Using colour semiotics to explore colour meanings

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannele Kauppinen-Räisänen ◽  
Marie-Nathalie Jauffret
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Indexical Sign ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The impact of colour is acknowledged within the marketing field. However, research on colour communication is limited, with most prior studies focusing on pre-defined meanings or colour associations. The purpose of this paper is to reveal insights into colour meaning and propose an alternative view to understanding colour communication. Design/methodology/approach The study takes a conceptual approach and proposes Peircean semiotics to understand colour communication. The proposed framework is applied to analyse a set of colour meanings detected by prior colour research. Findings The study elucidates the underlying mechanism of how colour is read and interpreted in various marketing activities, and how meaning is conveyed. This study addresses this mechanism by identifying colour semantics and colour as a symbolic, iconic and indexical sign. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the scholarly knowledge of colour in marketing. It enriches the understanding of how consumers interpret representations of single visual signs expressed in contexts such as products, brands and brand packaging to make informed product decisions. Practical implications By understanding consumer interpretation as a stage in the communication process, marketers can develop more informed marketing activities to communicate the intended meanings. This may well strengthen the brand identity and contribute to the perceived brand value. Originality/value By elaborating on how colours convey meanings and the mechanism that explains such meanings, this study demonstrates that colour meaning is far more than mere association. The study contributes to the current knowledge of colour by facilitating a deeper understanding of how consumers interpret representations of single visual cues expressed in various contexts.

Social capital in the theory and research of LIS professionals in the light of the literature on the subject. Review of current knowledge

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Dorota Wojciechowska
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Social Capital ◽  
Rural Libraries ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to present the latest scholarly trends in the field of social capital in libraries, to review research concepts published by LIS professionals and to suggest further research possibilities in this area. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a review and critical analysis of literature associated with research on social capital in libraries to highlight its importance for the development of LIS and its impact on the functioning of environments linked with various types of libraries. The goal of literature analysis was to determine the current condition of research on social capital in libraries. The main trends were identified and the need for further qualitative analyses, which are missing at the moment, was confirmed. Findings It was determined that, so far, LIS professionals have focussed mainly on the role of municipal libraries in developing social capital, the problem of building trust, especially in immigrant circles and the impact of libraries on promoting a civil society. Academic libraries, rural libraries, organisational capital in libraries and individual social capital of librarians were a much less frequent subject of research. The role of libraries in developing social capital in educational (primary and secondary education) and professional (non-university professionals) circles is practically non-existent in research, and it will require in-depth studies and analyses in the coming years. Originality/value This paper constitutes a synthetic review of the latest research concepts concerning social capital in libraries. It identifies the most important research trends and areas that so far have not been explored and suggests research methods to help LIS professionals design future research in this area more effectively.

To be or not to be equal: the impact of pride on brands associated with dissociative out-groups

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Lu ◽  
Zhanqing Wang ◽  
Defeng Yang ◽  
Nakaya Kakuda
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Important Determinant ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Brand Attitudes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Authentic Pride ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Brands are increasingly reflecting social values, and many brands have begun to embrace equality and inclusivity as a marketing strategy. Accordingly, consumers are increasingly being exposed to brands associated with different social groups. This paper aims to examine how consumers who have experienced pride respond to brands associated with dissociative out-groups. Design/methodology/approach Four studies were conducted. Study 1 tested the basic effect of how the experience of different facets of pride affects consumers’ brand attitudes toward a brand associated with a dissociative out-group. Studies 2 and 3 examined the underlying mechanism of consumers’ psychological endorsement of egalitarianism using both mediation and moderation approaches. Study 4 derived implications of our findings for marketers. Findings The results show that consumers respond differently to a brand associated with a dissociative out-group based on the facets of pride they experience. When consumers experience authentic (vs hubristic) pride, they exhibit a more favorable attitude toward the brand associated with the dissociative out-group. This is because authentic (vs hubristic) pride increases consumers’ psychological endorsement of egalitarianism, which enhances consumers’ brand attitudes toward the brand associated with the dissociative out-group. Practical implications The findings suggest that brand managers should think about ways to elicit consumers’ authentic pride to minimize the potential backlash from consumers when promoting equality and inclusivity in their brand communications, particularly when such communications contain cues of dissociative out-groups. Originality/value This paper contributes to the branding literature by identifying pride as an important determinant that can help brands overcome the negative impact of dissociative out-groups on consumers’ brand reactions, enriches the literature on pride by documenting a novel effect of the two facets of pride on consumer behavior and extends the literature of egalitarianism by demonstrating pride as a driver of consumers’ psychological endorsement of egalitarianism.

