Search Results (154)

In the era of homogenized competition, brand knowledge has become a critical factor that influences consumer purchasing decisions. However, traditional single-layer network models fail to capture the multi-dimensional semantic relationships embedded in brand-related textual data. To address this gap, this study proposes a BKMN framework integrating TF-IDF and TextRank algorithms for comprehensive brand knowledge discovery. By analyzing 19,875 consumer reviews of a mobile phone brand from JD website, we constructed a tri-layer network comprising TF-IDF-derived keywords, TextRank-derived keywords, and their overlapping nodes. The model incorporates co-occurrence matrices and centrality metrics (degree, closeness, betweenness, eigenvector) to identify semantic hubs and interlayer associations. The results reveal that consumers prioritize attributes such as “camera performance”, “operational speed”, “screen quality”, and “battery life”. Notably, the overlap layer exhibits the highest node centrality, indicating convergent consumer focus across algorithms. The network demonstrates small-world characteristics (average path length = 1.627) with strong clustering (average clustering coefficient = 0.848), reflecting cohesive consumer discourse around key features. Meanwhile, this study proposes the Mul-LSTM model for sentiment analysis of reviews, achieving a 93% sentiment classification accuracy, revealing that consumers have a higher proportion of positive attitudes towards the brand’s cell phones, which provides a quantitative basis for enterprises to understand users’ emotional tendencies and optimize brand word-of-mouth management. This research advances brand knowledge modeling by synergizing heterogeneous algorithms and multilayer network analysis. Its practical implications include enabling enterprises to pinpoint competitive differentiators and optimize marketing strategies. Future work could extend the framework to incorporate sentiment dynamics and cross-domain applications in smart home or cosmetic industries. Full article

Social media platforms have become essential tools for businesses aiming to engage audiences through innovative communication, particularly in the food and beverage industry. This study explores the impact of three core digital marketing strategies, namely, social media advertisements, electronic word of mouth, and digital influencers, on customer responsiveness in the Lebanese food and beverage sector. Based on a cross-sectional survey of 400 participants, the findings reveal that social media advertisements significantly and positively influence customer responsiveness (β = 0.227, p < 0.001). Likewise, electronic word of mouth strongly predicts customer responsiveness (β = 0.453, p < 0.001), affirming the power of customer-generated content in shaping brand perceptions. Furthermore, the presence of digital influencers emerged as a significant predictor of consumer reaction (β = 0.236, p < 0.001), suggesting that consumers regard influencers as credible sources when making food-related decisions. Among all predictors, electronic word of mouth demonstrated the strongest effect. Control variables such as gender, age, and social media usage intensity showed no significant effect on customer responsiveness. These findings underscore the strategic value of rich media content and peer influence in shaping consumer behavior in the food and beverage industry. The study offers practical insights for marketers seeking to enhance customer engagement and brand responsiveness in digital spaces. Full article

Tourist behavior is evolving rapidly, and local restaurants must develop strategies to capture the attention of these changing tourists. This study, conducted in Thailand, investigates the relationships between perceived authenticity, consumer self-expansion, tourists’ preference for local restaurants, positive word-of-mouth (WOM), and intention to visit local eateries. It also examines whether self-expansion mediates the relationship between perceived authenticity and restaurant preference. Data were collected from 497 tourists through self-administered questionnaires distributed on-site and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that perceived authenticity has a significant positive effect on consumer self-expansion (β = 0.902), which, in turn, strongly predicts preference for local restaurants (β = 0.870). Preference also significantly influences both positive WOM (β = 0.976) and visit intention (β = 0.949). Notably, perceived authenticity does not directly affect restaurant preference, indicating a partial mediation effect through self-expansion. These findings highlight the critical role of self-expansion in enhancing the influence of perceived authenticity on tourist behavior, offering practical insights for hospitality marketers aiming to promote local dining experiences. Full article

For the last decade, social networking services (SNS), such as X, Facebook, and Instagram, have become mainstream media for advertising and marketing. In SNS marketing, word-of-mouth among users can spread posted advertising information, which is known as viral marketing. In this study, we first analyzed the time series of user reactions to Instagram posts to clarify the characteristics of user behavior. Second, we modeled these variations using statistical distributions to predict the information diffusion of future posts and to provide some insights into the factors that affect users’ reactions on Instagram using the estimated parameters of the modeling. Our results demonstrate that user reactions have a peak value immediately after posting and decrease drastically and exponentially as time elapses. In addition, modeling with the Weibull distribution is the most suitable for user reactions, and the estimated parameters help identify key factors that influence user reactions. Full article

