Search Results (176)

As ad-supported subscription models proliferate across over-the-top (OTT) media platforms, understanding the psychological mechanisms and perceptual factors that underlie consumers’ transition decisions becomes increasingly consequential. This study integrates the Uses and Gratifications framework with a contemporary motivation-based perspective to examine how users’ media consumption motivations and advertising attitudes predict intentions to adopt ad-supported OTT plans. Data were collected via a nationally representative online survey in South Korea (N = 813). The sample included both premium subscribers (n = 708) and non-subscribers (n = 105). The findings reveal distinct segmentation in decision-making patterns. Among premium subscribers, switching intentions were predominantly driven by intrinsic motivations—particularly identity alignment with content—and by the perceived informational value of advertisements. These individuals are more likely to consider ad-supported plans when ad content is personally relevant and cognitively enriching. Conversely, non-subscribers exhibited greater sensitivity to extrinsic cues such as the entertainment value of ads and the presence of tangible incentives (e.g., discounts), suggesting a hedonic-reward orientation. By advancing a dual-pathway explanatory model, this study contributes to the theoretical discourse on digital subscription behavior and offers actionable insights for OTT service providers. The results underscore the necessity of segment-specific advertising strategies: premium subscribers may be engaged through informative and identity-consistent advertising, while non-subscribers respond more favorably to enjoyable and benefit-laden ad experiences. These insights inform platform monetization efforts amid the evolving dynamics of consumer attention and subscription fatigue. Full article

This study dives into what drives people to use AR filters in the catering industry, focusing on the Hong Kong market. The main idea is to determine how “perceived value” shapes users’ intentions to engage with these filters. To do this, the research combines concepts from two popular models—the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Satisfaction–Loyalty Model (SLM)—to understand what influences perceived value. The survey data were then analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to see how perceived usefulness, enjoyment, satisfaction, and value connect to users’ intentions. The results showed that “perceived value” is a big deal—the main factor driving whether people want to use AR filters. Things like how useful or enjoyable the filters are and how satisfied users feel all play a role in shaping this perceived value. These findings are gold for marketing teams and AR developers, especially in the catering world. Combining TAM and the Satisfaction–Loyalty Model offers a fresh perspective on how AR technology influences consumer behavior. On top of that, it gives practical advice for businesses looking to make the most of AR filters in their marketing and customer experience strategies. Full article

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing and social media is gaining scholarly interest. While AI technologies offer significant potential for enhancing customer engagement (CE), their effectiveness depends on an industry’s level of digital and AI readiness. This is especially relevant for people-centric sectors such as tourism and hospitality, where digital maturity remains relatively low. This study aims to understand how AI supports CE and social media marketing (SMM), and to identify the key antecedents and consequences of its use. Using the PRISMA approach, we conduct a systematic review of 55 peer-reviewed empirical studies on AI-based CE and SMM. Our analysis identifies the main contributing theories and AI technologies in the field, and uncovers four central themes: (1) AI in customer service and user experience design, (2) AI-based customer relationships with brands, (3) AI-driven development of customer trust, and (4) cultural differences and varying levels of AI readiness. We also develop a conceptual framework that outlines the determinants and outcomes of AI-based CE, including relevant moderators and mediators. The study concludes with directions for future research and provides theoretical and managerial implications, particularly for the tourism and hospitality industries. Full article

As environmental issues become increasingly prominent, the sustainable practices of enterprises, especially measures at the product level, have garnered widespread attention from scholars. Although numerous studies have explored suppliers’ sales strategies for green products, they often overlook the scenario where suppliers simultaneously sell both green and non-green products.This study focuses on the sales mode selection strategies of suppliers when providing green and non-green products through e-commerce platforms. Utilizing a game model, we analyze the equilibrium strategies between suppliers and e-commerce platforms, and conduct sensitivity analyses to evaluate the impact of key parameters on decision-making. The results reveal that there are significant differences in the strategic preferences of suppliers and e-commerce platforms. However, when commission rates are moderate and green products incur high production costs, these preferences tend to align, leading to Pareto optimal outcomes. Additionally, our findings demonstrate that adopting differentiated sales modes for the two product types can effectively mitigate the problem of double marginalization, thereby enhancing the efficiencyof supply chains. These insights provide valuable guidance for e-commerce platform managers and suppliers in making decisions on sales models for managing multiple types of products. Full article

