The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of the scientific contributions made by bra... more The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of the scientific contributions made by brand personality (BP) research, to identify its predominant themes and to propose a relevant research agenda. An analysis was undertaken of the 1051 brand personality-related articles published over the period 1987-2022 that are indexed in the Scopus scientific database. A bibliometric approach was adopted to systematically analyse the publications, and a performance analysis and science mapping were undertaken. The results showed that the motor themes of BP research related to its conceptualisation, dimensions and measurement, its impact on consumerbrand relationships and application in tourism destination-focused studies. Emerging BP-focused themes are its applications in virtual reality, artificial intelligence, service robots, storytelling and tourism segments, such as luxury. This study contributes by providing a better understanding of the state-of-the-art research on BP, and by identifying future research directions.
The Consumer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) literature has, in recent years, introduced various CBBE m... more The Consumer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) literature has, in recent years, introduced various CBBE models. This study aims to compare the validity of the two prominent CBBE models in the retail industry; those introduced by Yoo and Donthu (2011) and Nam, Ekinci and Whyatt (2011). In order to make this comparison, the study collected data from Turkish (n = 285) and Spanish respondents (n = 236) who had experience with global fashion brands and Private Labels (PL). The findings of the study suggest that Nam et al.'s (2011) CBBE model has better validity than Yoon and Donthu's (2011) model. When brand awareness is included in Nam et al.'s model, the psychometric properties of the model improve and outperform the two models. The study discusses the theoretical contributions and managerial implications of the research.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between brand attachment an... more Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between brand attachment and consumers’ positive and negative behaviours. Furthermore, this study examines the moderating effects of attachment styles on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a survey of 432 respondents, and the data are analysed using the structural equation modelling approach. Findings This study empirically supports that brand attachment and attachment styles (i.e. anxiety attachment and avoidance attachment) are distinct. Brand attachment influences consumers’ not only positive behaviour (i.e. brand loyalty) but also negative behaviours, such as trash-talking, schadenfreude and anti-brand actions. The findings of the study suggest that only avoidance attachment style moderates the relationships between brand attachment and these consumer behaviours. The link between brand attachment and brand loyalty is attenuated for high-attachment-avoidance consumers. In con...
Consumer psychology of tourism, hospitality and leisure. Volume 2
This paper reviews the literature on comparison standards in service quality and satisfaction res... more This paper reviews the literature on comparison standards in service quality and satisfaction research. We identify various comparison standards (expectations, desires, equity and experiences) employed and critically review their application. We draw out issues which arise for hospitality and tourism research and put forward ways in which these can be explored in the future.
PurposeThis paper aims to review the development of thinking about the information needed by comp... more PurposeThis paper aims to review the development of thinking about the information needed by companies to create an accurate picture of how well they manage their engagement with customers, taking into account the evolution of thinking and practice in this area over the past three decades towards the idea of data-driven customer engagement. It then describes the evolution and use of an assessment and benchmarking process and tool which provide the needed information.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review, conceptual analysis and explanation of the management consulting process are used.FindingsCompanies can get an accurate picture of how well they manage customer engagement provided that a careful assessment approach is used where assessors are properly selected and trained and that there is a strong focus on compliance with requirements rather than “box-ticking” based upon managers’ perceptions.Research limitations/implicationsThe assessment and benchmarking process was devel...
The aim of this study is to introduce a Consumer-Based Brand Performance Model (CBBPM) to measure... more The aim of this study is to introduce a Consumer-Based Brand Performance Model (CBBPM) to measure brand success. The CBBPM consists of four critical constructs—brand equity, brand trust, brand satisfaction, and brand loyalty—and is applied across different product categories and brands. In total, 881 consumers participated in the survey, and a structural equation modeling approach was employed to test the research hypotheses. The findings of the study suggest that the CBBPM is valid and reliable. Brand equity is positively associated with brand satisfaction, brand trust, and brand loyalty. The positive effects of brand trust and brand satisfaction on brand loyalty are supported. The study suggests that the CBBPM should be used as a strategic brand management tool to track brand performance and to compare them with competing brands.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of ideal self-congruence in instigat... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of ideal self-congruence in instigating two types of negative consumer behaviours – compulsive buying and external trash-talking – and the mediating role of brand attachment on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were designed using a structural equation modelling methodology. Study 1a was based on a mail survey of 280 respondents, whereas Study 1b was based on an electronic survey of 152 respondents. Study 1b was conducted to test the external validity of the research model. Findings In Study 1a, ideal self-congruence affects emotional brand attachment and in turn emotional brand attachment affects compulsive buying behaviour and external trash-talking. The mediation analysis indicates that emotional brand attachment mediates the relationships. Study 1b offers support to the results of Study 1a. Practical implications From a practical point of view, this study is useful for policymakers seeking to...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1300 J162v04n03_05, Sep 8, 2008
SUMMARY The aim of this study is to examine whether consumers use single or multiple comparison s... more SUMMARY The aim of this study is to examine whether consumers use single or multiple comparison standards for the evaluation of service quality and when determining their satisfaction, in the context of the hospitality industry. The data was collected using a convenient student sample. The findings indicate that consumers use multiple comparison standards for the evaluation of service quality and satisfaction. Five of the eight tested comparison standards are found to be significant in predicting service quality and ...
