Gwia Kim, Byoungho Ellie Jin and Heekyeong Jo
We aim to investigate the impact of different story types on small fashion business brand trust and purchase intention, guided by signaling theory. We investigate two potential…
Abstract
Purpose
We aim to investigate the impact of different story types on small fashion business brand trust and purchase intention, guided by signaling theory. We investigate two potential moderators – product aesthetic judgment (i.e. consumers’ responses to the aesthetic aspects of a product) and underdog positioning (i.e. brand’s positioning as a loser that is not a leader in the marketplace and has only a small market share but puts efforts into creating valuable products) – that may influence consumers’ responses to a story.
Design/methodology/approach
We developed video stimuli that tell business stories to empirically compare two story types bringing brand trust: identity-focused and product-focused stories. We conducted two experimental studies and tested six hypotheses with 302 datasets. Study 1 compared eco-friendly storytelling with product-focused storytelling, considering perceived product aesthetic judgment as the moderator. Study 2 repeated the experiment with a founder story and a product-focused story, considering the perceived underdog as the moderator.
Findings
The findings suggest that the influence of eco-friendly storytelling, compared to product-focused storytelling, on higher purchase intention is fully mediated by brand trust. Consumers’ perceived product aesthetic judgments toward an eco-friendly product can positively moderate the storytelling effect and brand trust. However, founder storytelling did not bring higher brand trust and, consequently, had no significant impact on purchase intention. Similarly, the perceived underdog did not moderate this relationship.
Originality/value
The study is novel as it is one of the first to compare story types based on story contents, whereas previous studies have focused on story delivery. Especially, we explored which story types and contents effectively build brand trust for small businesses, a critical factor for their success. Based on the extant literature, we categorized story types into identity-focused stories and product-focused stories based on contents. We hypothesized and concluded that an identity-focused story can be more effective in eliciting consumer responses. Furthermore, we confirm the critical role of brand trust as a mediator in bringing about purchase intention through eco-friendly storytelling.
Details
Keywords
Gwia Kim and Byoungho Ellie Jin
Built on the socioemotional selectivity theory, the purpose of this paper is to analyze elderly female consumers’ consumption of environmentally sustainable apparel (ESA…
Abstract
Purpose
Built on the socioemotional selectivity theory, the purpose of this paper is to analyze elderly female consumers’ consumption of environmentally sustainable apparel (ESA) according to their time perspective (TP) (expansive vs limited) and different types of advertising appeals (emotional vs rational and positive vs negative emotional appeals).
Design/methodology/approach
The study conducted a survey and experiments with 154 US female consumers who were 65 years of age or older. Data were analyzed through regression and ANCOVA.
Findings
The results showed that older female adults with an expansive TP tended to consume ESA, with their fashion consciousness moderating the results. Rational and either positive or negative emotional advertisements with environmental messages were found to encourage the higher purchase intentions of elderly consumers more effectively than advertisements with no environmental messages.
Practical implications
Apparel retailers are recommended to consider the factor of TP when encouraging environmental consumption. Environmental messages containing rational information and eliciting positive and negative emotions are suggested to promote purchase intention toward ESA among elderly consumers.
Originality/value
This study addressed an under-studied segment in ESA consumption – elderly female consumers – built on the socioemotional selective theory, and confirmed that this group’s ESA consumption can be explained by their perspective on time. In addition, this study confirmed which advertising appeals would effectively encourage their ESA consumption, and provided theoretical explanations for these findings.
Details
Keywords
Byoungho Ellie Jin and Gwia Kim
Despite the significant potential of Malaysia and Indonesia as emerging Southeast Asian retail markets, their nuanced differences in relation to global retailers have not been…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the significant potential of Malaysia and Indonesia as emerging Southeast Asian retail markets, their nuanced differences in relation to global retailers have not been fully analyzed. Drawing the institutional theory, this study analyzed the institutional environments of Malaysian and Indonesian markets contrasting their similarities and differences in formal (i.e. explicit, regulatory) and informal (i.e. tacit normative and cultural-cognitive) institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis of this exploratory is based on a large number of publicly available sources, including research papers, government documents and reports. The paper triangulated the validity of the data with multiple sources, including scholars, business professionals and government officers at the chamber of commerce in the countries.
Findings
Although the two countries adjacently located in Southeast Asia share Islam as a major religion and the Bahasa language, there are significant differences in their formal institutions related to the retail environment, such as openness to foreign investment and retail infrastructure. Based on the analyses, this study provided recommendations for global retail companies targeting or planning to enter the Malaysian and Indonesian markets.
Originality/value
This paper was an original application of institutional theory to Malaysia and Indonesia and analyzed the two emerging economies where institutions vary and are less visible to many multinational companies.