social capital

This study draws on depth interviews with 49 managers in customer firms and 55 managers in supplier firms and on discussions with 21 managers in two focus groups to propose a new way of thinking about customer solutions. Extant literature and suppliers interviewed for this study view a solution as a customized and integrated combination of goods and services for meeting a customer's business needs. In contrast, customers view a solution as a set of customer–supplier relational processes comprising (1) customer requirements definition, (2) customization and integration of goods and/or services and (3) their deployment, and (4) postdeployment customer support, all of which are aimed at meeting customers' business needs. The relational process view can help suppliers deliver more effective solutions at profitable prices. In addition, field research suggests that the effectiveness of a solution depends not only on supplier variables but also on several customer variables. Supplier variables include contingent hierarchy, documentation emphasis, incentive externality, customer interactor stability, and process articulation. Customer variables include adaptiveness to supplier offerings and political and operational counseling that a customer provides to a supplier. Several of these variables underscore the importance of suppliers developing social capital with customers. The authors discuss implications for solution suppliers and identify areas for further research.

performance productivity

To understand mechanisms that govern the productivity and quality of frontline employees (FLEs), this study (1) provides a conceptual distinction between frontline productivity and quality, (2) proposes an extended role theory-based model for mapping the influence of key antecedents and consequences of FLE productivity and quality, and (3) examines the effects of coping resources—boss support and task control—in helping employees cope with the inherent productivity-quality tension in frontline jobs. Using data from 159 customer service and 147 bill collection representatives, the author examines proposed hypotheses through multiple-group path analysis. The results indicate support for the distinction between productivity and quality. Moreover, with increasing burnout levels, FLEs are found to maintain their productivity levels while their quality deteriorates directly. Relative to boss support, task control emerges as a more powerful resource in aiding FLEs in coping with role tension. Key implications for theory and practice regarding FLE management and effectiveness are discussed.

customer eqility

The authors present a unified strategic framework that enables competing marketing strategy options to be traded off on the basis of projected financial return, which is operationalized as the change in a firm’s customer equity relative to the incremental expenditure necessary to produce the change. The change in the firm’s customer equity is the change in its current and future customers’ lifetime values, summed across all customers in the industry. Each customer’s lifetime value results from the frequency of category purchases, average quantity of purchase, and brand-switching patterns combined with the firm’s contribution margin. The brand-switching matrix can be estimated from either longitudinal panel data or cross-sectional survey data, using a logit choice model. Firms can analyze drivers that have the greatest impact, compare the drivers’ performance with that of competitors’ drivers, and project return on investment from improvements in the drivers. To demonstrate how the approach can be implemented in a specific corporate setting and to show the methods used to test and validate the model, the authors illustrate a detailed application of the approach by using data from the airline industry. Their framework enables what-if evaluation of marketing return on investment, which can include such criteria as return on quality, return on advertising, return on loyalty programs, and even return on corporate citizenship, given a particular shift in customer perceptions. This enables the firm to focus marketing efforts on strategic initiatives that generate the greatest return.

comparison of different countries marketing

The internet is playing an increasingly important role in destination marketing. To explore the current situation of online marketing in major destinations, this study compared destination marketing organisation (DMO) websites in the USA and China. By applying a modified balanced scorecard approach, website marketing strategies, web page designs, marketing information and technical qualities were evaluated. The main purpose was to determine similarities and differences among the official DMO websites in the USA and China. Four tiers of DMO websites were evaluated: state tourism offices and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) in the USA, and provincial and city tourism administrations in China. US DMO websites were found to be superior to those in China in terms of marketing strategies and information, and US CVB sites received the highest evaluations.

Based on the evaluation results, recommendations were made on how DMOs can improve their websites to develop them into more effective destination marketing tools.

interactive marketing

The primary research objective of this study rests on presenting and validating a model for the antecedents and consequences of consumer trust in the context of online purchase decision-making by means of simulation and survey methods. For this purpose, the study seeks to validate the correlation and causal relationships among the model's elements involving antecedents to trust (transactional security, web-site properties, search functionality, and personal variables), consequences (purchase intention), and mediating variable (web-site awareness).

Based on the findings of a controlled simulation study involving 122 college students, are the following major results: (1) web-site trust showed a significant response to site properties including the image-related variables such as company awareness and company reputation, while satisfaction significantly responded to navigation functionality; (2) personal variables such as familiarity with e-commerce and prior satisfaction with e-commerce were found to have high correlation with web-site satisfaction as well as trust; (3) web-site trust, web-site satisfaction, and web-site awareness all influenced the online-purchase intention, and (4) web-site trust and web- site satisfaction had a high correlation.

