International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising (51 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Brand accommodation to informal communications on social media: With the mediation of communication appropriateness and the moderation of product involvement  
  by Hyun Ju Jeong, Jihye Kim 
  Abstract: Drawing on communication accommodation theory, this experimental study investigates whether, how, and when brand communications cultivate consumer engagement on social media. Results show that informal (vs. formal) communications yield greater intentions to follow and share brand content. Further, the extent to which consumers perceive this communication as appropriate for brands within social media fully mediates the greater effects of informal (vs. formal) communications on following, sharing, and posting intentions, particularly for those low in product involvement. These findings highlight that assimilating brand communications to consumers’ casual conversations is processed as a heuristic cue driving social media engagement among low-involved consumers. This persuasion is psychologically mediated by the appropriateness of communication accommodation consumers may feel from the efforts of brands to reduce a social distance to them. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
  Keywords: communication accommodation; brand accommodation; consumer engagement; brand communications; communication appropriateness; product involvement; social media.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10044096
   
  
• Does Online Shopping Allure Frugal Buyers ?  
  by Satinder Kumar, Aqwinder KAUR, Amina Omrane 
  Abstract: The present study aims at examining and pinpointing the essential factors that may influence online buyers’ behaviours in India. For this purpose, it considers frugality, assimilated for a long time to a low consumer spending, as an impactful dimension of the consumer purchasing behaviour. A questionnaire was administrated, during a period of three months ranging from May to July 2020, to 642 adult online buyers living in the North of India. Collected data were then analysed via SPSS and AMOS softwares. The overall findings show that frugal consumers draw their attention mainly to price and discounts, convenience of online shopping, product quality and durability, as well as security aspects while taking online shopping decisions. The results enrich the literature on frugal online buyers’ behaviours. They have practical implications for online marketers who are invited to understand the behaviour of frugal consumers and identify the factors that might affect their buying decisions.
  Keywords: frugal buying behaviour; online shopping; security; online convenience; online promotion; the North of India.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10044684
   
  
• Examining the effects of brand authenticity and brand identification on consumers’ willingness to pay premium  
  by RICHA JOSHI, Prerna Garg, Shampy Kamboj 
  Abstract: The present study proposes a holistic framework to understand the effect of brand authenticity and brand identification on willingness to pay premium by taking brand jealousy as a mediating variable. Brand jealousy is a feeling of jealousy a consumer experiences when the brand he loves is purchased/owned by other individual but he himself is not able to possess the brand. Also, the effect of brand authenticity and brand identification in influencing brand jealousy is evaluated through direct and indirect routes by taking brand love a mediator. The findings of the study reveal that brand identification and brand authenticity have a direct and significant effect on brand jealousy, brand love, and willingness to pay a premium. The study confirms that the managers of sportswear brands and marketing planners must not ignore the relative importance of brand authenticity and identification in their overall brand-related assessment. Additionally, they should also focus on brand love and jealousy to facilitate willingness to pay premium from the perspective of the consumer.
  Keywords: brand jealousy; brand love; brand identification; consumer-brand relationships; willingness to pay premium.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10044687
   
  
• Effects of e-marketplaces brand trust on repurchasing intention and WOM: Are they reinforced by consumers online shopping experience?  
  by Pedro De Santi, Julio Carneiro-da-Cunha, Robson Guerreiro 
  Abstract: Brand retailing websites with higher brand trust influence consumers’ repurchasing intention and word-of-mouth (WOM). However, we did not know if this assumption is valid in e-marketplaces. In addition, such relation could be moderated by the consumers’ previous experience in internet transactions. Considering this, we aimed to identify if the previous experience with internet transactions has a moderating effect between trust and loyalty factors among e-marketplaces consumers. We conducted a survey with 197 Brazilian e-marketplace consumers. Our results confirmed that brand trust was an antecedent of repurchasing and word-of-mouth intentions in e-marketplaces. Such word-of-mouth is also associated with the repurchasing intention. However, we identified that consumers’ previous online shopping experience did not have moderating effect in e-marketplaces. Managers of e-marketplaces should not segment their marketing strategies considering more/less-experienced consumers. Managers could improve WOM and repurchasing sales providing after-sales actions oriented to brand reinforcement to achieve higher consumers’ loyalty.
  Keywords: e-marketplace; electronic marketplace; online marketplace; brand trust; repurchasing; word-of-mouth; WOM.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10044800
   
  
• Relation Between Electronic Word of Mouth and Purchase Intention : Exploring the Mediating Role of Brand Image  
  by Amar Kumar Mishra, Deepak Kaushal, Swati Bisht 
  Abstract: Word of mouth is considered to be one of the preeminent mediums of communication for the consumer to exchange information regarding product/service which ultimately affects the behaviour of consumers. With the invention of the internet and technology, consumers have dropped the traditional way of communication and started moving towards online channels of communication to attain information regarding products/services to settle the purchase decision. Because of the vast growth of electronic word of mouth (EWOM) communication in India, many marketers and researchers are showing interest and trying to acknowledge how EWOM influences the behaviour of consumers and their purchase intention (PI). However, the mechanism through which EWOM influences PI has not been explored much. The main motive of this research was to examine the conceivable influence of EWOM communication on PI through brand image (BI) in context to Indian customers.
  Keywords: electronic word of mouth communication; EWOM; brand image; purchase intention; structural equation modelling.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10045211
   
  
• Gen- Z Social Electronic Word of Mouth Communication and Mediating Role of Contents Quality and Sources: PLS-SEM Path Modelling  
  by Manoj Kumar, Pradeep Mamgain, Krishna Pratap Singh 
  Abstract: The study examined elaboration likelihood model (ELM) information processing routes in the context of Gen-Z active social WOM seeking in the involvement of hospitality service buying. The ELM was employed and serial mediating routes of information processing were investigated. The samples (n = 430) were collected especially from the generation-Z group of individuals from different cities in India, such as Dehradun, Delhi, Nainital, Mussoorie, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Srinagar, Pune, Jaipur only. The partial least square-SEM was tested for the proposed relationship and bootstrapping used to verify potential mediation. The findings of the research indicate that active social media WOM information seeking to social WOM influence have a serial mediation effect of opinion leader, source of closeness and communication content quality and process investigated on two ELM routes (i.e., central and peripheral information processing route). The findings of this research may be an asset to the market communication leaders and corporate media administrators. However, it helps to understand the social media WOM communication active seeking pattern and being mediation factors of opinion leader, source of closeness and well as content quality indirectly effect into the further social media electronic word of mouth influence.
  Keywords: generation-Z; social media electronic word of mouth; communication content quality; CCQ; hospitality services; information processing; serial mediation; elaboration likelihood model; ELM.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10045606
   
