Search Results (230)

Despite growing interest in destination branding, empirical evidence is still limited in explaining how brand personality influences tourist behavior mediated by integrated aspects. This study addresses this research gap by proposing and testing a structural model that considers the mediating role of tourist experience, authenticity, and trust in the relationship between brand personality and tourist behavior. The methodology used was quantitative and causal–correlational, using structural equation modeling and a sample of 514 Peruvian tourists selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The results show that brand personality significantly influences tourist experience and destination authenticity, while its direct effect on trust is weak. In addition, experience positively influences trust and authenticity. Significantly, authenticity and experience show direct and positive effects on tourist behavior, while trust has a negative effect. These findings contribute to the advancement of the literature by integrating a single explanatory model with experiential, cognitive, and relational variables, broadening the understanding of the indirect role of brand personality in the tourism context. From a practical standpoint, the results suggest that destination managers should focus on enhancing brand personality and authenticity. Full article

Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis explores sentiment trends related to specific opinion aspects and holds significant commercial potential for monitoring brand reputation, understanding customer satisfaction, and personalizing recommendations. However, traditional methods rely exclusively on textual input and often struggle when the target aspect is not mentioned in the sentence. Multimodal Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis addresses this limitation by incorporating both textual and visual modalities to enable more comprehensive sentiment understanding. Despite advancements in deep learning and transformer-based architectures, existing models often suffer from suboptimal modality fusion and weak aspect grounding, limiting their classification accuracy. To overcome these challenges, we propose an Attention-Driven Feature Fusion (ADFF) approach based on a three-stage hierarchical attention mechanism. First, it only fuses text and image embeddings. Second, it incorporates aspect-level features. Third, a multi-head attention layer further enhances cross-modal dependencies. The resulting representation is passed to a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) classifier for sentiment polarity prediction. We evaluate our model on three benchmark datasets, namely Twitter-2015, Twitter-2017, and MASAD. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model substantially outperforms state-of-the-art multimodal and unimodal baselines, improves both accuracy and F1-score, achieving 82.55% accuracy and 81.05% F1-score on Twitter-2015, 77.07% accuracy and 77.15% F1-score on Twitter-2017, and up to 99.67% accuracy and F1-score in the Plant domain of MASAD, where we observe consistent improvements across all seven domains. These results highlight the effectiveness and scalability of the hierarchical attention-based fusion strategy for real-world aspect-based sentiment analysis tasks. Full article

The advent of social media has transformed brand communication to put storytelling at the center of building engagement and awareness. But the role of long-term brand value in virality is an essential challenge. This paper conducts a bibliometric and thematic analysis from the fields of marketing, psychology, and media studies published between 2015 and 2025, examining the correlation between narrative design and audience response, separating short-term popularity and long-term consumer appeal. The analysis was based on a structured literature review and qualitative methodological framework, using the literature sourced through Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar published between 2015 and 2025. Thematic coding searched for emotional tones, devices used in the narration, types of metrics, and contextual factors in inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings indicate a divide in quantitative measures, such as likes and shares, and qualitative measures, such as sentiment and resonance stories. Story elements such as authenticity, the depth of the characters, and video-based content had a major effect on the two types of engagement. Storytelling effectiveness was also mediated by influencer participation, algorithmic interactions, and audience demographics. The results confirm that meaningful storytelling with hybrid metrics contributes to stronger brand–consumer relationships. Future studies ought to shift to predictive modeling and focus on the ability of AI to dictate personalized brand stories in diverse cultures. Full article

This study systematically reviewed how person–environment fit (PEF) research in the hospitality industry has developed across major themes, sub-dimensions, and methodological characteristics. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic literature review was conducted on 62 PEF-related studies published in leading hospitality journals between 2010 and 2025. First, the review shows that research on PEF in the hospitality industry has increased since 2017, with more than half of the studies published between 2021 and 2025. Second, person–organization fit and person–job fit were the most frequently examined sub-dimensions and occupied central positions in the keyword co-occurrence network, whereas extended sub-dimensions such as person–brand fit (PBranF) and person–supervisor fit remained relatively peripheral. Third, most studies conceptualized PEF as a mediating mechanism linking antecedents to organizational outcomes critical to sustaining employee attitudes, retention, and long-term organizational effectiveness. More recently, PEF has increasingly been examined as a moderating variable that shapes the strength of relationships among key variables. This study thereby presents the conceptual and methodological structure of hospitality PEF research and provides a foundation for future theoretical extensions, research designs, and sustainable human resource and organizational management strategies. Full article

