Search Results (36)

Globalization and market saturation have led Portuguese textile companies to seek international markets not only for growth but also to contribute to their country’s international image. This study aims to explore how the internationalization of the Portuguese textile sector into the Chinese market contributes to Portugal’s destination image and identify the critical success factors in this process. The research follows an inductive, qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews with two groups of companies: those already operating in China (n = 5) and those preparing to enter the market (n = 5). The interviews were thematically analyzed to extract key patterns and insights. The findings reveal that successful companies operate in the luxury segment, rely on prior international experience, and often use local intermediaries. Firms planning to internationalize highlight quality differentiation, brand authenticity, and innovation as strategic advantages. These insights support the role of niche positioning and cultural adaptation in building both commercial success and a refined international image of Portugal. This study contributes to the literature by linking internationalization and destination branding through industry-specific case evidence and offers practical implications for managers targeting emerging markets like China. Full article

In today’s hyperconnected world, disaster announcements—regardless of actual impact—can significantly shape consumer behaviour and brand perception in the hospitality sector. This study investigates how customers respond online to disaster-related signals, focusing on digital marketing activities by luxury hotels in Santorini, Greece. Drawing on a case study of the Santorini Earthquake in February 2025—during which the Greek government declared a state of emergency—we use big data analytics, including web traffic metrics, social media interaction and fuzzy cognitive mapping, to analyse behavioural shifts across platforms. The findings indicate that disaster signals trigger increased engagement, altered sentiment and changes in advertising efficiency. This study provides actionable recommendations for tourism destinations and hospitality brands on how to adapt digital strategies during crisis periods. Full article

This study examines the influence of dynamic and verbal elements in logo design on consumer behaviour in the luxury retail sector using advanced neuroscience technology (Predict v.1.0) and traditional cognitive survey methods. AI-powered eye tracking (n = 255,000), EEG technology (n = 45,000), implicit testing (n = 9000), and memory testing (n = 7000) were used to predict human behaviour. Qualitative cognitive surveys (n = 297), saliency map analysis, and emotional response evaluation were employed to analyse three distinct logo designs. The results indicate that logos with prominent dynamic elements, particularly visually distinct icons, demonstrate superior performance in capturing and maintaining viewer attention compared with static designs. A strong correlation was found between cognitive demand and engagement, suggesting that dynamic elements enhance emotional connections and brand recall. However, the effectiveness of dynamic features varied, with more pronounced elements yielding better results for industry associations and premium market alignment. This study, combining advanced neuroscience technology with traditional cognitive survey methods, makes significant contributions to the field and opens up new avenues for research and application. The findings provide valuable insights for luxury brand managers in optimising logo designs to enhance emotional connection and brand perception and improve academia by providing powerful tools for understanding and predicting human responses to visual stimuli. Full article

As the global demand for multifunctional and high-performance vehicles increases, automotive manufacturers face significant challenges in designing new crossover models. Consumers expect vehicles to blend features from various car models, which pushes the industry to adopt innovative design tools and methods. We explored the use of Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis (WEKA) image classification to predict the style composition ratios of sedans, hatchbacks, multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) as crossover vehicles. We collected 240 high-resolution side-view images of luxury vehicles from brands including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus, and preprocessed the data using format unification and feature enhancement. We employed WEKA to extract image features and train a classification model using the edge histogram filter and sequential minimal optimization (SMO) classifier, which achieved an 86% classification accuracy. Subsequently, we used Vizcom, a generative Artificial Intelligence(AI) tool, to simulate realistic designs for new crossover cars and predict their style composition ratios. The proposed designs were evaluated by five experts, who found that the model accurately identified style composition ratios and helped designers create new car styles with market potential. The novel application of image classification can be used for analyzing blended styles in automotive design and enables designers to identify, evaluate, and control styles to meet market demands. Full article

