Fake news and brand management: a Delphi study of impact, vulnerability and mitigation

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Flostrand ◽  
Leyland Pitt ◽  
Jan Kietzmann
Keyword(s):  
Expert Opinion ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Brand Management ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Domain ◽  
International Panel ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Fake news is presently one of the most discussed phenomena in politics, social life and the world of business. This paper aims to report the aggregated opinions of 42 brand management academics on the level of threat to, the involvement of, and the available actions of brand managers resulting from fake news. Design/methodology/approach A Delphi study of 42 academics with peer-reviewed publications in the brand management domain. Findings The study found that on some dimensions (e.g. the culpability of brand managers for incentivizing fake news by sponsoring its sources), expert opinion varied greatly. Other dimensions (e.g. whether the impact of fake news on brand management is increasing) reached a high level of consensus. The general findings indicate that fake news is an increasing phenomenon. Service brands are most at risk, but brand management generally is need of improving or implementing, fake news mitigation strategies. Research limitations/implications Widely diverse opinions revealed the need for conclusive research on the questions of: whether brands suffer damage from sponsoring fake news, whether fake news production is supported by advertising and whether more extensive use of internet facilitated direct interactions with the public through crowdsourcing increased vulnerability. Practical implications Experts agreed that practitioners must become more adept with contemporary tools such as fake news site blacklists, and much more aware of identifying and mitigating the brand vulnerabilities to fake news. Social implications A noteworthy breadth of expert opinion was revealed as to whether embellished or fabricated brand narratives can be read as fake news, inviting the question as to whether brands now be held to higher standards of communication integrity. Originality/value This paper provides a broad-shallow exploratory overview of the professional opinions of a large international panel of brand management academics on how the recent arrival of industrial fake news does, and will, impact this field.

The effects of corporate brand symbolism on consumer satisfaction and loyalty

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Anisimova
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Consumer Loyalty ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Corporate Brand ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Role ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the effects of corporate brand symbolism on consumer satisfaction and loyalty on a sample of Australian automobile consumers. Design/methodology/approach – Survey research was employed to test the study hypotheses. The regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between an independent variable (corporate brand symbolism) and dependent variables (consumer satisfaction and loyalty). Findings – Support was found for all hypotheses formulated in this study. Regression results reveal consistent favourable and significant effects of corporate brand symbolism on both consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Research limitations/implications – Although this paper makes contributions in international marketing, the cross-sectional nature of the data collection method limits the information gained to the single point in time. This research studied the impact of corporate brand symbolism on consumers of one original equipment manufacturers (OEM). Having a larger number of participating car manufacturers/OEMs would have provided a wider insight. However, time and resources limitation did not allow to study a larger sample. In the future, practitioners are recommended to further understand the relationship between self and social aspects of brand symbolism in order to formulate more targeted communication strategies. Practical implications – The findings of this study point to the strategic role of the brand in generating both satisfaction and loyalty. In the light of increasing advertising costs and decreasing consumer loyalty, strengthening corporate brand symbolism makes a lot of economic sense. The findings suggest that managers need to take into account consumer need for identity expression and consider this in their branding strategies. Social implications – Humans are social beings by nature. However, international brand research has paid relatively little attention to how products are used by consumers in everyday life, including their social life. Consumer behaviours increasingly depend on social meanings they imbue brands with beyond products’ functional utility. It is argued the focus of symbolic consumption needs to be broadened and integrated more with social science concepts. Originality/value – This study captures a construct of corporate brand symbolism by including self and social aspects of symbolism. The current study also comprehensively measures consumer loyalty, including cognitive, affective and behavioural types of loyalty.

The role of public libraries in the development of social capital in local communities – a theoretical study

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 184-196
Author(s):  
Maja Dorota Wojciechowska
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

