Journal of Product & Brand Management

Jain, Sheetal; Rathi, Rubal

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-10-2021-3703

Drawing on goal framing theory, this study aims to investigate consumer values and perceived readiness to engage in secondhand luxury consumption, a form of pro-environmental behavior.Design/methodology/approachAn integrative conceptual model is proposed based on goal- framing theory to gauge the role of various goals driving Gen Z’s secondhand luxury purchase. Cross-sectional data were collected from 246 Indian secondhand luxury shoppers and analyzed using structural equation modeling and PROCESS Macro.FindingsResults demonstrated that both egoistic and altruistic value frames drive secondhand luxury purchase intention through attitude and subjective norms (SNs), respectively. Interestingly, attitude significantly leads to consumer perceived readiness, but readiness does not directly affect purchase intention. Further, risk perceptions moderate the effect of readiness and SNs.Originality/valueAcademic literature lacks empirical evidence on secondhand luxury as a form of pro-environmental behavior and Gen Z argued to be the most influential generation driving this market has not been investigated so far. Through an emerging economy context, this study contributes important implications for luxury brands entering the secondhand market, secondhand retailers and scholars about what motivates young consumers and drives purchase decisions while engaging with an otherwise stigmatized market.

Herter, Márcia Maurer; Shuqair, Saleh; Pinto, Diego Costa; Mattila, Anna S.; Zandonai Pontin, Paola

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-06-2022-4020

This paper aims to examine how the relationship norms established between customers and brands influence customer perceptions of crowdsourcing (vs firm-generated) cues.Design/methodology/approachFour studies (N = 851) examine the moderating role of relationship norms on product labeling cues (crowdsourcing vs firm-generated) effects on brand engagement, and the underlying mechanism of self-brand connection.FindingsThe findings suggest that crowdsourcing (vs firm-generated) cues lead to higher brand engagement (Studies 1A–1B), mediated by self-brand connection (Studies 2–3). In addition, relationship norms moderate the effects (Study 3), such that under exchange brand relationships crowdsourcing (vs firm-generated) cues yield higher brand engagement, whereas communal brand relationships reverse such effects.Practical implicationsThe findings provide valuable managerial implications by highlighting the importance of using relationship norms as diagnostic cues to successfully implement crowdsourcing initiatives.Originality/valueThis research adds to the customer-brand relationship literature by revealing an accessibility-diagnosticity perspective of consumers’ reactions to crowdsourcing (vs firm-generated) cues.

Liao, Junyun; Guo, Rui; Chen, Jiawen; Du, Peng

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-07-2021-3576

Oppositional brand loyalty (OBL) has become widespread and has thus received growing scholarly attention in recent years. Although opposition behaviors have distinct manifestations, their differential antecedents remain underexplored. Drawing from the identity-based motivation model, this article aims to examine the impact of brand identification and brand disidentification on the two distinct dimensions of OBL (i.e. brand avoidance and trash talk) according to their different intensity and activation levels (passive or active). In addition, article aims to examine the moderating role of perceived inter-group rivalry.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected survey data and obtained 392 valid questionnaires from smartphone users. Structural equation modeling was used for hypothesis testing.FindingsThe results show that brand identification has a significant positive effect on avoidance of rival brands, but not on trash talk; brand disidentification has a significant positive effect on both avoidance and trash talk of rival brands; and perceived inter-group rivalry positively moderates the relationship between brand disidentification and trash talk, but does not alter the relationship between brand disidentification and brand avoidance.Originality/valueThis study extends the literature on OBL by investigating differential antecedents of two distinct dimensions of brand opposition. It provides more complete understanding of the formation of OBL by examining the role of users’ relationship with a focal brand, its competing brand and inter-group relationship.

Huang, Xiao; Kwon, Wi-Suk

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-06-2022-4041

Based on cue utilization theory, this study aims to examine effects of the style (fashion vs basic) and licensing status (licensed vs nonlicensed) of university-related apparel products (URAPs) as intrinsic and extrinsic cues, respectively, impacting university fans’ responses (i.e. attitudes, purchase intentions and purchase behaviors) and the moderating roles of personal factors (i.e. perceived university prestige, quality consciousness and uniqueness seeking).Design/methodology/approachData were collected via an online quasi-experiment employing a 2 (licensing status: licensed vs nonlicensed) × 2 (style: basic vs fashion) within-subjects design with a purposeful sample of 1,126 students and alumni of a Southeastern American university.FindingsResults show that consumers generally responded more favorably to licensed (vs nonlicensed) URAPs, especially for basic styles, whereas their responses to fashionable URAPs were more favorable for nonlicensed (vs licensed) URAPs. Furthermore, the positive effects of licensing status were stronger for consumers with high (vs low) perceived university prestige or quality consciousness. Consumers generally more favorably responded to basic (vs fashion) URAPs, but this style effect was weaker among those with a high (vs low) uniqueness seeking tendency.Originality/valueTheoretical explanations on URAP consumption have been scant in the product and brand management literature. This study fills this literature gap by conceptualizing extrinsic (i.e. licensing status) and intrinsic (i.e. style) cues crucial in URAP consumption from a cue utilization theory lens and demonstrating empirical evidence for the intricate interplays among the two cues and diverse personal characteristics.

