Research limitations/implications Since the study is qualitative, a larger empirical study would be useful to attempt to replicate our results in this and other geographic markets. Practical implications The results suggest that the Hong Kong SME market is characterized by high level of disloyalty, and that attaining 100% loyalty from this group of customers will be very difficult. 3 Instead, a banking strategy that focuses on service and on developing a sustained relationship with the customer may have the greatest chance of maximising the share-of-wallet of SME customers. The study offers important marketing implications for banks which are operating, or are planning to operate, business banking in Hong Kong and comparable Asian markets. Originality/ value It is the first paper to study the incidence of, and reasons underlying, SME banking loyalty in an Asian market. It shows that disloyalty appears to be the norm in this sector, presenting a reminder to managers and researchers that customer loyalty may be the exception, rather than the norm.

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PurposeDespite rapid growth in organizational use of Twitter, there is little theoretical or empirical research examining how different organisations use Twitter. This paper aims to analyse and compare use of Twitter in 12 accounts held by six organisations in the USA and Australia, drawing on existing models of interactive communications.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on analysis of a random sample of tweets sent by each account.FindingsThe results demonstrate different ways in which the interactive capabilities of Twitter can be used to communicate with customers. However by also demonstrating lack of consistency in Twitter practice within most organisations, the results reinforce the need for strategic consistency in developing Twitter practice.Research limitations/implicationsThe results are based on the Twitter practice of 12 organisational accounts in the USA and Australia from December 2009 to May 2010. As with any evolving medium, practices at the different organisations may have changed since that time.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to compare Twitter use within and across organisations and geographic markets. It demonstrates a variety of potential Twitter practices, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different strategies, and thus provides a framework for analysis of Twitter practice, and strategic direction for organisations developing their use of Twitter. The paper identifies challenges in the use of Twitter as both a one‐to‐many, and also a one‐to‐one, communication medium, and suggests strategies for coping with this dual use of Twitter.

Purpose-This research seeks to explore the factors predicting customer loyalty in retail banking. Loyalty was measured in terms of a customer's willingness to recommend a bank and their intention to remain with their main bank short-term (in the next six months) and long-term (from six months to five years). Design/methodology/approach-The study was based on a mail survey of 1,951 individuals. Potential predictors were drawn from the literature and included in three separate regression models to model different types of loyalty. Findings-The results indicate that willingness to recommend is best predicted by affective attitude, overall satisfaction and empathy. Short-term behavioural intentions, however, were best predicted by overall satisfaction and responsiveness, while long-term intentions were predicted by overall satisfaction, affective attitude and empathy. The three models explained a substantial amount of the variation in the dependent variables: 71 per cent for willingness to recommend, 43 per cent for short-term intentions and 46 per cent for long-term intentions. Research limitations/implications-The study adds to the discussion of the relationship between perceived satisfaction, service quality and a customer's intentions to recommend a bank and/or remain a customer. The results also contribute to the development of more parsimonious models, suggesting that affective attitude, overall satisfaction, empathy and responsiveness together explain a large percentage of the variation in customers' intentions. Practical implications-Based on this study's findings, banks can profile customers with potential for defection based on only four variables. Originality/value-The results demonstrate the importance of satisfaction measures and some SERVQUAL dimensions in predicting loyalty in retail banking. It also found evidence that not all five SERVQUAL measures are needed to profile customers and predict loyalty.

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In an environment which permits point-of-sale displays, smokers were found to see tobacco displays in more than 40% of the 4-hour periods that they were outside the home. Exposure to such tobacco displays was associated with a higher probability of smoking, and with higher levels of smoking, even when subjects did not purchase cigarettes.

PurposeThe loyalty literature has investigated the association between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and revealed mixed results. Some studies have indicated that the relationship is linear, whereas others have found it to be non‐linear. This study examines the nature of this association in retail banking, an issue that has not been tested empirically.Design/methodology/approachA survey study examined bank customers' attitudes, perceptions, and behavior. Bivariate and multivariate testing was applied to develop two loyalty models: one based only on variables typically known to a bank, such as demographics and recent consumer behavior, and the other based on additional survey data.FindingsA non‐linear relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty was found, and a model explaining 56.9 percent of the variation in customer loyalty was developed. Predictors of loyalty beyond the attitudinal dimensions traditionally tested for their association with loyalty were found to be associated with customers' intentions to remain with their bank. In particular, market conditions such as switching costs and benefits as well as recent consumer behavior were found to add explanatory power. Further, this study contrasted a full model explaining 56.9 percent of the variation in loyalty with a model based only on variables known to banks, which explained only 8.4 percent. Profiling customers based on survey data can thus provide additional explanatory power compared to data mining modelsOriginality/valueThe models can be used by bankers to profile customers who are likely to remain loyal, allowing practitioners to implement proactive marketing action to reward such loyalty. Customers least likely to defect have high satisfaction levels, perceive switching as an unattractive option, and typically have a long‐established banking relationship.

The provision of substantial multi-pack discounts and lower prices in postcodes with a higher proportion of price-sensitive smokers (young people and those from lower socioeconomic groups) is consistent with targeted discounts being used as a tobacco marketing strategy. The results support policy interventions to counter selective discounts and to require disclosure of trade-based discounts.