The rapid expansion of the non-fungible token (NFT) market, which grew over 200% in 2023 to reach $22 billion, has opened new avenues for fashion brands to engage consumers through digital fashion products under blockchain technology. This study investigated the effects of NFT promotional bundles that combine physical and NFT fashion items as a pair on consumer perceptions. By investigating the interaction effect between the brand type (luxury vs. non-luxury) and promotional bundle types (PHY+free NFT vs. NFT+free PHY), the research demonstrated how these bundles influenced consumers’ perceived value, risk, and authenticity according to the brand type. The findings showed that while a freebie physical item can enhance consumers’ perceived value of NFT products for non-luxury brands, it led to value-discounting inferences, particularly for luxury brands. This study contributes to the literature on NFT fashion by exploring consumer perceptions and providing insights for fashion retailers on effectively framing promotional bundles to maximize consumer engagement for NFT fashion products. Full article

This research aims to assess consumer attitudes towards purchasing pre-loved luxury fashion items and explore how these attitudes influence their intention to buy such products. Luxury goods consumption is evolving into a multifaceted proposition where customers actively take on new responsibilities. In addition to being purchasers and users, they occasionally turn into luxury brand product dealers. Luxury fashion, which includes more expensive materials, apparel, and frequently new and limited-edition items, is unquestionably stylish. Luxury brands could draw clients and the attention of many audiences, becoming quite prominent, even though luxury fashion only makes up a small portion of the economy compared to other significant businesses. Using a convenience sampling technique, data were collected from 282 individuals in Cairo. The analysis was conducted through SPSS software v2023. Our findings show that consumers’ concerns about the environment have a big influence on their perceived value (PI) of used luxury fashion items, both directly and indirectly through the mediation of their desire for sustainability. Nonetheless, attitude strength has a moderating effect on this association. It is interesting to note that the relationship between environmental concern and sustainability is weakened under the influence of attitude strength. Furthermore, our findings indicate that modest levels of attitude strength make it easy to change how customers’ environmental concerns affect their previously owned luxury fashion items. High-end stores can also fight off counterfeit marketplaces by providing authentication services to consumers of pre-loved luxury clothing. This study emphasizes the role of consumer attitude as a mediator in shaping purchase intentions for pre-loved luxury fashion. However, its focus on one region and cross-sectional data collection presents limitations. Future studies should explore other markets and use longitudinal data for a deeper understanding. This research contributes to the existing literature by offering insights for consumers, marketers, and sellers promoting pre-loved luxury fashion. Full article

This study examines how digital marketing characteristics—namely interactivity, ubiquity, and credibility—affect green consumer brand engagement and loyalty in Nigeria’s five-star hotel industry. This study advances relationship marketing and social exchange theory by demonstrating how interactivity, ubiquity, and credibility in digital marketing foster green consumer brand engagement, ultimately boosting brand loyalty. The analysis, based on responses from 304 hotel guests, reveals a strong positive relationship between each digital marketing element and green consumer brand engagement, which subsequently enhances brand loyalty. Our findings demonstrate that green consumer brand engagement serves as a mediator between digital marketing characteristics and brand loyalty, emphasizing that engagement with environmental values plays a crucial role in fostering loyalty in the luxury hotel sector. These insights inform digital marketing strategies aimed at maximizing sustainable consumer engagement, providing a foundation for loyalty-driven practices within hospitality. Full article

The automotive trade is one of the main drivers of world economies, contributing to the sustainability and competitiveness of countries at a global level. The luxury sub-segment is the one facing the most significant growth and the one which presents the greatest challenges in the business-to-consumer (B2C) relationship. Brand Attachment refers to the cognitive and effective connection between consumers and “their” brands. The central objective of this research is to analyze, measure, and understand the impact of Brand Attachment on consumer behavior, in the specific context of the luxury segment of the automotive market. The conceptual model that is proposed seeks to highlight and study the possible connections and associations between Brand Attachment, satisfaction, commitment, trust, expectations, and loyalty with the brand selected for this study, the luxury automotive brand Porsche. The selected methodology was based on a case study based in the Portuguese market and the application of a questionnaire to customers of Porsche from Portugal. The results obtained through the empirical data allowed us to reach the conclusion that respondents who have a stronger affective and emotional connection with Porsche (intense level of Brand Attachment) tend to be those who are more satisfied and confident with the brand and are, consequently, more loyal. This study represents an important contribution to research on Brand Attachment in marketing and strategic management in the automotive sector, particularly in the Portuguese market, and supports the definition of the best marketing strategies to promote fruitful B2C relationships. Full article

