Audiences’ purchase intentions are vital to the success of influencers on social media. This research examined how interpersonal attraction enhances parasocial relationships (PSRs) between influencers and audiences on social media, and how such parasocial relationships, in turn, affect audiences’ continuance intention. Interpersonal attraction contains three dimensions: task attraction, social attraction, and physical attraction. The results indicated that the three dimensions of interpersonal attraction significantly affected PSRs. The results also showed that informational influence and perceived credibility strengthened the relationship between PSRs and purchase intentions. Moreover, online comments positively moderated the effect of PSRs on informational influence and perceived credibility. The implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Purpose: This study presents an integrated research model to test the relationships between trust in retailers, trust in mobile payment, loyalty to retailers and loyalty to mobile payment as well as the antecedents of trust in retailers and trust in mobile payment. Thus, this study investigates how customer journey design, relationship investment, structure assurance and perceived ubiquity build trust in retailers and trust in mobile payment and how trust affects loyalty to each aspect. At the same time, this study analyzes the reinforcement of trust and loyalty transfer between a retailer and its mobile payment system.Design/methodology/approach: From the perspective of mobile payment in omnichannel retailing, the authors proposed a framework with several hypotheses and verified the model with structural equation modeling that involves LISREL and SPSS process and based on questionnaire data collected from mobile payment users.Findings: This study confirms the positive influences of customer journey design and relationship investment on trust in retailers and the positive impacts of structure assurance and perceived ubiquity on trust in mobile payment. Meanwhile, the findings validate the effects of trust in retailers and mobile payment on loyalty to both retailers and mobile payment and how trust in retailers transfers to trust in mobile payment and loyalty to retailers transfers to loyalty to mobile payment.Originality/value: This study contributes to the marketing literature by filling the research gap and offering a complete model that explicates customers' trust and loyalty in omnichannel context. The findings help businesses better understand the omnichannel retailing landscape and thereby develop effective marketing strategies in order to gain customers' trust in both retailer and mobile payment and retain more loyal customers.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how quality dimensions in independently owned online brand communities influence purchase intentions via uncertainty reduction and the role of involvement.Design/methodology/approach: This work validates the model and hypotheses through non-probabilistic sampling. The online questionnaire was made on the website of MySurvey and an invitation letter was posted to the forums. The respondents received the questionnaire items translated into Chinese. The final survey sample consisted of 235 respondents.Findings: Empirical results confirm that as for independently owned online brand communities, their information quality and relationship quality are effective tools for influencing purchase intentions via uncertainty reduction. In addition, the authors demonstrate that involvement has a positively moderating influence on the relationship between uncertainty reduction and purchase intentions.Originality/value: The current study moves beyond uncertainty reduction to demonstrate that information quality and relationship quality of forums influenced purchase intention via uncertainty reduction and the moderating variable such as involvement.

Product endorsement has become a common marketing method. Many companies hire a famous person to act as the spokesman for the product and brand. They want to use the celebrity’s fame and attractiveness to promote their products and brands. However, is every celebrity suitable to be the spokesman for a product? In addition, in the era of advanced technology, whether the comments on the Internet and the credibility of the spokesman affect consumers’ purchase intention through herd behavior. And whether the credibility of the spokesman and the degree of source fit (the degree of fit between the spokesman and the product and brand) affect consumers’ purchase intention through brand attitude and heard behavior. To our best knowledge, no studies in the research literature have explored the relationships between spokesman credibility, source fit, herd behavior, brand attitude, online word-of-mouth, and purchase intention, where herd behavior and brand attitude are mediating variables. The research questionnaire was designed and distributed using an online questionnaire format, and the distribution period was from 6 April 2022, to 12 April 2022. In this study, a total of 203 valid questionnaires were obtained. According to the results, both online word-of-mouth and spokesman credibility had a significantly positive impact on consumers’ herd behavior, which will significantly increase consumers’ purchase intention. The credibility of the spokesman also had a significantly positive impact on consumers’ brand attitudes and, therefore, will significantly increase consumers’ purchase intention. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided.

Is a customer’s past purchase experience of traditional banking products applicable to the continuing purchase of insurance and investment products at a bank branch? Are service attributes used with similar extensions evaluated differently from when used with dissimilar extensions? In response to these questions, this study develops and examines a framework of service attributes (e.g., locational and one-stop shopping convenience, functional and technical service quality, and firm reputation and size) having positive effects on cross-buying. Meanwhile, this study also examines the mediating roles of satisfaction and trust on the relationship between services attributes and cross-buying. Our results indicate that the relative importance of locational convenience and functional service quality is likely to decline, while the relative importance of one-stop shopping convenience and firm size is likely to increase as category dissimilarity increases. Technical service quality and firm reputation only have indirect effects on cross-buying dissimilar product categories through trust. Instead, satisfaction plays the mediating role for cross-buying similar product categories. Our findings reinforce the view that the relative effects of service attributes, satisfaction and trust on cross-buying vary under different category similarity conditions.

Purpose: Co-production is an important process that alters value creation and improves the relationships between service providers and their customers. Such practice allows customers and service employees to access and leverage resources residing in their relationships. Clearly, the marketing-related literature focuses on the bright side of co-production. Nevertheless, the costs and potential negative consequences associated with its dark side must be further investigated. Therefore, this study aims to present a conceptual framework that explores the relationships among co-production, co-production enjoyment, co-production intensity, service effort, and job stress, and their effects on value co-creation, value co-destruction and customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted on the basis of dyadic data; the process incorporates both the customer and the corresponding service employee into a single unit of analysis. The proposed model was tested by using a structural equation model that involves LISREL analyses. Findings: The results of this study indicate that co-production influences co-production enjoyment, co-production intensity, service effort, and job stress. Co-production enjoyment and service effort increase value co-creation, whereas co-production intensity and job stress increase value co-destruction. Value co-creation and value co-destruction have different effects on customer satisfaction. Originality/value: This study addresses the gap in the extant research and contributes to a better understanding of the double-sided effects of co-production by integrating employees and customers into a single dyadic and comprehensive model.