Journal of Product and Brand Management最新文献

Purpose

The literature on copycat packaging has developed intermittently over a 30-year period, resulting in a divergent and fragmented body of knowledge. This paper aims to synthesise the extant literature to highlight the main developments in the marketing, legal and design fields and, in doing so, contributes to a holistic understanding of the research area and suggests directions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature search retrieved 5,862 articles, and after filtering against explicit criteria, 49 studies were reviewed. These articles were subsequently evaluated and interpreted, producing a synthesis of current research.

Findings

The constructs of copycat packaging, including similarity-related concepts, consequences of copycat packaging and mitigating approaches, have been reported across three disciplines of marketing, legal and design, each having its own distinct focus but nonetheless sharing overlapping themes.

Research limitations/implications

This review discusses future directions and proposes a framework of research themes relating to brand enhancement for online purchasing, measurement of brand confusion, reinforcing design features and approaches to mitigating copycat practices.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first systematic review of the literature on copycat packaging. It brings together the latest thinking on copycat packaging and identifies distinct research issues to be addressed in future studies.

Purpose

While brand purpose has gained traction in academia and industry, it overlaps with other socially-oriented branding concepts, generating confusion and criticism around what brand purpose is and how it should be implemented. This study aims to clarify conceptualisations of brand purpose and related concepts, developing a managerial framework for effective implementation and contributing a future research agenda for scholars.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents the results of a systematic literature review on brand purpose, exploring the current knowledge. A total of 202 studies from 75 journals were drawn from a wide range of databases and met the identified criteria relevant to brand purpose, published up to and including 2023. Full papers were empirically analysed using qualitative iterative thematic analysis to identify common and emerging themes and synthesise this into a framework.

Findings

Beyond identifying the diverse applications of brand purpose, the BEING framework is proposed. This acronym captures five principles of brand purpose: beyond profit, enduring commitment, integrated values, nurturing stakeholders and genuine action.

Practical implications

The BEING framework provides clear managerial guidance for implementing brand purpose, urging brand leaders to enact meaningful brand purpose and champion purpose within organisations.

Social implications

As more brands pursue a higher purpose, this research elucidates the meaning of brand purpose and offers an actionable framework for brands to contribute to a better world.

Originality/value

This work examines the related branding concepts, clarifying the brand purpose concept and offering the BEING framework to articulate essential components of effective brand purpose.

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the influence of a particular label surface texture, i.e. embossing, on consumer purchase intentions and willingness to pay. This paper further highlights the underlying mechanisms explaining this relationship by unveiling the mediating role of willingness to touch and perceived package uniqueness.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the visual salience theory and the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model, this paper tests mediations and serial mediations across two online experiments and evidence from a laboratory experiment.

Findings

Study 1 reveals perceived package uniqueness as the mediator, such that embossed elements on the label increase perceived uniqueness, hence leading to greater purchase intentions and willingness to pay. In addition, Study 2 replicates these results and goes further by demonstrating the positive effect of embossing on purchase intentions and willingness to pay through willingness to touch then perceived package uniqueness.

Practical implications

The findings provide insightful managerial implications by drawing attention to the importance of using embossed elements on packaging, particularly when companies seek to differentiate themselves from competitors by stimulating consumers to touch their product packaging and having them perceive their products as unique.

Originality/value

Using visual salience theory and the SOR model, this research is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first to shed light on the effect of embossing as a visual element of the packaging design on willingness to touch the product (haptics) and perceived uniqueness, ultimately enhancing purchase intentions and willingness to pay.

Purpose

Although virtual anchors have emerged as potent marketing tools, their acceptance by consumers is controversial. Specifically, the relative efficacy of selecting an all-human-like or animal-human-like virtual anchor is not well-defined. However, anthropomorphic visual cues are vital in enhancing live streaming. This study aims to analyze the disparate effects of an animal-human-like or all-human-like virtual anchor on purchase intention as well as evaluate the possible underlying influential mechanisms and boundary conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, three different studies were carried out to elucidate the impact of virtual anchors on purchase intention. Study 1 evaluated the core impact of an animal-human-like and all-human-like virtual anchor on purchase intention, as well as the mediating role of perceived warmth and competence. Studies 2 and 3 were then performed to investigate the moderating impacts of product type and certainty of consumer needs, respectively. Furthermore, research data for these studies was collected using the Credamo tool and analyzed via SPSS, using PROCESS for moderation and mediation analyses.