Local innovations regarding plant-derived spice and flavorant formulations and preparation techniques are mostly recorded nowhere and usually passed on generationally through word of mouth. This study aimed to inventory the utilization of plants and perceptions of novel indigenous food spicing and flavoring among the Vhavenḓa people in South Africa. This study adopted face-to-face interviews with 360 participants using semi-structured questionnaires. This study investigated a total of twenty-seven plant species used to spice-flavor novel indigenous Venḓa foods, including mukokoroshi meat stew, mopane worms, vegetables, homemade achar, eggs, samp meal, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Based on the perceptions by participants from different age groups, indigenous foods spicing and favoring significantly improved food taste and nutrition (43.1%), providing medicinal benefits (33.3%) and cultural identity (23.6%). No study had ever reported the uses of Lannea edulis (Sond.) Engl., Mangifera indica L., Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., Warburgia salutaris (G.Bertol.) Chiov., Plectranthus fruticosus L′Hér., Hibiscus sabdariffa subsp. Cannabinus L., Oxalis semiloba subsp. semiloba, and Ziziphus mucronata subsp. mucronata and their preparational techniques for novel indigenous foods, spicing, and flavoring before, in South Africa, or elsewhere. The current study provided insights about spice and flavoring plants that could be used to develop alternative marketable commercial products. The findings of this study provide necessary baseline information for evaluating and profiling the nutritional content of spice-making and flavoring plants in the Vhembe Region. Full article

This study aims to explore the factors influencing word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions among cultural tourists in Thailand’s southern border provinces. This study develops a comprehensive framework predicting WOM intentions by combining the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) model, the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and the cognitive–affective–conative (CAC) model, given the critical role of WOM in tourism marketing. Data were collected from 386 cultural tourists through purposive sampling using a self-administered questionnaire. The study employs structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to investigate relationships between trust, attitude, satisfaction, and WOM intentions. The findings reveal that trust, satisfaction, and attitude significantly impact WOM intentions. Social influence strongly predicts trust, while the perceived quality of behavior influences attitude. Satisfaction is driven by perceived value, the quality of the experience, the quality of the physical environment, and tourist engagement. This study contributes to cultural tourism literature by integrating different behavioral theories to provide a robust WOM model. This study’s theoretical contributions and practical implications for scholars, policymakers, tourism marketers, and cultural site operators will be further discussed. Full article

Tourism has become one of the most important industries in the business world, significantly impacting various economies. In order to have a better understanding of tourist behavior, this study aims to examine the image of the destination and the value of the brand as predictors of the behavior of tourists, assuming happiness as a mediating link. From a quantitative, non-experimental and cross-sectional methodological perspective, the information of a sample of 425 tourists was analyzed. The results support that tourist happiness predicts their intention to revisit a tourist destination (Path Coefficient 0.921). Also, tourist happiness and the intention to revisit predict the intention to recommend a tourist place. These results suggest that tourist happiness plays a fundamental role in aspects such as loyalty and the promotion of a destination, so it is important for tourism companies to promote tourist happiness as a marketing strategy that drives them to word-of-mouth recommendations and the intention to revisit a tourist destination. Full article

Social networks have emerged as a powerful tool for communication and marketing, enabling two-way user participation and fostering a conducive environment for electronic word of mouth (eWOM). This study examines how social influence, eWOM engagement, and perceived eWOM credibility affect its adoption, while also exploring the moderating role of gender in these relationships. Using a sample of 371 cosmetics consumers in Ecuador, a causal model was estimated using the PLS method. The findings confirm that social influence significantly impacts eWOM engagement and credibility, contributing to its adoption. Additionally, gender moderates the relationship between informational influence and eWOM credibility. This study also highlights the need to replicate the model in different contexts and with more diverse samples to enhance the generalizability of the findings. By enriching Erkan and Evans’ IACM theoretical framework, this research extends the understanding of eWOM dynamics in the cosmetics sector. Moreover, it offers a comprehensive perspective on the eWOM adoption process by incorporating underexplored variables and providing empirical evidence from an understudied region, such as Latin America. Full article

