CSR ads matter to luxury fashion brands: a construal level approach to understand Gen Z consumers' eWOM on social media

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Song-yi Youn ◽  
Eunjoo Cho
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Information Content ◽  
Interaction Effect ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Luxury Brand ◽  
Young Consumers ◽  
Serial Mediation

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the interaction effect of perceived psychological distance toward the luxury brand and construal level of the CSR ad content on young consumers' perceptions toward the CSR ad (i.e. ad-brand congruency and perceived trust on CSR ad). This study also investigates the mediation effects of ad-brand congruency and trust on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention on social media.Design/methodology/approachA two (low vs great psychological distance) by two (low vs high construal level) between-subjects experimental study is conducted with samples of social media users (n = 570) in the United States. Participants were randomly assigned to view one of the four CSR ads and instructed to respond to questions in the survey. The proposed hypotheses are tested using moderated serial mediation.FindingsThe interaction between psychological distance and construal level significantly influences ad-brand congruency. When participants view detailed information content (i.e. low construal level) with an accessible luxury brand (i.e. low psychological distance) in the CSR ad, they are more likely to perceive the ad is congruent with the brand compared to the CSR ad with abstract information content. There is no difference in ad-brand congruency for the aspiration luxury brand according to different content (i.e. low vs great construal level). Importantly, however, for both brands, the results reveal dual roles of the ad-brand congruency which increases eWOM intention directly and indirectly through trust. Findings confirm serial mediation effects of ad-brand congruency and CSR trust on the eWOM intention on social media.Originality/valueBy uncovering the interaction effect of psychological distance and construal level on ad-brand congruency, this study implicates how luxury fashion brands need to differently create CSR ad content. Our findings confirm dual ways of information processing that lead to positive engagement (i.e. eWOM) on social media, particularly among young consumers.

Regulatory focus and construal level theory on low-income consumer indebtedness: Evidence from an emerging market

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrícia de Oliveira Campos ◽  
Marconi Freitas da Costa
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Regulatory Focus ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Income Consumers

PurposeThis study aims to further analyse the decision-making process of low-income consumer from an emerging market by verifying the influence of regulatory focus and construal level theory on indebtedness.Design/methodology/approachAn experimental study was carried out with a design 2 (regulatory focus: promotion vs prevention) × 2 (psychological distance: high vs low) between subjects, with 140 low-income consumers.FindingsOur study points out that the propensity towards indebtedness of low-income consumer is higher in a distal psychological distance. We found that promotion and prevention groups have the same propensity to indebtedness. Moreover, we highlight that low-income consumers are prone to propensity to indebtedness due to taking decisions focused on the present with an abstract mindset.Social implicationsFinancial awareness advertisements should focus on providing more concrete strategies in order to reduce decision-making complexity and provide ways to reduce competing situations that could deplete self-regulation resources. Also, public policy should organize educational programs to increase the low-income consumer's ability to deal with personal finances and reduce this task complexity. Finally, educational financial programs should also incorporate psychology professionals to teach mindfulness techniques applied to financial planning.Originality/valueThis study is the first to consider regulatory focus and construal level to explain low-income indebtedness. This paper provides a deeper analysis of the low-income consumers' decision process. Also, it supports and guides future academic and decision-making efforts.

EWOM firestorm: young consumers and online community

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasithorn Suwandee ◽  
Jiraporn Surachartkumtonkun ◽  
Aurathai Lertwannawit
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Failures ◽  
Young Consumers ◽  
Mixed Factorial Design ◽  
Information Characteristics ◽  
High Level

Purpose This study aims to examine the influence of homophily in an online community and the effect of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) consensus on young consumers’ attitudes. Design/methodology/approach This study implemented an experimental research design using a two (low/high homophily) × two (low/high eWOM consensus) mixed factorial design. This study explores young consumers’ changes in brand attitude after encountering negative eWOM. Findings The results indicate that a high consensus of negative eWOM among online community members leads to significant changes in attitude, while a low consensus of negative eWOM does not produce such an effect. Negative eWOM from either high or low homophilous sources produces significant changes in attitude. There are significant attitude changes when a strong consensus of negative eWOM is received from a source with a high level of homophily. Research limitations/implications Service failures in offline service settings lead to the dissemination of negative eWOM on social media. To handle and prevent social media crises, researchers should understand online crises antecedents relating to information characteristics i.e. eWOM consensus and characteristics of online community members to evaluate the crises impact. Brands should monitor tone and dialogue of online community member on social media to remedy and diminish any damage done to their brand image from negative eWOM. Originality/value This study contributes to the application of social network theory by understanding the role of nodes on negative eWOM effect in social media.

scholarly journals Go local or go global: how local brands promote buying impulsivity

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eline L.E. De Vries ◽  
Bob M. Fennis
Keyword(s):  
Local Food ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Brand Positioning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Brands ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Global Brand ◽  
Positioning Strategy