This study investigates how YouTube food travel vloggers semiotically construct destination images and potentially function as informal culinary ambassadors through gastrodiplomacy mechanisms, using Uzbekistan as a case study of emerging tourism markets. Although digital content creators are increasingly recognised as shaping tourism flows, a systematic understanding of the multimodal semiotic mechanisms through which food travel vlogs construct destination meanings remains limited. Using multimodal discourse analysis, this study examines six YouTube food travel videos on Uzbekistan (over 28 million combined views) from two prominent creators. The analysis integrates Kress and van Leeuwen’s visual grammar, Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics, van Leeuwen’s sound semiotics, and Norris’s multimodal interaction analysis to code a 60-segment corpus. Comparative analysis reveals 25 notable differences in semiotic features between the two creators, identifying two distinct semiotic profiles. Vlogger 1 primarily follows a parasocial intimacy model marked by direct gaze (89.2%), frequent second-person address (78.4%), and comparatively minimal editing. In contrast, Vlogger 2 adopts a cinematic documentary model characterised by first-person narration (56.5%), constructed visuals (60.9%), and gastronomic heritage narratives (34.8%). Despite these divergences, shared conventions centred on food composition, upbeat music, positive evaluation, and sharing gestures indicate a stable semiotic grammar of food travel vlogging. Analysis further reveals that orientalist dynamics and resistance to orientalism coexist within the same representational practice phenomenon termed ‘layered orientalism’, with distinct implications for how emerging destinations are mediated to international audiences. These findings suggest that digital content creators may employ distinct semiotic strategies that could function as informal culinary ambassadors through gastrodiplomacy mechanisms, potentially constructing destination awareness and cultural meaning for international audiences. This study contributes to theory on multimodal destination image construction and offers implications for how emerging tourism destinations might leverage multi-creator strategies to build culturally grounded destination brands. Full article

This study develops and tests an association-based model explaining how consumers interpret AI-enabled personalization in fashion e-commerce and how these interpretations relate to behavioral intentions. Integrating perspectives from Social Exchange Theory, the Antecedents of Trust Model, Self-Determination Theory, Psychological Contract Breach Theory, and Surveillance Capitalism, we examine the joint associations of perceived personalization, transparency, data control, and privacy concerns with brand trust, perceived surveillance, privacy violation perceptions, and purchase intention. Using PLS-SEM with data from 664 online shoppers, we find that personalization, transparency, and data control are each positively associated with brand trust, while personalization and privacy concerns are positively associated with surveillance perceptions. Brand trust is negatively associated with both surveillance and privacy violation perceptions, and privacy violation is negatively associated with purchase intention. Data control is directly associated with lower surveillance perceptions, whereas transparency operates indirectly through brand trust. Mediation analysis reveals that surveillance is associated with lower purchase intention only indirectly through privacy violation (full mediation), identifying perceived privacy violation as the central psychological pathway in the personalization-privacy paradox. Multi-group analysis identifies segment-level variations by gender and education: personalization is a stronger trust cue for men, while transparency is a stronger trust cue for women; trust buffers violation more strongly for higher-educated consumers. The results highlight a trust-first personalization strategy in which relevance must be paired with meaningful transparency and data-control features to mitigate surveillance and violation appraisals, supporting positive consumer outcomes in fashion e-commerce. Full article

As AI-powered e-commerce platforms grow more capable of predicting customer wants, a critical question remains unexplored: what makes customers perceive these experiences positively? The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into e-commerce platforms is reshaping how customers search for, evaluate, and experience digital services. However, empirical research has not kept pace with clarifying which platform-level factors most effectively shape customer experience (CX) in AI-driven environments. This study validated the Trust, Autonomy, Personalization, and Customer Engagement (TAPE) framework as a comprehensive set of CX drivers in intelligent commerce. Using survey data from 400 active e-commerce users, we employed a multi-stage approach combining exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) with bootstrapped mediation testing. All four TAPE drivers demonstrated significant positive reflective associations with CX, with personalization and engagement emerging as the strongest contributors. CX was strongly associated with customer satisfaction, loyalty, and brand equity, and mediated the effects of all four dimensions on these strategic outcomes, with model comparison evidence supporting full mediation. The study contributes theoretically by integrating and empirically validating four established CX dimensions within the AI-enabled e-commerce context, and by demonstrating the central mediating role of CX in converting intelligent platform features into user-perceived strategic value. Managerially, the TAPE framework provides actionable guidance for designing transparent, adaptive, and engaging AI-driven customer journeys that enhance both experience quality and long-term brand outcomes. Full article

