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Article
Publication date: 29 November 2019

Nagaraj Samala and Bharath Shashanka Katkam

Millennial generation is fashion inclined, interactive and informative social beings. They are very conscious of the brands they wear. Millennia seek, share, inform and exchange…

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Abstract

Purpose

Millennial generation is fashion inclined, interactive and informative social beings. They are very conscious of the brands they wear. Millennia seek, share, inform and exchange fashion brand-related information on social networking sites (SNS). Marketers are subsequently engaging the young prospects and customers to keep up or improve enthusiasm and participation. The study attempts to investigate the role of customer-brand engagement (CBE) of millennials with fashion brands on SNS. The study simultaneously tests the moderating role of involvement levels affecting participation and CBE leading to brand loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

The study followed a purposive sample by collecting 466 respondents from the graduate students of a university. The study adopted structural equation modelling (SEM) and Hayes process macros in SPSS 20.0 to test the moderated-mediation model.

Findings

The study confirms the mediating role of CBE in the relationship between participation and brand loyalty. Different degrees of involvement moderate the mediating role of CBE. Higher levels of involvement enhance the positive effect of participation on CBE.

Originality/value

The study is first of its kind to investigate the role of CBE and involvement among the millennial group. It also contributes to the related theories like service-dominant logic, social exchange theory and consumer culture theory regarding a unique population group, which is promising and profitable.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 April 2020

Nagaraj Samala, Bharath Shashanka Katkam, Raja Shekhar Bellamkonda and Raul Villamarin Rodriguez

The purpose of the present article is to highlight the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics in the tourism industry. The various technologies being integrated to…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the present article is to highlight the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics in the tourism industry. The various technologies being integrated to improve the service and customer experience in tourism. The expected changes and challenges in tourism in the future are focused in this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic study on the emerging technologies of AI and Robotics applied in the tourism sector is presented in the form of a viewpoint.

Findings

AI certainly enhances tourism experiential services however cannot surpass the human touch which is an essential determinant of experiential tourism. AI acts as an effective complementary dimension to the future of tourism. With the emergence of artificial travel intelligence, it is simpler to make travel arrangements. AI offers travel services that are automated, customized and insightful. AI allows travelers to learn about their behaviors, interests to inclinations and provide a personalized experience. Gone are the days to consult a travel agent, meet him physically and indulge in an endless chain of troubling phone calls to inquire about travel arrangements.

Practical implications

Tourism marketing to see a positive and improved change that will enhance the tourists’ overall experience due to the application of AI and Robotics. New emerging technologies like chatbots, virtual reality, language translators, etc. can be effectively applied in Travel, Tourism & Hospitality industry.

Originality/value

The present viewpoint discusses the application and role of AI and Robotics with the help of relevant industry examples and theory. The present paper highlights the different technologies being used and will be used in the future.

Details

Journal of Tourism Futures, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-5911

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 March 2021

Vinay Chittiprolu, Nagaraj Samala and Raja Shekhar Bellamkonda

In business, online reviews have an economic impact on firm performance. Customers’ data in the form of online reviews was used to understand the appreciation and service…

2276

Abstract

Purpose

In business, online reviews have an economic impact on firm performance. Customers’ data in the form of online reviews was used to understand the appreciation and service complaints written by previous customers. The study is an analysis of the online reviews written by the customers about Indian heritage hotels. This study aims to understand the dimensions of service appreciation and service complaints by comparing positive- and negative-rated reviews and find the patterns in the determinants of the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the customers.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 23,643 online reviews about heritage hotels were collected from the TripAdvisor website by using a Web crawler developed in Python. A total of 1000 reviews were randomly selected for further analysis to eliminate the bandwagon effect. Unsupervised text mining techniques were used to analyze reviews and find out the interesting patterns in text data.

Findings

Based on Herzberg two-factor theory, this study found satisfied and dissatisfied determinants separately. The study revealed some common categories discussed by satisfied and dissatisfied customers. The factors which satisfy the customers may also dissatisfy the customers if not delivered properly. Satisfied customers mentioned about tangible features of the hotel stay, which includes physical signifiers, traditional services, staff behavior and professionalism and core products (rooms, food). However, most of the customers complained about intangible service problems, such as staff attitude, services failure, issues with reservation and food, value for money and room condition. The results are contradicting with commercial hotels-based studies owing to the unique services provided by heritage hotels.

Practical implications

The dimensions for satisfaction and dissatisfaction among customer of heritage hotels provide marketers to understand the real emotion and perception of the customers. As these dimensions were extracted through text mining of the reviews written by the customer of heritage hotels, the results would certainly give better insights to the hotel marketers.

Originality/value

The study is a rare attempt to study online reviews of customers on heritage hotels through a text mining approach and find the patterns in the behavior and the determinants of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of customers.

Details

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6182

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 June 2023

Salahuddin Ahmed, Sapna Singh and Nagaraj Samala

Online brand is becoming a popular and major gateway for consumers for booking various services specifically when they travel for several purposes. The present study aims to…

Abstract

Purpose

Online brand is becoming a popular and major gateway for consumers for booking various services specifically when they travel for several purposes. The present study aims to explore whether exposure to two separate yet similar modes of communication intervene consumer's brand trust and their subsequent loyalty intention toward the brand. The study further aims to investigate whether consumer's price consciousness has any influence on association between brand trust and brand loyalty in the process of decision -making.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study follows a different approach to data collection. The data have been retrieved from online brand (Oyo) page on Facebook through Google Form application. In all, 289 useable responses were retrieved from the travelers aged between 18 and 30. Structural equation modeling using SPSS 25.0 and Amos 26.0 has been applied to examine the effects of brand communication and online reviews on brand loyalty through brand trust.

Findings

Empirical evidence supports that even after having strong brand communication, online reviews play a crucial role in consumer's brand loyalty through brand trust. The study further reveals that price consciousness acts as a significant moderator in the relationship between consumer's brand trust and brand loyalty.

Practical implications

The current research contributes to the online brand and marketing knowledge by empirically showing the pertinence of consumer–brand relationship in an online brand context through a parsimonious model by examining how the two distinct mechanisms of communication influences consumer brand trust and loyalty intention.

Originality/value

The parsimonious framework of consumer–brand relationship adds to explicating the dual marketing challenges of communication and to draw a positive consumer response (i.e. consumer brand loyalty). The study attempts to examine the impact of two distinct yet identical modes of communication which facilitate shaping consumer brand trust that reinforce the strategic value of the circumstance and equips it with solid theoretical structure within an endeavor of the strategic significance of online brand managers.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2018

Nagaraj Samala and Sapna Singh

Millennials are more fashion conscious, relate themselves to the fashion brands they wear. This concept of brand engagement with self-concept (BESC) studies with other marketing…

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Abstract

Purpose

Millennials are more fashion conscious, relate themselves to the fashion brands they wear. This concept of brand engagement with self-concept (BESC) studies with other marketing variables yields interesting results. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of BESC with brand love and brand advocacy of millennials toward their favorite fashion brands. The study also tests the moderating role of millennials’ involvement and knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected from 621 graduate student millennials of a university. Hayes process macros is used to test the moderated-mediation model.

Findings

The study confirms the complementary mediating role of BESC and enhances the moderating role of involvement and knowledge. Millennials with high involvement and knowledge enhance the positive relationship between brand love, BESC and brand advocacy.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the existing literature of self-concept theory and provides useful insights for fashion marketers about millennials.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

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