint propensity both moderate the effectiveness of perceived relationship investment in influencing two of the three dimensions of relationship strength. Originality/value This study is among the first to specify how service employees can guide consumer perceptions of relationship investment by applying three types of relationship investment effort. The impact of perceived relationship investment on different dimensions of relationship strength was assessed to demonstrate how service providers can benefit from investing in building consumer relationships. The moderating impact of consumer innovativeness and of complaint propensity was quantified. The research findings have important implications for managing different relationship investment as well as recruiting and training service employees.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahid Rizwan ◽  
Husam-Aldin Al-Malkawi ◽  
Kamisan Gadar ◽  
Ilham Sentosa ◽  
Naziruddin Abdullah

Purpose Although 76% of the population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is Muslim, takāful (Islamic insurance) has a much smaller share of business in the UAE than conventional insurance does. The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of brand equity (BE), which is known as the incremental value that provides reason to buy a brand. This study provides useful insights that can help the health takāful industry to gain a feasible market share in the UAE. Design/methodology/approach This is a quantitative study in which stratified random sampling was adopted for data collection from 300 respondents through a self-administered questionnaire from August to November 2018. Underpinning the study is the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique has been used to examine the impact of BE on purchase intentions (PI) through the moderating role of demographic factors such as age, income, education and religion. Three dimensions of BE, i.e. brand awareness (BAW), brand association (BAS) and perceived quality (PQ), are evaluated in terms of their significance as dimensions of BE. Findings The major findings of this study confirm that BE has a strong positive influence on the PIs of health takāful customers in the UAE and that all three dimensions of BE make significant contributions to the overall BE. The results show that education does moderate the relationship between BE and PI while age, income and religion do not. A new finding of this study is the nonsignificant moderating role of religion, whereby it was found that takāful products in the UAE are not limited to Muslim customers but can include potential customers who are followers of other religions. Originality/value To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first of its kind to examine the impact of BE on the PI of health takāful customers in the UAE. The findings of the study give academia, researchers and marketers a better understanding of the importance of BE and of its vital role in promoting takāful products in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries such as the UAE.


2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 854-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nedra Bahri-Ammari ◽  
Khalid S. Soliman

Purpose The aim of this study is examine customer relationship management (CRM) effect on enhancing customer satisfaction and on improving customer retention. In this study, the impact of CRM on loyalty in the pharmaceutical sector in Tunisia is studied. Service quality perception, customer satisfaction, loyalty, retention and firm profitability have been tested as independent variables. This study highlights the importance of CRM and service quality perception in maintaining a sustainable and profitable relationship with customers. Design/methodology/approach A survey research design was used to collect data. In total, 221 respondents from 5 pharmaceutical companies in Tunisia were involved in the study. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses were adopted to examine the effect of CRM technology on profitability. Structural equation modeling was used to validate results. Findings The results show that there are significant relationships between CRM and quality perception, satisfaction and loyalty. However, there are no significant relationships either between CRM and retention or between CRM and profitability. Research limitations/implications Fitting CRM scale with the context of the study and the number of the survey companies was the limitation of this research. Practical implications This study provides significant results to practitioners to understand the role of establishing a CRM strategy and to understand the selected factors affecting customer satisfaction and retention as well. Originality/value This study was conducted in Tunisia to contribute to enrich literature in the implementation of information technology and customer satisfaction.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana A. Gil ◽  
Abhishek Dwivedi ◽  
Lester W. Johnson

Purpose Peer pressure and popularity are important issues for teenagers, potentially affecting teenagers’ attitudes toward luxury products. In turn, peer pressure and popularity can potentially be affected by self-concept clarity (how clearly teens view themselves). The authors empirically aim to investigate these relationships using data from a sample of Brazilian teens and find that self-concept clarity has a significant effect on peer pressure, popularity and social consumption motivation, which, by itself, directly affects attitudes toward luxury items. Design/methodology/approach The total sample consisted of 558 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 19 (grades 7 through 12). Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The results of the study suggest that teenagers’ social consumption motivations positively affect attitudes toward luxury. Originality/value The paper first explicitly examines the impact of peer pressure and popularity on attitude toward luxury among teenagers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina M Hegner ◽  
Ardion D. Beldad ◽  
Nienke Klein Langenhorst

