https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2022.03.002

Although gamification has received considerable attention from both researchers and practitioners, its influence on consumers remains ambiguous. This paper proposes that a negative process through decreased attention and a positive process through increased enjoyment explain the effects of gamification on different outcome variables. Study 1 examines these two processes and gamification’s downstream consequences on purchase intention and product information recognition. For purchase intention, the two processes operate in parallel and produce a null effect of gamification. For product information recognition, only the negative process emerges, resulting in a negative effect of gamification. Studies 2 and 3 focus on the negative effect of gamification on product information recognition and show that the negative effect disappears in gamification designs that link the game elements with meaningful information about the product (Study 2) or make consumers aware of the distraction potential of game elements (Study 3). The studies’ findings provide managerial insights into why not all gamification endeavors yield the desired results; they also specify two boundary conditions (i.e., meaningfulness and disclosure) that may help managers avoid potentially detrimental effects of gamification.

https://www.msi.org/reports/understanding-the-negative-and-positive-effects-of-gamification-for-compani/

Many brands are using gamification to engage customers, but not much is known about when and how gamification influences important marketing outcomes.

Here, René Eppmann, Magdalena Bekk, Kristina Klein, and Franziska Völckner shed light on the positive and negative effects of gamification. In three experimental studies, they show that gamification initiates two opposing processes: It reduces consumers’ attention towards product information and, subsequently, consumers’ processing effort (negative). At the same time, it increases consumers’ perceived enjoyment (positive).

These effects do not occur for specific outcomes in the same way though. For example, for consumers’ purchase intentions, gamification is neutral because the negative process (reduced product attention) and the positive process (increased enjoyment) cancel each other out.  For consumers’ product-information recognition, on the other hand, the effect is wholly negative.  In addition, and independent of the specific outcome, high-trust brands are more strongly affected by reduced attention to product information than low-trust brands.

Put into Practice

Contrary to common expectations, gamification does not always help marketers achieve their desired outcomes.

If the aim is to increase product information recognition, for example, marketers should abstain from using gamification. Also, managers of highly trusted brands should exercise caution in using gamification in their marketing activities.

Nevertheless, managers might aim to take advantage of gamification’s positive effects on other outcome variables, such as consumer engagement or brand patronage intention. In such cases, they should consider explicitly informing their consumers about a potential distraction from product information, as such disclosure reduces gamification’s negative effect. 

doi: 10.1002/ijop.12526

The present self‐report survey study examines the psychophysical (how they feel) and sociocultural (how they do) adjustment of Erasmus students (N = 223) in Spain and Germany. We adopted the comprehensive multidimensional individual difference acculturation framework to examine the acculturation process of Erasmus students. Using structural equation modeling, we tested specific hypotheses drawn from the framework, χ²(15) = 18.50, p = .24; χ²/df = 1.23, CFI = .99; and RMSEA = .03. In particular, we expected and found that students who reported high cultural and linguistic skills, high resilience, and a strong sense of identity had successful adaption in the host country. These students also reported high intercultural contact and low levels of psychophysical symptoms. Our findings highlight the relevance of core psychosocial factors in the adjustment of Erasmus students. The results have implications for universities accepting foreign students as we found successful adjustment will be hampered even for resilient students if they receive little social support from their university or limited mentoring to acquire appropriate skills.

Gamification, a new trend in marketing and business practice, is subject to increasing attention by marketers and researchers, but no common ground exists as to what gamification really is and why and when it works. To fill this gap, this paper discusses different perspectives on gamification and offers a revised definition of gamification that provides a clear demarcation of gamification from related but different research areas. Furthermore, the paper offers guidelines to future research to increase our knowledge and understanding of gamification by providing explanations on why and when gamification could influence consumers’ brand evaluations. The research framework proposed in this paper helps to better understand the effects of gamification and to identify open research questions examining what could make gamification successful or not.