The literature emphasizes the importance of perceived social media marketing activities (SMMAs) in shaping various brand-related outcomes. However, their importance in brand attachment formation remains underexplored. Grounded in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework and Attachment Theory, this study examines the relationship between SMMAs and brand attachment, and the impact of brand attachment on brand loyalty and consumer engagement with brand social media (CEBSM). A questionnaire survey was conducted with 502 consumers of outdoor and sports brands in Algeria. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings unveil that SMMAs, including interactivity, informativeness, personalization, trendiness, and WOM, are positively associated with brand attachment. Furthermore, brand attachment is significantly associated with both brand loyalty and CEBSM. This study makes several theoretical contributions by being among the early studies to examine the individual effects of social media marketing dimensions, the role of SMMA in brand attachment formation, and brand-related outcomes alongside in-platform outcomes. This study offers recommendations to guide community managers and brand managers in clarifying the roles and capabilities of social media marketing in evoking and reinforcing brand attachment. Full article

This study examined how distinct dimensions of grandiose narcissism shape responses to self-relevant video advertising framed as either recognition/validation or status challenge. Drawing on the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept, we tested a dual-path process model in which two proximal mechanisms–perceived recognition and autonomy-related resistance (operationalized as perceived freedom threat and state reactance)–are associated with advertising-related outcomes. Community adults (N = 598) were randomly assigned to view one of two video advertisements and subsequently reported perceived recognition, resistance, and consumer responses. Recognition framing increased perceived recognition but did not directly influence consumer outcomes. Process analyses revealed distinct personality-linked patterns that were consistent with the proposed dual-path model. Narcissistic admiration was associated with more favorable attitudes toward the advertisement and brand, as well as stronger purchase intentions, indirectly through higher perceived recognition. In contrast, narcissistic rivalry showed contrasting indirect associations, with positive indirect associations through recognition alongside negative indirect associations through resistance. Moderated mediation by message framing was not supported. Overall, the findings are consistent with the view that self-relevant advertising can simultaneously activate affirmation-related and autonomy-protective processes that may partially offset one another at the aggregate level. Importantly, consumer responses appear to depend on whether the persuasive encounter is construed as authentic recognition or as an autonomy threat–an interpretive dynamic that is especially pronounced among individuals high in narcissistic rivalry. Full article

Growing consumer awareness of environmental issues has led to heightened interest in environmentally responsible personal care products, with notable growth in the green beauty market. Despite this trend, consumer evaluations and purchasing decisions are shaped by numerous elements, particularly the trustworthiness of environmental information provided by brands. While elements such as eco-labels, environmentally friendly packaging, and individual concern for the environment are generally associated with favourable views of green marketing, they can also trigger doubt among consumers. This study investigates how eco-labeling, green packaging, and environmental concern influence consumer attitudes toward green beauty products and how these attitudes affect purchase intentions for them. The study included 500 South African consumer participants, and data were collected through an accredited research organization. The results indicate that eco-labeling, green packaging, and environmental concern each have a significant positive effect on consumer attitudes toward green beauty products. In addition, consumer attitudes were found to strongly influence purchase intentions among South African consumers. The study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the complex role of informational cues and potential perceptual barriers in sustainable consumption of green beauty products. It also provides practical insights for marketers, highlighting the importance of enhancing the credibility of eco-labels and reducing consumer doubt through clear, transparent communication strategies in the South African context. Full article

Social media has become a key space for health communication, fostering the emergence of the e-patient influencer, a figure capable of generating a support community around themselves. In the case of multiple sclerosis (MS), a complex disease with an uncertain prognosis, these profiles can influence the perception and management of the disease. Therefore, credibility and authenticity are identified as key constructs for truly understanding the effectiveness of their communication. Through content analysis, the main active profiles on Instagram and TikTok are examined to recognise narrative patterns, communication strategies and different levels of credibility and authenticity, as well as potential differences between those platforms involved. The results show, on both networks, a predominance of empathetic content focused on the daily management of this disease. Furthermore, a positive, albeit moderate, relationship between credibility and authenticity is found, confirming the importance of these two concepts in social media. Instagram shows slightly higher degrees of credibility, while authenticity is more predominant on TikTok, fostered by the spontaneity and transparency of its creators. Full article

