Communication-In-Use and Customer Driven Integrated Marketing Communication

Christian Grönroos, Hanken School of Economics Finland
Åke Finne, Hanken School of Economics Finland

Communication-in-Use and Customer-Driven Integrated Marketing Communication (New)

Christian Grönroos, Hanken School of Economics Finland
Åke Finne, Hanken School of Economics Finland

Service in a Time of Rapid Change: Trust and Empathy During Crisis

Communications play a critical role in maintaining brand trust every day. Brands do this with customers much in the same way humans do with each other – through honesty, transparency, empathy, and by matching behavior to those values. During a crisis, trust is more important than ever, especially if the company provides essential everyday services.

Service in a Time of Rapid Change: Respond from the Heart – Generosity

One afternoon recently, marketing professor Leonard Berry paused in the middle of grading final papers and exams to describe our current frightening landscape: one million-plus COVID-19 cases, more than 60,000 deaths, unemployment growing to near-depression levels, and businesses shutting down—some never to return.

ServiceFriday: Trending Up – The Differences Among Trendsetter Groups

The year is 2020 and being an Instagram model is now a profession. While it might seem that everyone is attempting to be an influencer or trendsetter in some capacity nowadays, not everyone can be. One’s identity in terms of which trendsetter group (i.e. trendsetters, early adopters, late adopters and reluctant adopters) they fall into can be of crucial importance for retailers to better comprehend. Specifically, the money attitudes and the phenomenon known as consumer tendency to regret (CTR) differentiate between the groups.

ServiceFriday: Sense of Humor – Humor’s Impact on Consumer Behavior

Rodney Dangerfield, Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock all have one thing in common – other than being some of this author’s all-time favorite stand-up comedians – and that commonality is that people flock(ed) to them. But even more recent comedians such as Kevin Hart have also had droves of people come see them. In fact, Hart performed in-front of a sold out crowd at Lincoln Financial Field (home to the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles) which was staggering considering that show marked the first time a comedian ever headlined an NFL stadium.

ServiceFriday: Refrain from Referral? Behavior in Referral Rewards Programs

Referral reward programs (RRPs) are applied by firms to use existing customers to recommend a firm’s service to friends, family and potential new customers. Having become ubiquitous among the service industry, current research on RRPs is far from exhaustive as most studies on them focus on customers’ intention to refer instead of their actual referral behavior. RRPs are only effective when a referral is completed by an inductor and a new customer has purchased the service and subsequently become an inductee.

ServiceFriday: Creating Unforgettable Experiences for Your Customers

Memorable experiences can have a lasting impact on our perceptions of the brands and companies with which we associate them. A complimentary pint of Guinness served at the highest point in Dublin, with 360-degree panoramic views of the city, is an unforgettable ending to a day at the Guinness Storehouse. Sitting mere inches away from a teppan chef at Benihana preparing your food using elaborate knife tricks makes the phrase “dinner and a show” all the more real.

ServiceFriday: We All Just Want to be Part of the In-Crowd

The need for social relationships and a feeling of belonging is at the heart of our most innate desires as human beings. Every act we perform in our daily lives is in some way affected by what has been determined to be our role in society and how we feel we must act to maintain that role and our relationships with others. However, little research has been conducted into how this desire affects consumer behavior. Does the fear of social exclusion cause us as consumers to spend our money a certain way? And if so, to what extent?

ServiceFriday: Speaking vs. Writing – Which Word-of-Mouth is Better?

Businesses are constantly faced with the question of how to more effectively engage customers with their brand. Encouraging positive word-of-mouth between consumers can be beneficial, but how influential is the means through which they choose to communicate? With online review platforms so readily available, consumers tend to write their opinions for others to read, but studies are showing oral communication establishes a much stronger feeling of affiliation and loyalty towards a brand, especially for the communicating consumer.