Using protection motivation theory (PMT), this study investigates the influence of cognitive assessment and affective response on customers’ behavioral intention amid COVID‐19 in the context of restaurants. More specifically, this research draws attention to (1) the influence of protection motivation (i.e., perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, maladaptive reward, response efficacy, self‐efficacy, response cost) on hope and fear, (2) hope and fear as mediators between protection motivation and behavioral intention, and (3) diverse customer behavioral intentions that have emerged during the COVID‐19 pandemic (i.e., health‐focused behavior, conscious consumption, and the supporting of local businesses and products). A total of 473 completed responses were obtained through an online survey. Structural equation modeling ( SEM ) was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. The research model proposed in the study successfully explained the process in which individuals commit to hygienic behaviors, prioritize local restaurants, and engage in conscious consumption under the threat of COVID‐19. The proposed model can be utilized in examining consumer behaviors in the hospitality industry, especially in the COVID‐19 era.

By applying institutional theory to the current retail environment under the COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose of this study is to 1) identify service quality dimensions that generate pragmatic and social legitimacy, 2) investigate the effects of pragmatic and social legitimacy on revisit intention and health-focused behavior, and 3) examine the moderating role of emotions (i.e. hope and fear) in the relationships among service quality dimensions, legitimacy, and consumer behavioral intentions. Using data (n=473) collected during June 2020, this study finds that hygiene practice, reliability, safety assurance, and empathy are determinants of pragmatic and social legitimacy, which encourages consumers' intention to revisit the retailer and foster health-focused behavior. The moderating role of emotions (i.e. hope and fear) is also examined in the causal relationships among service quality, legitimacy, and behavioral intentions. Implications for how retailers can serve their customers as their emotions related to the pandemic intensify are discussed.

This study examines the antecedents of restaurant repatronage intention and the extent to which risk perception (i.e. perceived vulnerability) moderates the formation of that intention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Service fairness, trust, and co-creation behavior were investigated as the antecedents of restaurant diners’ repatronage intention formation process in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the data collected from people who had dined in a restaurant during the study period, a structural analysis was conducted with the Partial Least Squares method. The proposed model in the study explained a significant amount of the variance in the customers’ repatronage intention and partially supported the moderation effect of perceived vulnerability to COVID-19. The findings of the study contribute to advancing our knowledge of how the perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 leverages customers’ repatronage intention, which is affected by service fairness, trust, and co-creation behavior in the restaurant industry.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to conduct an exploratory study to discover if presenting consumers with a certain content type (i.e. product-focused content with informational appeal, institution-focused content with emotional appeal, experience-focused content with emotional appeal,) and blog type (i.e. a corporate, sponsored or a personal blog) persuade consumers to form perceptions of credibility and similarity toward the fashion brand, which leads them to further engage with the brand through Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM).Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a 3(content type: product-focused, institution-focused, experience-focused) x 3(blog type: corporate, sponsored and personal) between-subjects design. Mock fashion blogs and content were developed in order to provide a realistic blogging experience for the participants. With 511 usable data collected, ANOVA was employed to test the relationships.FindingsFindings reveal that content type, specifically product-focused content and experiential content, is an important consideration for illustrating similarities between the brand and consumers compared to institutional content. Product-focused content is found to be effective in encouraging consumer eWOM for the brand as well. Further, the interaction effect of blog type and content type was significant in establishing brand credibility. However, blog type did not influence any of the dependent variable.Originality/valueThis study brings meaningful suggestions to fashion brands on effective blog campaign, which eventually provide insights on how brands can influence female consumers to shape positive evaluation toward the brand.

Electronic word-of-mouth on social networking sites is one of the most effective marketing resources in the lodging industry. Furthermore, Generation Y is becoming an important customer base for the luxury hotel industry and relies heavily on eWOM on social networking sties. By adopting and using four selected constructs (perceived usefulness, enjoyment, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) from the extended Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study reveals how eWOM on social networking sites influences Generation Y’s purchase intentions when booking luxury hotels. The current study suggests that the usage of eWOM on social networking sites not only helps potential Generation Y customers select suitable luxury hotels but also allows luxury hoteliers to better cater to this growing market segment.

No abstract

No abstract

Despite their widespread use in the hotel industry, limited research has been conducted on post-stay emails. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the effects of post-stay email features on customers’ attitudes towards a brand and their revisit intention. The email features analysed in the study consisted of personalization, message copy, interactivity, financial and illustration. Further, the effectiveness of each email feature was measured based on respondents’ leisure involvement levels. Results indicated that personalization, interactivity and financial features were significant predictors of revisit intention depending on customers’ involvement levels, while attitude was a significant mediator. Overall, the findings from the study add to the knowledge of how post-stay emails can be used when formulating customer retention strategies.