  
• The impact of user-generated fake news on brand equity: Moderating mechanisms of brand attitude and corporate reputation  
  by Beate Stiehler-Mulder, D. Maduku 
  Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of consumers’ perceived realism of user-generated fake content on consumer-based brand equity. In addition, the moderating roles of both brand attitude and corporate reputation on the impact of the perceived realism of user-generated fake news on brand equity is examined. A survey design was used to obtain 354 responses randomly from a South African national consumer panel. Scale validation and hypotheses testing were assessed by means of structural equation modelling. The results show that consumers’ perceived realism of fake news is significant and negatively related to brand equity. Moreover, the findings emphasise that brand attitudes and corporate reputation serve as moderating mechanisms through which the impact of the perceived realism of fake news on consumer-based brand equity is revealed. The findings extend the currently limited literature on the impact of fake user-generated content on brand equity.
  Keywords: user-generated fake news; fake news; perceived realism; corporate reputation; brand attitude; social media.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10046939
   
  
• Purchasing Intentions and Digital Influencers  
  by Dimitri Laroutis, Philippe Boistel, Mustafeed Zaman 
  Abstract: While the web marketing literature has recently called into question the impact of influencers on their followers’ purchasing behaviour, very few studies have addressed this issue per se. Our study aims to fill this gap by examining the variables that boost followers’ purchasing intention. Based on survey data collected from 247 followers, we built an econometric model designed to anticipate followers’ buying intentions. Our findings show that followers’ purchasing behaviours is influenced not only by the characteristics of the influencer being followed, but also by those of the follower in question, the product or service on offer, and the overall congruence of these factors. These variables reveal an impact on consumer intentions ranging from
  Keywords: digital influencers; influencer marketing; purchase intentions; social media; social media influencers; stated preference method.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10046940
   
  
• Reassessing brand versus concept associations: comparing free association task and sensory cue-based task  
  by Tilottama Chowdhury, Feisal Murshed, Meghan Messier 
  Abstract: Brand associations can trigger memories of people, places, and emotions that are desirable and as such, creating and maintaining a unique set of brand associations in the consumers’ mind space takes on increasing importance in today’s interactive marketing environment. This article explores an important variation in the nature and dynamics of brand associations based on two distinct approaches: free association task versus sensory cue-based task. Studies 1a and 2a employed the sensory cue-based task (related to the sound, taste, touch, smell, and sight) and studies 1b and 2b utilised the traditional free association approach to extract participants’ brand associations pertaining to a financial service brand and the concept associations related to financial security. Findings indicate that the free association task evokes tangible associations and conversely, the sensory cue-based task evokes intangible associations. The article contributes to branding theory, marketing communication literature, and offers managerial insights.
  Keywords: brand association; concept association; free association task; sensory cue-based task; brand communication.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10046941
   
  
• What drives Generation Z to Advocate for a Brand Online  
  by Vivek Mishra, Biswajit Das 
  Abstract: The objective of this study is to: 1) examine the impact of brand-related antecedents; brand social-benefits, brand distinctiveness, brand prestige and brand warmth on online brand advocacy (OBA) behaviour of Gen Z; 2) examine the impact of OBA on consumers’ purchase intent; 3) to consider the moderating effect of social media involvement (SMI) on the relationship between the aforementioned antecedents and OBA. Based on an online questionnaire, data from 221 students were analysed using SPSS and Amos 23.0. The structural model reveals all antecedents to be positively related to OBA, which had a subsequent positive impact on purchase intent. Interestingly, SMI did have a moderating effect on the relationship between brand prestige, brand social benefits and OB, indicating the significance of engagement levels of Gen Zers and its impact on their advocacy intentions online. The paper shall be pivotal in enhancing brand trust and loyalty in these turbulent times.
  Keywords: online brand advocacy; OBA; brand social benefits; brand prestige; brand distinctiveness; brand warmth; purchase intent; social media.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10046942
   
  
• An Examination of the Relationship among Conspicuous Consumption, Social Media Addiction, Narcissism, and Empathy: A Research on University Students  
  by Ayse Akbulut, Elif Esiyok, Ceyhan Cigdemoglu, Ozlen Ozgen 
  Abstract: The purpose of this study is to reveal the relationship between conspicuous consumption behaviour, social media addiction, narcissistic characteristics, and empathy for university students. Using a cross-sectional survey design, with a non-random sampling strategy, a total of 1,215 participants completed the online survey. Data were analysed through the structural equation modelling technique using the AMOS statistical analysis package to discover the relationship among variables. Findings indicated that social media addiction has a moderately positive relationship with conspicuous consumption, a weak negative relationship with empathy, and a moderately positive relationship with narcissism. As a result, both empathy and narcissism have an impact on conspicuous consumption, and social media addiction affects empathy. This study contributes to the literature in terms of exploring the relationship between empathy and conspicuous consumption together for young consumers.
  Keywords: conspicuous consumption; social media addiction; narcissism; empathy; social media; young consumers.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10047370
   
  
• The Role of Internet Celebrities in Purchase Intention and Impulse Buying  
  by Massoud Moslehpour, Alaleh Dadvari, Pei-Kuan Lin, Erdenebaatar Odgerel 
  Abstract: With the introduction of social media, celebrity endorsement has become trendy, influencing commercial strategy. While the economic impact of impulsive purchasing is well known globally, a model is developed to investigate the relationship between Internet celebrity endorsement and impulsive buying. The article looks into whether purchasing behaviour and e-WOM are linked to buying behaviour. An online survey of 426 using structural equation modelling (SEM) investigates the relationships among constructs. The results demonstrate a link between Internet celebrity endorsement and impulsive buying. Skincare purchase intent is closely linked to impulsive buying with electronic word of mouth as partial mediator. This study examines the impact of celebrity recommendations in cyberspace using planned behaviour, social identity, and response theory. It also shows how to efficiently recruit celebrity endorsers to increase client purchase intent, which promotes impulsive buying. Researchers and beauty product marketers can better understand consumer behaviour to target clients.
  Keywords: internet celebrity endorsement; ICE; electronic word-of-mouth; e-WOM; purchase intention; impulsive buying behaviour; IBB.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10047371
   