Advertising has been one of brands’ main allies in successfully promoting their products and services, creating trends and changing consumer mindsets, which allows them to increase sales and consequently achieve commercial success. The advertising medium has been evolving, increasingly encompassing new technologies as well as expanding its areas of intervention. This research article uses the Systematic Bibliometric Literature Review methodology, and its main objective is to clarify the state of the art regarding advertising and sustainability, since if advertising is one of the main allies for the success of brands, sustainability has become one of its main strategies. The starting question is whether advertising has been used to communicate sustainability. The methodology used in this study is a systematic bibliometric literature review (LRSB) to collect, analyze and synthesize data on advertising and sustainability, and covers a period of publications from the year 2007 to 2024, with the support of visual maps of the research indexed in the Scopus Database, created with VOSViewer. The aim was to give an overview of the studies published in this scientific area. The qualitative results of the analysis suggest that the theme of sustainability has been studied and associated with brands and sectors of activity such as luxury brands. The analysis leads to the suggestion of a reduced connection between sustainability and advertising, with studies on “green advertising” being mentioned, which allows us to affirm that this is an area that requires more in-depth studies, despite the fact that these initial results, on the one hand, help professionals in the field of digital marketing to make decisions, as well as clarifying the topic from a research point of view. Full article

This study explores consumer preferences for brands that emphasize sustainability and inclusivity, and for brands perceived as exclusive and trendy. Consumer data obtained via a large-scale survey involving 24,798 participants across 20 countries and one special administrative region (SAR) are used to understand how willingness to pay (WTP) for these brand types varies globally, accounting for demographic factors like generation, gender, and country. A substantial body of literature highlights growing consumer interest in brands that stand for sustainability and inclusivity, challenging traditional notions that luxury and exclusivity primarily drive brand value. Despite persistent skepticism among some business executives about consumers’ actual versus claimed willingness to spend more for sustainable and inclusive brands, academics and commercial researchers increasingly signal a shift in purchasing behavior that is influenced by socio-ecological factors. This research aims to provide empirical data on consumer WTP across different demographics and countries/regions, thereby contributing to academic discussions and offering insights for managerial decision making. The study frames its investigation around four research questions, to explore how consumers’ WTP for exclusive and inclusive brands varies across generations, genders, and countries/regions. It employs a robust methodological approach, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the data. This ensures that the constructs of brand inclusiveness and exclusivity are comparable across diverse cultural contexts. Significant gender, generational, and country/region differences are observed. When comparing generations, the findings indicate that GenZ consumers have a higher WTP for sustainable/inclusive brands (compared to older, GenX, and Baby Boomer generations). Similar patterns are found when considering WTP for exclusive, on-trend brands. In terms of gender, women are observed to have a higher WTP for sustainable/inclusive brands, but a lower WTP for exclusive, on-trend brands compared to men. Finally, compared to consumers originating from certain European countries, we find that consumers living in certain Asian countries/regions have a significantly higher WTP for inclusive and sustainable brands, as well as for exclusive/on-trend brands. The study underscores the complexities of consumer behavior in the global market, highlighting the coexistence of traditional preferences for exclusive, trendy brands and preferences for brands that embrace sustainability and inclusivity. Full article

The concept of luxury, considering it a rare and exclusive attribute, is evolving due to technological advances and the increasing influence of consumers in the market. Luxury cars have always symbolized wealth, social status, and sophistication. Recently, as technology progresses, the ability and interest to gather, store, and analyze data from these elegant vehicles has also increased. In recent years, the analysis of luxury car data has emerged as a significant area of research, highlighting researchers’ exploration of various aspects that may differentiate luxury cars from ordinary ones. For instance, researchers study factors such as economic impact, technological advancements, customer preferences and demographics, environmental implications, brand reputation, security, and performance. Although the percentage of individuals purchasing luxury cars is lower than that of ordinary cars, the significance of analyzing luxury car data lies in its impact on various aspects of the automotive industry and society. This literature review aims to provide an overview of the current state of the art in luxury car data analysis. Full article

