The Connected Consumer

Editors


E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Faculty of Economics and Business, Open University of Catalonia (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: consumer’s immersive experiences online; social e-commerce; marketing for e-learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Economics and Business, Open University of Catalonia (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, UOC), 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: digital marketing; consumer behavior; entrepreneurship; marketing/e-learning interface

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

The profound changes that have taken place and are taking place in the digital ecosystem are transforming the motivation and behavior of what is now known as the connected consumer and their complex psychological interplay with brands, marketing communication and e-retailers. Connected consumers are people who use digital technologies, communicate through digital media and make use of artificial intelligence to help in their purchase decisions. They are more passionate about choosing what to buy, they look for seamless and more immersive experiences and, at the same time, feel more empowered in their relationships with brands.

In parallel, marketers and managers strive to design digital marketing programs that attract and engage consumers. However, the success of these initiatives depends, to a large extent, on having an in-depth knowledge of consumers’ new emotional needs, how they build their perception about products and brands, and the new ways they interact within the digital ecosystem.

This Topical Collection is open to a diversity of disciplinary views, methodological designs and industrial approaches that look closely at the main targets for the digital marketing initiatives: connected consumers. We invite researchers to submit original papers about the transformative dynamics of connected consumers, the inner processes that make consumer experiences especially engaging and enjoyable, the new windows of opportunity for brands to engage consumers, and their impact on purchasing decisions and brand loyalty.

Prof. Dr. Inma Rodríguez-Ardura
Dr. Gisela Ammetller
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • connected consumer
  • consumer empowerment
  • consumer engagement
  • consumerism
  • customer co-creation
  • customer experience
  • customer relationship management (CRM)
  • customer service
  • customer value proposition
  • eWOM
  • immersive experience
  • online consumer behavior

Published Papers (4 papers)

2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021

14 pages, 1017 KiB  
Article
The Voice from Users of Running Applications: An Analysis of Online Reviews Using Leximancer
by Hyun Byun, Weisheng Chiu and Doyeon Won
J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2023, 18(1), 173-186; https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer18010010 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2401
Abstract
This study aimed to examine users’ experiences of using running applications. A total of 20,243 online reviews posted by running-application users were collected from the Google Play Store. The data were analyzed using Leximancer to conduct the qualitative content analysis. The software identified [...] Read more.
This study aimed to examine users’ experiences of using running applications. A total of 20,243 online reviews posted by running-application users were collected from the Google Play Store. The data were analyzed using Leximancer to conduct the qualitative content analysis. The software identified six themes of running-app users’ experiences: “app”, “use”, “track”, “free”, “ads”, and “support”. Moreover, the results showed that users were generally positive toward the usefulness of running applications’ functions. The findings of this study help designers better understand running-application users’ experience and improve running applications’ features in order to optimize users’ exercise experience. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021

16 pages, 641 KiB  
Article
Antecedents of Online Impulse Buying: An Analysis of Gender and Centennials’ and Millennials’ Perspectives
by Judith Cavazos-Arroyo and Aurora Irma Máynez-Guaderrama
J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2022, 17(1), 122-137; https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer17010007 - 06 Jan 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 10127
Abstract
Impulse buying continues to be a relevant topic for retail management, yet few studies have examined the role of online impulse buying. This study analyzes the effect of impulse buying tendency on online impulse buying behavior through the mediation of normative evaluation and [...] Read more.
Impulse buying continues to be a relevant topic for retail management, yet few studies have examined the role of online impulse buying. This study analyzes the effect of impulse buying tendency on online impulse buying behavior through the mediation of normative evaluation and the urge to buy impulsively on the Internet. As a secondary objective, we aim to identify whether gender and generation influence the model. The research was conducted in Mexico with millennials and centennials who had previously bought products on the Internet. We used quantitative, explanatory, non-experimental, cross-sectional research. We applied an electronic survey, and, for the statistical technique, we used PLS. According to the results, impulse buying tendency both directly and indirectly influences online impulse buying behavior through the mediating roles of normative evaluation and the urge to buy impulsively on the Internet. Moreover, we found that gender does not have an effect on the model. Regarding generation, two significant differences were found between centennials and millennials. Full article
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2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022

13 pages, 348 KiB  
Article
How to Improve Customer Engagement in Social Networks: A Study of Spanish Brands in the Automotive Industry
by Luis Matosas-López and Alberto Romero-Ania
J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2021, 16(7), 3269-3281; https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16070177 - 23 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4217
Abstract
The objective of this research is to identify to what extent volumes, components, time slots, and publication topics improve customer engagement with Spanish automotive brands through social networks. The study considers thirteen brands and the total number of publications created by them in [...] Read more.
The objective of this research is to identify to what extent volumes, components, time slots, and publication topics improve customer engagement with Spanish automotive brands through social networks. The study considers thirteen brands and the total number of publications created by them in 2020 (23,670 publications) on the social network Twitter. Applying machine learning algorithms followed by multiple linear regression techniques, the authors examine how the variables previously mentioned affect a customer engagement indicator developed for this purpose. The results reveal that while publication components (links, mentions, and hashtags) and the publication time slot do not affect customer engagement, the volume of retweets made by the brand and publications on customer experience topics (without a direct commercial purpose) significantly improve the customer engagement indicator. The authors conclude that customer engagement in social networks can only be improved by conducting exhaustive analyses of activity data for these platforms. However, such analyses must not be done via generic multisector analyses, which only generate superficial and inapplicable knowledge, but rather through detailed studies for each sector. Full article
25 pages, 1053 KiB  
Article
Engagement of Ethnic-Minority Consumers with Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) on Social Media: The Pivotal Role of Intercultural Factors
by Shalom Levy, Yaniv Gvili and Hayiel Hino
J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2021, 16(7), 2608-2632; https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16070144 - 01 Oct 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4946
Abstract
Social network sites (SNS) facilitate eWOM communication among consumers of different cultures. Building on contact theory and the theory of planned behavior, we propose a conceptual framework that integrates intercultural factors as predictors of minority consumers’ engagement with eWOM communicated by and to [...] Read more.
Social network sites (SNS) facilitate eWOM communication among consumers of different cultures. Building on contact theory and the theory of planned behavior, we propose a conceptual framework that integrates intercultural factors as predictors of minority consumers’ engagement with eWOM communicated by and to individuals of the dominant culture on social media. A partial least squares (PLS) analysis on data collected from the Israeli-Arab minority shows that intercultural factors (i.e., acculturation, social interaction, and language proficiency) are antecedents of minority consumer engagement with eWOM. However, this relationship is mediated by consumer beliefs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) concerning this behavior, and moderated by the cultural distance between minority and dominant culture consumers. The findings help marketers plan marketing communications that engage audiences meaningfully and generate positive eWOM when targeting ethnic-cultural minorities. The current study contributes to our understanding of minority consumers’ engagement with eWOM communicated by and to members of the hegemonic culture. It further contributes to consumer engagement theory and acculturation research by supporting the post-assimilationist view. The proposed model is highly valuable in light of the importance of the concept of consumer engagement in marketing research. Full article
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