Editorial

Citation

Leventhal, R.C. (2012), "Editorial", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 29 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm.2012.07729faa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Journal of Consumer Marketing, Volume 29, Issue 6

Never let it be said that consumers are not being affected by the many changes that are occurring in the marketplace today. Globally, the aging of our populations, the constant segmenting of the various cohorts (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millenials), the digital revolution, and the readily available dissemination of information to anyone have helped to shape this new marketplace. What we can say with a high degree of certainty is that these changes will continue and what has been accepted in the past may not be so as we progress in he twenty-first century.

Park and Cho attempt to explain current consumers’ use of social network online communities as information sources to make purchase decisions for apparel. Commitment to an online community may be an important predictor of using community as an information seeking source The findings of this study provide an important insight to apparel retailers that utilize a social network online community to promote the company’s brands.

Paul and Rana attempt to understand the behavior of ecological consumers and their intention to purchase organic food. The authors attempt to find out the factors influencing consumer behavior towards organic food. The authors reveal that retailers can develop effective marketing programs and strategies to influence consumers positively. Retailers can emphasize the health benefits and quality of organic food. They can make said products easily available to attract consumers to buy organic food.

Min, Overby and Im seek to examine the influence of specific types of product attributes upon desired consumption consequences and the mediating impact consequences upon purchase frequency. The authors demonstrate that the consumer means-end value hierarchy can be used as a tool for understanding the meanings that consumers construct around products and services. Moreover, it indicates that marketers should consider customer value analysis as a segmentation tool.

Moore has developed a comprehensive model of Millenial usage of interactive technologies in the current marketing environment based upon actual behavior. The author’s research found that while Millenials are adept at using technology for research and interactive purposes, they tend to buy in stores, presenting opportunities for multiple channel marketers and challenges for those who market online exclusively.

Ha-Brookshire and Yoon explored factors influencing consumers’ perceived prices for multinational products. Apparel businesses may want to declare country of purchase if this country could provide cues to high quality. high price or excellent design. Apparel businesses that would like to promote US products may want to target those who have a high sense of self-efficacy and educate consumers with country-of-origin labeling rules and regulations.

In these issues you will also find our Book Review section.

Richard C. Leventhal