This study describes the chatbot journey and focuses on its implementation within the digital marketing strategy in the first part of a company’s sales funnel. The main goal was to apply a chatbot via Facebook Messenger supported by the ManyChat platform to increase the number of leads, comparing the chatbot with the previous strategy used by the company to obtain contact information. This research work takes a step further and shows that implementing a chatbot through the ManyChat platform by a company that markets online has a positive impact on the capturing of leads, as opposed to the results obtained by authors such as Luo et al. and Leung et al. A chatbot platform used with the intention of obtaining leads seems to be an agile and powerful tool; in fact; the main conclusion of this work is that including this method can be one of the main axes of obtaining information about consumers with the aim of performing marketing actions in a two-way communication that facilitates sales by companies.

This research aims to examine consumers’ evaluation and expected behaviour changes that may arise in the wake of COVID-19 and to develop a market segmentation. Rooted in the prospect theory, after reviewing health crises, data were collected from a Spanish sample (n = 1,000) relating to changes in consumers’ evaluations of tourism products due to COVID-19 and their subsequent behavioural intentions. Findings indicate that conventional tourism may be undergoing a downturn as component of the leisure basket. Beyond a heterogeneous repercussion on tourism types and products, changes in relevance of purchase stages together with a reorganization of consumer planning are expected, with more local and individual holidays, more convenient dates, less use of vendors, more insurance contracting, and lower use of public transport and shared services. Moreover, the study provides evidence of the need of linking health risk and tourist behaviour as another behavioural segmentation base, identifying three different response behaviours. Finally, we outline improvements to hospitality and tourism management to face up to this situation.

Research background: Chatbots represent valuable technological tools that allow companies to improve customer experiences, meet their expectations in real time, and provide them with personalized assistance. They have contributed to the transformation of conventional customer service models into online solutions, offering accessibility and efficiency through their integration across various digital platforms. Nevertheless, the existing literature is limited in terms of exploring the potential of chatbots in business communication and studying their impact on the customer's response. Purpose of the article: The main objective of this study is to examine how consumers perceive chatbots as customer service devices. In particular, the paper aims to analyze the influence of the dimensions of “Information”, “Entertainment”, “Media Appeal”, “Social Presence” and “Risk for Privacy” on the “Customer Experience” and the latter on the “Purchase Intention”, under the consideration of the Uses and Gratifications Theory. Moderations due to Chatbot Usage Frequency for some of the relationships proposed are also analyzed. Methods: An empirical study was performed through a questionnaire to Spanish consumers. The statistical data analysis was conducted with R software through the lavaan package. To test the hypotheses from the conceptual model a structural equation modelling approach was adopted. Findings & value added: The results obtained identify the main characteristics of chatbots that can support brands to effectively develop their virtual assistants in order to manage their relational communication strategies and enhance their value proposal through the online customer journey. Findings demonstrate the contribution that chatbot dimensions make to the online consumer experience and its impact on the purchase intention, with the consideration of the moderating effect exercised by the user's level of experience (novice vs. experienced) with the use of chatbots. Regarding managerial implications, this research offers recommendations for e-commerce professionals to manage chatbots more effectively. The “Entertainment” and “Social Presence” dimensions can be operationalized at a visual (e.g., appearance of the avatar and text box, use of designs aligned with the website) and textual level (e.g., style and tone of voice, use of expressions typical of the target audience) to generate a feeling of proximity with the chatbot and facilitate its adoption. “Media Appeal” requires that the chatbot be easy to use, effective, and accessible, to facilitate its usability. Finally, mitigation of “Privacy Risk” concerns should be achieved by presenting an appropriate privacy policy and requesting permission for the use of customers’ private information.

Geolocalization and the use of geographic information systems (GIS) have become fundamental tools in many disciplines because they can link databases and view the geographic information provided by these databases. Within the hotel context, geolocation and GIS can be used as tools that from a management perspective facilitate the evaluation of the competitive level existing in a tourist destination and from a consumer point of view facilitate their choice. This chapter tries to show the usefulness of geolocation through its application in the evaluation of the hotel supply in Barcelona (Spain).

Despite the social, health, law enforcement, and economic importance of illegal drug supply, the lack of information and understanding regarding these supply chains stands out. This paper carries out a disaggregated analysis of the structure of the hashish supply chain from Morocco to Europe to explain the value contributions at each level, the end-price formation, and the supply chain management practices. The methodology adopted is based on a mixed method of data collection where the primary data are gathered from field interviews with cannabis producers and dealers and secondary information is obtained from official statistics, research papers, informational reports, and documentaries. We review supply and value chain frameworks through the lens of cost–benefit analysis. Our main findings show an unequal contribution on the part of the different levels of distribution, with end-user prices increasing by 7000% of the cost of production during the supply chain. The chain also has high variable costs but limited fixed ones, exacerbating the lack of stability and fostering continuous adaptation. We also detect a reluctance to raise end-user prices but a great propensity to change quality. This research may have implications for several stakeholders. In the case of dealers, we find that they have created a supply-push system thanks to their dominant power, leaning on information sharing as a source of resilience. In the case of law enforcement, we delve into the operational functioning of the drug chain and the reasons for its survival. For financial investigation operations, unknown or unrealized economic parameters are quantified. For development agencies, the need to implement alternative development programs for producers is evidenced. Finally, for health authorities, we highlight the consequences of seizures and prohibitions of hashish trafficking on the deterioration of the quality of hashish and the subsequently added health hazards for end-users.

This study examines the role that chatbots, an application of AI in e-commerce customer service, play in increasing online trust in brands and how, from this trust, interaction with chatbots can impact brand preference and purchase intention A conceptual model based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Information System Success Model (IS) is proposed to understand the relationships between the utility, ease-of-use, and responsiveness of a chatbot, online trust, brand preference, and purchase intention. Based on a sample of Spanish consumers, this study provides a better understanding of how to build trust online and how this can strengthen the relationship with the consumer and lead to a purchase. At the same time, it alerts professionals to the need to design chatbots that are useful and respond efficiently and quickly in their customer service. The results of our study aim to help brands in designing chatbots to provide e-services that consolidate customer relationships and foster sales.