Until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual tourism was not as popular as during its duration in 2021, when traveling in the real world was not possible due to social isolation and forced quarantine. In response to the lockdown and the lack of freedom of movement around the world, tourists decided to travel in cyberspace during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this way only, and without leaving home, could they visit tourist attractions, watch museum exhibitions, participate in various media events and take virtual walks. After the “unfreezing” of tourism, the time has now come to adapt tourism to the post-pandemic normality. The aim of the paper is to discover whether the new trend of online tourism that developed during the pandemic will stay with us forever and how it will evolve, especially for Generation Z, who are just entering the labor market but who, at the same time, will determine the future of tourism soon. The research results show that as the pandemic restrictions disappear, the need to experience various forms of tourism in places previously viewed in cyberspace (virtually), occurs among the representatives of Generation Z. Thus, virtual tourism is a form that precedes and complements a real journey. The qualitative method was chosen for the research conducted in Poland. The research was carried out in 2022. A total of 40 focus groups of 7 people each (N = 280) participated in the research. They consisted of Generation Z representatives born after 1995; the oldest of them will be 27 in 2022. In parallel, the method of in-depth individual interviews was used in the research. In order to reach the participants, a non-random sample was chosen using the “snowball” method. In total, 100 people took part in the in-depth individual interview. The two-track research allowed to obtain a total sample of N = 380.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, business and consumer behavior towards online consumption and digital payments has changed. This trend, although significant, may be observed, to a varying extent, among customers across the European Union. This study aims to investigate if, and to what extent, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a powerful impact on online consumer behavior in EU (European Union) countries. The empirical research using a soft modeling method supplements theoretical deliberations based on critical literature review. A conceptual model was adopted. Three first-order latent variables were selected for the analysis: “online customer behavior”, “online activity” and “willingness to spend online”, to which all analyzed indicators (14) were classified. The analysis of the loadings of latent variables for 2019 and 2020 allowed the impact of the pandemic on customer behavior to be observed, although this was not the same across all EU countries. Clustering performed with the hit map enabled the identification of four groups of countries. Significant changes in behavior were observed in countries such as Poland, Ireland, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Spain, and Finland. The results of the classification based on the values of three latent variables indicate that only the composition of one group (Bulgaria and Romania) remained unchanged during the study period. Research discussion was presented, and further fields of study were identified.
Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the extent to which brand archetypes can influence business-to-consumers (B2C) relationship, identify brand archetypes of two Polish confectionary companies (Wedel and Wawel), and recognize consumers' attitudes towards brand archetypes used in B2C relationships. The conducted research allowed us to find the answers to five research questions.Material and methods: Based on the theoretical deliberation, empirical research was conducted. Two research methods were applied in the study, i.e., a multiple case A. DEWALSKA-OPITEK, K. BILIŃSKA, A. SZEJNIUK WyżSza Szkoła GoSpodarki euroreGionalneJ iM. alcide de GaSperi W JózefoWie 376 study method as a form of qualitative research, and a survey conducted in May 2023 using Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) on a sample of 106 respondents. The brand attitudes perceived by respondents formed the basis for the Brand Archetype Portrait (BAPOR) and Brand Archetype Power (BAPOW).Results: The conducted analysis revealed the use of different archetypes by both research subjects. Customers were aware of the brand archetypes, and they identified the archetypes accordingly, allowing the indication of the brand archetype portraits (BAPOR). Wedel was associated with the Innocent archetype, while Wawel was associated with the Caregiver and Jester by survey participants.Conclusions: This study addresses the scientific gap centered on integrating and exploring archetypes within the specific context of business-to-consumer relationships in the confectionery market in Poland. Additionally, there is a gap in understanding how the use of archetypes can influence the dynamics of business-to-consumer relationships within the confectionery market. The study findings are constrained by several limitations: only two case studies representing the same business sector were examined. Moreover, the quantitative research was conducted on a small and unrepresentative sample and thus does not allowing for drawing any general conclusions. However, the research in question provided insights into customers' opinions and attitudes toward brand archetypes. The aforementioned limitations leave room for future studies.On a managerial level, the paper offers several contributions to marketing professionals, especially by suggesting how the use of archetypes can enhance customer relationships and company relationships. When effectively communicated, archetypes enable building bonds with consumers who share the same principles and beliefs. From an academic standpoint, we have contributed to the theory of social sciences by presenting the interrelations between brand archetypes and effective customer relations through shared values.
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