International Journal of Marketing, Innovation and Strategy

Editorial

Irina Saur-Amaral — 2023-12-03

In the second edition of our journal, we start with a selection of scholarly works encompassing five traditional papers: two systematic literature reviews related to innovation in business models and design thinking, and three empirical papers focused on marketing and tourism. Notably, this edition marks the inauguration of a new section titled "Innovation in Teaching & Learning," dedicated to showcasing papers related to innovative teaching methodologies and projects implemented in higher education, aligning with the focal areas of our journal. Two additional papers bring into spotlight distinctive teaching and learning initiatives undertaken in two higher education institutions.

Kicking off the edition is Lucio Marques Peçanha's comprehensive systematic literature review, centering on business model innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Employing a final sample of 122 records from Web of Science, the author utilized R software and VOS Viewer for bibliometric analysis, identifying five clusters. Through content analysis, these clusters were characterized, culminating in the development of a theoretical framework for SMEs' business model innovation.

The second paper belongs to Fatma Demir and colleagues. The authors focused on SMEs and developed a systematic literature review on design thinking and innovation strategy, presenting a systematic literature review on design thinking and innovation strategy. Drawing from a final sample of 70 papers sourced from Web of Science – Current Contents, the authors leveraged Endnote for descriptive statistics and NVivo for content analysis. The paper identifies prerequisites for implementing design thinking in SMEs, shedding light on success and failure factors.

The third contribution, authored by Anabela Marcos and Ana Rita Silva, explores the antecedents and consequences of Apple brand love. Based on a questionnaire-based survey with 215 respondents, the authors applied structural equation modeling. Their findings underscore the pivotal role played by the hedonic attribute of the product, brand experience, and brand satisfaction in fostering Apple brand love, which, in turn, contributes to loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.

The fourth paper belongs to Luzia Arantes, who focuses on digital marketing and sustainable tourism. Using structural equation modelling, she analyzes data collected through a questionnaire-based survey involving 422 respondents. The results reveal the role of sustainable measures in influencing tourists' adoption of sustainable behaviors. The ensuing model delineates the advantages of digital marketing and social networks in fostering a resilient environment for the tourist market in Portugal.

The fifth and final traditional paper, co-authored by Sónia Sousa-Silva and Laurentina Vareiro, investigates the perceptions of hospitality professionals and local communities regarding LGBT tourism. Combining data from 143 accommodation units in northern Portugal and an online questionnaire survey with 240 respondents, the study identifies discriminatory behaviors towards LGBT tourists that warrant correction. While the local community displays overall hospitality towards LGBT tourism, instances of reluctance and discrimination, particularly among males with lower education levels, were identified.

In the newly introduced "Innovation in Teaching & Learning" category, Liliana Vitorino and colleagues share their experiences with the Case-Based Learning (CBL) method. Implemented in a Design and Marketing of New Products class at Leiria Polytechnique Institute, undergraduate students collaborated on developing sustainable packaging to address a company challenge over a two-month period. Both the company and the students indicated they were satisfied with the results.

Concluding this edition is a paper by Sandra Filipe and colleagues, detailing an innovative project undertaken at Universidade de Aveiro. Involving three teachers and 300 students from the bachelor’s in marketing (second and third year) and master’s in competitiveness and business development (first year), the project focused on sustainability concepts and sustainable development goals. Incorporating diverse teaching and learning methods, interactive technologies (Kahoot! and Padlet), and real-world applications, the results were positively assessed by both students and teachers.

We extend our gratitude to all contributing authors, the editorial team, reviewers, and our community for their invaluable support in shaping this second edition. We trust that these seven papers will serve as a valuable resource for scholars interested in the realms of marketing, innovation, and forward-looking pedagogy.

Happy readings!

Business Model Innovation in SMEs

Lucio Marques Peçanha — 2023-10-20

To innovate in their business model, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have to be open to innovation, i.e., open to new technologies and sustainable practices among other possible strategies. The sustainability is crucial in this as the circular economy is growing as a new paradigm and the digital transformation and industry 4.0 are building knowledge around it. The organizations must, therefore, be aware of these contemporary practices and try to include the sustainable perspective into their business models. Many scholars produced knowledge related to business model and innovation, yet no systematic literature review (SLR) relating business model innovation to SMEs was found. Therefore, this SLR explains that phenomenon by answering to three research questions: (1) How the studies of business model innovation have evolved? (2) What are the challenges that SMEs have to struggle to innovate their business model? and (3) What are the trends in the study of business model innovation? A total of 247 documents retrieved from the Web of Science database were submitted to the analysis protocol. The final sample of 122 records was submitted to bibliometric analysis using the R software and VOSviewer software. Additionally, there was a content analysis of the articles to find trends, identifying clusters and presenting the results of condensed information in the form of tables and figures. Those results allowed the proposal of a framework for business model innovation in SME. At last, the conclusions and future studies agenda are presented to support new studies.