Purpose – Financial constraints recently confronting performing arts organizations propel them to employ various marketing tactics to not only win new visitors but also to maintain its current clientele. Fostering a long-term relationship with clients is regarded a vital solution to a survival-related predicament these organizations face. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of four marketing tactics – personalization, two-way communication, preferential treatment, and rewarding – on the dimensions of customer relationship, namely, satisfaction, trust, and commitment. Design/methodology/approach – Data to test the various research hypotheses were collected through a survey with 252 clients of a performing arts venue in a Dutch city. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – Results reveal that extension of rewards to and maintaining a two-way communication with clients of a performing arts venue positively influence their satisfaction with, trust in, and commitment to the performing arts venue. Personalization of services impacts commitment only. However, the effect of preferential treatment on the three relationship dimensions is not statistically significant. Additionally, analysis shows that satisfied customers are more likely to trust the performing arts venue, although clients’ satisfaction with and trust in the performing arts venue do not influence their commitment to the venue. Originality/value – Research into the ways to strengthen customer relationships in the performing arts is still scarce. The current research aims at investigating the impact of several marketing tactics on customer relationship measured in terms of satisfaction, trust, and commitment and shows how performing arts venues can strengthen their bonds with customers.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud M. Migdadi

Purpose The purpose of this study is to introduce a unified framework, which integrates knowledge management (KM) (knowledge acquisition, diffusion and application, knowledge from a customer, knowledge about customers and knowledge for customers), customer relationship management (CRM) success (information sharing, customer involvement, long-term partnership, joint-problem solving and technology-based CRM) and innovation capabilities (ICs) (product innovation, process innovation, marketing innovation, service innovation and administrative innovation). Then empirically test the effect of KM on CRM success, the effect of CRM success on IC and the impact of KM on IC through the mediator. Design/methodology/approach Statistical techniques used included confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling using AMOS to test the hypotheses. Findings The results show that KM influences CRM success, which, in turn, affects IC and KM impacts IC through CRM success. Research limitations/implications The study uses data provided by only one key informant per firm, which could involve a degree of subjectivity. This study is cross-sectional, which prevents us from examining the evolution over time of the phenomenon under investigation. Practical implications If organizations fully comprehend KM and CRM, they would be able to implement them successfully, creating value for their companies and fostering IC. Originality/value The existing research on CRM and KM is primarily conceptual and descriptive in nature and empirical research confirming the real impact of KM processes when developing a CRM innovation is lacking. The relationship between ICs and CRM has not been adequately studied. Hence, this study introduces a conceptual framework, which integrates KM, CRM, ICs and empirically tests the relationships among them.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Azeem ◽  
Sania Aziz ◽  
Jawad Shahid ◽  
Aamir Hayat ◽  
Munir Ahmed ◽  
...  

Purpose In a modern business scenario, firms have implemented customer-centric approaches to enable customer relationship management (CRM) to trigger business excellence. Business strategies are modernizing business marketing operations that mainly focused on the retention of profitable customers. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the impact of marketing strategies (MS), information technology support (IT-S) and knowledge sharing (KS) in the effect of CRM in the pharmaceutical sector of Punjab, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from the field force of national and international pharmaceuticals companies (N = 263) through a convenience sampling technique. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to examine data in SmartPLS 3.2.6. Findings The results indicated that IT-S and KS mediate the relationship between MS and CRM. More specifically, MS positively develops CRM through IT-S and KS. Originality/value This research contributes to the existing literature of pharmaceuticals by disclosing the field-force (medical representatives) specific role in developing CRM performance between pharmaceuticals firms and health-care physicians that are mainly based on knowledge advancement and influence these firms to adopt customer-centric business approaches to gain a competitive advantage to drive firm profitability.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document