The findings of this study suggest a new approach to understanding and identifying the antecedents and consequences of web-site trust whose importance is increasing in the study of Internet commerce. Also, the study findings provide the Internet marketers with the managerial implications to establish effective online marketing strategy. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and Direct Marketing Educational Foundation, Inc.

small business marketing strategy

 The purpose of this paper is to review recent developments in online marketing strategy which demonstrate the growing power of online communities in building brand reputations and customer relationships.

Design/methodology/approach – The work draws upon the results of an ongoing research project which is investigating the use of new technologies by entrepreneurial businesses in the London area. A range of examples from our 30 case study businesses are drawn upon to illustrate some of the opportunities and threats associated with these new marketing priorities.

Findings – We conclude that social networks will play a key role in the future of marketing; externally they can replace customer annoyance with engagement, and internally they help to transform the traditional focus on control with an open and collaborative approach that is more conducive to success in the modern business environment.

Research limitations/implications – Further research should aim to track this activity as it integrates with more mainstream marketing over time.

Practical implications – Developments in the technologies themselves, as well as a reduction in costs, will mean that more and more information will be available to consumers. This results in unprecedented levels of transparency of dealings between businesses and their customers. A key challenge when engaging customers through these social networks is how to give away power and control while at the same time avoiding embarrassment to the company.

Originality/value – The paper provides practical guidance on the opportunities and threats associated with marketing through social networks, based on lessons learned from “early adopters”.

Strategy of online marketing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review recent developments in online marketing strategy which demonstrate the growing power of online communities in building brand reputations and customer relationships.   Design/methodology/approach – The work draws upon the results of an ongoing research project which is investigating the use of new technologies by l  entrepreneuri a businesses in the London area. A range of examples from our 30 case study businesses are drawn upon to illustrate some of the opportunities and threats associated with these new marketing priorities . Findings – We conclude that social networks will play a key role in the future of marketing; externally they can replace customer annoyance with engagement, and internally they help to transform the traditional focus on control with an open and collaborative approach that is more conducive to success in the modern business environment.   Research limitations/implications – Further research should aim to track this activity as it integrates with more mainstream marketing over time.    Practical implications – Developments in the technologies themselves, as well as a reduction in costs, will mean that more and more information will be available to consumers. This results in unprecedented levels of transparency of dealings between businesses and their customers. A key challenge when engaging customers through these social networks is how to give away power and control while at the same time avoiding embarrassment to the company   Originality/value – The paper provides practical guidance on the opportunities and threats associated with marketing through social networks, based on lessons learned from “early adopters”.

  

Role of social media in online marketing

Social media are playing an increasingly important role as information sources for travelers. The goal of this study is to investigate the extent to which social media appear in search engine results in the context of travel-related searches. The study employed a research design that simulates a traveler's use of a search engine for travel planning by using a set of pre-defined keywords in combination with nine U.S. tourist destination names. The analysis of the search results showed that social media constitute a substantial part of the search results, indicating that search engines likely direct travelers to social media sites. This study confirms the growing importance of social media in the online tourism domain. It also provides evidence for challenges faced by traditional providers of travel-related information. Implications for tourism marketers in terms of online marketing strategies are discussed.

Keywords

• Social media;
• Search engine;
• Travel information search;
• Online tourism domain;
• Internet marketing

challenge on online marketing

The advent of keyword advertising has had a tremendous effect on online advertising, Internet marketing, search engines, and Web sites that earn advertising revenue. Pay-per-click advertising therefore provides a critical topic for educators who hope to prepare students for professional careers in advertising and related areas. The Google Online Marketing Challenge offers an innovative way to achieve this goal in a unique hands-on context. With more than 8,000 participating students from 47 countries, the 2008 Challenge is, as far as the authors know, the largest in-class academic competition ever undertaken. The Challenge is also unique in its linkages among students, businesses, and the classroom. This article briefly reviews online marketing and Google’s advertising platform.
View full text Download full text

Keywords:

Sponsored search,
online marketing,
online advertising

Related articles

View all related articles

Author affiliations

^a The Pennsylvania State University
^b Google Europe
^c Google UK
^d The University of Western Australia

Journal news

New to Routledge for 2013
View disclaimer for citing articles.