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Avatars have become increasingly prevalent on brand websites, yet their impact on consumers' use of these sites remains underexplored. The current study focuses on avatars, which are three-dimensional animated graphical web interfaces that verbally aid the brand stakeholders (e.g. customers, employees and suppliers). Avatars provide administrative and technical information through the brand website. Drawing upon the stimuli–organism–response (S-O-R) paradigm, this research examines the impact of avatars as an information provision and interacting tool (vs a traditional format) on consumers' perceptions, attitudes and behaviors toward a brand. It also investigates the roles of familiarity with avatar use and the language used by an avatar in shaping consumers' responses.

Across two laboratory experiments, the authors examined and confirmed causal relationships between the use of avatars (vs a traditional format) on a website and attitudinal and behavioral constructs.

We show that avatars (vs written information) had a significant effect on controlling information. The users in our experiments had greater control over the information provided when it was presented as text on a website compared to the case of avatars “telling” the information. Different languages and familiarity with avatar use also affected the consumers' hedonism in terms of website use.

We advance the understanding of avatar use in website design, particularly avatars' verbal interaction, in shaping consumers' cognitive, affective, attitudinal and behavioral responses and add important empirical evidence to the growing body of research and practices involving avatar use in interactive marketing.

Social media played an irreplaceable role in young people’s online social life and information consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research focuses on the impact of excessive information on social media about COVID-19 vaccines on Generation Z's (Gen Z) associated psychological states and long-term vaccine advocacy.

The research conducted structural equation modeling analysis with online survey data from 409 Gen Z citizens in the UK.

The findings suggest that excessive information increased Gen Z social media users' ambivalence and conspiracy beliefs around COVID-19 vaccines, which, in turn, reduced their long-term vaccine advocacy in terms of vaccine acceptance, vaccination intention and vaccine promotion. Importantly, Gen Z’s confidence in government and in the healthcare systems during COVID-19 was effective in helping them overcome the detrimental effects of conspiracy beliefs and ambivalence about long-term vaccine advocacy, respectively.

This research reveals the “dark side” of social media use in the post-pandemic period and highlights the significant roles played by social institutions in mitigating the detrimental effects of Gen Z’s support in social decisions. Beyond the context of COVID-19, this research has important implications for facilitating the civic engagement of Gen Z and boosting their confidence in social institutions in terms of social cohesion.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has revolutionized customers' interactive marketing experience. Although there have been a substantial number of studies exploring the application of AI in interactive marketing, personalization as an important concept remains underexplored in AI marketing research and practices. This study aims to introduce the concept of AI-enabled personalization (AIP), understand the applications of AIP throughout the customer journey and draw up a future research agenda for AIP.

Drawing upon Lemon and Verhoef's customer journey, the authors explore relevant literature and industry observations on AIP applications in interactive marketing. The authors identify the dilemmas of AIP practices in different stages of customer journeys and make important managerial recommendations in response to such dilemmas.

AIP manifests itself as personalized profiling, navigation, nudges and retention in the five stages of the customer journey. In response to the dilemmas throughout the customer journey, the authors developed a series of managerial recommendations. The paper is concluded by highlighting the future research directions of AIP, from the perspectives of conceptualization, contextualization, application, implication and consumer interactions.

New conceptual ideas are presented in respect of how to harness AIP in the interactive marketing field. This study highlights the tensions in personalization research in the digital age and sets future research agenda.

This paper reveals the dilemmas in the practices of personalization marketing and proposes managerial implications to address such dilemmas from both the managerial and technological perspectives.

This is one of the first research papers dedicated to the application of AI in interactive marketing through the lenses of personalization. This paper pushes the boundaries of AI research in the marketing field. Drawing upon AIP research and managerial issues, the authors specify the AI–customer interactions along the touch points in the customer journey in order to inform and inspire future AIP research and practices.

The influence of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) information, such as online reviews, on consumers’ decision making is well documented, but it is unclear if online reviews still matter in post-purchase evaluation and behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which online reviews (aggregate rating (AR) and individual reviews (IR)) influence consumers’ evaluation and post-purchase behaviour by considering the valence congruence of online reviews and consumption experience (CE).

Following social comparison theory and relevant literature, the authors conduct an online experiment (pre-test: n=180; main study: n=347). The authors rely on a 2 (CE valence) ×2 (AR valence) ×2 (IR valence) between-subjects design.

Congruence/incongruence between the valences of CE, AR and IR affects consumers’ post-purchase evaluation at the emotional, brand and media levels and review-writing behaviour. In comparison to aggregated rating, IR are more important in the post-purchase stage. Similarly, consumers have a higher eWOM-writing intention when there is congruence between the valences of CE, AR and IR.

The authors demonstrate the importance of service providers continually monitoring their business profiles on review sites to ensure consistency of review information, as these influence consumers’ post-purchase evaluation and behaviours. For this reason, the authors illustrate the utility of why media owners of review sites should support the monitoring process to facilitate the engagement of both businesses and customers.

The authors break new ground by empirically testing the impact of online review information post-purchase seen through the theoretical lens of social comparison. The approach is novel in breaking down and testing the dimensions of post-purchase evaluation and behavioural intentions in understanding the social comparison elicited by online reviews in the post-purchase phase.

The main purpose of this study is to fill the research gap on how B2B global service firms integrate dynamic capabilities within their omnichannel management to influence positive word of mouth (WOM), customer engagement (CE) and customer equity.

