agement of these brands is idiosyncratic and shrouded in mystery. In this article, we seek to address these problems. Drawing on the works of philosophers such as Popper, Heidegger, and Whitehead, we dimensionalize, define, and differentiate luxury brands.
Conceptualizing Luxury BrandsA review of the literature reveals a paucity of definitions of what constitutes a luxury brand. Researchers and authors tend to leave the definition implicit. 3 The concept of luxury and the corollary of the luxury brand are contentious. Some consider them to be socially divisive. For example, Veblen argued that people used the conspicuous consumption of luxury goods to signal wealth, power, and status. 4 Sekora echoing Veblen contends, "the concept of luxury is one of the oldest, most important, and most pervasive negative principles for organizing society Western history has known." 5 Others view luxury as a tonic for our humdrum world. Twitchell argues for the "trickle down" effect of luxury: products and services that are considered luxury in one generation become a common staple in the next. 6 Luxury is one of the drivers of growth in free markets, for people aspire to the luxurious.
The constructs of service quality, satisfaction and value are discussed. Instruments are identified and exploratory research is undertaken among customers of an audit firm to determine whether value plays a moderating role between service quality and satisfaction. Results from a moderated regression confirming such a role for value are reported. Implications are drawn and opportunities for further research are highlighted.
We propose conceptual arguments to establish relationships between market orientation and generative learning and their respective impact on exploitative innovation strategy and explorative innovation strategy. We then consider the ambidextrous association between both forms of innovation strategy and business performance. This model is subject to an empirical test using data generated from 160 bioscience firms. Using structural equation modelling, two mutually exclusive paths are specified where market orientation leads to exploitative innovation strategy, while generative learning leads to explorative innovation strategy. We then find that the ambidexterity exhibited by firms in the form of exploitative innovation strategy and explorative innovation strategy significantly explains improvements in firms' business performance. Discussion is given to these findings and managerial implications are presented along with avenues for further research. Copyright (c) Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2008.
This article introduces several new concepts that lay the conceptual foundation for thinking about next-generation marketing based on ubiquitous networks. U-commerce, orÜber-commerce, is predicated on the characteristics of networkubiquity, universality, uniqueness, and unison. It is proposed that the keys to managing network-driven firms are the concepts of u-space and attention analysis. The implications for next-generation marketing in the u-space are explored, with a research agenda identified for scholars and managerial implications recognized for practitioners.
Although an impressive body of literature has emerged focusing on the critical activities involved in brand management for larger organizations with wellestablished brands and substantial marketing budgets, no research has been undertaken to examine branding within small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The present study therefore seeks to assess the nature and scope of brand management within an SME context. Findings show significant differences between small and large organizations along 9 of the 10 brand management dimensions reported in Keller's brand report card. Moreover, different brand management practices are associated with business performance in SMEs. Implications of the study are highlighted, limitations noted, and directions for future research outlined.
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