The extensive electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) data generated by consumers encapsulates authentic product experience information. By leveraging advanced data analysis technologies, enterprises can extract sustainable consumer behavior preference knowledge, thereby supporting the optimization of their marketing and management strategies. However, existing data-driven product ranking processes predominantly focus on single-source eWOM data and rarely mine product insights from a multi-source perspective. Moreover, the quality of eWOM data cannot be overlooked. Consequently, this study uses automobile products as a case example and integrates rating eWOM data, complaint eWOM data, and safety test data to construct a multi-source data-driven personalized product ranking recommendation algorithm. Specifically, an evaluation index system is established for each of the three data types. To model information quality, these data are transformed into basic uncertain information (BUI), which incorporates scoring information and credibility metrics. The XLNet model is employed to convert complaint text data into scoring data, and three targeted credibility evaluation models are developed to assess the reliability of the three data types. Subsequently, BUI is aggregated using the BUI ordered weighted average (BUIOWA) aggregation operator. Based on this, a personalized product ranking method aligned with user preferences is proposed, offering consumers recommendation results that match their preferences. Finally, using automobile products as an illustrative example, this study elucidates the multi-source data-driven personalized product recommendation process and provides managerial implications for enterprises. Full article

Considering social media’s expansion worldwide, marketing academics and marketers emphasize the need to consider electronic word of mouth (eWOM) for strategic marketing decisions. However, there is limited research regarding the ways in which male and female consumers engage in eWOM behaviors. This research aims to explore the gender-specific dynamics of eWOM drivers in social media marketing, by validating a proposed model of key predictors for two samples (of female and male respondents). Data were gathered from two samples of social media users. For this empirical research, we integrated structural equation modeling and an artificial neural network (PLS-SEM-ANN) for a comprehensive approach intended to generate practical and theoretical insights for eWOM. Hypothesis testing reflected contrasting results—for female respondents, the key eWOM drivers were customer participation, involvement, loyalty, and customer satisfaction; whereas, for male respondents, the key predictors were brand familiarity, loyalty, and satisfaction. The significant variables supported by SEM were included in ANN models as input neurons, showcasing nonlinear relationships among constructs for both samples. Thus, this research provides theoretical contributions regarding eWOM, gender assessments, and the social media marketing literature. From a practical perspective, this study advances targeted social media marketing strategies to enhance consumer–brand interactions. Full article

The rapid expansion of digital platforms has significantly influenced consumer purchasing behaviors, particularly in the agri-food sector. Therefore, this paper investigates the key factors driving customers’ intention to use green agri-food delivery apps (GAFDAs) by integrating trust and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. Additionally, this study examines gender as a moderating variable, assessing whether its influence alters the relationships between key determinants and behavioral intention. Data were collected from 252 Algerian consumers, and the proposed model was tested using SmartPLS 4 and SPSS 26.0. The results confirm that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), trust, and eWOM positively and significantly influence the intention to use GAFDAs, with PBC emerging as the strongest predictor. Moreover, gender moderates the effect of trust on behavioral intention, with trust significantly influencing men’s adoption decisions but not those of females. In contrast, subjective norms and PBC are stronger predictors for female consumers. These findings highlight the importance of gender-specific marketing strategies to enhance GAFDA adoption. This study contributes to the literature by extending TPB with trust, eWOM, and gender moderation, offering valuable insights for marketers, policymakers, and app developers promoting sustainable food consumption. Full article

