scholarly journals Spatial Distance Construal Perspectives on Cause-Related Marketing: The Importance of Nationalism in Russia

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuliya Strizhakova ◽  
Robin A. Coulter
Keyword(s):  
Global Citizenship ◽  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Spatial Distance ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Domestic Firm ◽  
Global Identity ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
Domestic Firms ◽  
Global Brands ◽  
Cause Related Marketing

Consumers around the globe expect firms to contribute to environmentally and socially responsible causes. Using construal level theory with a spatial distance lens, we examine effects of spatial proximity of the firm (domestic firm vs. foreign multinational corporation [MNC]), cause (domestic vs. global), and consumer cultural identity (locally oriented: nationalism and consumer ethnocentrism; distantly oriented: global identity and global citizenship through global brands) on consumer attitudes toward the firm. Across three studies with a focus on Russia and environmental causes, we consistently find that nationalism moderates consumer attitudes, whereas consumer ethnocentrism, global identity, and global citizenship through global brands do not. When firms engage in cause-related marketing and focus on proximal causes, nationalistic consumers are more favorable toward domestic firms (vs. foreign MNCs). When firms are not engaged in cause-related marketing, consumers with stronger nationalism are more favorable toward domestic firms, and consumers with weaker nationalism are more favorable toward foreign MNCs. Importantly, the effects of nationalism are mitigated when foreign MNCs and domestic firms engage with global causes. Product involvement, environmental concerns, and marketplace skepticism are predictors of attitudes toward the firm. The results highlight the importance of considering the socio-historical-political context of a given country and locally oriented nationalistic beliefs.

scholarly journals Segmentation of Young Adult Consumers in China: A Global-local Cultural Identity Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunling Yu ◽  
Lily C. Dong
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Identity Theory ◽  
Global Citizenship ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Local Identity ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
Global Brands ◽  
Cultural Positioning

This study explores the segmentation of young adult consumers in the growing market of China by adopting the cultural identity theory about global-local identity beliefs (global citizenship through global brands, nationalism, and consumer ethnocentrism). We use cluster analysis to outline individuals on their integration of three cultural beliefs. Then we examine each cluster for their attitude toward advertisements of global brands with global consumer cultural positioning (GCCP) and local consumer cultural positioning (LCCP). We identified four segments: the glocal citizen (37%), the explorer (26%), the extremely nationalist (19%) and the global-viewed adaptor (18%). All four segments demonstrate different attitudes to GCCP and LCCP advertisements and different purchasing intentions on global brands using GCCP and LCCP strategies.

scholarly journals How Spatial Distance and Message Strategy in Cause-Related Marketing Ads Influence Consumers’ Ad Believability and Attitudes

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6775
Author(s):  
Taemin Kim ◽  
Jeesun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Spatial Distance ◽  
Corporate Management ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Message Strategy ◽  
Cause Related Marketing ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Do So

Corporations have engaged in cause-related marketing (CRM) based on consumer expectations toward ethical and sustainable corporate management. However, it is equally important to understand how to do so effectively. The role of cause proximity has been examined as an important factor that determines the effectiveness of CRM messages. Limited research, however, has considered moderating variables in the context of cause proximity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the interplay between cause proximity and message strategy on attitudes toward the ad and ad believability. Based on an experimental design, this study applies construal level theory to demonstrate the effect of a construal fit between the spatial distance of the cause and how the message is presented on consumer attitudes toward ads and ad believability. Results show that the effects of message strategy mattered only for the global CRM cause. Furthermore, the findings show a mediating role of ad believability between cause proximity and message strategy on attitude toward the ad. This study provides empirical evidence for the advantage of using abstract messages in maximizing consumer reactions such as attitudes and believability when addressing global causes in CRM ad campaigns. Specifically, it offers insights on the impact of a matched condition between the spatial distance of the cause and language abstractness in CRM advertising.

