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In recent years, brands have increasingly engaged in corporate political advocacy (CPA; also termed brand activism or corporate sociopolitical activity) by taking positions on polarizing sociopolitical issues. Recent experimental research suggests that consumers respond to CPA based on its alignment with their own values, and that it typically induces an overall negative response. This study aims to provide additional insights by exploring consumer brand perceptions following CPA.

An event study of 106 CPA events and weekly consumer brand perception data was conducted. A regression model was used to investigate the moderating effects of CPA effort, concurrence and the strength of the online protests evoked by the CPA.

The results show that CPA had a negative effect on consumers’ brand perceptions and that the effect was stronger for customers relative to non-customers. The negative effect was attenuated by CPA concurrence and amplified by effort. Additionally, online protests were driven by the CPA effort and had a strong negative effect on brand perception. Online protests were stronger in the past, and, in turn, the negative effects of CPA on brand perceptions have slightly weakened in recent years.

This study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the role of online protests following CPA and distinguishing consumer and customer responses. This study also provides converging evidence of the moderating effects of effort and concurrence identified in previous studies.

This paper aims to investigate what influence the perceptions of two parent brands have on the perception of a newly formed co-brand. Furthermore, it elaborates whether respondents’ evaluations of the parent brands, their familiarity towards the parent brands and their usage of the parent brands affect this influence.

Building on both cognitive consistency and information integration theory, this paper proposes a model-based approach to quantify the parent brands’ influence on the co-brand’s perception. Using an empirical study with 317 respondents collected by a professional online market research firm, this paper highlights the benefits of this model-based approach.

The results indicate that the perception of a co-brand arises from a weighted merge of the parent brands’ perceptions. The findings further reveal that the better (worse) a parent brand’s evaluation is in contrast to the other parent brand’s evaluation, the more (less) familiar a parent brand is in contrast to the other parent brand, and the more (less) frequent a parent brand is used in contrast to the other parent brand, the larger (smaller) is its influence on the co-brand’s perception.

The findings shed light on the formation of a co-brand’s perception which can be crucial when selecting the right co-branding partner. Additionally, by quantifying the parent brands’ influence on the perception of the co-brand, this model-based approach helps brand managers to analyze co-brand pairings beforehand and select the best pairing in accordance with their goals.

The purpose of this paper is to apply the (advanced) brand concept maps (BCM) approach to reinvestigate previous findings on feedback effects resulting from brand extension information (BEI) and to explore whether this information affects the structure of a brand’s associative network.

This research builds on the associative network memory model, as well as Keller’s conceptualization of customer-based brand equity, and uses a series of empirical studies with a total of 839 respondents in two different countries.

The findings reveal that BEI has no significant impact on the structure of the parent brand’s associative network at the individual level. Furthermore, key brand image dimensions (i.e. favorability, strength, and uniqueness of brand associations) are not affected.

By applying the (advanced) BCM approach, this paper is able to address shortcomings that are incorporated with the use of Likert scales for measuring a brand’s image and for investigating feedback effects in the field of brand extension. As the results indicate that the identification of feedback effects might be influenced by the approach used to measure a brand’s image, this paper calls for further investigations of feedback effects on a brand’s image.

Data from three empirical studies provide insights into the cognitive processing of BEI and their impact on a brand’s associative network.

The purpose of this paper is to refer to a current discussion on the effectiveness and efficiency of Bielefeld University Library and concentrates on requirements and conditions of implementing customer intelligence in academic libraries. Moreover, a conceptual framework for a library management information system based on a data warehouse that links external and internal data to support strategic planning processes is introduced.

Content‐related and technical aspects of customer intelligence in academic libraries are outlined and analogies are drawn to commercial enterprises to motivate the conceptual reflections. The paper closes with two examples that demonstrate how multifaceted the data pool for customer intelligence can be in librarianship.

The paper sensitizes to the advantages of systematically generating customer knowledge in academic libraries for strategic planning and customer orientation.

The suggested approach can serve as a basis for the development of data‐based decision support systems focusing on the tracking of the usage of library services and customer preferences over time.

Up to now the discussion of customer intelligence as a foundation of strategic planning in academic libraries has been almost a blank space in the literature. The paper contributes to fill this gap.

The work described in this paper aims to reflect the natural evolution of longstanding dialogue between the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), Johns Hopkins University (JHU), and Bielefeld University.

This study looks at how each institution has combined library and assessment expertise and developed evaluation methodologies that emphasize different, but interrelated aspects of library services.

The resulting tools may be viewed as an integrated decision support system (DSS) that can offer librarians and library administrators a comprehensive framework for choosing appropriate tools, methodologies, and resources for evaluation of both existing and future library services.

This paper provides an excellent introduction and overview for practitioners new to the topics described.

This paper introduces a new approach for autonomous internet‐based environmental scanning, which combines concept of weak signals with “information foraging theory”.

Early detection and rapid action with respect to developments in the operating environment is a prerequisite for successful marketing planning. Accordingly, this paper proposes a three‐stage process for overcoming practical obstacles to the detection and use of weak signals from the operating environment, in particular how to identify relevant and useful documents in harsh information environments such as the internet. Its functionality is demonstrated by means of a human‐machine experiment.

A framework based on information foraging theory is well suited to the task of determining the relevance of documents and facilitates the automation of information search processes. A prototype environmental scanning system of this type outperformed human experts in a typical scanning task.

Embedding the detection of weak signals in a formal process permits intelligence gatherers to step beyond anecdotal evidence, and complements the current literature on weak signal detection with formal and systematic procedural guidelines.

The presented methodology facilitates both the selection and the structuring of information sources. This unburdens the managers and leaves time for important tasks such as the development of concrete marketing plans reacting to detected developments.

The paper provides a comprehensive framework for web‐based weak signal detection in business environments, and can be used as a starting point for the development of practicable environmental scanning systems.

To share with readers the issues of an international conference.Design/methodology/approach – A brief review of the conference held in Germany, 7‐9 February 2006.

The conference focused on the future of information services in the digital world. Speakers from eight countries discussed joint strategies and transnational networks for academic libraries, innovative information services, and future challenges for academic libraries. Three hands‐on workshops reported on current projects in the fields of long‐term archiving, institutional repositories and marketing approaches in the library context.

Will be of interest to library and information professionals.

From 3‐5 February 2004, the Bielefeld University Library in Germany was host to the 7th International Bielefeld Conference, “Thinking beyond digital libraries – designing the information strategy for the next decade”. Main themes to the conference were the strategic positioning and future direction of research libraries and their institutions that will lead to e‐scholarship. The agenda included: new challenges and services of academic libraries: scholarly publishing and the implication on future strategies for scholars, libraries and publishers; the potential of search engine technology for digital libraries; and next generation scholarly information portals. In the excellent talks from experts from all around the world, stimulus was provided to integrate the theories and information presented and discussed into everyday practices and routine business.