  
• Does a chatbot’s location influence consumer attitude and intentions?  
  by Irene Roozen, Mariet Raedts, Guillaume Waetermans 
  Abstract: Chatbots engage in real-time conversations with customers. Moreover, they can collect data in a digital landscape that is increasingly sensitive to privacy. The objective of this study was to help strategic marketing decision-makers better understand how and where chatbots can be used effectively to gather consumer data. We analyse whether consumers’ privacy concerns influence their adoption. Furthermore, we invest if privacy concerns, and subsequently information disclosure, are significantly influenced by the chatbot’s location. In an experimental study (N = 398) we compared the (in)direct effects of the same chatbot in two different locations: Facebook and its own retailer’s website. Our results show that interacting with a chatbot on Facebook led to significantly lower attitudes towards chatbots and lower intentions to use chatbots. Both relationships are sequentially mediated via higher privacy concerns and less comfort with information disclosure. Companies therefore need to consider where to deploy their chatbots.
  Keywords: chatbot; privacy concerns; information disclosure; Facebook; Facebook messenger; retailer website; adoption behaviour; consumer-firm interaction.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10047372
   
  
• Antecedents of Brand Love leading to Purchase Intention towards Refurbished Video Game Consoles  
  by Akshay Kancherla, Jossy George, Benny Godwin 
  Abstract: This paper examines different constructs that influence purchase intention of refurbished video game consoles to assess its multi-factorial association with brand love. The data was collected from video game console cafes in the cities of Bangalore and Pune, India. The findings demonstrate that adoption determinants and social influence have a positive influence on brand love, while notably, environmental involvement has a positive influence on an individual’s purchase intention. Brand love won’t singularly influence positive purchase intention in the context of refurbished video game consoles. The paper clarifies that brand love alone cannot influence the purchasing decision of an individual in the context of refurbished video game consoles, the companies selling or remanufacturing these products can benefit by advertising these products as being environmentally involved. This is the first paper that examines the effects of brand love and purchase intentions in the context of refurbished video game consoles.
  Keywords: environmental involvement; brand love; adoption determinants; social influence; purchase intention; refurbished video game consoles.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10048838
   
  
• Brand personality management of Indian business schools on Twitter: A machine learning approach  
  by Anand V, Daruri Venkata Srinivas Kumar 
  Abstract: Business schools in India use Twitter as one of the marketing communication channels for establishing distinctive brand images among the social media users. Quantifying the internet brand personality dimensions is essential to manage a business school brand image. The nature and volume of social media data necessitate the usage of data mining and machine learning models for data analysis. We computed the brand personality dimension scores of ten leading business schools in India by applying the machine learning-based model developed by Pamuksuz, Yun and Humphreys on 31,757 tweets. We also examined the congruence between the communicated and perceived brand personalities. Our results suggest that some of the older public schools are unable to properly align their communicated brand personalities with perceived brand personalities. Also, private schools need to improve on the sincerity dimension of brand personality. The results might spur some researchers to use the model with different data sources and scales. A counterintuitive subset of our results might make the Indian business schools re-think their branding strategies on social media networks. We provided directions for further research towards effectively managing the online brand personalities.
  Keywords: business school; internet brand personality; social media; Twitter; machine learning.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10050212
   
  
• THE INFLUENCE OF TYPICAL VERSUS ATYPICAL ADS ON SHARING INTENTION  
  by Paulo Rita, João Guerreiro, Sara Matos 
  Abstract: Consumers are overwhelmed with advertising messages which makes some of them unable to break the clutter to be viewed and shared. The purpose of the current paper is to study how visual attention, arousal, and pleasure may lead to advertising sharing intention. This study followed an experimental design using consumer neuroscience methods, more specifically, eye tracking and electro dermal activity, evaluating how typicality and the celebrity factor can influence consumers’ visual attention and arousal. Participants watched four ad campaign scenarios: a typical ad without celebrities (T), a typical ad with celebrities (TC), an atypical ad without celebrities (A), and an atypical ad with celebrities (AC), with arousal and pleasure being measured through the self-assessment manikin and their sharing intention through a questionnaire. Findings showed that atypical ads generate higher levels of arousal and pleasure, which positively influences sharing intention. Also, when comparing (TC) with (AC), the celebrity factor presents lower arousal levels in the TC scenario.
  Keywords: consumer brand engagement (CBE); advertising campaigns; typicality; celebrities; sharing intention; consumer neuroscience.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10050589
   
  
• PLAYERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS ADVERTISING IN MOBILE GAMES  
  by Juliana Christino, Erico Cardozo, Luisa Sepúlveda Marins 
  Abstract: This study aimed to investigate particularities in the formation of favourable attitudes toward advertising in mobile game applications. For this purpose, the following constructs were elected: 1) entertainment, credibility, informativeness, irritation and personalisation from Sigurdsson et al. (2018); 2) general attitudes towards ads and general attitudes towards in-game ads from Poels et al. (2013); 3) the reward construct from Busch et al. (2013) as a pioneer extension ever made in studies related to in-app ads (within the apps) of the interstitial-type specifically in mobile games. A survey was conducted with 260 players. The data was analysed using structural equation modelling. The results showed
  Keywords: attitude; players’ attitudes; towards advertising; mobile games; publicity; advertising in mobile games.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10050590
   
  
• Effectiveness of Social Media Influencers and Their Impact on Customers' Attitudes and Buying Intention  
  by Hadeel Elmousa, Wong Foong Yee, Cheah Jun Hwa 
  Abstract: This research aims to bridge the industry and literature gaps by corroborating the impact of social media influencers on consumer attitudes and intentions towards promotions. A total of 350 responses were acquired through the purposive sampling method. The selected approach for testing the hypotheses was partial least squares (PLS). The observations corroborated the model by substantiating that source credibility, subjective norms, and meaning transfer were significantly related to attitude. Furthermore, source credibility, attitude, and subjective norms were significantly related to buying intention. From various contexts, this study contributes to the marketing literature and sector. First, this work employed the theory of reasoned action from the psychology domain to demonstrate the association between behaviour and attitude in human activities, which is presently being extended to an influencer marketing situation in Malaysia. Second, the outcomes of this research can offer profound insights and guiding principles for firms, marketing agencies, marketers, and influencers.
  Keywords: social media influencers; SMIs; influencer marketing; attitude; purchase intention; subjective norms; partial least square; PLS.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10050994
   
  
• The Influence of Digital Marketing on Tourist's Behavioral Intentions from Social Networks and E-WOM Interactions  
  by Miriam R. Aziz, Adel F. Al Alam 
  Abstract: This study aims to examine the influence of social networks and electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on tourists’ behaviour from the perspective of destination image and satisfaction. Data are collected on a purposive sample of 1,600 tourists visiting and/or travelling to Lebanon in 2019. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is used to extract the factor structure and verify the validity and reliability of the measurement model. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to examine the conceptual model, which confirms e-WOM has a positive significant impact on destination image, which in turn has a significant impact on tourists’ satisfaction. Key results of this work provide practical insights for the tourism industry organisations in order to build and enhance their competitive advantage destination based on consumers’ intentions.
  Keywords: e-WOM; tourism; social networks; and consumer behaviour.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10051248
   