As virtual influencers gain popularity, understanding the factors driving consumer responses is essential. However, limited research explores how perceived value (informativeness, entertainment, novelty, and incentives) and consumer engagement influence purchase intention. Perceived value is a key predictor of consumer behavior, while consumer engagement enhances perceived value and marketing effectiveness. Additionally, the moderating roles of source credibility and generational cohort remain underexplored. This study examines these relationships through a survey of 331 Chinese Generation Y and Z consumers, analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that informativeness, entertainment, and incentives positively influence purchase intention, while novelty has a negative effect. Consumer engagement drives purchase intention and enhances perceived value. Source credibility and generational cohort moderate these effects. When source credibility is low, novelty reduces purchase intention, while incentives increase it. High source credibility makes consumer engagement more influential. Informativeness enhances purchase intention among Generation Y, whereas Generation Z is more influenced by consumer engagement. This study extends research on advertising value and consumer engagement, offering insights for brands optimizing virtual influencer marketing strategies across different consumer segments. Full article

The rapid growth of e-commerce and surges in shipment volumes have increased the pressure on transport systems, requiring innovations in collaborative logistics where consumers participate in dual roles as receivers and deliverers. However, existing research often addresses these roles in isolation, overlooking the flexibility with which users switch between them. Moreover, the literature has focused predominantly on monetary value in paid crowdsourced or social value in free social delivery, without fully exploring how users perceive value across both models. Addressing these gaps, this study profiles users of collaborative logistics services from both receiver and deliverer perspectives and examines their motivations in paid and unpaid delivery contexts. Based on survey data from 493 participants in Singapore, cluster analysis identified four distinct user segments: hesitators, potential customers, active users, and loyal advocates. The findings indicate that user preferences differ by role, with functional value prioritised in paid delivery and social value more prominent in free models. Free models attract a higher proportion of favourable users, highlighting the significance of non-monetary incentives. This study contributes to the literature by offering an integrated perspective on user roles and value perceptions and provides practical insights for developing more inclusive, community-oriented last-mile logistics solutions. Full article

This study investigated Generation Z’s repurchase intention in social commerce environments by integrating three theoretical frameworks: the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, signaling theory, and herding behavior. The research addressed critical gaps in understanding continued engagement behaviors of digitally native consumers in socially embedded commerce platforms. Data were collected from 542 Generation Z consumers using a structured questionnaire, and relationships were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results demonstrated that all UTAUT factors significantly influenced repurchase intention. Return policy leniency, as a quality signal, positively impacted repurchase intention both directly and indirectly through enhanced online trust. Fear of missing out demonstrated significant direct effects on repurchase intention and operated indirectly through imitative behaviors. This research advances the theoretical understanding of Generation Z’s continued engagement with social commerce by validating an integrated framework that simultaneously accounts for technological, informational, and social-psychological dimensions. The findings provide practical guidance for social commerce platforms seeking to enhance Generation Z’s loyalty through balanced strategies addressing functional performance, trust-building signals, and social validation mechanisms. Full article

The surge in digital transformation within financial technology has catalyzed the development of super-apps—comprehensive mobile applications designed to serve a multitude of a customer’s daily needs on a single platform. Despite their widespread use, there is a dearth of research regarding customer adoption in the banking industry. Employing the integrated Information Systems (IS) success model, this study delves into how the characteristics of mobile banking super-apps influence user adoption intentions, taking into account various levels of service integration, in South Korea. The results reveal that factors such as interactivity, service diversity, process completeness, and technological service innovation positively affect the perceived ease of use. However, only service diversity and process completeness significantly influence perceived usefulness. Furthermore, distinct relationships between constructs are observed among different user groups based on their preferred service integration levels. This research can help banks formulate app management strategies and identify the optimal levels of service integration for their mobile banking super-apps. Full article

The mobile gaming industry has undergone remarkable expansion alongside advancements in mobile and information technologies. Facing intensified market competition due to user number saturation and product homogeneity, industry practitioners require actionable insights into design features that drive user engagement and in-game payments. This study employs a qualitative research approach based on grounded theory, focusing on role-playing mobile games as the research subject. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus groups with gaming industry professionals and users, supplemented by online textual data collection. Utilizing the three-stage coding paradigm of grounded theory and drawing upon emotional design theory, this study constructs a dimensional model of mobile game design features comprising 4 major categories, 16 primary design characteristics, and 41 specific design elements. The findings provide theoretical support for understanding how mobile game design features influence user behaviors while offering practical insights for optimizing mobile game products. This research contributes to both academic discourse and industrial practice by systematically identifying and categorizing critical design elements that affect user engagement in mobile games. Full article