Disasters, hope and globalization: exploring self-identification with global consumer culture in Japan

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 726-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shintaro Okazaki ◽  
Charles R. Taylor ◽  
Patrick Vargas ◽  
Jörg Henseler
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Culture ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
International Marketing ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
Global Brands ◽  
Global Brand

Purpose An unconscious concern regarding one’s inevitable death, known as mortality salience, may affect consumers’ brand choices in the aftermath of disastrous events, such as earthquakes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of self-identification with global consumer culture (IDGCC) in global brand purchase intention in response to disasters that heighten mortality salience. The roles of materialism, consumer ethnocentrism, cosmopolitanism and hope in this this process are also explored. Design/methodology/approach An online experiment was conducted with a large sample of Japanese consumers. Japan was selected because it had recently suffered from a series of devastating earthquakes. Participants’ mortality salience was primed with an earthquake scenario. All measures were adapted from prior research. The authors used structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses and validate the model. Findings The results reveal that IDGCC is a direct predictor of global brand purchase intention when mortality salience is high. It appears that identifying with global consumer culture and buying global brands enhances self-esteem and reduces anxiety for those with high IDGCC. As predicted, materialism and cosmopolitanism positively influence IDGCC, whereas consumer ethnocentrism does not impede IDGCC. Hope directly and positively affects global brand purchase intention. Research limitations/implications Some consumers who experience traumatic events may resist mortality salience and experience a heightened sense of global citizenship. Meanwhile, those with lower IDGCC may revert to in-group favoritism, whereas those with higher IDGCC tend to purchase global brands. Using a scenario to simulate the mental state evoked by a disaster limits generalizability. Practical implications The findings illuminate how firms should modify their international marketing strategies in the face of traumatic global events when targeting consumers with high vs low IDGCC in terms of framing messages about global brands. Additionally, using global brands that emphasize an optimistic outlook may help global marketers capture attention from consumers high in IDGCC. Originality/value This study is one of the first to address traumatic events and hope, relating these concepts to IDGCC and global brand purchase intention in an international marketing context.

scholarly journals Enhancing Consumer Attitude Toward Culturally Mixed Symbolic Products from Foreign Global Brands in an Emerging-Market Setting: The Role of Cultural Respect

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoling Guo ◽  
Martin Heinberg ◽  
Shaoming Zou
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Market ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Consumer Attitude ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Global Brands ◽  
Global Companies ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Symbolic Products

The extant literature has not examined the conditions that govern integrative and exclusionary reactions to cultural hybrid products with sufficient detail. Within an emerging-market setting, this study explores how culturally mixed symbolic products (CMSPs) from foreign global brands can avoid antagonistic consumer attitudes. Building on social categorization theory, the authors argue that foreign global brands are viewed as belonging to an out-group and may thus encounter difficulties in tapping local cultural capital, resulting in a negative relationship between brand globalness and consumer attitude toward CMSPs. However, they contend that product category moderates this relationship such that there is a stronger negative effect for nonfood products than for food products. Moreover, the authors theorize that (1) cultural respect by foreign global companies directly enhances consumer attitudes toward CMSPs and (2) cultural respect attenuates the negative brand globalness–CMSP attitude link. These hypotheses are tested using a representative consumer sample from eight provinces/municipalities in China (n = 646). Results provide important implications for global companies on how to benefit from local cultural resources in their localization processes.

Understanding factors influencing consumer attitudes toward cause-related marketing

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mercedes Galan Ladero ◽  
Clementina Galera Casquet ◽  
Jaywant Singh
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Cause Related Marketing ◽  
Factors Influencing

scholarly journals Cause-Related Marketing and Ethnocentrism: The Moderating Effects of Geographic Scope and Perceived Economic Threat

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 292
Author(s):  
Ioanna Boulouta ◽  
Danae Manika
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Domestic Economy ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Geographic Scope ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
Cause Related Marketing ◽  
Economic Threat ◽  
Consumer Segment