Can a replacing sponsor benefit?

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 2481-2500 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Anthony Carrillat ◽  
Reinhard Grohs
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Randomized Experiments ◽  
Altruistic Motive ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Sponsorship Effectiveness ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to examine the common situation where the sponsor of an event is replaced and the impact of this situation on consumers’ behavioral intentions toward the new sponsor. Design/methodology/approach An original conceptual framework was developed to account for consumers’ reactions toward a new sponsor in the context of a sponsorship change, depending on whether the former and new sponsors are competitors, the duration of the relationship between the former sponsor and the event (tenure length), and the level of congruence between the new and the former sponsor and the event. This framework, based on consumer motive attributions, was tested by means of three completely randomized experiments. Findings The results of the first experiment show that if the former and new sponsors are competitors, consumers’ behavioral intentions toward the new sponsor are more positive if the former sponsor’s tenure duration was short. When the former and the new sponsors are not competitors, the former sponsor’s tenure duration does not impact behavioral intentions. The second experiment demonstrates that consumers’ altruistic motive attributions are the underlying mechanism that explains these effects. Finally, the third experiment identifies a boundary condition, that is, these effects occur only if the new and the former sponsor are congruent with the sponsored property. Research limitations/implications This research has not considered the situation where the former and new sponsors have different levels of congruence with the event (e.g. when the former sponsor is congruent but the new sponsor is incongruent with the event) and has examined only sponsorship tenure durations of one versus 15 years. Practical implications Sponsorship managers learn that replacing a sponsor that was supporting the event for a short rather than a long period of time is more beneficial, but only if replacing a competitor that is congruent with the sponsored property. The reason is that such a replacement triggers more altruistic motive attributions compared with contexts where the former sponsor is not a competitor or incongruent with the sponsored property. Suggestions of sponsorship activation strategies known to increase perceptions of altruism are provided to enhance sponsorship effectiveness for new sponsors. Originality/value This study is the first to look at how consumer responses to a new sponsor vary depending on the former sponsor’s tenure length, competitor status and event congruency.

scholarly journals The value of social networking sites in hotels

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Diffley ◽  
Patrick McCole
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hotel Marketing

Purpose Despite the rapid growth of social networking sites (SNSs), research demonstrating the marketing application of these technologies is lacking. Consequently, this paper aims to explore the impact of SNSs on hotel marketing activities. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory study was used. Adopting a key informant approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 respondents in the hotel industry, who use SNSs as part of their hotel marketing efforts. Findings Networked interactions facilitated by SNSs can influence the marketing activities of hotels in many ways. This extends to deeper connections and co-creating value with customers to enhance the market offerings and promotional activities of the firm. Not all interviewees capitalised upon the capabilities offered by SNSs. Practical implications SNSs act as a key knowledge resource that can be used by practitioners to create and deliver superior customer value. However, the extent to which this is achieved depends on who is responsible for implementing it. Specifically, those with a more proactive attitude and approach towards marketing on SNSs tend to reap greater benefits. Originality/value Using the service-dominant logic as a guide, this paper offers greater insight into the theory and practice of social media marketing in the hotel industry, an under-studied and fragmented research area.

