Search results

The hospitality and tourism industry is strongly influenced by new and immersive technologies, such as augmented reality (AR), to enhance customer experiences across a diverse set of touchpoints throughout the visitor journey. This paper aims to provide a holistic understanding of AR marketing for this industry context, present a number of fundamental premises of AR marketing within it and establish an agenda for future AR research.

This study reviews current literature on AR marketing, hospitality and tourism and industry use cases for the creation of a proposed conceptual framework to guide scholars and managers. Based on that, the authors propose fundamental premises.

The three fundamental premises of AR marketing presented are the need to clearly differentiate between AR and virtual reality within hospitality and tourism; the use of AR for the on-trip experience; and the combined focus on content, context, customer and computing devices for a successful strategic implementation of AR.

This study serves as a first point of reference for the strategic integration of AR into hospitality and tourism marketing, both from an industry and academic point of view.

The authors provide a number of managerial recommendations based on our three fundamental premises.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to holistically characterize AR marketing in the hospitality and tourism context. It also highlights the fundamental premises of successful AR marketing and future directions of AR research today and in a spatial computing future.

This paper aims to explore the relationship between brand love and materialism.

This research uses two survey studies that the love of money. In combination, these two studies include over 1,000 participants.

Materialism does not just make consumers more likely to love brands, it also alters the way they relate to brands. Specifically, brand love is associated with loving brands that one currently owns rather than wishing for brands that one cannot afford and vice-versa for materialism. Brand love is also more strongly related to the centrality and success dimensions of materialism than to its happiness dimension. Materialism is not just associated with loving brands; it is also strongly associated with loving money. Finally, there has been an active debate over whether brand love is applicable to a wide variety of brands or just a select few. This research finds that an extremely wide variety of brands are loved by consumers.

The findings are limited by the cross-sectional nature of the survey approach, the use of a student sample and a MTurk sample and by a set of solely US participants.

This research explores the distinction between a brand love-based marketing strategy and a materialism-based strategy. A brand love-based strategy leverages positive emotional connections that consumers have with past purchases of a brand, whereas a materialism-based strategy seeks to make a brand an aspirational high-end purchase. Based on the research results, the authors make the case for a brand love-based strategy. In addition, this research partly challenges, yet also partly supports, the common view among marketing practitioners that brand love is only applicable to a few brands. On the one hand, this research finds that consumers love an extremely wide variety of brands. On the other hand, only a few brands have been successful in building brand love across a large group of consumers. Thus, brand love appears to be a more widely applicable strategy than sometimes thought yet also a very challenging strategy to get right.

This research supports prior findings which suggest that the negative outcomes of materialism (e.g. unhappiness) are mostly associated with its happiness dimension (i.e. “I would be happier if I had more money”). In contrast, the findings also suggest that brand love is more weakly associated with its happiness dimension than its centrality and success dimensions. Thus, brand love may be a positive (or at least not a negative) expression of materialism.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical examination of the relationship between brand love and materialism and finds that although these two constructs are correlated, they are empirically distinct. This research is also the first to test the relationship between materialism and love for status brands and finds that materialistic individuals display greater love for these types of brands. This research also introduces the construct of “brand love tendency” which is defined as a consumer’s overall tendency to love brands. Finally, this research is also the first to relate the love of money to both materialism and brand love.

The purpose of this paper is to examine advertising strategies’ (functional vs emotional) influence on consumers’ evaluation and adoption of smartwatches by drawing on the elaboration likelihood model and the schema incongruity theory. Moderating effects of consumer characteristics (personal innovativeness and extraversion) on the value assessment and attitude relationship are also tested.

The model was assessed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling with a sample of 999 non-smartwatch users.

Results show that functional ads elicit higher levels of hedonic than functional (usefulness) and ergonomic values (ease of use), whereas emotional ads produce higher levels of functional (usefulness) in comparison to hedonic value (enjoyment). Collectively, functional, ergonomic, hedonic and symbolic values shape consumers’ attitude and their subsequent behavior. In addition, findings demonstrate that extraversion positively moderates the symbolic value–attitude relationship, whereas personal innovativeness negatively moderates the functional value–attitude relationship.

Smartwatch sales have floundered despite substantial investments in ad campaigns. This study provides novel insights into managing non-users’ value perceptions of smartwatches with the optimal use of ad strategies. Furthermore, it is also one of the first studies to validate the moderating role of extraversion on the symbolic value–attitude link, thus contributing to the emerging literature on wearable technology.

The purpose of this paper is to go beyond satisfaction as an indicator of customer loyalty and propose a holistic model of service switching in a mobile internet setting. The model, which reflects both barriers and inducements of switching, is developed based on the “mooring” and “pull” concepts in the migration literature.

Focusing on Generation Y mobile internet subscribers, the study analyzed a total of 417 usable questionnaire responses. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the research model.