Findings

The research findings indicate that virtual anchors can trigger purchase intention, with perceived warmth and competence acting as mediating factors. Based on the utilitarian products and high certainty of consumer needs, the influence of perceived competence on purchase intention is augmented. Therefore, an all-human-like virtual anchor increases purchase intention. In contrast, the impact of perceived warmth on purchase intention is supplemented for hedonic products and low certainty of consumer needs. Thus, an animal-human-like virtual anchor increases purchase intention.

Originality/value

This research study evaluated consumer reactions to all-human-like and animal-human-like virtual anchors for different product types and the certainty of consumer needs to optimize the comprehension of a virtual anchor. Furthermore, the assessment of the mediating roles of perceived warmth and competence provided valuable insights into the influential mechanisms by which virtual anchors affect purchase intention. Moreover, this study provided managerial implications to guide retailers and brands on the strategic adoption of virtual anchors to enhance purchase intention based on the product type and the certainty of consumer needs.

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the influence of CEO attire formality on consumers’ perceptions of corporate image, drawing on first impression theory and spillover effect theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Four experimental studies were conducted to test the proposed effect, the underlying mechanism and the boundary condition.

Findings

The formality of CEO attire significantly influences consumers’ perceptions of corporate image. Specifically, formal CEO attire creates a stronger perception of corporate authority among consumers, mediated by perceived rule-following of the CEO. In contrast, informal CEO attire leads to a stronger perception of corporate friendliness, mediated by perceived psychological distance of the CEO. Moreover, a matching effect exists between the type of industry and CEO attire formality, where consumers perceive a greater match between authoritative industries and formally dressed CEOs, and between friendly industries and informally dressed CEOs. This alignment strengthens consumers’ corporate attitudes.

Practical implications

The findings offer valuable insights for CEOs aiming to foster a positive image through their attire, providing strategic guidance for aligning corporate image with industry characteristics.

Originality/value

This research extends the understanding of how consumers’ perceptions of CEO attire can spill over to affect the corporate image, offering a novel perspective on corporate image communication.

Purpose

This study aims to examine the public discourse on sustainable food packaging, evaluating the main characteristics of that discourse and how risk and analytical message content influence consumer engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use two studies with databases built from messages posted on Twitter (now X). Study 1 explores the discourse of sustainable food packaging by conducting a content/sentiment analysis. Study 2 examines more than four million messages posted by or mentioning the world’s most relevant food companies. Hypotheses are tested through censored regression analyses.

Findings

The results show that plastic is the term that can better classify how we talk about sustainable food packaging. The authors also show that food packaging messages related to sustainability, compared to those not related to sustainability, are composed using more analytical language, contributing to generating greater engagement. Moreover, social network users remain skeptical about food companies, as the latter messages on packaging sustainability generate less engagement (likes + retweets) than when other users post these messages.

Originality/value

This study addresses important points in the public discourse on social networks about the sustainability of food packaging and its language features. First, the data are representative of the food market with posts from leading worldwide food companies. Second, identifying the hot topics of the discussion on sustainability packaging on social media provides a new perspective on how companies and society view sustainable food packaging. Third, the authors show how the source of the message moderates the impact of sustainability on engagement.

Purpose

Building on technology acceptance and learning transfer theories, this study aims to evaluate the integration of mobile augmented reality (MAR) in omnichannel retailing touchpoints for Generation Z (or Gen Z)'s apparel shopping, assessing how habitual augmented reality (AR) use in nonretailing contexts impacts Gen Z's motivations, acceptance and use of MAR shopping apps.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 562 participants downloaded a footwear MAR app and completed a survey. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and multivariate regression to explore moderated mediation effects.