The driving force in corporate environmental governance

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-282
Author(s):  
Jun Hu ◽  
Wenbin Long ◽  
Xianzhong Song ◽  
Taijie Tang
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Driving Mechanism ◽  
Ecological Civilization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Decentralized System ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Department Directors ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Due to environmental externalities, micro-enterprises with profit-seeking features do not develop sufficient motivation for environmental governance. In a fiscally decentralized system, local environmental protection authorities perform environmental supervision, and the intensity of the regulations that they implement has an important influence on corporate environmental governance. Based on the promotion tournament framework, this paper aims to discuss the driving mechanism of corporate environmental governance using turnover of environmental protection department directors (EPDDs) as an indicator. Design/methodology/approach Using samples of A-share companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges from 2007 to 2014, this paper examines the impact of EPDD turnover on corporate environmental governance and its underlying mechanism. Findings The results show that corporate environmental governance exhibits a political periodicity that changes with the turnover of the EPDD, and the periodicity remains after controlling for the influence of changes in provincial party secretary and governor. Internal mechanisms analysis indicates that, without financial independence, local environmental protection departments rely on increasing sewage charges, not environmental protection subsidies, to promote corporate environmental governance. Further, considering heterogeneity among officials, it finds that the younger a new EPDD is, the more pronounced the periodicity of corporate environmental governance. However, there is no significant difference between in-system and out-system turnover. Originality/value In general, this paper describes the mechanisms of corporate environmental governance from the perspective of political economics, and the results have implications for the potential improvement of the government’s environmental supervision functions and the development of ecological civilization in China.

The influence of social media marketing activities on customer loyalty

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 3882-3905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayank Yadav ◽  
Zillur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Customer Equity ◽  
Social Media Marketing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Theoretical Support ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of perceived social media marketing activities (SMMAs) on customer loyalty via customer equity drivers (CEDs) in an e-commerce context.Design/methodology/approachThe study surveyed 371 students from a large university in India. The data were analyzed via confirmatory factor analysis and the research hypotheses were examined using SEM.FindingsThe study revealed three key findings. First, perceived SMMAs of e-commerce comprise five dimensions, namely, interactivity, informativeness, word-of-mouth, personalization and trendiness. Second, perceived SMMAs of e-commerce have significantly and positively influenced all the drivers of customer equity (CEDs). Third, the CEDs of e-commerce exhibit a significant and positive influence on customer loyalty toward the e-commerce sites.Practical implicationsThis study will help e-commerce managers to boost customer loyalty toward the e-commerce sites through perceived SMMA.Originality/valueThe study is the first to identify five dimensions of e-commerce perceived SMMA. The current study also introduces the stimulus–organism–response model as a theoretical support to connect perceived SMMAs of e-commerce to customers’ loyalty via CEDs. This is supposed to be the first study to examine the impact of perceived SMMA on customer loyalty toward the e-commerce sites via CEDs in the e-commerce industry.

Promotional phrases as analogical questions: inferential fluency and persuasion

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 713-739
Author(s):  
Hsuan-Hsuan Ku ◽  
Mei-Ju Chen
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Product Evaluations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rhetorical Question ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Rhetorical Questions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose As an alternative to straight rhetorical questions, questions using analogies that invite the reader to think about the frame of reference to answer the target have been used in advertising to persuade. This paper aims to investigate consumer responses to the use of analogical questions in ads for incrementally new products and the important variables moderating those responses. Design/methodology/approach Four between-subjects experiments examined how product evaluations in response to analogical questions differ from non-analogical variants as a function of consumers’ persuasion awareness (Studies 1 and 2) and also tested if the effectiveness of an analogical question among potential consumers who are more aware of persuasion attempts might be enhanced only when it is proposed with a strong rather than a weak frame of reference (Study 3), and when the frame of reference and the target share underlying similarities (Study 4). Findings Analogical questions are more persuasive than non-analogical variants for participants who are more aware of persuasion attempts. Inferential fluency mediates the results. Furthermore, the positive impact of analogical questions for participants high in persuasion awareness is diminished when the frame of reference is weak or from a dissimilar domain. The same patterns are not evident for participants who are less aware of persuasion attempts. Research limitations/implications Drawing on the concepts of inferential fluency, this study offers an empirically-based view of how the analogical questions in advertising may bias the responses exhibited by individuals who demonstrate either a high or low level of persuasion awareness. Practical implications The inclusion of an analogy can lower consumers’ tendency to behave in a defensive manner by facilitating inferences about intended claims that are implicitly stated in a rhetorical question and achieve higher levels of persuasion. Originality/value This study contributes to prior study on rhetorical questions within a persuasion communication by adopting inferential fluency as an underlying mechanism for analyzing the impact of analogical questions and individual’s awareness of persuasion.