  
• Who are the right customers for mobile and paper coupons?  
  by Mohammad Galib 
  Abstract: This study aims to investigate the factors that will help marketers identify suitable consumers for mobile and paper coupons. The quantitative research study adopts a series of three studies using two different types of coupons. The data analysis was done through factor analysis, multiple regression, and t-test. This study revealed that consumer’s usage intention between mobile and paper coupons is contingent upon their level of technology acceptance, need for haptics, smart shopping behaviour, and risk averseness. Through shedding light on consumer’s behavioural attributes, this research will contribute to the advancement of marketing theory in the emerging coupon literature. It will also help marketers develop their segmentation, communication, and distribution strategies and target the right customers accurately. It is the first study to examine the differences in consumers’ perception between mobile and coupons in light of different behavioural attributes.
  Keywords: mobile and paper coupon; technology acceptance; TECH; need for haptics; smart shopping behaviour; SMSB; risk averseness; RISK.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10051383
   
  
• Social Media Marketing and Consumer Behavior in the New Normal: The Relationship Between Content and Interaction  
  by Ebru Çil, Ismail Erkan, Emmanuel Mogaji 
  Abstract: This study examines whether brands’ changing social media marketing activities (SMMA) have an impact on consumer responses in the
  Keywords: new normal; COVID-19; consumer behaviour; interactivity; content quality; S-O-R model; consumer response; social media marketing activities; SMMA.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10051578
   
  
• The Level of Involvement and Consumer Response to Advertising through Hashtags: A Segmentation Approach with Self-Organizing Maps  
  by Manijeh Bahrainizadeh, Sepideh Aslami, Nosrat Jamshidi 
  Abstract: Nowadays, using hashtags in advertising is becoming critical, but the audience’s reaction to this type of advertising is not yet clear to advertisers. This study aims to identify different segments of consumers on social networks based on their level of involvement and response to advertising via hashtags as well as a demographic variable. Through an experiment, this study examined consumer responses to hashtags in social media-based advertising. The survey was conducted on an available sample of 545 Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn users. The results showed three distinctive segments of social network users: relatively rationally non-involved consumers rationally involved consumers and relatively emotionally involved consumers. The findings of this research are important for marketers who advertise via hashtags since little is known regarding social networks user segments according to consumers’ responses and levels of involvement in advertising via hashtags. This research addresses this gap and has important implications for marketers.
  Keywords: hashtag; involvement; consumer response; self-organising maps; segmentation.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10051579
   
  
• Examining the relationship among sensory brand experience, brand love, brand advocacy and brand commitment using a comparative study of three brands of Social Networking Sites (SNSs)  
  by Abhay Jain, SUZANEE MALHOTRA 
  Abstract: This paper seeks to analyse the impact of sensory brand experience of three popular brands of SNSs on the feelings of brand love for the millennials. Further, the impact of brand love on brand advocacy and brand commitment for the three brands is examined. Using self-administered online survey questionnaire responses collected from 750 active millennial users of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp the research hypotheses are evaluated using factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings support that sensory brand experience has an impact on brand love and that further brand love also impacts the advocacy and commitment for the brands. This study seeks to enrich the brand love literature by exploring sensory brand experience (a sub-dimension of broader brand experience notion) which has not been extensively studied in the past, that too for millennials from an Indian sub-continent perspective.
  Keywords: brand advocacy; brand commitment; sensory brand experience; brand love; millennials; social networking sites; SNSs.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10051725
   
  
• The Influence of Perceived Risk and Branding on Fresh Produce Purchase Online  
  by Archana Kumar, Eklou Amendah 
  Abstract: The overall objective of this study is to examine consumer attitudes toward online fresh produce shopping using perceived risk factors such as performance, financial, and social risks. Online grocery shopping has picked up steam in the US since the beginning of the pandemic; however, the purchasing habits of fresh produce remains unclear. Shopping for fresh produce online has several issues including inherent variability of the produce, difference in customer preferences, delivery, and freshness issues. This study identifies some risk factors associated with purchasing fresh produce online and highlights the role of branding as a means to mitigate these risks. The authors use structural equation modelling to analyse the data. A multi-group structural approach is also used to examine the impact of the moderating variables on the causal relationships. The results show that financial concern is the biggest risk factor and branding the fresh produce reduces this risk considerably.
  Keywords: online fresh produce; branded fresh produce; performance risk; financial risk; social risk.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10051916
   
  
• Segmenting Consumers on Social Networks Based on Individual Motivations for Engagement in eWOM Communication with Self-Organizing Maps  
  by Manijeh Bahrainizadeh, Hamid Izadi 
  Abstract: Social networks allow consumers to share marketing content and advertise products for free through electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication. Consumers regularly share eWOM regarding their motivations. Some of these motivations have been identified in previous studies. This study aimed to understand how consumers can be segmented on social networks according to the individual motivations for engagement in eWOM. A self-organising map was used for segmentation. Data were collected by sending questionnaire links to 385 Iranian users of Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram using a convenience sampling method. A total of three segments were identified: active users with low individual motivation, who spent a relatively long time on social networks, but had low individual motivations to participate in eWOM activities. Active users with high individual motivations were young users who devoted the most time to social networks and were highly motivated. Finally, inactive users with individual motivations who, despite having sufficient individual motivations, spent very little time on social networks. This study, by applying a self-organising map for segmenting consumers on social networks, provides insights into how companies should make strategies to engage consumers in eWOM communication, taking into account individual motivations.
  Keywords: electronic word-of-mouth communication; eWOM; individual motivations; segmentation; self-organising maps; SOMs; social networks.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10052688
   
  
• eWOM Consumers Tryst with Trust and Transitions A Qualitative Study  
  by Rishikesh Bhaiswar, N. Meenakshi, Deepak Chawla 
  Abstract: The study highlights how online shoppers build, erode, or make trust superfluous in obtaining eWOM communications. Further, the study traces when, why and how online shoppers transition between offline word of mouth (WOM) and eWOM communications. The qualitative investigation involved collecting data by conducting four focus group discussions (FGD) and five in-depth interviews from online shoppers purchasing electronic gadgets using eWOM information. The initial coding was used to get an overview of entire datasets, and final coding was applied to categorise data into fewer category themes and subthemes. The findings of this study unveiled that online shoppers attributed trust to the quality of eWOM information, valence, and visualisation of product information. eWOM lost trust in online communications when they experienced fake reviews and ratings, incomplete reviews or information, or untrustworthy platforms. Further, eWOM users found trust to be superfluous if they were expert consumers, or when they purchased a well-established brand. Lastly, eWOM users transitioned to offline WOM to confirm, verify, build confidence in the entire decision journey of buying high-priced electronic consumer durables (ECD)s.
  Keywords: electronic word of mouth; eWOM; trust in eWOM; distrust in eWOM; fake eWOM and transition from eWOM to WOM.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10053115
   