This study explores how the green marketing mix affects customer green brand trust, customer green buying behavior, and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). A total of 990 fast-food customers participated in this study. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and mediation analysis were applied to validate the research hypotheses. As customer demand for environmentally sustainable products grows, green marketing mix has a positive and significant effect on customer green brand trust. Furthermore, customer green brand trust also significantly influences customer green buying behavior and eWOM as a predictor and mediator. It means that customer green brand trust is a fundamental effect of eWOM, with trust fostering positive online reviews, recommendations, and advocacy from customers. Businesses can also make the most of eWOM by developing feedback-friendly channels, such as product review pages and social media campaigns, and rewarding consumers who post about their satisfying online experiences. The companies should not only concentrate on increasing sales through environmentally sustainable product purchasing practices, but also on giving clients a feeling of community and integrating them into a larger sustainability movement. It will offer useful advice for marketers looking to improve their green marketing tactics and promote sustainable consumption by successfully gaining the trust of their target audience and using eWOM as a tactical instrument for brand advocacy. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector encountered multiple challenges. Numerous governments chose to lock down their cities and countries. Despite this, many companies found their online businesses making the greatest leaps in their portfolios, and social media platforms became one of the most valuable sources of information for purchase decisions. There have been numerous studies on the effects of social media reviews—a form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM)—on consumer behavior. Few were found to be related to their impact on group package tours (GPTs) while considering mixed eWOM, that is, both the positive and negative forms present in word-of-mouth communication. As the tourism sector gradually revives, the need to further explore how tourism and hospitality service providers can adapt to changes in post-pandemic consumer behavior has become imperative. The influence of social media reviews on consumers’ value perceptions of a GPT to Japan, allowing for the influence of the marketing mix element of advertised price, was examined through online experiments in this study. Positive, negative, and mixed eWOM were examined. It was found that eWOM was more influential on consumers’ value perceptions than the advertised price for all price acceptability levels. Mixed eWOM was found to negatively affect consumers’ final price perceptions which override the impact of quality perceptions in value formations. The value perceptions of the GPT became less acceptable when eWOM was mixed compared to when eWOM was absent or was positive. Mixed eWOM had a negative effect on value perceptions but not as great as when negative eWOM was present, and this was consistently found to apply for all price acceptability levels of the GPT. This study’s contribution to eWOM research and implications for the post-pandemic recovery of tourism and hospitality service providers are made, together with suggested strategies using innovative technologies and communications to enhance their adaptive resilience in the new normal. Full article

As environmental issues become increasingly important to consumers, integrating green marketing strategies into corporate promotional efforts is essential. However, limited research has examined cultural differences in consumer responses to green marketing content. This study addresses this gap by exploring how eco-friendly social media posts influence consumer perceptions and behaviors, specifically regarding informativeness, entertainment, perceived relevance, brand attitude, purchase intention, and word of mouth (WOM). This research employs an experimental study with a sample of 2035 participants from Poland and the United States to examine cross-cultural differences in responses to green marketing content. The findings revealed that eco-friendly posts significantly enhance informativeness, entertainment, and relevance, leading to higher levels of brand attitude, purchase intention, and WOM compared to non-green content. Furthermore, the effects of eco-friendly messaging on consumer engagement differ between Polish and US participants, underscoring the importance of culturally tailored green marketing strategies. These results provide valuable insights for marketers aiming to develop effective and culturally responsive sustainable marketing campaigns that resonate with diverse consumer groups. This study extends the green marketing literature by examining how informativeness, entertainment, and perceived relevance affect consumer behavioral intentions, such as purchase intention and WOM. Full article

As a cornerstone of Chinese traditional culture, traditional Chinese opera encapsulates deep historical significance and embodies the national spirit, acting as a vital conduit for transmitting intangible cultural heritage. However, in today’s society, this art form confronts the challenge of becoming marginalized, underscoring the urgency for its revitalization and preservation. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, integrating questionnaire surveys with semi-structured interviews, to explore how perceived value in opera culture shapes tourists’ behavioral intentions. Key findings include: (1) Emotional and socioeconomic perceived values significantly positively affect tourists’ intentions to revisit and recommend through the lens of cultural identity. (2) Conversely, aesthetic perceived value significantly negatively influences revisit intention when mediated by cultural identity but does not substantially impact word-of-mouth communication. These insights suggest that fostering emotional resonance and socioeconomic value perception among tourists is essential for positively strengthening their cultural identity and influencing their behavior. Additionally, there is a need to refine and enhance the aesthetic experience based on real-world encounters. Building on these conclusions, it is advised that opera troupes and tourist destinations innovate in presenting operas while the government bolsters policy support to boost market competitiveness and enrich audience experience design. In doing so, we can aid the rejuvenation of opera culture for the modern era. Full article