Compulsive buying refers to a phenomenon that promotes excessive consumerism which may hurt the b... more Compulsive buying refers to a phenomenon that promotes excessive consumerism which may hurt the brands' reputation in the long run. This study examines the influence of actual and ideal selfcongruence on brand attachment and two dimensions of compulsive buying behavior (i.e. impulsive and obsessive-compulsive buying). Based on a survey of 427 respondents, it is evident that self-congruence directly affects brand attachment, where actual self-congruence is a stronger predictor of brand attachment. Both actual and ideal self-congruence do not directly affect obsessive-compulsive buying. This indicates that brand attachment fully mediates the relationships. However, actual self-congruence directly affects impulsive buying but ideal selfcongruence does not. This indicates that brand attachment partially mediates the relationship between actual self-congruence and impulsive buying and fully mediates the relationship between ideal self-congruence and impulsive buying. Interestingly, the direct effect of actual selfcongruence on impulsive buying is negative. Academic and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.
Extant research has promoted the importance and seeking to establish a deeper understanding of br... more Extant research has promoted the importance and seeking to establish a deeper understanding of brand loyalty. However, it still remains elusive and uncertain. A study with more than 1,500 CEOs worldwide believes that creating a bond with consumers and continuing to learn how to strengthen the bond are essential for realizing strategies and delivering on shareholder expectations. Not surprisingly, firms and researchers are seeking ways to build a stronger connection with consumers, because such attachment acts as a key requisite in a firm's success. Consequently, understanding how marketers can intensify the attachment is important. This article offers a framework for building stronger consumers' attachment and testing it based on a survey of 432 participants. Four factors are deemed to be important: ideal self-congruence, sensory experience, responsiveness, and CSR beliefs. Attachment influences loyalty and resilience to negative information. Additionally, attachment fully mediates ideal self-congruence and responsiveness to loyalty, as well as ideal self-congruence and sensory experience to resilience to negative information.
The Handbook of Scales in Tourism and Hospitality Research serves as the state of the art referen... more The Handbook of Scales in Tourism and Hospitality Research serves as the state of the art reference book in the field of tourism, hospitality and allied fields such as leisure, recreation, and services management.
We develop a new measurement scale to assess consumers' brand likeability in firm-level brand... more We develop a new measurement scale to assess consumers' brand likeability in firm-level brands. We present brand likeability as a multidimensional construct. In the context of service experience purchases, we find that increased likeability in brands results in: (1) greater amount of positive association; (2) increased interaction interest; (3) more personified quality; and (4) increased brand contentment. The four-dimensional multiple-item scale demonstrates good psychometric properties, showing strong evidence of reliability as well as convergent, discriminant and nomological validity. Our findings reveal that brand likeability is positively associated with satisfaction and positive word of mouth. The scale extends existing branding research, providing brand managers with a metric so that likeability can be managed strategically. It addresses the need for firms to act more likeably in an interaction-dominated economy. Focusing on likeability acts as a differentiator and encour...
International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2015
ABSTRACT Travelers’ hotel booking behaviors increasingly depend on peers' opinions and on... more ABSTRACT Travelers’ hotel booking behaviors increasingly depend on peers' opinions and online ratings. This study investigates the effects of online hotel ratings on travelers' attitudes toward the hotel and booking intentions, using a 2 × 2 experimental research design. The results suggest that online rating lists are more useful and credible when published by well-known online travel communities (e.g., TripAdvisor). More favorable attitudes toward a hotel and higher booking intentions emerge when the hotel appears in best hotels lists. Finally, for the entries on best hotels lists, better attitudes and higher booking intentions result if the list is published on a well-known online travel community (Tripadvisor), whereas for entries on a worst hotel list, attitudes and booking intentions decrease even further if the list appears on TripAdvisor.
