Mark A.P. Davies and Len T. Wright
Examines the importance of labelling in relation to the content andpresentation of food claims and chemical additives in branded processedfood products. Seeks to establish how…
Abstract
Examines the importance of labelling in relation to the content and presentation of food claims and chemical additives in branded processed food products. Seeks to establish how food manufacturers might improve their labelling strategies in order to gain a competitive edge in the market. Suggests two strategies: giving prominence to executions (such as source effects) or, alternatively, to the appeal or quality of information provided. Their relative importance is contingent on how information is received and processed by the consumer. Looks at factors influencing this, and suggests that manufacturers should ensure labelling is clear to enable consumers to make better‐informed decisions on product quality.
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Elvira Bolat, Kaouther Kooli and Len Tiu Wright
Mobile social media (MSM), an interaction, exchange of information and creation of user-generated content, mediated by mobile devices, is becoming the locomotive that drives…
Abstract
Purpose
Mobile social media (MSM), an interaction, exchange of information and creation of user-generated content, mediated by mobile devices, is becoming the locomotive that drives forward evolution of the online world. Fewer academic studies have touched upon the MSM subject, with all the papers being of a conceptual nature to provide recommendations to business-to-business (B2B) firms. This paper aims to explore how B2B firms use MSM in reality.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts the grounded theory approach to analyse interviews conducted in 26 B2B firms representing the UK advertising and marketing sector. Interviewees represent key decision-makers who understand the aspects of mobile technology use in their firms. Eighteen firms stressed the importance of social media as a trigger to adopt mobile devices. Follow-up data collection in these 18 firms focus on strategic orientation, processes, routines and skills required for using MSM.
Findings
This paper found that marketing and advertising firms use MSM for branding, sensing market, managing relationships and developing content. MSM is treated by businesses as a strategic firm-specific capability that drives firms’ competitiveness, where imitation of such capability by competitors is limited because MSM skills are specific to individuals within organisations and MSM routines are manifested as a result of firm-specific MSM skills’ interactions.
Originality/value
This study is amongst the first to provide insights into B2B firms’ practices of using MSM. Additionally, the research is novel because it discovers that MSM capability is developed as a result of the overlap between individuals’ and organisational knowledge and memory, contradicting existing theory on the subject.
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Abstract
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Ala’ Omar Dandis, Donna Marie Wallace-Williams, Arnt Kyawt Ni, Len Tiu Wright and Yousef Ibrahim Abu Siam
The aim of this study is to examine the role of relational benefits and brand experience measurements on willingness to pay more (WPM), effects of word of mouth (WOM) and…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to examine the role of relational benefits and brand experience measurements on willingness to pay more (WPM), effects of word of mouth (WOM) and repurchase intention (RI) in fast-food restaurants (FFR).
Design/methodology/approach
Employing an online questionnaire survey with a sample size of 503 respondents, the quantitative methodology included multiple regression and factor analysis to facilitate the analyses of data.
Findings
Relational benefits and their dimensions (confidence, special treatment and social benefits) found to positively impact WPM, WOM and RI. With reference to brand experiences, the current study found that behavioural and intellectual experiences have significant and positive effects on WPM, WOM and RI. Surprisingly, no positive significance was identified between sensory experiences and WPM, WOM and RI.
Practical implications
The findings show that relational benefits and brand experience dimensions play an essential role in improving brand loyalty.
Originality/value
The current study subscribes to the concept of relationship marketing theory, suggesting that loyalty to FFRs can be enhanced by offering customers relational benefits and augmenting their brand experiences.
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Ilse Matser, Rachel Heeringa and Jan Willem van der Vloot van Vliet
Family governance is a topic of substantial practical relevance that merits much more attention in family business research (Gersick & Feliu, 2014; Suess, 2014). The purpose of…
Abstract
Family governance is a topic of substantial practical relevance that merits much more attention in family business research (Gersick & Feliu, 2014; Suess, 2014). The purpose of this book chapter is to use the framework of a fair process to gain a better understanding of how family governance practices can help an entrepreneurial family firm flourish. Central to the analysis is the case of a 100-year-old entrepreneurial family firm that will serve as a best practice. Interviews with key members of the family and the business were held, and secondary data were gathered and analyzed. The chapter starts with a theoretical outline of the family as strategic resource and the family governance as a mechanism to manage this strategic resource. The principles of fair process are introduced as an underlying framework for the well-functioning of family governance practices. This is followed by the introduction of the case and the discussion of the key findings. This chapter ends with some concluding remarks.
