This study aims to investigate if the visitors’ perception of corporate social responsibility influences both hotel brand positioning and intention to revisit. Furthermore, it examines the indirect impact of corporate social responsibility on hotel brand positioning and intention to revisit through other major factors (identification, satisfaction, and loyalty). In total, 348 valid questionnaires were collected from customers reserved a hotel room in the UK within the last six months at the time of this investigation. Structural equation modelling was conducted to advance insight into the various influences and relationships. The results showed that there is a significant direct relationship between CSR with hotel brand positioning and indirect relationship between CSR and intention to revisit through identification, loyalty. However, surprisingly there are no relationships between CSR with satisfaction and satisfaction with loyalty. This study contributes to the existing literature on CSR in hotel management by investigating the impact of the customers’ perception of a hotel’s CSR on both hotel brand positioning and customers’ intention to revisit. Moreover, this study also contributes to hotel management literature by investigating the indirect impact of identification, satisfaction, and loyalty on the relationship between CSR with hotel brand positioning and intention to revisit.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of social content marketing in social media on the effectiveness of the new product development process of high-tech companies with regard to the e-trust as a mediator between content and effectiveness.Design/methodology/approach: For this study, a descriptive research method has been adopted. Data were collected through a questionnaire. In total, 430 questionnaires were distributed among professionals and managers working in R&D, marketing, sales and strategic departments of firms affiliated with ICT Guild Organization in September 2017. Of this number, 384 complete questionnaires were included in the study. Data were analyzed using structural equation method by Smart PLS software.Findings: Findings show that although social content marketing and e-trust influenced the effectiveness of the product development process, e-trust did not play a mediating role in the relationship between social content marketing and effectiveness of product development process in high-tech companies.Practical implications: High-tech companies, drawing on the results of this research, can utilize the component of social content marketing in social and mobile media and content publication through e-commerce, social and mobile media and m-commerce while analyzing user-generated content to identify user demands and achieve the proper idea generation. At the time of commercializing, by educating and informing customers, they mitigate fears and risks. This will lead to increasing the effectiveness of the product development process, market share and achieving revenue goals.Originality/value: This study investigates the social content marketing role in product development process in high-tech companies and tests the model in the context of the Tehran IT industries. The result of this study provides a reference for managers of high-tech companies and helps them lower the failure rate of product development.

Purpose: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to use specific marketing strategies and approaches due to their limited resources and capabilities. Entrepreneurial marketing (EM) is an alternative marketing management approach under the special conditions that describe SMEs. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate whether EM has a positive and significant effect on different aspects of performance of Iranian halal food SMEs.Design/methodology/approach: A correlative descriptive research method is used and 384 questionnaires with five-point Likert scale are distributed among managers of Iranian halal food SME producers chosen by simple random sampling method. To analyze the data, structural equations modeling based on partial least squares is applied using SmartPLS 3.Findings: The result of data analysis indicates a positive and significant effect of EM on the market and innovative performances of halal food SMEs. Nevertheless, the effect of EM on production performance of aforementioned companies is not confirmed. The findings also show that production, market and innovative performances of halal food SMEs result in their financial performance.Research limitations/implications: The study’s sample is limited to halal food SMEs of Iran. Although the objectives of the study have been aimed, more research can be done investigating this relationship in other companies from different sectors, contexts and countries. Similar studies can be conducted cross-culturally and in different Islamic countries.Practical implications: For halal food SMEs that tend to achieve better performance, obtaining improved innovative and market performances requires using EM activities effectively. This paper suggests that halal food SMEs should be innovative, proactive, opportunist, risk-taker and customer-oriented to achieve better market and innovative performances and consequently earn higher profits.Originality/value: This is one of the earliest studies investigating the effects of EM in the halal food industry. Although very few papers practically recognized the impact of EM on the performance of SMEs and entrepreneurial ventures, the effect of this concept on halal food SMEs has remained unknown.

Retailers are increasingly aware of the importance of store atmosphere on consumers’ emotions. The results of four experimental studies demonstrate that the sensory cues by which customers sense products and the amount of (in)congruency among the sensory stimuli of the products affect consumers’ emotions, willingness to purchase, and experience. In the presence of moderators such as colors, jingles, prices, and scent imagery, when facing sensory-rich experiential products (e.g., juice, coffee, hamburger, soda) with different sensory cues, consumers’ emotions, willingness to purchase, and experience depend on affective primacy and sensory congruency. The results (1) facilitate an improved consideration of the role of the interaction of sensory cues on customer emotions, (2) have consequences for outcomes linked with sensory congruency and affective primacy, and (3) help clarify possible incoherence in preceding studies on cross-modal outcomes in the setting of multi-sensory marketing.

Purpose: In the current era, businesses and customers are becoming increasingly concerned with social and environmental issues, and unlike the past, the main focus is not merely on economic growth. As new customers are getting more informed and responsible toward their surroundings, it is necessary for enterprises to act responsibly to attract responsible customers. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand positioning and customer loyalty in travel agencies in Tehran, Iran.Design/methodology/approach: Through quota sampling, 86 agencies are selected and a number of 200 customers of those travel agencies are surveyed by means of purposive sampling.Findings: The result reveals that CSR has a significant effect on loyalty of customers and brand positioning. In addition, the results indicate that all hypotheses have significant effects except for the C-C identification on customer loyalty.Practical implications: Tourism managers should bear in mind that performing CSR activities is not merely a cost burden but a viable strategy for creating competitive advantage. They should adapt their CSR activities to the industry environment.Originality/value: The study provides important evidence about CSR and their role in brand positioning and customer loyalty in tourism industry. In addition, the study contributes to the literature by developing the link between CSR and brand positioning.