Examining the Brand Communication Tools that Impact Brand Preferences of Women Consumer buying intentions-Empirical Investigation of Middle East

The chapter aims to design a model of constructs of brand communication tools (direct and indirect) and test the impact of the same on brand preferences of women consumer buying intentions from Middle Eastern countries with specific evidences from Sultanate of Oman. The survey was conducted among 200 women consumers with reference to identifying the influence of brand communication tools on their buying intentions. The results revealed that both the communication tools found to have a significant impact. It is found that the direct brand communication tools have a higher impact over women buying intentions.

Managing Digital Bonds in the Buyer-Supplier Relationships

Among the multiple forms of bonding which can help companies to build and maintain buyer-supplier relationships, digital bonds, i.e. ties between an industrial buyers and suppliers formed when the IT systems of the parties are shared and integrated, are increasingly recognized as a strategic mean of customer retention. Despite several studies have unveiled which factors enable and constrain the companies' adoption of IT systems, we still have limited knowledge of how different types of digital bonds can be strategically managed. In this chapter we first provide a digital bond matrix in which four different types of digital bonds are identified. Then the proposed matrix is empirically validated by analyzing four different case studies representative of each digital bond identified. Finally, the matrix is applied as a device to inform strategic actions and decisions that can/should be undertaken to improve firms' digital bonds portfolio.

The Rise of Relationship Marketing with Social Media

The mission and concern of the proposed chapter is to contribute to the improvement of market performance through marketing, specifically relationship marketing, by taking into consideration the brand perspective and the consumer perspective. In addition, the proposed chapter aims to describe how social media has brought big challenges to brands, especially the strong ones, with repercussions on their brand image and consequently their brand equity, and how relationship marketing can be the answer to these new challenges.

Data-Driven Customer Centricity

Customer relationship management (CRM) is becoming a very hot topic nowadays in academia and business environments. Indeed, companies are constantly searching for new innovative ways to create or maintain their competitive advantage. Due to the recent advances in Internet and technology, CRM predictive analytics is becoming an important tool in the toolset of the marketer. It is the practice of using the huge volumes of historical customer data to predict future customer behavior. This chapter introduces the reader to the shift towards a data-driven customer centricity approach, where marketers act upon what they know, rather than upon what they think.

Web 2.0 Technologies and Marketing

This chapter reports on the use of social media marketing by pre-adults, setting off from a case study of pre-adults of different courses at a Portuguese higher education school. Data were collected through a questionnaire available online and analyzed with descriptive statistical techniques. Based on the pointed outlines, the aim is to evaluate longitudinally the types of social media used by pre-adults, the contexts in which they use each social media type, their opinions about the intentions of social media marketing and the influences of social media marketing on their brand knowledge, attitude and behaviour. Tendencies around concepts, tools and levels of attraction by the audiences, with focus on relationship marketing in the 2.0 era are revisited. Furthermore, the chapter presents the perception of pre-adults about social media marketing, and contributes with critical information that might help cast light over recent theories and practices of social media marketing.

Social Media as Marketing Information Systems

The chapter discusses the impact of the advent and dominance of Social Media in e-marketing. Drawing on concepts from the Social Sciences and the Information Systems field, we propose an understanding of Social Media as useful Marketing Information Systems, which increasingly support the e-marketing function. More specifically, we explore the changing role of customers who as they become increasingly engaged in the Social Media Ecosystem and form communities of interest around certain products, they assume a more active role in co-creating and spreading marketing messages. To demonstrate this process we discuss the case of branded videos that are developed as part of viral marketing campaigns. We show that branded videos constitute digital objects that combine certain content characteristics (visuals, sound, plot), which create cultural and emotional references that help engage customers and contribute to the video's virality in Social Media.

Upgrading Marketing Research

The following chapter focuses on the recent developments in the marketing industry resulting from the rise of neuromarketing. It offers analysis of the problems initiated by the traditional marketing research approaches and how these problems are being resolved by implementation of neuromarketing techniques. Moreover, both physiological and neurological measures are explained, providing advantages and disadvantages of all available neuromarketing tools that may be used in overcoming previously mentioned problems. Finally, the authors provide initial insights from a small scale qualitative research conducted among representatives from all segments of marketing industry.

Risk Management, Trust and Repeat Online Shopping Intentions

E-commerce is a growing phenomenon in Africa. One area of e-commerce that is growing at a very fast rate is online retailing. This is despite concerns that individuals often have in relation to online shopping being associated with more risk than traditional retailing. This chapter looks at practices of online retailers that help in mitigating online shopping risk and the influence of these on customers' levels of trust as well as on their intentions to re-purchase from specific online stores. The findings show that provision of adequate online product information and online store security has positive influence on customers' level of trust in an online store. The findings also show that trust in an online store has significant influence on customers' intentions to repurchase from a store. The findings have wide implications on successful management of online store outlets and these have been highlighted in the chapter.

Online Pricing and Auctions

Recently, the role of information technology facilitating the exchange of information in markets has enabled new pricing mechanisms between buyers and sellers. Such electronic marketplaces, specifically Internet-based markets have supported customization of marketing mix elements efficiently. In response to supply and demand fluctuations, prices change more dynamically and quickly in the Internet than in physical markets. This chapter focuses on the revolution in pricing of businesses driven by the Internet. Within this context, primary characteristics of online pricing and auctions are reviewed systematically from the both view of buyers and sellers interacting. Furthermore, this chapter evaluates the effects of Internet as a new pricing mechanism and future trends of pricing rules within this attractive option.

The Role of Customer Relationship Management in the Global Business Environments

This chapter reveals the role of customer relationship management (CRM) in the global business environments, thus describing the theoretical and practical concept of CRM; the components of CRM in terms of key customer focus (KCF), CRM organization, knowledge management (KM), and technology-based CRM; the significance of CRM in global business; the significance of organizational characteristics in CRM; and the implementation of CRM in global business. The achievement of CRM is vital for modern organizations that seek to serve suppliers and customers, increase business performance, strengthen competitiveness, and acquire routine success in global business. Thus, it is essential for modern organizations to consider their CRM applications, create a strategic plan to consistently investigate their dynamic promotions, and instantly respond to CRM needs of customers. Applying CRM will significantly improve organizational performance and accomplish strategic goals in the global business environments.