Gamification has recently become a popular topic in marketing practice. It is perceived as being a promising way to provide improved consumer experiences and to positively influence consumer behavior. An inherent characteristic of gamification is the gameful experience of consumers when using a gamified application. However, no existing measure captures the gameful experience consumers feel when they engage with gamified applications. Based on an extensive literature review and six consecutive studies, the authors develop and validate a new gameful experience scale [GAMEX] for measuring gameful experience in gamification. The results confirm that the GAMEX is a reliable and valid measure, which is useful for both, researchers and practitioners, and easy to apply in different gamification settings.

This study examines support for quotas for women in leadership, a currently highly debated topic in management research and practice. Using a sample of German working adults (N = 761), our results suggest that stereotypes about women (n = 380) are significantly related to support for quotas for women in leadership. Ascriptions of agency to typical women, that is, the extent to which women are generally seen as assertive, active, and strong, were positively related to participants' support for quotas for women in leadership in male-gendered industries and high hierarchical positions, whereas ascriptions of communality to typical women, that is, the extent to which women are seen as understanding, supportive, and caring, were generally positively related. This pattern emerged for both male and female participants. Unexpectedly, gender-stereotypic ascriptions to men (n = 381) were also related to support for quotas for women in leadership—with a positive relationship with agency in male-gendered industries and a general negative relationship with communality, although these results were less pronounced. Implications for organizations are derived from these results, highlighting how the introduction of quotas for women in leadership can be smoothed by addressing how employees see women in terms of agency and communality.

This study introduces the concept of attractiveness similarity, empirically examines its main effect and whether it moderates the effect of endorser attractiveness on consumer responses to advertising. The results show a positive main effect of attractiveness similarity over and above the mere effect of endorser attractiveness. In addition, a consistent moderating effect of attractiveness similarity on the effect of endorser attractiveness emerges: attractiveness similarity buffers against the less positive effects of lower levels of endorser attractiveness (i.e., it compensates for lower levels of endorser attractiveness). Overall, these findings reveal attractiveness similarity as a new variable in endorser advertising, which has important managerial implications. Advertising campaigns employing averagely attractive endorsers should pay special attention to attractiveness similarity.

doi:10.1007/s11573-016-0834-4

Increasing customer loyalty is important to brands. Using an automobile customer sample (N = 1032), this research examines the relative importance of the joint effects of different brand personality dimensions on customer loyalty both directly as well as indirectly—via customer trust and satisfaction. Results indicate that not all brand personality dimensions are equally important to enhance customer loyalty, trust or satisfaction. Furthermore, analyses address customer age in this context. Older customers tend to rely more directly upon brand personality as a schema-based form of evaluation than younger customers; older customers are less influenced by the more affective and temporarily variable concepts of satisfaction and trust. The results indicate the relevance of an elaborate brand personality, especially for mature markets. The results provide guidance for managers in their communication to specific age-selected target groups to generate and increase their loyalty.

doi:10.1007/s11135-015-0232-y

The concept of green brand equity has recently been introduced to business research. Chen (J Bus Ethics 93:307–319, 2010) found green brand equity to be positively influenced by green brand image via green satisfaction and green trust as parallel mediators in an Asian electronic product customer sample. Our research aims at replicating and extending these findings. Based on a German sample (N = 358), we replicate this mediation model in a different cultural context (a Western culture), extend it to service brands, and show that the model is valid for female as well as male consumers. Furthermore, we extend the original model by providing first empirical evidence for the relevance of green brand equity as a predictor of key economic indicators of consumer response (i.e., brand attitude, positive word-of-mouth communication). Finally, we discuss the implications of green brand equity for management as one determinant of a company’s success in a highly competitive business world.

doi:10.1177/0047287515606813

When people choose they often prefer similarity, rather than complementarity. This paper argues that the evaluation of a holiday destination is no exception to this tendency. The study introduces tourist–destination personality similarity (TDPS) as a concept that is distinct from perceived overall fit (POF) between tourist and destination, and examines the effects of these two concepts of congruence on vacationers’ satisfaction and recommendation behavior. Examining a sample of actual vacationers (N = 308) in a holiday resort, TDPS and POF emerged as two related, but distinct concepts: TDPS was a driver of POF, which in turn increased tourists’ satisfaction and actual recommendations of the destination. Our results confirm TDPS as a valuable tool for tourism brand managers and tourism research.