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Sena Ozdemir, Suraksha Gupta, Pantea Foroudi, Len Tiu Wright and Teck-Yong Eng
This study aims to fill a gap in branding literature concerning the effect of corporate brand relationships on brand value through the case study method in a business-to-business…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to fill a gap in branding literature concerning the effect of corporate brand relationships on brand value through the case study method in a business-to-business (B2B) context. The objectives of this study can be framed in the following three questions: what are the main constituents of a corporate brand; how does a corporate brand generate tangible and intangible brand value for their business customers; and how do tangible and intangible brand benefits influence relationship initiation and management practices of the case companies?
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a qualitative multiple cases study design by using archival data and both in-depth telephone and online interviews with senior representatives of the case study companies to investigate corporate branding and associated issues in a B2B context.
Findings
From a managerial perspective, this study reveals that corporate business culture, brand relationships, products and corporate identity and personality as the main constituents of a corporate brand in a B2B context. The results show that a corporate brand can generate intangible and tangible brand value benefits for business customers. The findings also note the importance of brand value in enhancing relationship initiation.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the branding literature by developing a conceptual model that explains the development and role of the corporate brand in a B2B context with its associated value creation and brand management outcomes. The findings advance brand management literature on business relationships, which addresses a gap in B2B contexts rather than mainly about product brand management and value creation in business-to-consumer contexts.
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Kaouther Kooli, Len Tiu Wright and Adrian Wright
Dependence on access to European markets through subcontracting relationships with European firms has exposed subcontracting clothing and textile producers in less developed…
Abstract
Purpose
Dependence on access to European markets through subcontracting relationships with European firms has exposed subcontracting clothing and textile producers in less developed economies to the vagaries of international market competition. This paper aims to examine the problems that such exposure creates and the requirements for developing marketing activities through the concept of the alliance life cycle as a viable solution for a sample of Tunisian clothing and textile firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The inductive reasoning of this research was implemented through qualitative research based on a range of tools derived from a case study and a dual ethnographic approach.
Findings
The main results showed that life cycle stages of the subcontracting firms reflected Schumpeter's creation and destruction cycle of innovation. Therefore, subcontracting firms could learn from their activities with their business customers so that they developed marketing competences in innovative processes. The findings also demonstrated that some of the firms in the Tunisian clothing and textile industries were more successful than others.
Research limitations/implications
This research focused mainly on subcontracting alliances with implications for future study of other alliances for different industries.
Practical implications
The life cycle approach could be of great interest to subcontracting managers in the post Multi Fibre Arrangement era. This approach is relevant mainly for decision makers in providing them with a framework within which they might optimise their marketing strategies and their implementations.
Originality/value
The research originality resides in its Schumpeterian perspective in considering business‐to‐business relationships. The value of the paper is to focus on the evolutionary aspects of relationships between contractors and subcontractors and the patterns of the marketing development within these relationships.
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Kaouther Kooli, Huifen Cai, Xiaoyun Tang, Cornelia Beer and Len Tiu Wright
While the topic of “umbrella branding” strategies for manufacturers’ products in the business-to-business literature has received attention, much less has been written about…
Abstract
Purpose
While the topic of “umbrella branding” strategies for manufacturers’ products in the business-to-business literature has received attention, much less has been written about umbrella branding strategies in the hospitality industry. With the aid of a theoretical framework, this paper aims to explore three types of behavioural characteristics: alliance attribute, communication behaviour and alliance management, to examine cost and service benefits for alliance success within one umbrella organisation in the German hospitality industry. The theoretical framework of the paper built on the model of Vanpoucke and Vereecke (2012), incorporating a top management perspective to test and extend an umbrella brand.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews with a sample of senior managers were carried out in Germany at the headquarters of Ringhotels e.V. Content analysis of the data collected was implemented to increase understanding of the research phenomenon with regard to relationships and the conceptual framework applied. The results were presented in the tables with discussions about the qualitative research.
Findings
The results of the study showed that behavioural characteristics played a significant role in explaining overall alliance success on cost and service benefits. A good level of quality presented in Ringhotels’ services, marketing, risk and coordination was found to be a better predictor of success when absence of management and lack of trust hampered good performance.
Originality/value
The study offers insights into the management of relationships within Ringhotels e.V. and how these can be better managed. The main contribution of the work fills in a gap currently existing in the literature about umbrella branding within the hospitality industry.