Findings

The study reveals a paradigm shift: Gen Z's habitual use of AR in social media (e.g. Snapchat and TikTok face filters) significantly influences their intent to use MAR in shopping, overshadowing hedonic motivations. This marks a transition from AR as a gimmick to a practical utility in omnichannel touchpoints, with performance expectancy emerging as a critical mediator in adopting MAR for utilitarian purposes.

Research limitations/implications

This study highlights how Gen Z consumers’ tech habits influence their pragmatic view of MAR, urging re-exploration of the main constructs of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) model.

Practical implications

Findings suggest Gen Z values practicality over fun in MAR shopping apps, guiding marketers to emphasize tangible benefits for this demographic.

Originality/value

This research underscores the evolving perception of AR in retail among mobile natives, highlighting the shift from novelty to habitual utility. It offers strategic insights for integrating AR into omnichannel strategies, catering to the utilitarian expectations of Gen Z in the digital retail landscape.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore brand customer erosion at both the category and brand levels while considering consumer socio-demographic characteristics and weight of purchase factors.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 3,563 buyers encompassing 20,601 purchases were collected from a prominent household data panel.

Findings

Brand customer erosion varies depending on socio-demographic factors (householder age, family size, life cycle and social class) and weight of purchase; variations are evident depending on the specific brand.

Originality/value

The paper makes a substantial contribution to the established fields of marketing and consumer behavior literature by opening a new line of research. It does so by demonstrating, the impact of socio-demographic factors on customer erosion. Simultaneously, it presents results that contradict the limited existing research on the influence of weight of purchase on brand customer erosion.

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how visual elements used in packaging design relate to diasporic consumer identity and influence aesthetic appreciation.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on social identity theory, research on aesthetic principles and using a mixed methods approach, two studies are conducted. Study 1 involves a qualitative exploration of the nature of diasporic consumer identity and its relation with visual design in packaging. Study 2 involves quantitative testing and calibration of this relationship and its subsequent influence on aesthetic appreciation.

Findings

Diasporic consumers from the Middle East appreciate hybrid visual designs and prefer packaging that strikes an optimum balance of visual elements (colour, shapes, patterns) from the heritage aspects of their ancestral homeland and more contemporary aspects from their culture of living. Preference for balance elicits an overall positive diasporic identity feeling that mediates the relationship with aesthetic appreciation of visual design in packaging.

Research limitations/implications

These findings offer new knowledge about the role of visual design in packaging in delivering symbolic value to diasporic consumers, evidencing how diasporic consumers’ dual identities shape aesthetic appreciation and preferences for hybrid visual designs.

Practical implications

Provides marketing practitioners and packaging designers with a concise and contextual directive for creating visual designs that appeal to a growing segment of diasporic consumers.

Originality/value

This research draws on social identity theory to uncover an aesthetic cultural precept – heritage, yet contemporary – that can inform the development of packaging designs targeting diasporic consumers.

Purpose

Oppositional brand loyalty poses a challenge to the management of virtual communities. This study aims to categorize these loyalty behaviors into positive (willingness to pay a price premium and brand evangelism) and negative (schadenfreude and anti-brand actions) dimensions. It then explores how customer engagement and moral identity influence these dimensions in the context of brand competition.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was conducted to analyze the main and moderating effects, using survey data obtained from 498 valid responses out of a total of 636 responses from Xiaomi's virtual communities.

Findings

The results indicate that customer engagement significantly influences all four dimensions of oppositional brand loyalty. The relationship between customer engagement and brand evangelism is notably stronger among customers with a strong moral identity. Conversely, the effects of customer engagement on schadenfreude and anti-brand actions are attenuated for these customers.

Originality/value

Anchored in theories of brand tribalism, social identity and brand polarization, this study bifurcates oppositional brand loyalty into directions of preference and antagonism, empirically showcasing moral identity's moderating effect. It contributes to the literature on antagonistic loyalty and moral identity, offering strategic insights for companies to navigate schadenfreude and anti-brand actions in online communities.