Design Thinking and Innovation Strategy

Fatma Demir — 2023-10-18

Throughout the world, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are recognized as integral components of the economic landscape. Historically focused on domestic markets, since the late 1990s, SMEs have found themselves operating within a globalized marketplace characterized by increasingly discerning customers and intense competition. This newfound global exposure presents a considerable challenge for SMEs, given that many of them possess limited resources and capabilities, often lacking the capacity to establish and sustain a structured innovation management system. In light of this backdrop, this paper embarks on a systematic literature review aimed at exploring the nexus between Design Thinking, innovation, and competitiveness within the context of SMEs. The study involved the retrieval of 308 papers published between 1998 and 2021 from ISI Web of Science – Current Contents. These papers underwent comprehensive analysis with the help of Endnote 20 and NVivo 20, encompassing both bibliometric and content-based analysis. Subsequently, a refined sample of 70 papers, directly related to the research question, was isolated following the application of the exclusion criteria. The findings of this study underscore the need for the development of an innovation framework tailored specifically to SMEs, to seamlessly integrate Design Thinking processes while maintaining alignment with overarching corporate strategy. This holistic approach to innovation management is poised to play a pivotal role in enhancing the competitive standing of SMEs in today's complex and dynamic business landscape

Antecedents and consequences of Apple brand love

Anabela Maria Bello de Figueiredo Marcos — 2023-11-02

For many years, satisfaction was the main goal of marketing strategy. However, later studies showed that satisfying consumers was not enough for a company to succeed in a very competitive market. Thus, the concept of brand love arose. Therefore, the study of the factors that lead consumers to feel love for a brand has become increasingly important, because nowadays consumers develop emotional and passionate relationships with brands. The purpose of our study is to identify the main antecedents and consequences of Apple brand love. Based on a sample of 215 respondents, we used the structural equation model. The antecedents of Apple brand love are hedonic product, experience, and satisfaction with the brand. As consequences of Apple brand love, brand loyalty and brand word-of-mouth were analyzed. The results showed that the purchase of a hedonic product, brand experience, and brand satisfaction are essential for consumers to nurture love for the Apple brand. In turn, hedonic product is also an antecedent of brand experience and brand satisfaction while brand experience also proved to be crucial in achieving Apple brand satisfaction. In turn, love for the Apple brand and satisfaction with this brand generate loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. Finally, loyal consumers speak positively about the Apple brand.

Digital marketing and sustainable tourism

Luzia Arantes — 2023-10-26

Social media and digital marketing are increasingly used in order to shape the behavior of individuals. With their far-reaching influence, they have emerged as powerful tools for promoting sustainable behaviors. Consequently, it has become imperative to develop a meticulous strategic plan that integrates both digital marketing and social media, thus building a lasting communication network that inspires tourists to adopt sustainable practices during their travels. This approach can contribute to the promotion of sustainable tourism and, at the same time, positively contribute to environmental conservation efforts on a global scale. 422 individuals participated, 149 (35.2%) male, 273 (64.5%) female and 1 (0.2%) participant of another sex, aged between 18 and 73 years, with an average age of 42.74 years (SD = 15.94%). Using structural equation modeling, the relationships between sustainable destination measures, social networks, tourists' predisposition to sustainability, and tourists' sustainable behaviors were analyzed. The results of this research suggest that the sustainable measures implemented by the tourist destination have an impact on the adoption of sustainable behaviors among tourists, when mediated using social networks by the destination or by the prior predisposition of tourists to adopt these behaviors. However, the sustainable measures of the tourist destination alone are not sufficient for tourists to adopt sustainable behaviors. The application of the model makes it possible to identify the advantages of digital marketing and social networks in sustainable tourism and thus promote a resilient environment for the tourist market in Portugal.

LGBT Tourism

Sónia Sousa-Silva — 2023-10-25

In tourism, the achievement of acceptance, freedom of expression, equal rights, and respect in various destinations and public spaces has stimulated growing interest from companies and destinations, reinforced by the strong purchasing power and the availability for more frequent trips by LGBT community (Baxter, 2010; WTO, 2017). For a destination that aims to attract and build a strong relationship with the LGBT market, it is vital, regardless of their motivation, to offer a safe and welcoming environment, interacting with understanding and respect. This study analyses the North of Portugal stakeholders' attitudes and perceptions, particularly the hotel industry and the local community, towards the LGBT tourism/market. By conducting two separate studies that complement each other, it was concluded that the region has the right conditions to engage in LGBT tourism and captivate this market segment, but for this, there are still slight prejudices that must be corrected.

Package Label Redesign

Liliana Vitorino — 2023-10-26

The requirements towards new packaging and consumer expectations with food packages are systematically growing. Packaging is an essential element in modern trade in goods, which guarantees preserving the quality of food products, but simultaneously is an influential communicator in a dynamic market environment where consumers often only make their final purchasing decision when they are inside a retail setting. A Case-Based Learning (CBL) method was applied with students of Design and Marketing of New Products from the Marketing undergraduate degree of Leiria Polytechnique to develop the new package label for a company that operated in Food & Beverage (F&B) industry and needed to change its spice package label. The students achieved the goals proposed by the company and they reported to have had a useful experience, based on a real case study developed in the academia. However, no formal quality evaluation was performed by the professors, a recommendation for future scholars aiming to apply the CBL method in their classes.

Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Sandra Filipe — 2023-12-03

The main goal of this paper is to describe a specific teaching-learning project implemented in two higher education courses – Bachelor in Marketing and Master in Competitiveness and Business Development, offered at a higher education institution. The project integrated Project Based Learning (PBL) methodologies and authentic learning, supported by technology, with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), studying real companies from different industries, and aiming to improve the quality of the learning experience, students’ motivation and academic success. A total of 300 students were involved in the first semester of the year 2022/2023.

The idea of sustainable cocreation was at the base of this pedagogical innovation project, so that students may become aware and assume responsibility on the impact of marketing, strategy and competitiveness decisions in the contemporary society. Students were challenged to include in their works a proposal of actions that had positive impact and contributed to the SDGs defined by the United Nations and to reflect and measure the potential impact of these actions at the level of the community.

From an operational perspective, students developed different activities in their academic works, in four different curricular units, in line with the educational level and syllabus of each curricular unit, always related to real companies from different industries and supported by different technologies, using different immersive learning experiences where students could combine authentic learning and SDGs analysis.