Handbook of Hospitality Marketing Management, 2014
Handbook of Hospitality Marketing Management Models of quality suggest that service quality is mu... more Handbook of Hospitality Marketing Management Models of quality suggest that service quality is multi-dimensional. Acting on this assumption, researchers have investigated the number and nature of the service quality dimensions in a variety of service organizations, such as hotels, restaurants, and banks. However, the outcome of this research is mixed. To date, there has been no clear agreement across service industries on what might constitute the generic and specific dimensions of service quality. The lack of consensus can largely be attributed to the fact that service quality research has been dominated by two separate schools of thought-the North American and the Nordic European-that employ different assumptions. As Parasuraman et al. point out the North American school ini-AU2 Ch08-I045080 28-11-2007 5:35 p.m.
Abstract: The relationship between brands and consumers is seen as an important element of strate... more Abstract: The relationship between brands and consumers is seen as an important element of strategic brand management. Past studies have examined different aspects of branding (eg brand equity, brand personality, brand image, brand loyalty), but there has been limited research investigating the quality of the relationship between consumers and brands. The present study aimed to examine various dimensions of the brand relationship quality from the European consumer's point of view in the context of restaurant brands using Fournier's ...
The influence of positive online consumer reviews on the traveler's decision making remains uncle... more The influence of positive online consumer reviews on the traveler's decision making remains unclear. In this study, two experiments using positive and negative online consumer reviews are conducted to better understand perceived usefulness of the online reviews. Firstly, the study suggests that high risk-averse travelers find the negative online reviews more useful than positive reviews. Secondly, the high-risk averse traveler's perceived usefulness of the positive online reviews can be enhanced if the posting is made by a review expert that includes a travel product picture and having a well-known brand name. These findings offer interesting implications for both marketing theory and practice.
The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of the scientific contributions made by bra... more The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of the scientific contributions made by brand personality (BP) research, to identify its predominant themes and to propose a relevant research agenda. An analysis was undertaken of the 1051 brand personality-related articles published over the period 1987-2022 that are indexed in the Scopus scientific database. A bibliometric approach was adopted to systematically analyse the publications, and a performance analysis and science mapping were undertaken. The results showed that the motor themes of BP research related to its conceptualisation, dimensions and measurement, its impact on consumerbrand relationships and application in tourism destination-focused studies. Emerging BP-focused themes are its applications in virtual reality, artificial intelligence, service robots, storytelling and tourism segments, such as luxury. This study contributes by providing a better understanding of the state-of-the-art research on BP, and by identifying future research directions.
The Consumer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) literature has, in recent years, introduced various CBBE m... more The Consumer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) literature has, in recent years, introduced various CBBE models. This study aims to compare the validity of the two prominent CBBE models in the retail industry; those introduced by Yoo and Donthu (2011) and Nam, Ekinci and Whyatt (2011). In order to make this comparison, the study collected data from Turkish (n = 285) and Spanish respondents (n = 236) who had experience with global fashion brands and Private Labels (PL). The findings of the study suggest that Nam et al.'s (2011) CBBE model has better validity than Yoon and Donthu's (2011) model. When brand awareness is included in Nam et al.'s model, the psychometric properties of the model improve and outperform the two models. The study discusses the theoretical contributions and managerial implications of the research.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between brand attachment an... more Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between brand attachment and consumers’ positive and negative behaviours. Furthermore, this study examines the moderating effects of attachment styles on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a survey of 432 respondents, and the data are analysed using the structural equation modelling approach. Findings This study empirically supports that brand attachment and attachment styles (i.e. anxiety attachment and avoidance attachment) are distinct. Brand attachment influences consumers’ not only positive behaviour (i.e. brand loyalty) but also negative behaviours, such as trash-talking, schadenfreude and anti-brand actions. The findings of the study suggest that only avoidance attachment style moderates the relationships between brand attachment and these consumer behaviours. The link between brand attachment and brand loyalty is attenuated for high-attachment-avoidance consumers. In con...
