Zazli Lily Wisker and Zoe Morgan
This study aims to understand the consequences of the decision by some hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic to contract their accommodation to be used as managed isolation and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the consequences of the decision by some hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic to contract their accommodation to be used as managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities. Specifically, this study aims to understand the impact of this decision in terms of corporate brand image, brand loyalty, negative word of mouth (NWOM) and purchase intention.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through a quasi-experimental research design and was analysed through a t-test.
Findings
This study hypothesises that the use of a hotel brand as a COVID-19 MIQ facility will be detrimental to its corporate brand image because of the expectation disconfirmation theory and attribution theory, thus reducing brand loyalty and increasing NWOM. The result supports the hypotheses.
Research limitations/implications
This study does not factor in a time period for the observed effects. While the results indicate that hotels used for MIQ purposes have reduced corporate brand image, brand loyalty and purchase intention, this study does not establish the duration of the damage.
Originality/value
This study provides insight into consumers' perceptions of hotel brands that served as COVID-19 MIQ facilities. The originality lies in the discovery that the decision by hoteliers to opt to use their facilities for COVID-19 MIQ facilities was detrimental to corporate brand image and brand loyalty.
Details
Keywords
Emerging public discourses on Islam and Islamophobia in Western countries have led to religious discrimination among this group. This exploratory study aims to understand how…
Abstract
Purpose
Emerging public discourses on Islam and Islamophobia in Western countries have led to religious discrimination among this group. This exploratory study aims to understand how marketers promote anti-discrimination efforts against Muslims on the notion of future collective unity.
Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory study uses Social Identity theory to explain the behaviour and attitude of vulnerable Muslims. The dimension of racialisation, the Whiteness theory, the oppression model and the ethnocentrism theory were synthesised to explain the practice of racism and oppression. The theory of customer diversity, equity and inclusion was synthesised to understand the importance of inclusive marketing. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with 15 senior marketing executives.
Findings
This study observed how the minority Muslims had influenced the marketers' behaviours in combating anti-religious discrimination through various tactics such as extending the corporates' products and services offerings, being inclusive and avoiding stereotyping in their marketing communication styles and shifting the company's processes and systems to meeting this group's cultural needs.
Research limitations/implications
While this study sample's demographics were motivated by senior marketing executives' profiles, most of the participants were highly educated, had similar cultural backgrounds and were mainly from the West.
Originality/value
This study attempts to shed light on the understanding of Muslims’ discrimination or Islamophobia in non-Muslim majority countries. It is hoped that this study acts as a catalyst for collective unity and would galvanise communities, including marketers to tackle discrimination through a better understanding of a targeted group like Muslims in the marketplace. In this current time of racial and religious tension, business leaders and marketers can act as mediators of social change to normalise more positive relations between minority and mainstream consumers.
Details
Keywords
This study aims to understand the relationships among relationship quality, repurchase intention, word-of-mouth and the moderation effect of the loyalty program.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the relationships among relationship quality, repurchase intention, word-of-mouth and the moderation effect of the loyalty program.
Design/methodology/approach
Base on social exchange theory and trust commitment theory, the study hypothesizes that relationship quality is a multidimensional construct consisting of trust, satisfaction, commitment and perceived value. Relationship quality is posited to influence word-of-mouth, and this relationship is mediated by the repurchase intention. Loyalty program is expected to moderate the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Data were collected through online survey and mall intercept in North Island of New Zealand. 144 responses were obtained and were analyzed through SEM.
Findings
The findings support a multidimensional construct for relationship quality; however, the moderation effect of the loyalty program was insignificant.
Originality/value
This study helps to understand the relationship quality in the e-tailing industry. Theoretical and practical implications are finally discussed.
Details
Keywords
This study aims to explore how consumers process and respond to fake news on halal food in a Muslim-majority country. The study hypothesises that fake news that violates one’s…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how consumers process and respond to fake news on halal food in a Muslim-majority country. The study hypothesises that fake news that violates one’s moral code could induce anger resulting in brand hate. Religiosity plays a role as a moderating variable for the relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected in two studies using quasi-experiment repeated measures factorial design, 2 × 2 between subjects. In Study 1, 219 participated, whereas in Study 2, a total of 173 was recruited for the experiment. The study uses one-way repeated measures design ANOVA and MEMORE to test the effects of moderation for repeated measures.