Murshed, Feisal; Dwivedi, Abhishek; Nayeem, Tahmid

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-02-2021-3377

This study aims to demonstrate that brand experiences can influence perceived brand authenticity, and perceived quality mediates this link. The proposed nomological net also assesses the impact of perceived quality and brand authenticity on consumers’ loyalty intentions, a key consumer-level outcome.Design/methodology/approachA survey method based on data from a sample of 405 new car owners was used for empirical analysis. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results provide broad support for the framework. All the direct effects and the key indirect effect are significant, as predicted.Social implicationsAs consumers are seeking brands that are genuine in its communication and behavior, building authenticity will be crucial to engage customers and create meaningful social values.Originality/valueThis work develops a framework and empirical evidence of how experiential marketing can contribute to brand authenticity directly and through perceived quality.

Tian, Shiyun; Cho, Su Yeon; Jia, Xiaofeng; Sun, Ruoyu; Tsai, Wanhsiu Sunny

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-02-2022-3879

This study aims to focus on the dynamics in influencer-consumer relationships to understand how Generation Z consumers’ identification and social comparison with influencers shape their response to influencers’ branded posts. Specifically, this study investigates how perceived similarity and wishful identification lead to distinct social comparison mechanisms that affect Generation Z consumers’ self-improvement motives, which, in turn, drive their message engagement, brand attitudes and purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted with 295 college students who are digital natives and whose purchase decisions are heavily influenced by social media influencers.FindingsThe study findings confirmed that perceived similarity positively influenced assimilative comparison emotions of optimism, admiration and aspiration while negatively influenced contrastive comparison emotions of envy, depression and resentment. Wishful identification positively affected both assimilative and contrastive comparison emotions. Both types of social comparison emotions further affected consumers’ motivations to follow the influencer for self-improvement, thereby enhancing their brand attitude, purchase intention and engagement behaviors.Originality/valueThis study is one of the earliest attempts to investigate the relationship dynamics between influencers and consumers from the lens of social comparison. The study examines the antecedents of perceived similarity and wishful identification, the mediators of upward comparison emotions and self-improvement motives and the brand evaluation outcomes of message engagement, brand attitude and purchase intention.

Sameti, Ardalan

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-05-2022-3994

The success rate of new products is stubbornly low. This paper aims to explore the differences in how product designers and product managers approach the new product development task by comparing their perspectives on the process.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a worldwide survey of professional product designers and managers and compared their perspectives.FindingsManagers struggle to understand the problem to be solved until they see the solution in the form of an outstanding product design. Designers struggle to develop new products until they have a specific and insightful understanding of the problem that needs to be solved.Practical implicationsDesigners’ and managers’ ways of thinking are different, and effective collaboration depends on them being cognizant of each other’s ways of thinking; the success of their work is highly interdependent.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study that simultaneously investigates both product designers and managers to reveal the paradoxical dynamics between their perspectives.

Hou, Jiayi; Han, Boya; Chen, Long; Zhang, Ke

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-03-2022-3926

This paper aims to test the effects of social presence (SP) and other related factors, including trust, self-construal and brand familiarity, in affecting consumers’ purchase intention of live-streaming workout courses.Design/methodology/approachThree between-subjects, Web-based experimental studies were conducted. There were separately 108, 208 and 284 valid questionnaires collected in the three studies. Moderation and mediation analyses were performed to test the research hypotheses.FindingsUsers’ sense of SP when watching live-streaming courses positively affects their willingness to purchase courses, and users’ sense of trust plays a mediating role in the influence of users’ SP on their purchase intention. In addition, when users belong to dependent self-construal rather than independent self-construal, their trust in live-streaming courses plays a stronger mediating role in the influence of users’ SP on their purchase intentions. What is more, when users have high brand familiarity rather than low brand familiarity, their trust in online live-streaming plays a stronger mediating role in the influence of users’ SP on their purchase intentions.Originality/valueThis research delineates the effects of SP on the consumption of live-streaming courses, thus further adding to the understanding of the role of real-time interaction in determining consumer behavior. It also highlights the roles of self-construal and brand familiarity as mediating influences on the relationship between SP and consumer trust.