  
• Online brand experience for a tourist destination and its influence in behavioural intentions in post-visit stage  
  by Lina Marcela Padilla-Delgado, Alexander Zuñiga-Collazos 
  Abstract: Nowadays, in order to attract more tourist attention, destinations have decided to focus on marketing, in particular, the experience a tourist may involve before, during and after engaging with the destination. The present study aims to work on the gap of quantitatively test and analyse the six dimensions of online brand experience and its relationship with behavioural intentions. The research methodology proposes a model using a sample of 112 national tourists who have visited the City of Cali. The data analysis is performed through a partial least squares (PLS) model using the SMARTPLS software. The study identifies positive and direct relationships between brand experience and the behavioural intentions of the national tourist in post-visit context. It highlights the role of the different media platforms within the path of living the brand experience in an online context.
  Keywords: brand experience; online platforms; recommendation intention; re-purchase intention; tourism destination; social media platforms; sensorial dimension; social dimension.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10053471
   
  
• Identifying sources of noise within the networked interplay of marketing messages in social media communication.  
  by Kimberley Hardcastle, Prabash Edirisingha, Paul Cook 
  Abstract: Social media networks include multiple platforms, devices, human and non-human actors with varying functionalities, making message noise inevitable. The constructed nature of message noise and its influence on shaping meaning is documented; however, the types of noise and how this noise operates within the network requires exploration to enhance understanding. Drawing on observations made during a 21-month Netnography of a service brand’s hashtag community, we collected a dataset comprising 1,000 screenshots from Instagram and Twitter. Results reveal social media message meanings are interrupted by the network creating noise at five key interception points. Findings reveal three different types of noise that emerge within the network. This includes technical, material and architectural noise. Findings contribute to managing effective communication and identify variables that have not previously been discussed. This helps marketers and advertisers to understand the operationalisation of noise type and noise interception in the social media environment, offering practitioners a competitive advantage and the opportunity to support consumers in overcoming technological barriers when accessing marketing messages in the digital realm.
  Keywords: social media communication; platform functionality; technology devices; marketing messages; internet message noise; network configuration.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10053472
   
  
• Can personalised prosocial ads be harnessed for brand equity enhancement?  
  by Setareh Heidari, Sepideh Nasiri, Donya Rahmani, Somaye Nargesi 
  Abstract: Brands from various industries are partnering on social initiatives, using social media to speak out on social challenges. A prosocial ad needs to attract the audience's attention before it can have the intended impact. Since standing out in the digital environment is a constant issue for brands seeking to improve equity, marketers have employed a personalisation strategy. The highlights are: 1) this study developed and validated a comprehensive model to examine the mechanism of personalised ad impact on brand equity; 2) personalised ads were found to be a significant antecedent of brand self-expressiveness and perceived ad value; 3) brand engagement is boosted by a favourable attitude toward the ad and a high level of brand self-expressiveness; 4) customers’ engagement with brand-related content on Instagram leads to higher brand equity; 5) theoretical and practical implications for how brand managers can improve brand equity employing the research model are offered.
  Keywords: personalised advertising; prosocial advertising; brand equity; cause-related marketing; brand engagement; brand self-expressiveness; perceived ad value; attitude toward the ad.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10053473
   
  
• Far More Than Just Flying! Role of Airline Brand Experience in Shaping Brand Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty  
  by Harleen Pabla, Harmeen Soch 
  Abstract: The aim of this article is to fill the gap in literature which is to examine the influence of individual brand experience dimensions on brand satisfaction and brand loyalty. For this study, a sample of the Indian aviation sector was selected since there is little data available on the aviation business in emerging economies. The study is based on primary data collected from 501 passengers who have travelled by air using structured questionnaire. IBM SPSS 24 and PLS 3.3.3 have been used to analyse and interpret data. The empirical findings demonstrate that all dimensions of brand experience impact brand satisfaction and brand loyalty with the exception of the behavioural dimension. Based on importance-performance map analysis (IPMA), sensory dimension holds more importance on brand satisfaction and the emotional dimension has a stronger impact on brand loyalty. The results of this study can assist managers in creating a more advanced experience framework to attract satisfied and loyal customers.
  Keywords: brand experience; brand satisfaction; brand loyalty; aviation sector; PLS-SEM; importance-performance map analysis; IPMA; PLS-Predict.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10053596
   
  
• The role of online travel stores’ usability in word of mouth generation, e-satisfaction, and users' purchase behavior  
  by Achilleas Barlas, Yeoryios Stamboulis 
  Abstract: The current study aims to examine online travel stores’ website usability and its relationship and contribution to online purchase intention, e-satisfaction and word-of-mouth generation. E-satisfaction was also examined as a mediating factor in the relationship between usability and word-of-mouth. Although the number of people of all ages that use these kinds of online travel stores to plan their vacation or their trips is rising annually, the research behind it is still limited. Online questionnaires were completed by 194 individuals. The outcome of the research has shown a significant role of website usability on e-consumer intention. It’s suggested that online travel stores should try to maximize users’ satisfaction with their interactions with websites. Online travel stores should try to acknowledge the needs of their online users. The results of the research come to contribute to the limited literature on the role of website usability in e-WoM and satisfaction, specifically in online travel stores. Results may be used in a practical way by administrators, designers, and marketers that operate online travel stores.
  Keywords: website usability; e-WoM; online travel stores; e-commerce; purchase intention; e-satisfaction; on-line tourism; user experience; e-tourism; e-service quality.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10053889
   
  
• WHAT IF BRAND EQUITY WAS ALIVE? PROPOSAL OF A DYNAMIC MEASURE THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKS  
  by Alexandre Clément, Élisabeth Robinot, Léo Trespeuch 
  Abstract: There are two significant trends in the literature regarding evaluating a company’s brand equity: the financial approach and the customer-based brand equity. However, the findings point out that the
  Keywords: brand equity; measurement; social network; stock market; brand valuation; notoriety.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10054434
   
