No abstract

Word of mouth (WoM) marketing is a key ingredient of interactive marketing, involving consumers and converting them into spokespersons for the company. The scope of published research on WoM is broad and spans a long period of time. However, it is not since the advent of social media that WoM or electronic-Word of Mouth (e-WoM) has become a measurable means of communication, making work on e-WoM recent and scarce. Also, existing work pertains to developed economies and there is a potential scope of study in the context of developing nations like India, where the focus is shifting to digitalization in a huge way. To understand the impact of WoM and social media, an attempt has been made to divide literature into drivers, measures, and effects of WoM. Number of variables emerge and can be used to measure the three identified categories. These variables can also be consolidated to establish causal links between drivers and effects of WoM. WoM has been conceptualized as the traditional communication model (Cheung & Thadani, 2010) and input–process–output model (Chan & Ngai, 2010) in the past, but these models take into account only a few variables that are linked into a causal relationship. By providing a consolidated guideline on drivers, measures, and effects of WoM, this article attempts to provide a roadmap for corporate/academic research on cause–effect relationship of WoM, as well as conduct fresh research in the context of developing economies.

Word of mouth (WoM) is increasingly becoming a key element of marketing communication and is being leveraged on social media for increasing customer engagement. Literature on WoM on social media (E-WoM) is still relatively scarce. From the existing body of work on WoM, a number of causes and drivers of WoM emerge but there is not much work done in studying the customer’s responses to E-WoM (or E-WoM outcomes) and a comprehensive scale covering all dimensions has not been developed. This article attempts to identify potential outcomes of E-WoM on social media and develop a multi-item scale for measuring the same. A list of 37 items of customer’s responses to E-WoM was generated based on the literature review and exploratory study. These items were tested through a survey administered to youth across four metro cities of India. EFA and CFA were conducted to identify the relevant dimensions. The research resulted in the development of a comprehensive 30-item scale measuring 7 dimensions of E-WoM outcomes on social media. The seven E-WoM outcomes measured by the scale are awareness and interest creation, information search online, online buzz generation, offline buzz generation, lead generation, liking and trial, and purchase intention.

Purpose – This paper aims to study whether age impacts the responses to different communication cues in terms of brand recall, attitude toward advertisement, attitude toward brand and purchase intention, and which age groups respond more favorably to a given cue. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental research was conducted across a sample of 1,050 respondents in Delhi to test variance in consumer attitudes across “tweenagers”, teenagers, youth, young adults and adults, when exposed to different communication cues for dummy brands of biscuits and mobile handsets. Findings – Significant variances were observed in consumer attitudes across the five age groups. However, the variation pattern differs across the two product categories. The caricature cue worked well for biscuits across most age groups. For mobile handsets, the picture cue was very effective for the two younger age groups but not as much for others. The product information cue was highly effective for adults. Practical implications – The study provides insights on making communication for brands targeted at more than one age group. If adults are a part of the marketers’ age group, some amount of product information is highly desirable, just as bright pictures/caricatures are necessary for tweenagers. For teenagers, who exhibit high variance vis-a-vis other age groups, communication needs to be customized. For brands where both children and adults are part of the target audience, common appeals can easily be identified, as they had similar responses in all but one case. Originality/value – The framework proposed in this research fills a gap in the existing literature by establishing that age impacts attitude formation in response to communication cues and gives insights for marketing communication.

The quest for finding meaning in life is central to human existence. Evidence supporting consumption as a source of meaning in life is scant and lies in discrete studies across multiple disciplines. We call consumption that engenders a sense of meaning in life ‘meaning‐oriented consumption’. In this paper we conduct a systematic literature review of 102 papers, using the Scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR‐4‐SLR) (Paul et al. (2021). International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(4)). We draw on the theory of meaning in life to arrive at a theoretically grounded conceptualization of meaning‐oriented consumption. We discuss the antecedents and consequences of meaning‐oriented consumption, categories and processes that make consumption meaningful. We gather insights into the relationship between hedonic and meaning‐oriented consumption. Finally, we identify knowledge gaps in theory, context, constructs and methodology. This review identifies several consumption contexts and situations that offer potential for marketers to design meaningful offerings.

IndiGo Airlines, India’s largest domestic airlines, faced a serious backlash from customers when a video showing its staff manhandling a passenger went viral. The brand crisis gathered momentum as it was amplified across social media with customers expressing outrage and taking potshots at the Airline. IndiGo tried to control the damage by apologising and by sharing their version of the incident. Was their response adequate and was the timing right? How is the IndiGo brand likely to be impacted, and what steps can the Airline take to minimise damage to their brand? How can brands minimise damage in times of crisis, particularly in the context of social media?

Purpose -This paper seeks to identify the focus areas for marketing strategies targeting children.Design/methodology/approach -The paper integrates and structures key insights from existing research on children's influence and roles in decision making and postulates a planning framework for marketing to children. Current marketing examples are cited to illustrate and support the framework.Findings -The PPP planning framework developed here highlights what should be the direction and focus of marketing strategies, given the level of interest and influence of children in a particular brand/category.Research limitations/implications -The framework postulated is conceptual and has not been tested empirically.Practical implications -The paper seeks to help marketers tailor their strategies to create maximum impact in the children's segment.Originality/value -The paper presents an integrated perspective incorporating both the interest and the influence levels of children and develops a practical planning tool that can be leveraged by marketers.

MTR brand has a rich legacy of nearly 90 years in the Indian packaged food space, focusing on spices and ready-to-cook/ready-to-eat meals. It was a much loved and revered brand which stood for authenticity and high adherence to quality. Over the years, the target segment of the brand evolved. The new Indian woman went from being a ‘passive supporter’ of the family to a ‘discerning homemake’. She aspired for newness and modernity while guarding authentic cuisines and traditions. MTR wanted to associate itself with this ‘new evolved’ homemaker. While retaining the brand’s authentic core was essential, it was also important to represent the brand as one in tune with evolving tastes. The marketing team needed to figure out what the new brand identity of MTR should be. How best the brand could support the consumer in her different roles? How the brand portfolio could be organized to provide maximum value and how the new identity could be visually represented across its packaging?