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Customer relationship management is a continually evolving domain that has been particularly affected by social media, which have revolutionised the way businesses and consumers interact. This paper on social CRM builds on a previous model of CRM prior to the growth of social media ( Jayachandran et al., 2005 ). We present a new model for social CRM, including a new construct of customer engagement initiatives and adaptations of other constructs to cater for the impact of social media. An online survey was used to collect data from a population of marketing practitioners and partial least squares analysis was used to test the model. Findings show the importance of an underlying customer relationship orientation; how it impacts on social media technology use and customer engagement initiatives, and also directly on customer relationship performance. A relationship is also shown between engagement and relational information processes, which is viewed as a performance outcome of social CRM. Thus, from a managerial perspective, one recommendation we make is that organisations should utilise the rich customer information that is created with every customer engagement through social media to drive future marketing decisions.

Likeability plays an important role for firms that rely on their brands.However, few studies examine factors influencing customers' perceptions of likeable firm brands. Adapting a Private Brand model, the current study proposes a model of brand likeability that integrates four key variables measuring customer characteristics, namely: price consciousness, perceived quality, perceived risk and familiarity. Using an online survey to collect data, the study employs partial least square based structural equation modelling for hypothesis testing. Findings reveal that when customers are more familiar with the well-liked brand, they have more confidence in evaluating the quality, reducing perceived risk and price consciousness. In addition, the study highlights an important antecedent to brand likeability perceptions: brand familiarity. Marketers are encouraged to manage brand likeability more systematically to improve customer-brand relationships, brand reputation, and differentiate firms' brand personality. Not managing likeability creates disliked brands, resulting in customer dissatisfaction and negative word of mouth.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the passengers' perception of app or application-based ride-sharing service in Bangladesh. The research directly measures the passengers' perception of perceived quality and value for money of using app-based ride-sharing services in Bangladesh and how it impacts passengers' satisfaction. The study also measures the indirect relationship of perceived quality and value for money and passengers' loyalty through the mediating effects of passenger satisfaction in app-based ride-sharing services.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used an online self-administered survey questionnaire to collect data from the respondents who have experienced app-based ride-sharing services in Bangladesh. In this study, 400 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents online (Google form) and received 281 useful responses that give a 70.25% response rate. The survey data were analyzed based on construct validity, convergent validity and structural equation modeling by using Smart PLS 3.FindingsThe research findings indicate that perceived quality and value for money positively and significantly influence passengers' satisfaction. The passengers' satisfaction has a direct and significant relationship with passenger loyalty. The research findings also indicate that perceived quality and value for money have an indirect relationship with passenger loyalty through the mediating effect of passenger loyalty in app-based ride-sharing services.Practical implicationsBoth perceived quality and value for money have been the key drivers of passenger satisfaction and loyalty. Thus, the ride-sharing service providers should emphasize enhancing passenger value perception and quality service to reinforce passenger satisfaction and loyalty by increasing communication with the passengers about their apps. Besides, the service providers need to keep track of passengers' satisfaction levels and adopt necessary initiatives to ensure satisfied passengers toward loyalty.Originality/valueLimited studies have investigated the impacts of perceived quality and value for money on passenger satisfaction and loyalty to app-based rideshare service. It is a suitable time as the research findings will help ride-sharing service providers enhance their quality performance to compete healthily. Simultaneously, passengers can enjoy improved, and value-added services due to increasing competition among the app-based service providers. Regulators can also emphasize passenger quality services and the importance of money as a proposition while formulating policy and regulations toward the management of ride-sharing companies.