PurposeSocial capital, understood as intangible community values available through a network of connections, is a factor in the development of societies and improving quality of life. It helps to remove economic inequalities and prevent poverty and social exclusion, stimulate social and regional development, civic attitudes and social engagement and build a civic society as well as local and regional identity. Many of these tasks may be implemented by libraries, which, apart from providing access to information, may also offer a number of services associated with social needs. The purpose of this paper is to present the roles and functions that libraries may serve in local communities in terms of assistance, integration and development based on classical social capital theories.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the classical concepts of social capital in the context of libraries. It analyses the findings of Pierre-Félix Bourdieu, James Coleman, Francis Fukuyama, Robert Putnam, Nan Lin, Ronald Stuart Burt, Wayne Baker and Alejandro Portes. Based on their respective concepts, the paper analyses the role of the contemporary library in the social life of local communities. In particular, it focuses on the possible new functions that public libraries may serve.FindingsA critical review of the concept of social capital revealed certain dependencies between libraries and their neighbourhoods. With new services that respond to the actual social needs, libraries may serve as a keystone, namely they may integrate, animate and engage local communities. This, however, requires a certain approach to be adopted by the personnel and governing authorities as well as infrastructure and tangible resources.Originality/valueThe social engagement of libraries is usually described from the practical perspective (reports on the services provided) or in the context of research on the impact of respective projects on specific groups of users (research reports). A broader approach, based on original social theories, is rarely encountered. The paper draws on classical concepts of social capital and is a contribution to the discussion on possible uses of those concepts based on an analysis of the role of libraries in social life and in strengthening the social capital of local communities.

Fake news on Facebook: examining the impact of heuristic cues on perceived credibility and sharing intention

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khudejah Ali ◽  
Cong Li ◽  
Khawaja Zain-ul-abdin ◽  
Muhammad Adeel Zaffar
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Credibility ◽  
News Credibility ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Active Processing

PurposeAs the epidemic of online fake news is causing major concerns in contexts such as politics and public health, the current study aimed to elucidate the effect of certain “heuristic cues,” or key contextual features, which may increase belief in the credibility and the subsequent sharing of online fake news.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a 2 (news veracity: real vs fake) × 2 (social endorsements: low Facebook “likes” vs high Facebook “likes”) between-subjects experimental design (N = 239).FindingsThe analysis revealed that a high number of Facebook “likes” accompanying fake news increased the perceived credibility of the material compared to a low number of “likes.” In addition, the mediation results indicated that increased perceptions of news credibility may create a situation in which readers feel that it is necessary to cognitively elaborate on the information present in the news, and this active processing finally leads to sharing.Practical implicationsThe results from this study help explicate what drives increased belief and sharing of fake news and can aid in refining interventions aimed at combating fake news for both communities and organizations.Originality/valueThe current study expands upon existing literature, linking the use of social endorsements to perceived credibility of fake news and information, and sheds light on the causal mechanisms through which people make the decision to share news articles on social media.

scholarly journals Revisiting customer loyalty toward mobile e-commerce in the hospitality industry: does brand viscosity matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jialin Snow Wu ◽  
Shun Ye ◽  
Chen Jerry Zheng ◽  
Rob Law
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Brand Management ◽  
Switching Costs ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Integrative Model ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Affective Factors ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Impact

Purpose To better understand how to retain hospitality customers in the fierce competition among mobile applications, this study aims to propose and empirically validates an integrative framework, which elaborates how conscious and subconscious factors, together with affective factors, may induce app loyalty and how brand viscosity moderates such effects. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an online survey to collect data and received a total of 268 valid responses. This study splits the data into two groups (brand viscosity vs non-viscosity). Then, the authors performed a multi-group structural equation modeling with Chi-square difference tests to compare the model between the two groups. Findings The findings support the integrative model and reveal that the influence of app satisfaction on loyalty is stronger for app users who do not stick to one brand across the website and mobile app channels. Moreover, for those with brand viscosity, habit and switching cost are two significant determinants that exert positive effects in inducing app loyalty. Research limitations/implications Brand viscosity across different channels matters for the effects of habit and switching costs in shaping app loyalty. E-commerce managers should elaborate on brand management among various booking channels and establish effective digital marketing strategies to facilitate the formation of usage habits and switching costs and to enhance brand viscosity across channels. Originality/value This research advances the knowledge of app loyalty in hospitality by providing a comprehensive explanatory framework from affective, conscious and subconscious lenses. This research is among the first to unveil the impact of brand viscosity on the links between loyalty and its determinants.