  
• Research on Anthropomorphism in the 21st Century : A Bibliometric Study  
  by Megha Agarwal, Utkal Khandelwal 
  Abstract: This paper scrutinises the extant research literature on anthropomorphism, the first-ever in the field, using the bibliometric technique. The study analyses 342 articles from Scopus and Web of Science databases published from 2000 till May 2022, using the bibliometric tool
  Keywords: anthropomorphism; literature review; bibliometric analysis; science mapping; thematic; Biblioshiny.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10054435
   
  
• The Effects of Personalization on Advertising Value and Attitude in the Case of Indonesian E-Marketplace  
  by Prima Andriani, Sahid Susilo Nugroho 
  Abstract: This study aimed to examine perceptions of personalisation, incentives, timeliness, advertising value, and attitude in Indonesian e-marketplaces. It also investigated the roles of incentives and timeliness in mediating the relationship between personalisation and advertising value. Moreover, it examined the role of advertising value in mediating the relationship between personalisation and attitude. The sample in this study is the users of e-marketplaces, with a total of 376 respondents selected by the purposive sampling method. This study used Structural Equations Modelling (SEM) to test the hypotheses proposed. The findings indicate that for personalisation in advertising to have value, a communication strategy is needed that involves incentives and timeliness in delivering advertisements so that the advertisement gets a good response from customers. This research contributes to the understanding that data profiles and track records of product searches by customers become big data to map personalised product offering strategies.
  Keywords: Advertising Value; Attitude; Incentives; Personalisation; Timeliness.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10054506
   
  
• Online purchase decision after viewing ads: factors related to sociodemographic and Internet use on different digital channels  
  by Alcides Barrichello, Rogério Morano, Emerson Gomes Santos 
  Abstract: This research aims to assess the factors related to sociodemographic and internet use that influence consumers to purchase after viewing ads on websites or through apps, social media, messaging apps, e-mail, and video. A database obtained from the 2018 ICT Households survey containing 4,115 responses representing the Brazilian population who had made an online purchase of a product or service within 12 months was used and analysed using logistic regression models. The main results indicate that age influences the purchase after viewing ads in emails. The level of education is important when the advertisement was made on websites or apps, and social media. The frequency of internet use and the frequency of online shopping also matter for purchase on the different digital channels researched. Regarding academic contributions, the factors are evaluated concomitantly and with data reflecting the population of the entire country and opens a new way of thinking about how to segment customers via one of the components of the marketing mix: promotion. The support to marketing professionals regarding the effectiveness of ads on different digital channels is among this study’s practical contributions.
  Keywords: digital marketing; E-commerce; purchase after viewing ads; social media; online advertising; advertising on the net; consumer behaviour; customer relationship; marketing; advertisement.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10055220
   
  
• Neuromarketing strategies and their relationship with brand advertising in the industrial safety sector  
  by Raul Enrique Culqui-Salazar, Katerina Alvarez-Altamirano, Franklin Cordova-Buiza 
  Abstract: When people seek information about a product, they find that the media are saturated with a large volume of advertising, causing it to be unattractive to the customer, but there is a discipline that studies buyer behaviour in a personalised form and stands out for relating product features with personal emotions. This is called neuromarketing. Thus, the objective of the study is to identify the relationship between neuromarketing strategies and brand advertising in the industrial safety sector. The study has a quantitative approach, non-experimental and correlational design; a 22-item online questionnaire was applied to those responsible for the purchasing area of the companies that acquire industrial safety products from the company under study. The results highlight the importance of kinesthetic stimuli by frequently requesting samples before purchase, as well as the effectiveness of direct advertising and the sensitivity of buyers in relating products to emotional stimuli. It is concluded that neuromarketing is direct and significantly related to brand advertising in the company under study.
  Keywords: neuroscience; advertising; stimulus; kinaesthetic; marketing; content; emotions; branding; communication; purchase.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10055436
   
  
• APPAREL E-TAILING: WEBSITE QUALITY INDICATORS AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION  
  by Neeraj Bansal, Sanjeev Kumar Sharma 
  Abstract: Despite the tremendous growth of online retailing due to COVID-19 pandemic, online apparel retailing is still in the fancy stage. This study aimed to test the dimensions (merchandise, interaction, reliability, personalisation, and country of origin (COO)) of customer satisfaction in an online setting, especially in apparel retailing. A random sampling survey approach has been adopted to collect 435 valid responses from customers aged between 15 and 40 years, who have transacted at least once in online stores, using aself-administered questionnaire through Google Forms. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling was employed to test the proposed model. The results highlighted that merchandise, interaction, reliability, personalisation, and COO are positively influencing customer satisfaction. Research findings imply to apparel e-tailing firms to critically analyse the website quality indicators that augment customer satisfaction and facilitate retaining old and gaining potential customers.
  Keywords: online apparel retailing determinants; customer satisfaction; country of origin; COO; merchandise; website dimensions.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10055437
   
  
• Why do users follow sponsored influencer content? Toward a deeper understanding of consumption-related user motivations  
  by Jörg Tropp, Andreas Baetzgen 
  Abstract: Brand-related content is by no means a disruptive factor in the relationship between influencer and follower. It has a functional and social value that positively affects follower engagement and purchase intention. Based on the uses and gratification approach the aim of the study is 1) to identify the consumption-related gratifications which are sought by consumers of sponsored influencer content on Instagram and 2) to gain knowledge how these affect influencers’ advertising value, follower engagement and purchase intention. Four group discussions and a subsequent online survey among Instagram users (n = 540) are used to explore the relevant gratifications sought and their respective influence. The results demonstrate that search for consumption inspiration, reward, and quality (re)assurance, in particular, motivates users to expose themselves to influencers’ brand-related content. These gratifications have a direct and significant influence on advertising value and purchase intention, independent of influencer credibility, relationship closeness between influencer and follower, and content quality.
  Keywords: influencer marketing; brand related content; Instagram content; gratifications; advertising value; user engagement; sponsored influencer content; consumption related user motivations.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10055715
   
  
• CSR AD IMPACT ON PURCHASE INTENTION  
  by Syed Ali Abbas  
  Abstract: The study investigates the impact of CSR-oriented ad on customer purchase intention from the perspective of an economy brand. Convenience sampling was employed aiming at respondents having brand awareness and involvement in the purchase of similar product category of competing brands. The hypothesis was confirmed by applying regression analysis satisfying all required assumptions. Findings revealed the moderate positive effect of CSR-oriented ad on customer purchase intention, though it is considered a significant contribution as convincing the high-income group to purchase a low-end brand even with little margin is a motivating factor. Further, in general majority of respondents raised their opinion for more CSR activities. As for limitations, the chosen brand might be considered low or economy among the sample chosen in this study, but it might have a better perception in other countries.
  Keywords: CSR; purchase intention; brand revitalisation; COVID-19; consumer behaviour.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10055716
   
