Impact of Pandemic Communication on Brand-specific Outcomes: Testing the Moderating Role of Brand Attitude and Product Category

The unprecedented crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a shift in consumers’ attitude, behaviour and purchasing habits across the globe. While brands make all the efforts to cope up, they also need to devise strategies to survive in the post-crisis situation. It is in the light of this disturbed equilibrium that the present study is undertaken. Using structural equation modeling (SEM)-based analysis of 240 consumer responses, the article analyses the direct influence of pandemic communication and the indirect impact of brand attitude and product category on three specific brand outcomes, viz. image, trust and loyalty. The findings reveal a positive and significant impact of communication during pandemic on all three brand outcomes under investigation. Further, though the results do not divulge the moderating role of brand attitude, they establish the impact of pandemic communication on brand loyalty for non-essential product category. On the basis of the findings, the study yields useful suggestions that can be implemented by brands to hold themselves more strongly in the post-pandemic future.

Influence of Virtual Experience Immersion, Product control, and Stimulation on Advertising Effects

With advances in communication technologies, virtual reality (VR) has become increasing popular. This study investigated the influence of virtual experiences on advertising effects. A 2 (virtual experience immersion: high vs. low) × 2 (virtual experience product control: high vs. low) × 2 (virtual experience product stimulation: high vs. low) between-subjects design was conducted. The results revealed that compared with the low-immersion virtual experience, the high-immersion virtual experience produced better advertisement attitudes. Furthermore, virtual experiences with high product control generated better advertisement attitudes when compared with virtual experiences with low product control. The two-way interactions between virtual experience product stimulation and immersion and between virtual experience product stimulation and virtual experience product control induced better brand attitude and purchase intention. In addition, telepresence and perceived enjoyment mediated the relationship between virtual experience and advertisement attitudes.

The role of celebrity endorser toward brand attitude and purchase intention

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the source credibility of celebrity endorsers such as trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness) on brand attitudes and purchase intentions for endorsed brands. The type of sampling used is purposive sampling with a total of 300 respondents. The analytical method used is the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method using Smart PLS (Partial Least Square) software. This study finds that the trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness of a celebrity endorser have a positive and significant effect on brand attitude and purchase intention. This shows that the better the trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness of a celebrity endorser, the better the consumer's positive attitude towards the brand (brand credibility). Furthermore, the better the consumer's positive attitude towards the brand (brand credibility), the higher the purchase intention that arises from a consumer.

Factors Influencing Core Brand Attitude and Consumer Perceptional Fit in the Pandemic Era and Their Implications for Purchase Intention Toward Extended Product

Challenges faced by people in today's pandemic conditions are the dependence on the internet and communication tools because all the processes of work from home or school from home activities are done online. In addition to the stable and strong internet connection, the use of reliable communication equipment tools became a must and people were looking for a brand that suited this need. However, it turns out that a strong brand in the electronics industry has not guaranteed success when doing brand extension in the category of communication tools. This is experienced by Sharp, a leading electronics manufacturer from Japan.This research aims to find out whether core brand image, core brand attitude, brand association, product connection, use experience, and consumer perceptional fit, have an influence on purchase intention toward extended product in the case of Brand Sharp on its communication device product, the Sharp Aquos Zero 2 Smartphone. Quantitative research methods have been conducted using online questionnaires to respondents who are over 17 years old and know sharp electronic products, have owned their products and have seen sharp Aquos Zero 2 reviews but have never bought the product. The structural equation model (SEM) method was used to analyze these 6 research hypotheses.The result was a positive relationship between core brand image, core brand attitude, brand association, product connection, use experience, and consumer perceptional fit on purchase intention toward extended product smartphone. However, on the other hand, the core brand image and use experience variables have no influence on core brand attitude.

Unexpected events and brand loyalty. The case of Crusaders Rugby Club

<p>Prompted by the Christchurch mosque massacres of March 2019, considerable concern was expressed by society around the world, and New Zealand in particular, about anything that might provoke further attacks on Muslims. Consequently, the branding of the Crusaders rugby club in Christchurch came under scrutiny - and became the topic of this research. The research questions were: which brand elements of a sports team would have the greatest impact on attitude to that brand and consequently the brand loyalty; and how will time and an unexpected event change attitudes to a brand, especially the influence of brand elements? Although indications are that sports related brand elements should influence brand attitude and in turn positively influence brand loyalty, this has never been researched against the backdrop of an unexpected event. Adopting a post-positivist approach, a quantitative study was undertaken to answer the research questions. An anonymous online survey yielded 361 usable responses, of which 103 were from Crusaders fans. The analysis was conducted as two studies: (1) the whole participant group and (2) only the Crusaders fans. Study one provided demographic data and consumer views on sports brand elements influencing brand attitudes, either side of an unexpected event. For study two, factor analysis and structural equation modelling provided an indication of the hypothesized relationships between certain brand elements (name, logo, characters, pageantry) and past success on attitude to the brand and thence to brand loyalty. Findings indicate that before such an event, only name and characters exerted a positive influence on attitude towards the brand, whereas after the event, name, characters, logo and past success all exerted an influence on attitude. In neither situation did pageantry exert a significant influence on brand attitude. In both situations, attitude influenced brand loyalty positively. This study seeks to contribute empirical evidence for academics and practitioners alike, that supports the identification of relevant brand elements influencing brand attitudes and brand loyalty, in a sports setting. Since loyalty is longitudinal in nature, further unique temporally orientated insights into potential societal attitude shifts, are also contributed.</p>