The results show that first, satisfaction and switching barriers (i.e. a focal firm’s marketing innovation initiatives, switching costs, inertia, and local network effects) are positively related to customer loyalty; second, switching barriers have a stronger influence on customer loyalty compared with satisfaction; third, switching inducements (i.e. competitors’ marketing innovation initiatives, alternative attractiveness, variety-seeking tendencies, and consumers’ susceptibility to social reference group influence) is negatively related to customer loyalty and the relationship is weaker when perceived switching barriers are high.

This study empirically validates multidimensional scales of switching barriers and inducements from a more nuanced perspective, and specifies them as reflective-formative type II models. This study is among the first to use opposing dimensions to measure switching barriers and its counterpart. Hence, it illustrates how the two contrasting mechanisms can coexist in the minds of mobile internet subscribers.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a dedication-constraint-temptation (DCT) model to study the factors influencing customers’ loyalty to mobile data service (MDS) providers. The DCT model explicitly explores the important yet overlooked role of alternative attractiveness (the temptation-based mechanism) as a mediator and the boundary condition of their interrelationships (e.g. relationship length). The model also integrates new and established antecedents of customer-based brand equity (C-BBE) (the dedication-based mechanism) and switching barriers (the constraint-based mechanism).

The proposed model is tested using partial least squares–structural equation modeling with a sample of 331 MDS users.

The results indicate that C-BBE has an indirect effect on customer loyalty (via alternative attractiveness) in both relationship groups (shorter- vs longer-term). However, the indirect effect of switching barriers on customer loyalty only exists in longer established relationships. The results from multi-group analysis reveal that the effect of switching barriers on alternative attractiveness significantly differs across groups. In addition, customer value anticipation and procedural switching costs appear to be the most salient antecedents of C-BBE and switching barriers for both groups.

This study makes an incremental contribution by incorporating the temptation-based mechanism as a mediator and relationship length as a moderator into the dedication-constraint model. This study also extends the information systems and brand management literatures by demonstrating the strategic importance of customer value anticipation in the information and communication technology brand equity-building.

Augmented reality (AR) has emerged as a new interactive technology, swiftly transforming the field of marketing. Driven by its rapid uptake in marketing practices, academic research on AR has proliferated. This study aims to offer a holistic view of the past, present and future of augmented reality marketing (ARM) scholarship by analyzing its current and evolving research profile as well as its social and conceptual structures to inspire further research.

This study enriches the ARM scholarship by integrating a quantitative bibliometric analysis with a chronological-thematic review and a qualitative content analysis to develop a more comprehensive understanding of this novel area and suggest future research courses.

The bibliometric analysis reveals the key performance indicators as well as the social and conceptual structure of the ARM research field. The chronological-thematic review exhibits the advancement of ARM research over time and forecasts the emerging trends for the domain. Finally, the content analysis of recent articles reveals the current research hotspots and provides future research directions.

The database limits the selection of literature, as the information in databases such as Scopus is updated regularly, resulting in alterations in the number of articles and citations.

AR developers and brand managers may use this study’s findings to understand the current ARM landscape better and make strategic decisions based on AR adoption and consumption patterns.

This study is singular in using a mixed methods approach by integrating the findings from bibliometric and content analyses for more reliable results and to offer a holistic perspective of the ARM sector, thereby significantly advancing the field of technology-led marketing.

This study unravels the intellectual structure of virtual reality (VR) in digital marketing (DM) research, identifies core research gaps and presents future research avenues. The study also conducts a performance analysis of publications in the field and identifies the most important stakeholders of the stated topic.

The Web of Science database was used to retrieve the publications that were relevant to the topic between 2012 and 2022. Biblioshiny, a shiny app for the Bibliometrix R package, is used to conduct a bibliometric analysis by decoding the results into several visual representations.

This report includes the most prolific contributors, keyword analysis results, productive nations, authors and connections, as well as the most often cited publications on VR in DM. In DM research, numerous perspectives on VR were looked at, explored and revealed.

The findings provide a new perspective and understanding of the issue for researchers in order to improve their research insights in the field. This study will also benefit marketing practitioners in ensuring the sustainability and innovativeness of technology used to run their DM campaigns.

This research provides the first bibliometric analysis of the citation works and productivity in the field of VR in DM using Biblioshiny, identifies core research gaps and provides future research agenda which can be useful to advance the research understanding in this context.

This paper aims to analyse the adoption of fitness wearables by using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The study analyses the relative weights and causal combinations of antecedent variables on use and intention to use fitness wearables.

The study design involves two stages: first, from the perspective of variable-oriented analysis, a structural equation model is tested using partial least squares (PLS) technique on a sample of 176 adopters and a second sample of 187 non-adopters. Second, from the perspective of case-oriented analysis, a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) identifies causal combinations of variables that lead to use of wearables by adopters and intention to use by non-adopters.