Hernani-Merino, Martin; Libaque-Saenz, Christian Fernando; Dávalos, Jorge

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-12-2021-3799

This study aims to propose and empirically validate a framework of antecedents and consequences of customer inspiration.Design/methodology/approachThis study consisted of a survey administered to consumers who are current users of Samsung or Apple electronic devices. The survey targeted only users who had some level of university studies to homogenize the sample’s characteristics. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsResults support the two-step nature of customer inspiration, with “inspired by” (activation) as the first step followed by “inspired to” (intention). In addition, the results highlighted the role of brand experience and openness to experience as antecedents to customer inspiration, while customer satisfaction, brand engagement in self-concept, brand affect, word of mouth and repurchase intention were validated as its consequences.Originality/valueThis study aids understanding of the role of customer inspiration as a conceptual and empirical construct in consumer behavior by including brand experience as an inspiration stimulus, as well as other constructs that relate to inspiration. This study also describes possible strategic implications when using brands of electronic devices as sources of inspiration.

Kirkby, Alexandra; Baumgarth, Carsten; Henseler, Jörg

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-02-2022-3864

This paper aims to explore consumer perception of “brand voice” authenticity, brand authenticity and brand attitude when the source of text is disclosed as either artificial intelligence (AI)-generated or human-written.Design/methodology/approachA 3 × 3 experimental design using Adidas marketing texts disclosed as either “AI” or “human”, or not disclosed was applied to data gathered online from 624 English-speaking students.FindingsText disclosed as AI-generated is not perceived as less authentic than that disclosed as human-written. No negative effect on brand voice authenticity and brand attitude results if an AI-source is disclosed.Practical implicationsFindings offer brand managers the potential for cost and time savings but emphasise the strong effect of AI technology on perceived brand authenticity and brand attitude.Originality/valueResults show that brands can afford to be transparent in disclosing the use of AI to support brand voice as communicated in product description or specification or in chatbot text.

Lee, Sang Bong; Liu, Shih-Hao; Maertz, Carl P.; Singh, Nitish; Fisher, James

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-06-2022-4047

This study aims to identify different antecedents and reveal divergent moderating effects of horizontal collectivism, thereby unlocking the asymmetric mechanisms for employees’ brand citizenship behavior (BCB) and negative word-of-mouth (NWOM).Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a survey data set and analyzes it with structural equation modeling along with common latent factor analysis designed to control for common method variance.FindingsBCB is associated with pride at work but not perceived organizational support (POS), so POS drives BCB not directly but indirectly through the emotion of pride at work. In contrast, employees’ NWOM is associated with both POS and frustration, and POS drives NWOM directly and indirectly through the emotion of frustration. Horizontal collectivism has divergent moderating effects that strengthen the relationships of BCB with POS and pride at work and weaken the relationship between employees’ NWOM and frustration.Originality/valueThis study makes two major theoretical contributions to internal branding. First, as a response to the need for an investigation into drivers of employees’ brand-oriented behaviors, it will identify different psychological antecedents and mechanisms for BCB and employees’ NWOM. Second, capturing the potential of horizontal collectivism on employees’ brand-oriented behaviors, this study will reveal the potential divergent moderating effects of horizontal collectivism on BCB and employees’ NWOM. These two contributions will lead to a better understanding of the different mechanisms for employees’ BCB and NWOM.

Arantola, Noora; Juntunen, Mari

2023 Journal of Product & Brand Management

doi: 10.1108/jpbm-06-2022-4027

This study aims to increase the understanding of the emergence of a values-based (VB) premium private label (PL) brand reputation within a multiple-tier PL brand portfolio in retailing.Design/methodology/approachBy building on the research on PLs, brand image, brand reputation and consumer values, this study creates a conceptual foundation for the emergence of VB PL brand reputation within a multiple-tier brand portfolio among consumers and examines the emergence of such reputation empirically using interpretive exploratory qualitative laddering interviews in the context of fast-moving consumer goods.FindingsThe findings of this study illustrate that the VB reputations of the premium PL product brand and the PL brand store intertwine, ultimately relating to two terminal values: pleasure and doing good. These reputations differ remarkably from the VB reputations of the economy PL brand and the umbrella brand of the retail chain (not doing good and financial security).Research limitations/implicationsThis study explains the emergence of VB brand reputation within a multiple-tier brand portfolio and introduces the use of the laddering technique in such research.Practical implicationsThis study reminds brand managers to carefully design the relevant brand strategy for brands and their relationships under a brand umbrella.Originality/valueAlthough much is known about PL brands and brand reputation, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study might be the first to increase the understanding of how a VB premium PL brand reputation emerges and accumulates from brand images within a multiple-tier brand portfolio.