Amongst the various factors that managers need to consider when designing a CRM campaign is the cause’s geographic scope, i.e., should the CRM campaign benefit local, national, or international communities? Although previous research has examined the importance of geographic scope in the effectiveness of the CRM campaigns, it has largely ignored consumer reactions to CRM campaigns from a local cultural identity perspective, such as ethnocentric identity. This study brings together these two important factors to examine (through the lens of Social Identity Theory) how consumer ethnocentrism affects CRM effectiveness in campaigns varying in geographic scope. We test our hypotheses through an experimental study of 322 British consumers and three different geographic scopes (UK, Greece, and Ethiopia). Our results show that ethnocentric consumers show a positive bias towards products advertised through national CRM campaigns; however, there is a diversity of reactions towards different international geographic scopes, based on the levels of ‘perceived economic threat’. Ethnocentric consumers prefer international CRM campaigns that benefit people located in a country posing a lower vs. a higher economic threat to the domestic economy and the self. Our study contributes to a broader understanding of factors affecting the effectiveness of CRM campaigns and help managers design better CRM campaigns by carefully selecting the geographic scope, after considering a rising consumer segment: the ethnocentric consumer.

scholarly journals Applying social identity theory to the social media content strategy of a global brand: The role of brand- and user-generated content in global social identification

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mikayla Meehan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Identification ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Global Identity ◽  
Identification Process ◽  
Global Brands ◽  
Global Brand ◽  
Content Strategy ◽  
Identity Priming ◽  
Identity Expression

<p>The global marketplace is centred around products and brands that reflect certain identities. Social media can act as vehicles of meaning transfer for social identification between brands and social media users with a global social identity. Recognizing the importance of the psychological and sociological needs that draw social media users to build relationships with global brands, the purpose of this thesis is to explore the relevance of the global social identification process to global social media branding strategy. More specifically, this research considers the role and influence of social group membership dynamics to explore how brand-generated and user-generated content are part of the global social identification process. In that, this research aims to fill the gap where social identity theory has not been applied as a lens through which to understand and evaluate the social media content strategy of a global brand. This gap is important to fill due to the global social media arena’s social-centric nature and transparency in displaying social group memberships. An interpretive paradigm was used for this research, with a qualitative case study approach that consisted of interviews with global social media users/global brand representatives and a content analysis of the focal brands social media pages. The study found that the global social identification process on social media consists of two stages, global identity priming and global identity expression. Global identity priming occurs when the psychological and sociological function of global brands is transferred to brand-generated content through a semiotic meaning transfer process. Global identity expression can occur after, as a result of global identity priming, social media users with a global identity categorize the global brand into their in-group. Once in-group categorization takes place, creation and/or sharing of user-generated content with the global brand can be considered an act of identity expression and validation by those with a global identity. This has implications for a global brand’s social media content strategy, as the findings revealed that brand-generated content featuring certain symbolic global values facilitates the global social identification process on social media. Moreover, the findings revealed that user-generated content created by social media users for global identity expression purposes is of considerable value to global brands. Understanding how the global social identification process transpires on social media can guide global brands to consider how their content strategy can prime global social identification and meet the identity expression needs of those with a global identity. This has implications for content strategy design, social media interactions and ongoing global brand-user relationships.</p>

How Domestic Firms Absorb Spillovers: A Routine-Based Model of Absorptive Capacity View

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 543-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Hua Tzeng
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Domestic Firm ◽  
Productivity Change ◽  
Unexpected Finding ◽  
Domestic Firms ◽  
Technology Gaps ◽  
Complementary Assets

ABSTRACTExtant spillover literature explains domestic firms' productivity change mainly by the presence and attributes of foreign direct investment. In contrary, this paper, by adopting a routine-based model of absorptive capacity, intends to explore how domestic firms absorb spillovers over time. Based on a qualitative study of a domestic firm in China's silicone adhesive industry, the findings show that unbounded by geographical constraints, domestic firms enact their external absorptive capacity routines to actively search for spillovers from multinational enterprises (MNEs) at both national and international levels. Moreover, rather than searching for what is available, domestic firms are selective for spillovers that are coherent with their business strategies. The most unexpected finding is that domestic firms diligently acquire spillovers from MNEs and from local competitors in combination. Spillovers acquired from local competitors are used to increase the inferential accuracy of spillovers acquired from MNEs about strategic successes. Further, instead of absorbing spillovers from MNEs which pose moderate technology gaps, domestic firms target at MNEs which exhibit wider technology gaps, and undertake organizational learning and develop complementary assets to enhance their internal absorptive capacity routines. Socially enabling mechanisms are found to facilitate domestic firms' absorption of spillovers by employee turnover.

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