Consumer psychology of tourism, hospitality and leisure. Volume 2
This paper reviews the literature on comparison standards in service quality and satisfaction res... more This paper reviews the literature on comparison standards in service quality and satisfaction research. We identify various comparison standards (expectations, desires, equity and experiences) employed and critically review their application. We draw out issues which arise for hospitality and tourism research and put forward ways in which these can be explored in the future.
PurposeThis paper aims to review the development of thinking about the information needed by comp... more PurposeThis paper aims to review the development of thinking about the information needed by companies to create an accurate picture of how well they manage their engagement with customers, taking into account the evolution of thinking and practice in this area over the past three decades towards the idea of data-driven customer engagement. It then describes the evolution and use of an assessment and benchmarking process and tool which provide the needed information.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review, conceptual analysis and explanation of the management consulting process are used.FindingsCompanies can get an accurate picture of how well they manage customer engagement provided that a careful assessment approach is used where assessors are properly selected and trained and that there is a strong focus on compliance with requirements rather than “box-ticking” based upon managers’ perceptions.Research limitations/implicationsThe assessment and benchmarking process was devel...
The aim of this study is to introduce a Consumer-Based Brand Performance Model (CBBPM) to measure... more The aim of this study is to introduce a Consumer-Based Brand Performance Model (CBBPM) to measure brand success. The CBBPM consists of four critical constructs—brand equity, brand trust, brand satisfaction, and brand loyalty—and is applied across different product categories and brands. In total, 881 consumers participated in the survey, and a structural equation modeling approach was employed to test the research hypotheses. The findings of the study suggest that the CBBPM is valid and reliable. Brand equity is positively associated with brand satisfaction, brand trust, and brand loyalty. The positive effects of brand trust and brand satisfaction on brand loyalty are supported. The study suggests that the CBBPM should be used as a strategic brand management tool to track brand performance and to compare them with competing brands.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of ideal self-congruence in instigat... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of ideal self-congruence in instigating two types of negative consumer behaviours – compulsive buying and external trash-talking – and the mediating role of brand attachment on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were designed using a structural equation modelling methodology. Study 1a was based on a mail survey of 280 respondents, whereas Study 1b was based on an electronic survey of 152 respondents. Study 1b was conducted to test the external validity of the research model. Findings In Study 1a, ideal self-congruence affects emotional brand attachment and in turn emotional brand attachment affects compulsive buying behaviour and external trash-talking. The mediation analysis indicates that emotional brand attachment mediates the relationships. Study 1b offers support to the results of Study 1a. Practical implications From a practical point of view, this study is useful for policymakers seeking to...
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1300 J162v04n03_05, Sep 8, 2008
SUMMARY The aim of this study is to examine whether consumers use single or multiple comparison s... more SUMMARY The aim of this study is to examine whether consumers use single or multiple comparison standards for the evaluation of service quality and when determining their satisfaction, in the context of the hospitality industry. The data was collected using a convenient student sample. The findings indicate that consumers use multiple comparison standards for the evaluation of service quality and satisfaction. Five of the eight tested comparison standards are found to be significant in predicting service quality and ...
Compulsive buying refers to a phenomenon that promotes excessive consumerism which may hurt the b... more Compulsive buying refers to a phenomenon that promotes excessive consumerism which may hurt the brands' reputation in the long run. This study examines the influence of actual and ideal selfcongruence on brand attachment and two dimensions of compulsive buying behavior (i.e. impulsive and obsessive-compulsive buying). Based on a survey of 427 respondents, it is evident that self-congruence directly affects brand attachment, where actual self-congruence is a stronger predictor of brand attachment. Both actual and ideal self-congruence do not directly affect obsessive-compulsive buying. This indicates that brand attachment fully mediates the relationships. However, actual self-congruence directly affects impulsive buying but ideal selfcongruence does not. This indicates that brand attachment partially mediates the relationship between actual self-congruence and impulsive buying and fully mediates the relationship between ideal self-congruence and impulsive buying. Interestingly, the direct effect of actual selfcongruence on impulsive buying is negative. Academic and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.
