Spreading the word

Citation

Zahay, D. (2014), "Spreading the word", Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Vol. 8 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-03-2014-0020

Spreading the word

Article Type: Editorial From: Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Volume 8, Issue 2

It is my pleasure to introduce this second issue of 2014 for our Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing (JRIM). As the graphic above illustrates, usage continues to climb for our Journal, indicating robust interest in the subject matter and the diligent work of our authors, editorial board members and reviewers to maintain quality and relevance standards (Figure 1). Word-of-mouth (WOM) has increased the knowledge of and interest in our Journal as well. As several of the papers in this issue indicate, the ability of the interactive environment to spread information rapidly from the user is becoming an increasingly valuable and influential aspect of marketing.

Figure 1.

JRIM

usage continues to increase over time

Four authors have contributed to this issue, each with a solo-authored piece. The rough theme for this issue is WOM marketing and virtual shopping environments.

1. Our first paper, by Kim Hyekyoung, “The role of WOM and dynamic capability in B2B transactions”, examines the role of WOM in a B2B context. The paper outlines the important role of WOM marketing in B2B relationship management and in maintaining relationship quality.

2. The second paper, by Marjan Mortazavi, “Influencing VSN Users’ Purchase Intentions: the Roles of Flow, Trust & eWOM”, suggests, perhaps counter-intuitively, that electronic WOM behaviors in virtual social networks are not related to users’ flow experience or trust, but rather are mostly related to the attributes of the particular virtual social networks.

3.The third paper, by Hyan-Hwa Lee, “Consumers’ preference fit and ability to express preferences in the use of online mass customization”, looks at consumers’ beliefs as antecedents to their use of online mass customization using the theory of planned behavior, suggesting further ways to involve consumers in these systems.

4. Our last paper, by Veena Chattaraman, is “Virtual shopping agents: persona effects for older users”. This paper suggests the importance of a virtual persona in alleviating user anxiety in the online context while enhancing perceptions of interactivity, social support, trust and patronage intentions in an online shopping environment.

These papers all use and extend existing theories into the interactive environment. With the increasing importance of social networks in creating online WOM and the continued rise of online shopping, these articles provide insights to academics and practitioners alike in these valuable areas. I am also pleased to see a paper in the B2B area and encourage more submissions exploring B2B digital marketing.

In the coming months, we will be publishing our special issues on behavioral theories applied to interactive marketing and digital shopping and the multi-channel retail landscape. Thanks to both Angela Hausman and Kiseol Yang, respectively, for their work on these issues. Just announced are the special issue edited by James Peltier and Andrea Dixon on The Convergence of Interactive Marketing and Personal Selling and Sales Management and the issue edited by Alisa Agozzino on Teaching with Interactive Technology. The latter issue will be in conjunction with a special track at the Marketing Management Association Fall conference in San Antonio, TX, in September. The best paper will receive a small cash prize and one year of free Journal access.

Special issues such as these play a vital role in keeping JRIM current and in the public eye. Please consider submitting to these issues or volunteering to help with the review process. Enjoy the current issue.

Debra Zahay
Editor-in-Chief