  
• Model of Consumers’ Stockpiling Behaviour during the COVID-19 Pandemic  
  by Md Monirul Islam, Fathema Farjana Hani 
  Abstract: This study aims to determine and discuss how perceived threat of COVID-19 disease, exposure to social media, and self-efficacy influence perceived risk and fear of product shortage; and how perceived risk and fear influence consumers’ stockpiling behaviour. A questionnaire was created in Google forms and used to collect data from 290 household consumers. After testing the scale items’ reliability and validity, structural equation modelling (SEM) and hypothesis tests were used to validate the model. The findings indicate that perceived threat COVID-19 disease and self-efficacy positively influence perceived risk, perceived threat of COVID-19 disease, self-efficacy, and perceived risk affect fear insignificantly, and fear and perceived risk significantly affect stockpiling behaviour. Besides contributing to the literature, this research helps to explore customers’ stockpiling behaviour, providing knowledge that will pave the way to balancing the demand and supply in the market. With knowledge of the stockpiling behaviour that occurs during the pandemic, marketers and policymakers in every country can take proactive measures.
  Keywords: COVID-19; stockpiling behaviour; non-perishable goods; self-efficacy; perceived risk; fear.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10055932
   
  
• An investigation of the effective drivers of social commerce intentions- The mediating role of trust  
  by Taanika Arora 
  Abstract: The Web 2.0 revolution and proliferation of various social networking sites across the globe have resulted in a tremendous increase in the consumer’s engagement in commercial transactions over various social media platforms. The development of social relationships leading to increased development in e-commerce has given rise to a new stream known as social commerce. However, addressing the dearth of literature in this area, the present study aims to propose a conceptual model built on s-commerce perspectives, social support, and trust transfer theory, wherein the indirect effects of s-commerce attributes (community platform and social support) on s-commerce intention through trust have been examined. The data was collected from 705 social media users and analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. The results obtained from the study confirm the significant role of s-commerce attributes (community, platform and social support) on s-commerce intention. Also, the results provide for the mediating role of trust in the relationships between s-commerce attributes on s-commerce intention. The results indicate that the proposed framework is a valid and robust tool for measuring the behavioural intention to adopt s-commerce and renders beneficial clues for practitioners, and social media marketing managers to effectively use social media platforms.
  Keywords: social commerce; trust; community attributes; platform attributes; social commerce intention; social support.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10055980
   
  
• Improving multilevel marketing firm performance through network externality and digital technology support  
  by Thamrin Selamet, Tirta Nugraha Mursitama, Asnan Furinto, Pantri Heriyati 
  Abstract: Today’s growth and development of digital technology have had an impact on a variety of businesses and industries. As a result, the multilevel marketing (MLM) industry must likewise embrace digital technologies. However, engaging MLM firms to utilise digital technology is a complex process. This study examines the relationship between network externality, digital adoption capability and MLM firm performance. This study uses a quantitative research method with a sample of 184 MLM companies in Indonesia. The data are taken by spreading the questionnaire. The findings revealed that the ability to adopt digital does not necessarily directly improve firm performance and instead must be mediated by network externality in terms of improving firm performance. Although turbulent technology has less influence on this industry, it should be considered during the strategy development process. This study found new empirical evidence that network externalities are an essential aspect of the MLM company’s growth. The findings are projected to contribute to the network marketing business and management growth significantly.
  Keywords: network marketing; multilevel marketing; MLM; network externality; digital adoption; technology turbulence.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10056067
   
  
• Investigating online loyalty, attitude, credibility and moderating role of moral-identity from CRM perspective  
  by Harishchandra Singh Rathod, Vijayendra Gupta, Richa Shreevastava, Ashwin Jadeja, Krishnaba Vaghela 
  Abstract: Cause-related marketing (CRM) is widely acknowledged as a promotional marketing tool across emerging markets. CRM is a promotional activity where the company partners with a charity organisation to donate to a particular cause by purchasing a specific product. The increased competition has led online businesses to pay attention to credibility because it becomes a point for successfully realising CRM marketing strategy. Past studies have focused on the western context, and less research has been carried out in the Indian context. In the first stage of the study, we investigate the effect of company, brand and charity credibility on attitude toward the brand in the CRM context. Next, we investigate the impact of CRM brand attitude on online customer loyalty. IBM-SPSS-AMOS 22 software analysed 608 respondents through the structural equation modelling method. The results of this study have established the effect of company credibility, brand credibility and charity credibility on attitude toward CRM and its subsequent impact on online customer loyalty. Furthermore, our research ascertained the moderating role of moral identity on attitude toward CRM and online customer loyalty. The findings of this study would guide Indian marketers and retailers alongside charity managers to design effective CRM campaigns.
  Keywords: online customer loyalty; attitude toward CRM; company credibility; brand credibility; charity credibility; moral identity.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10056068
   
  
• KOC’s characteristics, KOC effectiveness and online customer engagement towards travel products: evidence from Vietnam  
  by Thu-Hang Hoang, Hong-Diem Le, Trieu-Chau Ngo, Minh A. B. Nguyen 
  Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated unprecedented technology access, especially in the tourism field when people are restricted to travel based on several lock-down regulations. This has progressively generated favourable conditions for the rise of key opinion consumer (KOCs) on multiple social media channels. However, KOC is still a novel concept that is underexplored by past literature. The objective of this study is to investigate some distinctive KOCs characteristics including five elements (expertise, trustworthiness, usage similarity, source dynamism and cognitive effort) with the moderating role of product KOC alignment that impact online customer engagement when interacting with travel-related marketing content on various social media platforms. The research adopted the PLS-SEM technique in the data analysis gained from 350 young consumers in Vietnam. The results of this paper propose the foundation for catering more effective strategies to reach higher levels of customer engagement via the use of suitable KOCs profiles and relevant choice of travel products.
  Keywords: key opinion consumer; KOC; customer engagement; e-engagement; KOC effectiveness; KOC characteristics; social media; internet marketing; travel; Vietnam.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10056135
   