Brand awareness: revisiting an old metric for a new world

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 469-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Romaniuk ◽  
Samuel Wight ◽  
Margaret Faulkner
Keyword(s):  
Market Share ◽  
Brand Management ◽  
Brand Awareness ◽  
Underlying Structure ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Global Brand ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Purpose Brand awareness is a pivotal, but often neglected, aspect of consumer-based brand equity. This paper revisits brand awareness measures in the context of global brand management. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the method of Laurent et al. (1995), this cross-sectional longitudinal study examines changes in brand awareness over time, with sample sizes of approximately 300 whisky consumers per wave in three countries: United Kingdom, Taiwan and Greece. Findings There is consistency in the underlying structure of awareness scores across countries, and over time, extending the work of Laurent et al. (1995). Results show that a relevant operationalisation of brand awareness needs to account for the history of the brand. Furthermore, the nature of the variation of brand awareness over time interacts with a brand’s market share. Research limitations/implications When modelling the impact of brand awareness researchers need to consider two factors – the brand’s market share and whether a more stable or volatile measure is sought. This avoids mis-specifying the country-level contribution of brand awareness. Practical implications Global brand managers should be wary of adopting a “one size fits all” approach. The choice of brand awareness measure depends on the brand’s market share, and the desire for higher sensitivity or stability. Originality/value The paper provides one of the few multi-country investigations into brand awareness that can help inform global brand management.

Revisiting the impact of organized labor on corporate bottom lines

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmytro Osiichuk ◽  
Paweł Mielcarz ◽  
Julia Kavalenka
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Organized Labor ◽  
Corporate Financial Performance ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Panel ◽  
Transmission Mechanisms ◽  
Credible Threat ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Relying on an international panel data set, the purpose of this paper is to quantify the economic impact of labor unionization on corporate financial performance. Design/methodology/approach Static panel regression analysis is performed for a firm-level multinational data set to elucidate the postulated empirical relationships between employee unionization and corporate performance. The transmission mechanisms intermediating the studied effects are discussed and operationalized. Findings The empirical evidence demonstrates that firms with a higher level of employee unionization spend more on wages and labor-related expenses. The concomitant downside of higher resource extraction by unions is a lower rate of net employment creation and a higher possibility of redundancy layoffs. Originality/value Overall, the authors demonstrate that by creating a credible threat of employee disobedience manifested through strikes and internal wage disputes, labor unions remain an effective mechanism of increasing employees’ bargaining power. Despite the discovered weak negative associative link between the degree of unionization and corporate financial performance, the authors perceive the overall evidence to be inconclusive on this matter.

The impact of brand associations on brand loyalty in the football industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 499-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Maderer ◽  
Dirk Holtbruegge ◽  
Rachel Woodland
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Brand Management ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Associations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Attitudinal Loyalty ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of brand associations on brand loyalty of fans toward professional football clubs in developed and emerging football markets (EFM). In particular, the following research questions are answered: how important are different determinants of brand associations for fans from developed football markets (DFM) and EFM? Are there any major differences in the importance of different brand associations and their influence on brand loyalty between fans from DFM and EFM? Design/methodology/approach Based on the customer-based brand equity framework the impact of brand associations on brand loyalty is tested with a sample of 3,587 fans from DFM – Germany, England, Spain, Italy, and France (2,032) – as well as fans from EFM – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and the USA (1,555). Findings Structural equation modeling is applied and shows a negative impact of brand attributes on attitudinal loyalty, whereas brand benefits positively impact attitudinal loyalty. Furthermore, significant differences between fans from developed and EFM are revealed. Implications for the management of football teams and for research on brand management are derived. Originality/value This study extends the work of Gladden and Funk (2001) by expanding the model used to assess brand loyalty and analyzes it empirically in different football markets. When looking to foster attitudinal loyalty, marketers should concentrate on benefit associations instead of attribute associations. Most importantly, marketers should be aware that when focusing on developing brand loyalty amongst EFM fans, they should not simply apply the same strategies that proved to be effective in DFM and vice versa.