Purpose Using food brands as a case in point, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between a local vs global brand positioning strategy and buying impulsivity, as well as the mediating role of construal level. The findings add a psychological argument to the array of reasons for firms to opt for a local instead of a global brand positioning strategy: local food brands promote higher levels of buying impulsivity than global brands by lowering consumers’ level of construal. Design/methodology/approach Five experiments use student and nonstudent samples, different construal level indices and generic and brand-specific buying impulsivity measures to test the hypotheses. Findings Local food brands promote higher levels of buying impulsivity than global brands by lowering consumers’ level of construal. Because local brands are proximal to consumers’ lifestyles, values, preferences and behaviors, they decrease the psychological distance between the brand and the consumer, compared with global brands. The smaller psychological distance lowers consumers’ construal level and renders the immediate, concrete, appetitive attributes of the product more salient, thus making consumers more prone to impulsively buy a local brand than a global one. Practical implications For the choice between a global or local brand positioning strategy, this paper argues in favor of the latter. Local (food) branding is a concrete brand positioning mechanism that can influence and benefit from consumers’ buying impulsivity. Originality/value The research reveals heretofore unknown but important implications of local vs global brand positioning strategies for consumers’ construal level and buying impulsivity.

Typology of social media followers: the case of luxury brands

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 558-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahy Ramadan ◽  
Maya F. Farah ◽  
Armig Dukenjian
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Luxury Brands ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Luxury Brand ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose Luxury brands tend to be hesitant in adopting social media. This matter has created an imminent need to understand the different types of online luxury followers so as to help luxury brands communicate effectively with their consumers, while maintaining the “luxe” image and experience. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to provide luxury brands with a deeper understanding of their online audience and the strategies needed to engage with them through the different social media platforms. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was utilized in which 24 in-depth interviews were conducted with Lebanese followers of an online luxury brand’s social media pages. Findings The study identifies the presence of six main categories of online luxury followers: pragmatists, bystanders, trend hunters, image seekers, passionate owners, and prime consumers. Each group has a specific engagement and propensity to buy levels. Research limitations/implications Understanding the different segments of luxury brand followers provides a framework for marketing managers that allows them to correctly target their marketing and communication strategies in order to maximize consumer engagement and purchasing behaviors. Originality/value A significant gap exists in the extant literature which offers no understanding of the different luxury brand followers and their different characteristics. This study is the first to offer an exploratory typology of the various luxury brand followers on social media platforms.

To buy or not to buy: how young consumers approach new smart products in the social media context

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jieqi Guan ◽  
Yui-yip Lau ◽  
Huijun Yang ◽  
Lianping Ren
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
New Media ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovation ◽  
Product Information ◽  
Purchasing Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Smart Products ◽  
Young Consumers

Purpose This paper aims to explore factors affecting young consumers’ purchasing of new smart products under the influence of social media. Design/methodology/approach Twenty semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with young consumers who used new media, and five extended interviews were conducted with popular smartwatch retailers in Macau. Findings The findings reveal that they tend to garner product information from multiple channels of communication. Social media exert the greatest influence. Reliable information, strong branding and interactions with vendors are also influential, although new product pre-announcements may be boring and difficult to understand. Originality/value This study presents new insights into diffusion of innovation theory and provides retailers launching smart products with a better understanding of their target young customers’ purchasing behavior.

Let's play with emojis! How to make emojis more effective in social media advertising using promocodes and temporal orientation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Huang ◽  
Mohammad Shahidul Kader ◽  
Seeun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Temporal Distance ◽  
Temporal Orientation ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Distant Future ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Media Advertising ◽  
Near Future

PurposeThe authors aim to examine how the construal level, either as an individual temporal orientation or temporal distance of promotion, moderates the effects of emojis' emotional intensity on consumers' purchase intentions in social media advertising.Design/methodology/approachTwo experiments are used to test four hypotheses.FindingsThe results of two experimental studies show that present-oriented participants reveal greater purchase intentions when low (vs high) emotionally intense emojis are embedded in a social media ad; but future-oriented consumers showed no difference when viewing ads with the two different emojis. In Study 2, participants indicate greater purchase intentions when a social media ad includes a distant-future promocode and high (vs low) emotionally intense emojis and an ad with a near-future promocode and low (vs high) emotionally intense emojis.Originality/valueThe current study advances our understanding how emojis with different emotional intensities can be effectively used in social media ads. This study also provides theoretical implications to construal level theory (CLT) by examining how emojis interact with construal level, either as a chronic tendency or simulated by psychological distance, can influence consumer response.

Are benefits of others important? The interaction effect of moral identity and construal level on green consumption

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-162
Author(s):  
Bo Wu ◽  
Dongjin Li ◽  
Chubing Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Individual Difference ◽  
Interaction Effect ◽  
Moral Identity ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Consumption ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the interaction effect of moral identity and construal level on consumer green consumption and the mediating role of pro-environmental self-accountability. Design/methodology/approach The authors examined the hypotheses in two experiment studies. In study 1, the authors measured participants’ chronic individual difference of moral identity and primed construal level. In study 2, the authors primed moral identity and measured chronic individual difference of construal level. The authors also measured pro-environmental self-accountability in these two studies. Findings The results reveal that construal level moderates the relationship between moral identity and consumer green consumption, specifically, when consumers are induced a high construal level, moral identity has no effect on consumer green consumption, while when consumers are induced a low construal level, moral identity has a positive effect on consumer green consumption; the interaction of moral identity and construal level on green consumption is mediated by pro-environmental self-accountability. Research limitations/implications This research enriches the literature on how to improve consumer green consumption, and thus has some managerial and public policy implications. But the authors only chose students as participants and the dependent measures are also limited. Future research can choose other type of sample and other dependent measures to test the generalization of the conclusion. Originality/value Prior literature of green consumption lacks research on mediation mechanism. Due to prior literature gaps, the authors integrate social-cognitive perspective moral identity theory, especially the in-group circle expansion of moral identity, and construal level theory to investigate the moderating effect of construal level on the relationship between moral identity and green consumption and the mediation effect of pro-environmental self-accountability.

