International Review of Management and Marketing

Engaging Consumer Senses: The Role of Interactive Brand Experiences in Brand Building

2023-12-08T08:59:13+00:00

Successful brands are investing in creating exceptional interactive brand experiences and fostering emotional connections to build brand love. This dual approach contributes to long-term customer relationships and is an effective way for companies to create hedonic value thereby gaining a competitive advantage. The purpose of the study is to investigate how interactive brand experiences (i.e., sensory, emotional, behavioural, and intellectual) influence brand love in the energy drinks category amongst young adults in South Africa. Data were collected from energy drink young adults through physical surveys. The study applied partial least-square-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that the various interactive brand experiences dimensions influence brand love. Although the brand experience dimensions are supported, they don’t seem to equally influence brand love, as the sensory experience dimension (i.e., taste, smell, sight, touch, and sound), had the strongest influence on brand love. Consumers desire something that touches their heart and engages their senses. Marketers can therefore focus on building brand related stimuli in order to influence consumer behaviour. By focusing on these alternative marketing approaches to brand building, marketers can attract and retain young adults. This research contributes to understanding how brand experiences influence brand love in the energy drinks beverage category.

Comparing Algorithm-Based and Friend-Based Recommendations on Audio Streaming Platforms

2024-01-08T08:57:16+00:00

With the rise of audio streaming platforms (ASPs), users face the challenge of navigating a large amount of audio content. Companies are increasingly employing algorithms to provide personalized recommendations to their customers; however, word-of-mouth research has demonstrated in numerous studies the crucial role of friend-based recommendations, particularly in the realm of experience goods. Considering the experiential factor in ASPs, existing insights into recommendations raise the question of which recommendation source holds a greater advantage in the realm of ASPs. This study deals with recommendation sources in the field of ASPs and examines in particular the effects of algorithm-based suggestions on users' listening intentions. Using a quantitative research approach, we investigate users' attitudes toward recommended content and compare the intentions to listen to suggested content in cases of algorithmic and friend-based recommendations. Our results provide valuable insights for companies planning to provide helpful recommendations to ASP users and increase their listening intentions for recommended content.

Investigating the Dark Side of Social Media Marketing: Case of Cyberbullying on Micro Celebrities

2024-01-25T08:48:23+00:00

A substantial growth of using social media is the new marketing trend in last few years. Influencers are now recognized as new micro-celebrities. So that, marketing professionals are increasingly using them for a better placement of their products. This new trend is considered as the bright side of social media. But, little is known about the dark side. This research investigates the dark side of social media in the particular case of Instagram platform. We focused on cyberbullying as an abusive way usually used by followers in order to highlight the real effects on micro-celebrities. This research innovatively used netnography method to extract and analyse Instagram posts on the official account of one well-known Tunisian micro-celebrity. All contents shared during 3 months by individuals involved in this research were recorded using Nvivo 11.0 for thematic analysis and coding. Results shown that strangely, cyberbullying in Tunisian context doesn’t cause psychological disorder but made the victim viral and famous. It seems that masquerading was provoked by the micro-celebrity to get more followers, more endorsement and more profit. Limitations and future research directions were stipulated.

The Effect of Organizational Flexibility on Organizational Ambidexterity in Higher Education Institutions in Iraq

2024-01-15T09:05:07+00:00

The purpose of this research is to examine how different dimensions of organizational flexibility (strategic, structural, and operational) impact organizational ambidexterity within the higher education sector in Iraq. To collect data, a survey instrument is used and a quantitative approach is adopted, with 85 academic staff members participating out of a targeted sample size of 295 lecturers from colleges and institutes within Duhok Polytechnic University (DPU) located in Duhok city, Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Structural Equation Modelling is utilized to determine the direction of the relationship between the variables. Based on the study, it was found that Structure Flexibility has a positive and significant impact on both Exploration and Exploitation of organizational ambidexterity. Additionally, Operational Flexibility also had a significant and positive effect on Exploration and Exploitation. However, the effect of Strategy Flexibility on organizational ambidexterity (Exploration and Exploitation was not significant and surpassed the significance level of 0.05. In addition to the findings, this study addresses the key policy implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research regarding higher education institutions.

Navigating the Marketing Landscape: Strategies for Promoting Private Higher Education Institutions in South Africa

2023-12-21T06:57:41+00:00

Private institutions in South Africa's higher education sector need effective marketing strategies to attract and retain students amidst competition. This article provides marketing strategies for Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) in South Africa to navigate a competitive landscape. The objective of the research is to determine the effective media and marketing activities for PHEIs to target a larger market share. The study involved 23 semi-structured interviews with students enrolled at three PHEIs in South Africa. The researcher conducted a thematic analysis to identify patterns from transcribed interviews. Codes were created for each theme, and similar topics were clustered. Microsoft Word and Excel were used for data interpretation and visualisation. ATLAS.ti 22, a CAQDAS software, was employed for further analysis and interpretation. The study suggests that PHEIs in South Africa should prioritise their online presence, websites, and participation in high schools and career fairs to target a larger market share. Marketers should create and adapt their marketing strategies to include various communication channels and methods. Positive word-of-mouth interactions also play a significant role in the marketing efforts of PHEIs, so marketers should focus on developing strategies that generate such interactions.