Are they willing to work for you? An employee-centric view to employer brand attractiveness

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 573-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Ronda ◽  
Carmen Valor ◽  
Carmen Abril
Keyword(s):  
Brand Management ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Employee Benefits ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Multiple Paths ◽  
Value Propositions ◽  
Employer Brand ◽  
Brand Attractiveness ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The present study aims to propose a novel employee-centric framework for the study of employer brand attractiveness. This framework disentangles the role of employer attributes, employee benefits and employee perceived value in the study of employer brands to better develop policies for talent attraction. Additionally, this study formulates a research agenda to help advance an employee-centric view of the employer’s brand management by following the tradition of customer-centric research and identifying benefits and forms of value that are yet unexplored. Design/methodology/approach This paper performs a systematic and critical review of the literature on employer brand attraction from the lens of means-end chains to examine how the notions of “employer attributes”, “employee benefits” and “perceived value” have been addressed in past studies and what relations have been established among these three concepts. Findings The results unveil the existing conflation among attributes, benefits and value in the conceptualization of employer brand attractiveness. By proposing an employee-centric framework following the tenets of current consumer-centric paradigms, this paper disentangles the notions of attributes, benefits and value in the creation of attractive employer brands; establishes a hierarchical relationship among them; and suggests studying the multiple paths of relationships between attributes and benefits. These conditions should help organizations understand how to create successful strategies to ultimately ensure that they are selected as employers of choice. Research limitations/implications Further research is needed to clarify the domains in which the already studied empirical relations hold. This could be achieved by conducting a laddering process based on a means–end chain approach. Additionally, the impact of this framework on the construction of effective value propositions and employee market segmentation should be further explored. Originality/value This paper has revisited the construct of employer brand from a means–ends approach to propose an employee-centric view guiding employer brand strategies. As competition for the best employees sharpens, understanding how employer brand traits are valued in the eyes of different segments of employees and applicants may help organizations to develop more effective strategies to attract the best talent.

scholarly journals The impact of internal brand management on employee job satisfaction, brand commitment and intention to stay

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Du Preez ◽  
Michael Thomas Bendixen
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Brand Management ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Brand Commitment ◽  
Intention To Stay ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Brand Management ◽  
Service Staff ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which internal brand management (IBM), a subset of internal marketing, impacts on the three dimensions of job satisfaction ( JS), brand commitment (BC) and intention to stay (IS). Design/methodology/approach – A financial services company in Southern Africa was selected using convenience sampling. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify the dimensions of IBM, BC, JS and IS. Partial least squares path modeling was used to test the model and the hypotheses. The Mann-Whitney test was used to identify any statistically significant differences between frontline staff and management/support staff. Findings – The EFA of the components of IBM did not yield the three expected dimensions. For service staff, IBM significantly contributes to JS, BC and IS. Internal brand communication is the most important contributor to IBM. Research limitations/implications – In common with others, this research uses a limited sample size in a specific geographic location. The results may differ if replicated in other geographies or organizations. Practical implications – Executives and managers of financial service firms are advised to drive focussed IBM practices rather than waiting for it to become the passive consequence of human resource management. Originality/value – Given the paucity of research into the practical application of IBM, the purpose of this research is to explore the impact of IBM on frontline employees in the financial services industry.

Emerging climate changes and the risks to the operation of building assets in the UK

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Alzahrani ◽  
Halim Boussabaine ◽  
Ali Nasser Alzaed
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Climate Change Risks ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report results from a survey on emerging climate changes and the risks to the operation of building assets in the UK. The property sector is facing major challenges as a result of projected climate change scenarios. Predictions concerning future climate change and the subsequent impact on building operations are still subject to a high degree of uncertainty. However, it is important that building stockholders consider a range of possible future risks that may influence the operation of their assets. Design/methodology/approach – The literature review and questionnaire are used to elicit and assess the likelihood of occurrence of climate change risks impacting building operations. The survey was carried out among building stockowners and professionals in the UK. Statistical methods were used to rank and compare the findings. Findings – The majority of the respondents strongly agreed that the list of risks that were elicited from the literature will have an impact on their building assets within a 0-5 years’ time horizon. It was found that the professionals were most concerned about higher energy prices and an increase in operation costs in general; they were least concerned about an electricity blackout. Research limitations/implications – This paper is limited to the UK, and regional variations are not explored. Nevertheless, the buildings’ operation risk study provides a starting point for further investigations into the emerging risks from climate change, and their impact on the operation of building stock. Future work could investigate direct mapping between climate risks and the financial value of properties. Originality/value – Findings of this paper can help professionals and building stockowners improve their understanding of climate change risks and the impact on their assets. This paper could also help these individuals to formulate appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies.

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