Corporate purpose is postulated across industries as a strategic success driver. In the context of a literature analysis, this study works out whether the concept of purpose is anchored in well-known concepts such as mission and vision. An empirical study will examine the assessment of purpose in relevant stakeholder groups.

Experiences as the basis for value creation and competitive positioning are increasingly placed at the center of luxury marketing activities to create an emotional customer-brand relationship. Especially in the luxury travel and tourism market, the demand for brand experiences becomes apparent and is reflected in a wide range of services ranging from transport and accommodation to entertainment and relaxation. The cruise ship industry as the fastest growing sector in luxury tourism provides a holistic experiential package designed to meet the travelers’ expectations for pleasure and satisfaction. The aim of this paper is to empirically investigate antecedents of consumer luxury value perception and related consumption behavior with practical implications for the successful management of luxury brands. With special focus on brand experiences in luxury tourism and the cruise industry, the results of our empirical study reveal that luxury consumers have an increasing demand for personal and authentic experiences combined with a rising concern regarding ethical and environmental values. As a consequence, addressing brand experience and sustainability orientation as key elements of customer value perception is a promising way to create successful differentiation strategies in the luxury travel and tourism industry.

The ongoing growth in US and European markets along with the increasing demand for luxury goods in emerging economies leads to a substantial growth in the global appetite for luxury. A necessary precondition to improve marketing strategies for luxury brands is a better understanding of the different reasons why consumers across nations buy luxury products: Do similar luxury attitudes exist across countries, or are there significant differences in luxury attitudes internationally? Drawing from prior findings in cross-national studies and based on a three-dimensional framework of consumer attitudes toward luxury, the present study analyzes this research question by using a cross-national data set. Based on the empirical study, referring to the main research question and initial hypotheses, the assessment of the measurement models and the structural relations give evidence for the existence of similar luxury attitudes across countries that can be distinguished along the three dimensions of knowledge-related, affect-related and behavior-related luxury themes. Nevertheless, there are cross-national differences in the evaluation of statements that are associated with these luxury themes and in the structural relationship between these components.

This research analyzes the effects of competitive advertising in women’s magazines on the consumer using an experiment. In addition to replicating adverse interference effects of competitive advertising on memory in a real-world media environment, this study demonstrates that it also induces an increased product category desire for the advertised product category.