Present-day artificial intelligence systems (AI), virtual assistants, and devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) are playing an increasingly important role in decision-making processes in the everyday lives of individuals and daily operations of organizations. In this respect, the users’ trust is a key factor determining their acceptance and effective use. In contemporary digital ecosystems, this trust increasingly becomes a component of sustainable digital marketing, in which transparent data practices and responsible communication shape long-term consumer–technology relationships. This paper analyzes the halo effect as a psychological mechanism affecting the perception of competences, reliability, and ethics in the case of technologies based on AI. Based on the literature on behavioral economics, it was shown how positive associations with the interface, brand, or previous experience of the user may lead to excessive trust in technology. Such mechanisms also play a significant role in shaping sustainable consumption patterns, as users—guided by cognitive shortcuts—can adopt technologies in ways that either strengthen or weaken responsible digital behaviors. Moreover, the potential risks associated with this phenomenon were also indicated. The aim of this paper was to present how the utilization of the halo effect influences the generation of trust in smart systems and the formulation of implication for management practices and technology design. These implications are increasingly important in the context of sustainable digital marketing policy, where organizations must align persuasive communication with ethical standards and with rising expectations regarding sustainable digital transformation. Relationships between variables were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), making it possible to verify complex dependencies between the perceived image of technology, the halo effect, and the users’ trust. This study tested three core hypotheses regarding the halo effect’s role, the foundational importance of security, and the mediating function of trust in technology adoption. The results of these analyses indicate that the halo effect significantly affects the level of trust in each of the investigated areas, with the strongest effect observed in the case of virtual assistants, where perception of the human-like characteristics of the interface considerably strengthened trust in the competences and reliability of the system. This finding has particular relevance for AI-driven personalization mechanisms, which increasingly guide consumer decision-making and shape their long-term behavioral patterns in online environments, with direct implications for sustainable consumption. This paper provides contribution to innovation management and technical marketing, stressing the importance of cognitive and emotional factors in the acceptance of new technologies. At the same time, it highlights the theoretical need to integrate responsible AI design with sustainable digital marketing strategies The findings suggest that ensuring trust, once established, has the potential to support not only technological innovation but broader societal goals related to responsible consumption, environmental stewardship, and long-term digital well-being aligned with sustainable development principles. However, this study stops short of empirically measuring sustainable consumption behaviors, offering instead a conceptual link that requires further empirical validation. Full article

This study explores the effects of algorithmic governance on consumer responses, with a particular focus on the role of territorial psychological ownership (TPO) as a moderator. In increasingly automated digital environments, consumers interact with algorithms that govern content, services, and personalized experiences. This research demonstrates that TPO influences consumer reactions to algorithmic actions, such as the perceived intrusiveness of automated systems, which subsequently affects brand attitude and purchase intention. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how algorithmic governance can be designed to optimize consumer interactions while maintaining consumer satisfaction. By balancing the need for personalized experiences with respect for consumer autonomy, businesses can create more effective and efficient governance systems that avoid negative consumer perceptions. This study offers key insights for companies looking to navigate the delicate balance between providing personalized services and respecting consumer preferences, ultimately ensuring positive interactions with automated systems. Full article

The establishment of circular business models represents the evolution from traditional linear business models to those committed to sustainability. The effect of circular business models on brand-related outcomes remains, however, unknown. The aim of this paper is therefore to assess the effect of perceived brand circularity on brand-related attitudes and behavioral intentions. We test a conceptual model across three product categories using six brands. The results of a pre-study (n = 147) and a subsequent main study (n = 441) show that perceived brand circularity positively affects consumers’ rational as well as emotional brand attitudes. Rational brand attitudes thereby directly affect behavioral intentions towards the brand, while emotional brand attitudes work both directly and via a personal connection between the brand and consumer. This study shows consumer-oriented effects of perceived brand circularity and suggests that adopting circular practices may improve consumer attitudes and behavior. Full article

This study investigates why companies sponsor individual athletes in sports with low media coverage and how such athletes secure sponsorship agreements. While sport sponsorship research has predominantly focused on mainstream sports and event-based contexts, limited attention has been given to individual athletes in niche sports. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with Norwegian sponsors and elite athletes in long-distance running, trail running, and orienteering. The data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis, informed by the Sponsorship Motive Matrix and the Model of Athlete Brand Image. The findings indicate that sponsorship decisions are primarily driven by market-related motives, complemented by bond and society motives, with cost-effectiveness, authenticity, and value alignment playing important roles. Sponsors prioritize athlete performance, personality, and social media presence, while athletes emphasize financial support and performance optimization. Sponsorship activation is generally limited, and agreements are predominantly in-kind or hybrid. The study concludes that sponsorships in low-media-coverage sports are relational and selective, relying heavily on athlete-driven outreach and social media visibility. These findings extend existing sponsorship frameworks to an underexplored context and offer practical insights for sponsors and athletes in niche sports. Full article