Loyalty card adoption in SME retailers: the impact upon marketing management

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 467-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karise Hutchinson ◽  
Lisa Victoria Donnell ◽  
Audrey Gilmore ◽  
Andrea Reid
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Marketing Management ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Decision Making ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Loyalty Card

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand how small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) retailers adopt and implement a loyalty card programme as a marketing management decision-making tool. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative and longitudinal case study research design is adopted. Data were collected from multiple sources, incorporating semi-structured interviews and analysis of company documents and observation within a retail SME. Findings – The findings presented focus on the loyalty card adoption process to reflect both the organisational issues and impact upon marketing management decision-making. Research limitations/implications – This research is restricted to one region within the UK, investigating loyalty card adoption within a specific industry sector. Practical implications – SME retailers operate in an industry environment whereby there is a competitive demand for loyalty card programmes. SME retailers need to carefully consider how to match the firm’s characteristics with customer relationship management (CRM) operational requirements as highlighted in this case. Originality/value – The evidence presented extends current knowledge of retail loyalty card programmes beyond the context of large organisations to encompass SMEs. The study also illustrates the value of a structured, formal CRM system to help SME retailers compete in a complex, competitive and omni-channel marketplace, adding new insights into the retail literature.

The impact of marketing activities on service brand equity

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 596-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi Shekhar Kumar ◽  
Satyabhusan Dash ◽  
Naresh K. Malhotra
Keyword(s):  
Brand Equity ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Experiential Marketing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Brand ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose This study aims to propose and empirically test new improved customer-based brand equity (CBBE) creation framework, which advocates marketing activities create CBBE through customer experience (CE). The proposed framework is in contrast to extant literature suggesting marketing activities directly create CBBE. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interviews with patients, followed by interaction with respondents using a structured questionnaire, were used to collect the data. Findings The results suggest that CE is the focal mediating variable for the relationship between marketing activities and CBBE. Out of 15 marketing activities, 8 positively impacted CBBE through CE and 2 negatively affected CBBE through CE. Among the remaining five, three had only a direct positive impact on CBBE and two neither directly nor indirectly impacted CBBE. Research limitations/implications The effects of only individual marketing activity, and not of the interaction among marketing activities, were assessed. Practical implications The study provides insights into the importance of CE in building CBBE for credence-dominant services (e.g. healthcare). This work will help managers in implementing experiential marketing by designing suitable activities for creating service CBBE. Originality/value The study outlines service CBBE creation through CE, offering specific insights for the healthcare market.

Personal development review (PDR) process and engineering staff motivation

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 827-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Baldwin ◽  
Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes ◽  
Vikas Kumar ◽  
Luis Rocha-Lona
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Review ◽  
Staff Motivation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Engineering Staff

Purpose – The academic literature and motivational theory recognise the positive role of motivation on organisational performance and considers personal development as a key motivational factor. In practice, most organisations employ a personal development review (PDR) process to drive and plan the development of their staff. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interrelation and impact of the PDR process, and its elements, on staff motivation. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a case study research approach carried out in two large manufacturing-engineering departments of a world-class manufacturing organisation. A survey questionnaire was designed, validated and distributed to the engineering staff and its results were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings – The study's results indicate that in most of the cases, a PDR process does not by itself motivate staff. But it argues that a poorly designed and conducted PDR process may make motivation, through personal development, difficult to achieve. Practical implications – This paper provides manufacturing managers with an opportunity to understand whether a common business process (i.e. PDR), and the elements that comprise it, can be employed as a method to aid in the motivation of their staff. Originality/value – This research expands the current knowledge on motivational and manufacturing management theory by performing an initial and exploratory study that establishes the impact of the PDR process on staff motivation. It is among the very first investigations that correlate the PDR process and motivation, especially in the manufacturing industry.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document