Effects of athletic performance and marketable lifestyle on consumers' engagement with sport celebrity's social media and their endorsements

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alcina Gaspar Ferreira ◽  
Cátia Fernandes Crespo ◽  
Cédric Mendes
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Athletic Performance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multigroup Analysis ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Online Consumer

PurposeIn this study, we empirically analyse the effects of sports celebrities' image on consumers' engagement with them via social media and with their endorsed brand. In particular, we focus on the sport celebrity's athletic performance and marketable lifestyle image dimensions.Design/methodology/approachAn online consumer survey was conducted regarding sports celebrities' endorsement campaigns and consumers' ad recall. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Moderation and mediation effects were examined, and a multigroup analysis was used to test the existence of significant differences between groups.FindingsThe motivation to engage with sports celebrities' social media platforms transcends athletic performance and is positively related with the marketable lifestyle. Sports celebrities who highly engage consumers through social media can promote stronger engagement with the endorsed brand, and this effect is positively moderated by the perceived level of congruence between the sport celebrity and the endorsed brand. The effect of the sport celebrity's marketable lifestyle on the endorsed brand is partially mediated by their social media engagement with consumers. Moreover, a multigroup analysis shows no statistically significant differences among gender and age groups.Originality/valueThis study's contribution is a better understanding of the effect of sport celebrities' image dimensions on consumers' engagement with the celebrities' social media platforms. The marketable lifestyles of celebrities are an important asset that promotes engagement with their social media platforms by consumers that in turn, raises their marketing value in terms of endorsement contracts.

Management response to negative comments, psychological distance and product nature: a consumer perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 2551-2573
Author(s):  
Chundong Zheng ◽  
Liping Yuan ◽  
Xuemei Bian ◽  
Han Wang ◽  
Lei Huang
Keyword(s):  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Marketing Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negative Comments ◽  
Consumer Perspective ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Management response to consumer comments has become a widely adopted marketing strategy to address the undesirable effects caused by negative remarks. Yet, when and what management response is more effective and under what circumstances remains under-researched. This study aims to fill this gap. Design/methodology/approach In three experiments using five different products, the authors manipulate psychological construal level (psychological distance: distant vs proximal) and management response (response of primary vs secondary features) and thereafter assess their bearings on consumer psychological and behavioral reaction toward products of two distinctive natures (hedonic vs utilitarian). Findings At a psychological distance, consumers show a preferable reaction to management response of primary over secondary features. In contrast, when the psychological distance is proximal, consumers react more positively to management response of secondary than primary features. In addition, these effects vary as a function of product nature, hedonic vs utilitarian. Research limitations/implications The findings of this research bring a significant contribution to marketing communication literature and extend the construal level theory. Practical implications A better understanding of the relative effectiveness of distinct types of management response to negative consumer comments is essential for more targeted and effective marketing strategies. Originality/value Little research has documented the effects of distinct types of management response. How psychological distance might underpin these effects has not been explored. In addition, whether the interaction effect of management response and psychological distance varies with differences in product nature, namely, hedonic and utilitarian, remains unanswered until this research.

CSR perceptions and employee creativity: examining serial mediation effects of meaningfulness and work engagement

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richa Chaudhary ◽  
Anuja Akhouri
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Mediation Process ◽  
Employee Creativity ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Serial Mediation ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression

Purpose This study aims to explore how corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions foster employee creativity. Specifically, an attempt is made to investigate the intervening role of meaningfulness and work engagement to explain the above linkage. Design/methodology/approach The study sample consisted of 316 employees from different information technology firms in India. Ordinary least square regression procedures were used to test the study hypotheses with the help of SPSS Process macro. Findings Employees’ perceptions of CSR were found to show both direct and indirect effect on their creativity. Work engagement was found to partially mediate the relationship of perceived CSR and creativity. In addition, results supported the serial mediation model where CSR was found to exercise its influence on creativity via meaningfulness and work engagement in a sequential manner. Practical implications The findings suggest that being a good corporate citizen can pay employers in terms of enhanced employee engagement and creativity, which can provide competitive advantage to the organizations in this highly competitive business environment. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding of micro-foundations of CSR by showing whether and how employees’ perceptions of CSR relate to various workplace outcomes. Further, by investigating the complex serial mediation process, it contributes to the extant literature by advancing the understanding of the underlying mechanisms through which CSR influences employee creativity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document