  
• Growing influencer credibility to drive endorsement effectiveness: A literature review  
  by Chuong H. B. Nguyen, Joel Mero, Heikki Karjaluoto 
  Abstract: The accumulating body of research on influencer credibility that is emerging makes it relevant to reconcile the current findings in order to encourage further research. This article pursues three primary objectives: 1) it aims to define influencer credibility in the social media context; 2) it aims to develop a conceptual framework that integrates the antecedents and outcomes of influencer credibility; 3) it aims to uncover gaps in the literature and guide future research directions. Using 39 articles from 2016 to 2020, the results reveal that influencer credibility is driven by three groups of antecedents: 1) the characteristics, interactions, and relationships of influencers and audiences; 2) sponsorship disclosure; 3) the perceived fit of influencers with brands, audiences, and content. Influencer credibility is also a predictor of favourable attitudinal and behavioural outcomes, such as brand attitudes and purchase intentions. The review highlights managerial implications and issues deserving further research attention.
  Keywords: influencer marketing; influencer credibility; source credibility; sponsorship disclosure; endorsement effectiveness.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10056331
   
  
• Classifying bloggers based on content creation approaches: implications for influencers marketing strategies  
  by Beatrice Ietto, Federica Pascucci 
  Abstract: Today bloggers represent an established type of influencers and undiscussed marketing tool for promotional purposes. However, due to the multitude of bloggers acting as influencers that exist today, marketers might experience difficulties in identifying the most suitable bloggers. The aim of the paper is to build an empirically-based multidimensional framework which classifies consumer bloggers based on their content creation approaches. In particular, taking a social-practice theory perspective, content creation is considered as a routinised behaviour influenced by what the blogger considers as meaningful within a particular socio-cultural context. The analysis is based on a netnographic analysis of Australian music bloggers. The paper argues that a blogger's content creation approach predominantly depends on the subjective importance that the blogger gives to one of following dimensions: personal influences, audience influences, community influences, commercial influences. According to the identified content creation approaches, the paper develops a bloggers' classification multidimensional framework relevant for marketing practitioners wanting to identify bloggers for their promotional strategies.
  Keywords: blog marketing; netnography; music industry; influencers; influencer marketing; taxonomies; classifications; cultural intermediaries.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10040546
   
  
• Harvesting the power of location data to improve customers' experience and destination attractiveness  
  by Olga Pachni-Tsitiridou, Konstantinos Fouskas 
  Abstract: Consumers increasingly use mobile applications and devices that is a valuable source of data for organisations. Mobile devices are utilised in every step of the customer's journey, from planning, to sharing their experiences, thus they are considered a valuable source of data for public and private organisations. Data from these sources include location and textual information and can help tourism organisations and destinations improve their offerings, understand customers' preferences and needs. Our field research, based on interviews of 13 organisations in the Greek ecosystem, shows that tourism organisations use insights mainly from social networks and although acknowledging their benefits, do not utilise location data. This paper aims not only to pinpoint the opportunities for organisations and destinations to utilise different location data types and identify the necessary complementary skillsets needed, but to also identify the importance of inter-organisational relationships among key stakeholders to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.
  Keywords: location data; customer experience; destination attractiveness; location technologies; digital transformation; interorganisational relations.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10044801
   
  
• Contextual effect of online second-hand shoppers' loyalty: a vendor comparison  
  by Neus Vila-Brunet, Josep Llach 
  Abstract: How is loyalty achieved in online second-hand markets? Does the type of seller (professional or amateur) affect the level of satisfaction and loyalty of online second-hand shoppers? To address these questions, a loyalty model is proposed. The model identifies the relationships between the OSS-Qual quality scale and the dimensions of satisfaction and loyalty. Results identify that website satisfaction contributes three times more to shoppers' loyalty than do vendor and product satisfaction. Online second-hand shoppers' satisfaction and loyal behaviour are higher when the vendor is a professional. Strategies aimed at increasing website quality and professionalism is the most effective ones to ensure shoppers' loyalty.
  Keywords: second-hand; online; satisfaction; loyalty; vendor; business-to-peer; B2P; peer-to-peer; P2P.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10054265
   
  
• Why do people post Instagram Stories?  
  by Nutnicha Keerakiatwong, Viriya Taecharungroj, Jesper Döpping 
  Abstract: Instagram Story has now become a widely used feature for self-presentation. However, despite its popularity, limited research has addressed the Instagram Story concept. The research gaps that we aimed to fill included lack of in-depth understanding of the motives and self-presentation affordances that the platform offers to users. This research elucidates reasons why people post on Instagram Story and its characteristics and features that enhance self-presentation by highlighting input from 23 regular Instagram Story contributors in Bangkok, Thailand. The results determined that people used Instagram Story to connect with others of a similar disposition, to present their lifestyle, passion and values and as a means of archiving and recollecting past activities. This study also explains the affordances of Instagram Story and reinforces the current body of knowledge by highlighting the role of ephemerality and culture. We suggest brands to leverage Instagram Story and help users have fun, connect and shape their identities.
  Keywords: Instagram Story; social media marketing; self-presentation; video marketing.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.10046944
   
  
• An empirical investigation into information search behaviour of Indian consumers  
  by Anuradha Malik 
  Abstract: Information search behaviour of consumers is a notable field of research. The present study has explored the information search behaviour of consumers for services by hypothesising and testing an information search behaviour model. Single cross sectional research design has been employed for the study. Data for the study was collected through structured questionnaire from Delhi-NCR region of India. The context of the study is banking services, hotel booking and insurance services. Structural equation modelling (SEM) has been used to test the hypothesised model. The findings reveal that perceived benefits of search, involvement and self-confidence of consumers positively impacted external search effort by consumers. The present research has contributed by providing in-depth knowledge about information search behaviour of Indian consumers. Implications of the study and suggestions for future research have been provided in the study.
  Keywords: consumer behaviour; information search behaviour; services; Indian consumers; external search effort; structural equation modelling; SEM.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10052942
   
  

Special Issue on: Innovation, Communication and Value Co-Creation in Digital marketing

• How does influencer marketing build up the engagement between brand and followers  
  by Minh Le 
  Abstract: Influencer marketing is a vital and effective marketing channel for developing a brand relationship on social media platforms. Influencer marketing is successful because of its diversity, innovation, and proximity to customers. Nevertheless, previous research has not shown a connection between the various facets of brand participation. The purpose of this study was to determine how the credibility, competence, content, interaction, lifestyle, and brand congruence of influencers affect cognitive, emotional, and behavioural brand engagement and lead to increased purchase intention. An online questionnaire was used to gather data, and it was circulated across various online platforms and social media platforms. The data was then analysed using the structural equation model (SEM). According to the research, there are a number of factors that help to grow the followers’ brand engagement with influencers. These factors include credibility, knowledge, content, interaction, lifestyle, and brand congruence. In addition to that, the practical and theoretical ramifications of the results are discussed in this paper.
  Keywords: influencer’s life style; influencer-brand congruence; influencer’s interaction; influencer’s content; cognitive; affective; and behavioural brand engagement.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2023.10055219