Green advertising messages often face challenges of abstraction and outcome ambiguity. To address this, we apply the framing effect theory to explore how concrete versus abstract expressions in green advertising interact with consumer perceptions. Drawing on the Stereotype Content Model (SCM), we propose a congruence framework: concrete messages align with competence appeals, while abstract messages align with warmth appeals. Through two experiments, we demonstrate that such congruence significantly enhances green purchase intention. Experiment 1 establishes the interaction effect between message framing (concrete vs. abstract) and appeal type (competence vs. warmth), revealing that concrete–competence and abstract–warmth pairings outperform mismatched conditions. Experiment 2 further validates advertising attitudes as a mediator and product involvement as a moderator, clarifying boundary conditions. These findings advance the theoretical understanding of framing effects in sustainability communication and offer actionable strategies for marketers: aligning message specificity (concrete/abstract) with appeal dimensions (competence/warmth) can amplify consumer engagement, particularly when tailored to product contexts. Full article

Live-streaming e-commerce has attracted the attention of e-retailers and consumers in recent years. However, there is a lack of evidence in understanding the influence of atmospheric stimuli of live stream on consumer engagement. This paper seeks to examine the effect of festival cues in live-streaming studios on consumers’ intention to stay in the live-streaming context. Results of four laboratory experiments indicated that presenting festival cues enhanced consumers’ intention to stay. In the relationship between festival cues and consumers’ intention to stay, festivalscape perception and pleasure–arousal played serial mediating roles. Product category moderated the effect of festival cues on consumers’ intention to stay. For non-festival products, presenting festival cues led to a stronger intention to stay. The moderating role of involvement was significant in the relationship between festival cues and intention to stay. Regarding less involved consumers, presenting festival cues significantly enhanced their intention to stay. Our work contributes to the existing knowledge of e-commerce live-streaming, festivalscape, and festival shopping, and offers relevant managerial implications for live-streaming e-retailers. Full article

Unlike static comments, which are typically located below online videos, live comments affect consumers’ video-watching experiences in real time and may influence their evaluation of the video in distinct ways. Despite the significance of live comments, few studies have explored the differentiated effects of live comments vs. static comments on user evaluation of online videos. Utilizing a dataset comprising approximately two million pieces of textual data from a leading Chinese online video platform, our findings reveal substantial differences between the effects of live and static comments, with these effects varying by video type (informational versus emotional) and showing notable changes during health threats. This study examines the differential impact of live vs. static comments, providing empirical evidence for distinct information processing pathways under varying time constraints. Our results shed light on the underlying mechanisms responsible for the diverse effects of different forms of social interaction, offering valuable theoretical insights. They also have managerial implications regarding how online video platforms can facilitate engagement among viewers and between video creators and their audiences. Full article

The fintech sector is entering the maturity phase of the life cycle, in which customer brand engagement (CBE) is connecting companies and customers. The aim of this paper is to investigate the driving forces behind CBE in the fintech sector and its contribution to loyalty intentions. In the framework of service-dominant logic, a quantitative approach on 239 fintech users was undertaken to propose and validate a conceptual model of customer brand engagement in fintech, using Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that the perception of personalization, the perception of interaction between customers and brands, and the perception of benefits contribute to CBE in fintech, and the latter is positively associated with loyalty intentions. This research contributes to the literature of brand engagement by offering an integrative framework to analyze CBE in the fintech sector. Full article

This research investigates the strategic decision related to original content provision and business model selection within the rapidly evolving online video industry. We develop a two-sided market model involving a video platform, users, and advertisers to analyze how the platform balances subscription and advertising revenue while offering original content. This study finds that the amount of original content provided directly influences market equilibrium, affecting the platform’s choice between a purely subscription-based model or a mixed model. The cost of original content production plays a critical role in this decision-making process. High production costs may lead the platform to favor a mixed model, offering less original content to generate both subscription and ad revenue. Lower costs, however, encourage a subscription model with more original content to boost subscribing revenue. Additionally, factors such as network externalities between users and advertisers also impact the business model choice. Importantly, the model shows that allowing free users limited access to original content can expand both subscriber and advertiser engagement, enabling platforms to enhance dual revenue streams without having to sacrifice one for the other. Full article

Despite the ubiquitous application of gamification in livestreaming commerce, the mechanisms driving its impact on consumer participation remain underexplored. To address this research gap, this study integrated two theoretical frameworks: the “Gamification Affordances–Psychological Outcomes–Behavioral Outcomes” framework and the Uses and Gratifications Theory. We investigated how gamification affordances (achievement visualization, rewards, interaction, and competition) relate to the fulfillment of consumers’ diverse psychological needs (cognitive, affective, social, personal integrative, and social integrative). Furthermore, we examined whether meeting these psychological needs influences consumers’ intentions to continue watching and to purchase. We surveyed 354 livestreaming commerce consumers and employed structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The findings revealed that gamification affordances can motivate consumers’ continuous watching and purchasing behavior by satisfying their different psychological needs. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and managerial implications of our findings. Full article