Findings
The findings indicate that fake news that violates one’s moral code, belief and values could induce anger and brand hate. Religiosity moderates the relationship between anger and brand hate
Research limitations/implications
The study’s limitations include the limited dimension measured for religiosity and brand hate.
Originality/value
The study of brand hate as opposed to brand love is relatively scarce. This study has observed how fake news that violates one’s moral code is detrimental to the brand, which in turn induces hate. Marketing managers have to be cautious in marketing their products in more religious countries. Besides, they have to be proactive in combating fake news that might tarnish their brand.
Details
Keywords
Zazli Lily Wisker, Djavlonbek Kadirov and Catherine Bone
This study aims to examine the factors that influence peer-to-peer online host advertising effectiveness (POHAE). The study posits that POHAE is a multidimensional construct…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the factors that influence peer-to-peer online host advertising effectiveness (POHAE). The study posits that POHAE is a multidimensional construct supported by emotional appeal, information completeness, advertising creativity and social responsibility practices influencing purchase intention and positive word of mouth. Perceived value is hypothesised as the moderating variable for the relationship between POHAE and purchase intention.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative data were collected from New Zealand through a quasi-experimental survey. A total of 95 people participated in the experiment. The study uses one-way repeated measures design ANOVA to test Hypothesis 1 and MEMORE model to test the effects of mediation and moderation for repeated measures.
Findings
Results are significant to the study model. ANOVA results show that the assumption of sphericity is not violated: Mauchly’s W, Greenhouse–Geisser, Huynh–Feldt estimates are equal to one, suggesting that the data are perfectly spherical. The mediation and moderation effects for repeated measure designs are also significant. The tests are based on 95 per cent Monte Carlo confidence interval and 20,000 bootstrapping samples.
Research limitations/implications
This study enhances the hierarchy of effects theory (HOE) (Lavidge and Steiner, 1961), which posits that consumers respond to a specific marketing communication through three components: the cognitive component, which is measured by an individual’s intellectual, mental or rational states; the affective component that refers to an individual’s emotional and feeling states; and finally the conative or motivational state, that is, the striving state relating to the tendency to treat objects as positive or negative. This study observes significant paths from POHAE to purchase intention and word of mouth. Limitations include a small sample size (95) and not regressing the POHAE variables individually on purchase intention and word of mouth.
Practical implications
Given the absence of a brand, as in the Airbnb host advertisement, attention should be given to writing the adverts effectively. Advertising creativity does not only hold for graphics and personal pictures but also for the hosts who need to be creative in crafting their advertisement text. Elements such as social responsibility practice and creativity should also not be overlooked.
Social implications
This study provides insights on how to effectively communicate with potential customers in a peer-to-peer marketplace.
Originality/value
This study provides an insight into peer-to-peer marketplaces on the importance of marketing communication strategies by providing more attention to writing advertisement texts. It is important to understand the variables that influence consumers’ motivation in responding to Airbnb online advertisements.
Details
Keywords
Athanasios Poulis and Zazli Wisker
This paper aims to examine the impact of employee-based brand equity (EBBE) and perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) on firm performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the impact of employee-based brand equity (EBBE) and perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) on firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through an e-mail survey from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) firms in the UK and UAE. Sample sectors included cosmetics and toiletries, household care products, packaged food, soft drinks and tobacco firms. Quantitative data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results suggest strong support for the hypothesized relationships, thereby providing strong validation for the proposed model. One interesting finding was that the PEU affected employee brand equity significantly stronger in the UK than in the UAE. This phenomenon is explained in the discussion section.
Research limitations/implications
Although several studies have indicated several other elements for EBBE, such as brand commitment and brand citizen behavior, the authors borrowed King et al.’s (2012) EBBE concept and limited their variables on EBBE for brand endorsement, brand allegiance and brand consistent behavior.
Practical implications
Knowledge is expanded through an empirical study validating the proposed model, which provides meaningful insights for developing training tools for internal brand management. Firms have to increase the brand manager’s commitment to increase the employee brand equity, which in turn increases the firm’s performance.
Originality/value
This paper makes three imperative contributions to the branding literature: expanding the existing brand equity literature to incorporate employee brand equity; being the first known empirically tested PEU on employee brand equity; and empirically testing employee brand equity, which has been ignored in branding literature on firm performance.