Digital fashion may instill transformative power into the fashion industry as it can simultaneously deliver fashionability and sustainability. Renowned for their innovativeness and creativity, luxury brands embrace digital fashion and achieve market success, indicating the future of digital fashion. This research aims to empirically investigate consumers’ general perceptions and evaluations of digital fashion and to specifically examine consumers’ purchase intention of luxury brands’ digital fashion. A total of 214 responses were collected from a U.S.-based research company’s consumer panel. Data were analyzed by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that the general attitude toward digital fashion is influenced by four factors: the two specific attitudes toward outfitting avatars and dressing real people’s on-screen bodies in virtual spaces, the perceived social value of digital fashion, and consumer environmental involvement. Furthermore, the general attitude and perceived social value of digital fashion directly affect the purchase intention. This study attempts to extend established theories into the emerging digital fashion context and provides insights and suggestions for digital fashion marketers, particularly for luxury fashion brands. Full article

The objective of this study was to investigate the concept of perceived corporate philanthropy (PCP) among consumers of luxury goods and examine the differences these consumers perceive in terms of philanthropic actions, particularly within the luxury sector. To address this question, we adopted the following approach: (1) Defining the concept of PCP through an extensive analysis of 2590 articles using GEPHI methodology. (2) Developing a measurement scale for the PCP construct. (3) Exploring the impact of PCP on perceived brand authenticity by comparing consumers of luxury hotels and standard hotels. The results of our multigroup analysis indicated a significant difference among consumers. Corporate philanthropic strategies had a notably stronger influence on the perception of PCP among luxury hotel consumers. This finding underscores the substantial divergence within the luxury marketing literature. These consumers seek brands that align with their desire to associate themselves with robust and authentic brands that carry symbolic significance, which allows them to identify and connect with these brands. By consuming these brands, they are able to attain their desired status. This study sheds light on a significant variable in contemporary marketing, namely, PCP, which provides new avenues for differentiation and leverage within the luxury goods industry. As a result, this study provides valuable managerial recommendations to companies and NGOs, aiming to assist them in tailoring their philanthropic strategies to effectively resonate with their target audiences and bolster their brand reputation. Full article

The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction between copyright, branding, marketing, and heritage protection with regard to a fashion brand. The authors use analytical-critical and legal-dogmatic methods, supplemented with desk research, a case study approach, and a review of the marketing literature. This paper argues that the top-tier fashion brands use the concept of artification in order to build their brands, mesmerize clientele, and increase revenues. Although design and reference to the arts play a major role in the luxurious and premium end of the fashion business, this analysis proves that the top players do not necessarily observe the appropriate laws in these areas. The reader will see examples of the flouting of basic legal constraints by big players, e.g., copyrights or property rights, including the monetisation of the creativity of others with the expectation of no legal challenge. Offenders capitalise on the likelihood that a legal suit is too demanding for smaller players, such as foundations or museums. Full article

The increasing number of consumers possessing a global mindset has led to the emergence of environmentally friendly materialist consumers who find pleasure in owning environmentally friendly brands and products. We examine why and how such consumers emerge by studying consumers of luxury apparel products, which actively promote environmentally conscious values on a global scale. Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were conducted on consumers in China and Japan—two countries with high consumption of this product category and a contrasting awareness of environmental consciousness. Our findings revealed that the higher the global mindset of consumers, environmentally friendly materialism is enhanced by internal motives in countries with high environmental consciousness and by external motives in countries with low environmental consciousness. Our results have implications for mechanisms on how the conditions for the emergence of environmentally friendly materialism differ from country to country and marketing measures that respond to these differences. Full article