doi:10.15358/0344-1369-2015-2-79

It is essential for marketers to understand which situational and individual factors influence how retirees evaluate age-related labels and which age-related labels (e.g., “Retiree,” “60+,” or “Senior”) they can effectively use to address retired consumers. Based on social identity theory, this study shows that retirees’ evaluation of age-related labels depends on their level of identification with the social identity as retiree. This identification in turn depends on situational factors related to the transition to retirement, including the availability of reference persons who are already retired as role models, retirees’ willingness to retire, changes in their financial resources, and their previous work hours. Our findings contribute to a preliminary understanding of how these factors influence individuals and their evaluations of age-related labels. We also present suggestions for marketing to aging consumers using age-related labels.

doi:10.1177/1073191113498267

Personality is an important predictor of various outcomes in many social science disciplines. However, when personality traits are not the principal focus of research, for example, in global comparative surveys, it is often not possible to assess them extensively. In this article, we first provide an overview of the advantages and challenges of single-item measures of personality, a rationale for their construction, and a summary of alternative ways of assessing their reliability. Second, using seven diverse samples (N_total = 4,263) we develop the SIMP-G, the German adaptation of the Single-Item Measures of Personality, an instrument assessing the Big Five with one item per trait, and evaluate its validity and reliability. Third, we integrate previous research and our data into a first meta-analysis of single-item reliabilities of personality measures, and provide researchers with guidelines and recommendations for the evaluation of single-item reliabilities.

doi:10.2174/1874350101003010054

It is a common strategy to use celebrity endorsers in marketing campaigns. However, scientific literature on the effective use of celebrity endorsers has mainly focused on the credibility and the attractiveness of the celebrity. This study examines another endorser characteristic, which, despite other fields of psychological research confirming its importance, has not received much attention within marketing psychology: the perceived personality. Applying the three culturally stable personality dimensions (i.e., sincerity, excitement, and sophistication) from the established concept of brand personality to the endorser, correlation analyses demonstrated that these personality dimensions of the endorser were related to trustworthiness, a central credibility component, likeability, an important attractiveness component, as well as to positive attitude towards the celebrity and perceived suitability as endorser. Moreover, multiple mediation analyses indicated that the influence of personality dimensions on positive attitude towards the celebrity as well as on perceived suitability of the celebrity as an endorser was to some extent mediated by trustworthiness and likeability. In this context, the personality dimension of excitement emerged as an incrementally valid predictor of positive attitude towards the celebrity as well as perceived suitability as endorser in addition to trustworthiness and likeability. Therefore, the perceived personality of an endorser should be regarded as an important determinant of the central concepts of credibility and attractiveness with the personality dimension of excitement providing incremental value when predicting positive attitudes towards the celebrity and suitability as endorser.

doi:10.15358/0344-1369-2010-3-180

The match-up hypothesis states that endorsements will be more effective in advertisements when there is congruence between endorser (i.e., a celebrity) and endorsed product (e.g., Till/Busler 2000). Unlike most previous research, which has mainly dealt with attractiveness and expertise, this study examines for the first time the match-up hypothesis based on personality to predict the perceived fit (between brand and endorser) and purchase intention of the brand’s products. The three cross-culturally stable brand personality dimensions (sincerity, excitement, sophistication; Aaker/Benet-Mart´ınez/Garolera 2001) were tested on three brands and two endorsers using a between-subjects design. Participants (N = 360) assessed brand and endorser on the same personality dimensions. High similarity between endorser and brand personality on all personality dimensions increased fit between endorser and brand. Fit, in turn, led to increased purchase intentions. An analogous mediation confirmed the influence of the personality-based similarity on purchase intentions through fit. Practical implications are derived.

ISBN (eBook): 978-3-662-43576-2.

ISBN (eBook):  978-3-642-31052-2.