Åke Finne and Christian Grönroos
This conceptual paper aims at developing a customer-centric marketing communications approach that takes the starting point in the customer ecosystem.
Abstract
Purpose
This conceptual paper aims at developing a customer-centric marketing communications approach that takes the starting point in the customer ecosystem.
Design/methodology/approach
After a critical analysis of existing marketing communications and integrated marketing communication (IMC) approaches, a customer-driven view of marketing communications is developed using recent developments in relationship communication, customer-dominant logic and the notion of customer value formation as value-in-use.
Findings
A customer-integrated marketing communication (CIMC) approach centred on a communication-in-use concept is conceptually developed and introduced. The analysis results in a CIMC model, where a customer in his or her individual ecosystem, based on integration of a set of messages from different sources, makes sense of the many messages he or she is exposed to.
Research limitations/implications
The paper presents a customer-driven perspective on marketing communication and IMC. The analysis is conceptual and should trigger future empirical grounding. It indicates the need for a change in mindset in research.
Practical implications
CIMC requires a turnaround in the mindset that steers how companies and their marketers communicate with customers. The CIMC model provides guidelines for planning marketing communication.
Originality/value
The customer-driven communication-in-use concept and the CIMC model challenge traditional inside-out approaches to planning and implementing marketing communication.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of invisible communication and its implications in marketing communication. It defines invisible communication and proposes an…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of invisible communication and its implications in marketing communication. It defines invisible communication and proposes an analytic framework enabling an expanded view of marketing communication.
Design/methodology/approach
By explicitly adopting a customer‐oriented perspective, combined with insights from service marketing and relationship communication, the paper extends current models of marketing communication.
Findings
The paper identifies different types of invisible communication and presents new perspectives on marketing communication. The authors outline a framework for understanding how the company can/cannot control different forms of marketing communication and discuss the implications of this.
Research limitations/implications
The paper concentrates on a conceptual analysis, offering a number of practical illustrations. The conceptual development creates new research issues that should lead to a deeper understanding of customers' meaning creation, actions and reactions.
Practical implications
Invisible communication constitutes a managerial challenge as it is often unrecognized by the management. The paper points to the need to develop methods to reveal the existence and effects of invisible communication as well as to create guidelines for managerial response.
Originality/value
The customer‐based perspective and the focus on invisible communication provide a new approach to analysing and understanding marketing communication. The paper contributes to service marketing and marketing communication research by introducing conceptualisations of invisible communication that have an interest for both academic research and practitioners.
Details
Keywords
Hannele Kauppinen-Räisänen, Johanna Gummerus, Catharina von Koskull, Åke Finne, Anu Helkkula, Christian Kowalkowski and Anne Rindell
Consumers gift themselves with luxury fashion brands, yet the motives for self-gifting are not well understood. Whereas traditionally, self-gifting is defined as self-orientated…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumers gift themselves with luxury fashion brands, yet the motives for self-gifting are not well understood. Whereas traditionally, self-gifting is defined as self-orientated in nature, luxury brands are seen as social statements, and self-gifting of luxury fashion brands that combine these two controversial areas is an interesting research topic. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue by exploring the self-gifting behaviour of consumers, in particular focusing on the personal motives of gifting oneself with luxury fashion brands.
Design/methodology/approach
The study takes a multi-qualitative approach involving a small (n=19) but rich sample. Data collection and analysis were triangulated to reduce researcher biases.
Findings
The study provides key dimensions for understanding consumers’ perceptions of luxury fashion brands and self-gifting motives (self and socially orientated). The findings reveal that reflections from others are part of the self-gifting phenomenon. It appeared that although self-orientated benefits and personally orientated motives trigger the self-gifting act, the act of actually purchasing explicitly luxury brands for oneself as a gift may be triggered by other-orientated benefits and socially orientated motives. The findings also imply that luxury holds a self-orientated aspect; luxury brands are not only purchased for socially orientated reasons but also for reasons related to oneself. In addition, the findings discuss the act of shopping, where the act can be perceived as a luxury experience and overrun the importance of the brand.
Practical implications
The findings provide insights to consumers’ gifting behaviour that may be valuable for retailers and fashion marketers as they plan for marketing activities related to their customers’ self-gifting.
Originality/value
Self-gifting represents a view of gifting that remains under-researched. This study uncovers the motives for gifting oneself with luxury fashion brands, a further sub-area in need for more investigation.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to record the author’s personal reflections on his career as a marketing scholar.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to record the author’s personal reflections on his career as a marketing scholar.
Design/methodology/approach
Personal reflections in an autobiographical approach.
Findings
The author’s career as student, teacher and scholar is described in some detail.
Originality/value
The paper records events and memories that might otherwise be forgotten. No other such account has been published of Christian Grönroos’s career.