Extant research has promoted the importance and seeking to establish a deeper understanding of br... more Extant research has promoted the importance and seeking to establish a deeper understanding of brand loyalty. However, it still remains elusive and uncertain. A study with more than 1,500 CEOs worldwide believes that creating a bond with consumers and continuing to learn how to strengthen the bond are essential for realizing strategies and delivering on shareholder expectations. Not surprisingly, firms and researchers are seeking ways to build a stronger connection with consumers, because such attachment acts as a key requisite in a firm's success. Consequently, understanding how marketers can intensify the attachment is important. This article offers a framework for building stronger consumers' attachment and testing it based on a survey of 432 participants. Four factors are deemed to be important: ideal self-congruence, sensory experience, responsiveness, and CSR beliefs. Attachment influences loyalty and resilience to negative information. Additionally, attachment fully mediates ideal self-congruence and responsiveness to loyalty, as well as ideal self-congruence and sensory experience to resilience to negative information.
The Handbook of Scales in Tourism and Hospitality Research serves as the state of the art referen... more The Handbook of Scales in Tourism and Hospitality Research serves as the state of the art reference book in the field of tourism, hospitality and allied fields such as leisure, recreation, and services management.
We develop a new measurement scale to assess consumers' brand likeability in firm-level brand... more We develop a new measurement scale to assess consumers' brand likeability in firm-level brands. We present brand likeability as a multidimensional construct. In the context of service experience purchases, we find that increased likeability in brands results in: (1) greater amount of positive association; (2) increased interaction interest; (3) more personified quality; and (4) increased brand contentment. The four-dimensional multiple-item scale demonstrates good psychometric properties, showing strong evidence of reliability as well as convergent, discriminant and nomological validity. Our findings reveal that brand likeability is positively associated with satisfaction and positive word of mouth. The scale extends existing branding research, providing brand managers with a metric so that likeability can be managed strategically. It addresses the need for firms to act more likeably in an interaction-dominated economy. Focusing on likeability acts as a differentiator and encour...
International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2015
ABSTRACT Travelers’ hotel booking behaviors increasingly depend on peers' opinions and on... more ABSTRACT Travelers’ hotel booking behaviors increasingly depend on peers' opinions and online ratings. This study investigates the effects of online hotel ratings on travelers' attitudes toward the hotel and booking intentions, using a 2 × 2 experimental research design. The results suggest that online rating lists are more useful and credible when published by well-known online travel communities (e.g., TripAdvisor). More favorable attitudes toward a hotel and higher booking intentions emerge when the hotel appears in best hotels lists. Finally, for the entries on best hotels lists, better attitudes and higher booking intentions result if the list is published on a well-known online travel community (Tripadvisor), whereas for entries on a worst hotel list, attitudes and booking intentions decrease even further if the list appears on TripAdvisor.
Handbook of Hospitality Marketing Management, 2014
Handbook of Hospitality Marketing Management Models of quality suggest that service quality is mu... more Handbook of Hospitality Marketing Management Models of quality suggest that service quality is multi-dimensional. Acting on this assumption, researchers have investigated the number and nature of the service quality dimensions in a variety of service organizations, such as hotels, restaurants, and banks. However, the outcome of this research is mixed. To date, there has been no clear agreement across service industries on what might constitute the generic and specific dimensions of service quality. The lack of consensus can largely be attributed to the fact that service quality research has been dominated by two separate schools of thought-the North American and the Nordic European-that employ different assumptions. As Parasuraman et al. point out the North American school ini-AU2 Ch08-I045080 28-11-2007 5:35 p.m.
Abstract: The relationship between brands and consumers is seen as an important element of strate... more Abstract: The relationship between brands and consumers is seen as an important element of strategic brand management. Past studies have examined different aspects of branding (eg brand equity, brand personality, brand image, brand loyalty), but there has been limited research investigating the quality of the relationship between consumers and brands. The present study aimed to examine various dimensions of the brand relationship quality from the European consumer's point of view in the context of restaurant brands using Fournier's ...
The influence of positive online consumer reviews on the traveler's decision making remains uncle... more The influence of positive online consumer reviews on the traveler's decision making remains unclear. In this study, two experiments using positive and negative online consumer reviews are conducted to better understand perceived usefulness of the online reviews. Firstly, the study suggests that high risk-averse travelers find the negative online reviews more useful than positive reviews. Secondly, the high-risk averse traveler's perceived usefulness of the positive online reviews can be enhanced if the posting is made by a review expert that includes a travel product picture and having a well-known brand name. These findings offer interesting implications for both marketing theory and practice.
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Papers by Yuksel Ekinci