Drawing on the dynamic capability and WOM theories, a model has been developed that defines the subjects of the empirical test. The paper reports on data collected from 312 service-oriented global firms in Australia, through a cross-sectional survey. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The findings suggest that content management (i.e. information consistency, source trustworthiness and endorsement) and concerns management (i.e. privacy, security and recovery) capabilities are the two significant antecedents of positive WOM within a B2B omnichannel setting in international marketing. The findings also confirm the key mediating role of CE between positive WOM and customer equity.

The findings extend dynamic capability theory in the context of international marketing by linking WOM, CE and customer equity. The findings add further theoretical rigor by establishing the nomological chain between positive WOM and customer equity, in which CE plays a key mediating role.

This paper aims to examine counterfactual thinking as a key mediator of the effects of failed recovery (vs. failed delivery) on negative electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). The authors further investigate the effectiveness of using recovery co-creation in minimizing customers’ counterfactual thinking.

This research includes textual analysis of online reviews (Study 1) and three scenario-based experiments (Studies 2, 3a and 3b). In addition to using item-response scales, the authors analyze negative online reviews and participants’ open-ended responses to capture their counterfactual thinking.

Failed recovery (vs failed delivery) increases counterfactual thinking, which, in turn, increases negative eWOM. These mediating effects of counterfactual thinking are consistent across textual analyses and experimental studies, as well as across different measures of counterfactual thinking. Counterfactual thinking also impacts customer anger in experiments; however, anger alone does not explain the effects of failed recovery on negative eWOM. Counterfactual thinking can be minimized by co-created recovery, especially when it is used proactively.

The findings demonstrate the detrimental effects of counterfactual thinking and offer managerial insights into co-creation as a strategy to minimize customers’ counterfactual thinking. The authors also highlight the importance and ways of tracking counterfactual thinking in digital outlets.

The authors contribute to counterfactual thinking and service recovery research by demonstrating the effects of failed recovery on counterfactual thinking that, in turn, impacts negative eWOM and offering a novel way to measure its expression in online narratives. The authors provide guidance on how to use co-creation in the service recovery process to minimize counterfactual thinking.

This study investigates the use of gamification in promoting the silver generation's adoption of mobile payment technology through the gamified cultural practice of gifting red packets. It considers the effectiveness of using gamification in a cultural context to promote technology acceptance among older adults. This crossover between digital technology and cultural traditions brings unique gaming elements to the adoption of technology.

Drawing upon technology acceptance Model (TAM) and prospect theory, a research model is evaluated using structural equation modeling. Data were collected via survey from elderly consumers who are current users of WeChat but are yet to use its mobile payment functions.

The results reveal the perceived effectiveness of gamification is determined by the perceived enjoyment of the game and contributes to users' attitude development, directly and through its perceived usefulness. Perceived risks were identified as a barrier to converting positive attitude into adoption intention.

The findings contribute to the conceptualization and understanding of the effectiveness of gamification in technology adoption, specifically among the silver generation.

In contrast with previous gamification studies on gamified experience, this study introduces a new conceptualization of the perceived effectiveness of gamification and its measurement. This study validates game engagement as being effective in encouraging seniors to adopt a technology. In an era of an aging population where digitization is a norm, improving the digital literacy and digital inclusion of elders by encouraging them to adopt technology is essential to developing a more accessible and inclusive social environment.

Amidst the growing emphasis on privacy protection, this study aims to investigate how online interaction introduced in Lead Generation Ads (LGAs) affects consumers' Self-Disclosure Intention (SDI), particularly in the context of the Chinese advertising market.

This research employs two scenario-based online surveys to analyse in depth the impact of LGAs on consumers' SDI. The first study collects valid feedback from 220 consumers through an online questionnaire to assess the direct effect of perceived interactivity on SDI. The second study, using an experimental design with a sample of 265 participants, further explores the mediating roles of perceived control and perceived vulnerability in the relationship between perceived interactivity and SDI and examines the moderating effect of privacy invasion experience (PIE).

This study reveals the significant and positive influence of perceived interactivity on SDI, with perceived control acting as a mediator that enhances this effect. Conversely, perceived vulnerability weakens the positive impact of perceived interactivity on SDI. Additionally, we explore the moderating role of PIE and find that it significantly influences the relationship between perceived interactivity and SDI. These findings underscore the importance of considering consumer privacy sensitivity, particularly in the design of interactive marketing strategies and within highly interactive advertising environments.

Our research uncovers consumer privacy attitudes and behaviours in the Chinese market, providing insights into its unique dynamics of privacy and information disclosure. However, the geographical and cultural specificity of our study may limit its generalizability. Future studies should expand into various cultural and market contexts, considering the impact of digital technologies on consumer interactions and information disclosure, thereby enhancing the depth and applicability of global marketing strategies.

Advertising platforms should explore online interactive communication methods to enhance consumers' perceived interactions and alleviate privacy concerns. Also, platforms should be designed with system security in mind to prevent the leakage and misuse of consumer data, thus increasing consumers' SDI.

The study provides insights for marketers on designing more effective and privacy-sensitive online advertising strategies in the Chinese market. Understanding the factors influencing consumers’ willingness to share personal information can lead to more effective engagement in digital marketing campaigns.

By integrating interactivity theory with privacy computing theory, this research provides a new perspective on the role of online interaction in consumer privacy protection and information disclosure decisions. The findings not only enrich the theoretical frameworks of interactive marketing and privacy protection but also offer empirical support for marketing practitioners in regard to designing interactive advertising strategies, especially balancing consumer privacy protection with the enhancement of shopping intentions.