PLS results show that performance expectancy and effort expectancy have high net effects on use and intention to use for adopters. FsQCA analysis shows that current users follow a streamlined path to adoption. High beliefs on performance expectancy and effort expectancy are the main influences of intention to use a fitness wearable for non-adopters. In contrast to adopters, non-adopters may follow a number of paths to intention to use through performance expectancy, effort expectancy or facilitating conditions. This insight was apparent only after analysing the data sets by using fsQCA.

For sake of parsimony, this paper tested UTAUT model instead of the more complex unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2.

Marketers in the fitness category can enhance use and intention to use by utilising not one but a combination of causal factors such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions. Wide societal deployment of wearables depends on performance and expectations.

The widespread use of mobile devices depends on performance expectancy and effort expectancy. To transit to a real knowledge economy, co-creation should occur at early stages of product development so that these expectations are shared and better products be developed.

This paper offers a nuanced understanding of fitness wearable adoption by analysing adopters and non-adopters through variable- and case-oriented techniques. It complements the one-linear-path perspective with a number of alternative causal combinations of variables that lead to use and intention to use fitness wearables. While the causal path for adopters is unique, there are a number of causal combinations of antecedents that lead to high intention to use in potential adopters.

In this era of smartphone applications, brands are actively developing applications to occupy the consumer’s mobile phone space, adding many practical functions to their applications to increase brand exposure or consumer interest in the brand. Augmented reality (AR) has evolved rapidly in the past decade because of technological breakthroughs, making AR no longer an untouchable technology, but one that can be easily used on almost every phone. Therefore, this study aims to combine extended customer experience with AR marketing activities to explain and predict usage and purchase intention.

The eight key factors integrated into the extended customer experience are used as environmental stimulation factors, and Wanna Kicks and FitGlasses are used as experimental environments. A total of 193 valid samples were collected from users with AR experience. The empirical data is processed and verified by partial least squares in this study.

Customer experience has received increasing attention in the field of marketing research. This study developed a model to evaluate the antecedents and consequences of AR marketing activities by systematically adding customer experience, continuance intention, purchase intention and customer engagement, and then linking them to the AR application environment. This study presents the academic and practical implications, which can provide future research directions and references for brand marketing strategies and AR applications.

This study adds interactivity, vividness, perceived usefulness and novelty to the extended concept of customer experience. Therefore, the authors proposed that the extended customer experience can be used to measure the perceptions related to AR applications. This study is expected to provide scholars and practitioners in AR fields with a better understanding of the causes and consequences of customer experience with innovative technologies and to suggest effective marketing recommendations.

在这个智能手机应用时代, 品牌积极发展能占据消费者的手机空间的应用软件, 在已有的应用软件上增加了许多实用性功能来增加品牌曝光或消费者对品牌的兴趣。增强现实 (AR) 在过去十年中由于技术突破从而发展迅速, 让AR不再触不可及, 而是几乎可以在每部手机上轻松使用的技术。因此, 本研究通过结合 AR 营销活动以及延展顾客体验, 来以解释和预测用户使用和购买意向。

本研究用延展顾客体验模型中的八项关键因素来作为环境刺激因素, Wanna Kicks 和 FitGlasses 用作实验环境。 本研究从具有 AR 经验的用户那里收集193个有效样本。数据通过偏最小二乘法来进行处理和验证。

客户体验在营销领域受到越来越多的关注。本研究通过系统地添加客户的 体验、持续意向、购买意向和客户参与度, 然后将它们链接到 AR 应用环境来评估AR 营销活动的前因和后果来建立了一项模型。本研究提出了学术和实践意义, 可以提供未来的研究方向品牌营销策略和AR应用提供参考。

这项研究对客户体验扩展概念增加了交互性、生动性、感知有用性、以及新颖性。因此, 我们建议延展客户体验模型可运用于衡量与 AR 应用相关的用户感知。本研究旨在为学者和AR领域的从业者关于创新技术的客户体验的因果提供更进一步的认知, 并提出有效的营销建议。

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of augmented reality (AR) on retailing by conducting thematic analysis on variables studied in the existing literature.

The data set includes 232 variables studied in 35 research papers, collected using well-defined search and inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis is used to identify patterns in the data set.

The eight themes emerging from the analysis are arranged in the form of a conceptual framework to model the decision-making process of users. The position of themes in the model is determined by the most dominant variable type in the theme and by employing the technology acceptance model as the reference paradigm.

The current review contributes to the advancement of literature by setting a research agenda for scholars working in the field of consumer behavior and human–computer interaction. Future research should improve the generalizability of the research by replicating the method and testing the conceptual framework on other immersive technologies.

Marketers should incorporate AR technology into their experiential marketing strategies. Since integrating and managing AR technology requires expertise, organizations are advised to make use of existing toolkits or collaborate with technology companies to develop their offerings.

To maintain the uniqueness of the current study from other papers focusing on existing research done in this area, this review considers only studies using statistical techniques to study consumer behavior pertaining to AR in retail. The study uses an unconventional method for identifying patterns in the existing literature by employing theories and frameworks as the basis of classification.