Despite substantial research focusing on retail atmospheric elements and the creation of social a... more Despite substantial research focusing on retail atmospheric elements and the creation of social atmospheres, a holistic theory of atmosphere addressing consumer heterogeneity remains elusive. This research examines how embodied interactions with retail socio-material elements and consumers' expertise levels create affective atmospheres. Through a three-year-long ethnographic study of winery tours, we identify three core elements in the co-creation of affective atmospheres: material features, sensory modalities, and social interactions. We use text mining to build corresponding dictionaries and analyze customer review data from several retail sites, demonstrating the positive effect of retail atmospherics on customer sentiment. Focusing on consumer segmentation, we further show that different levels of consumer expertise (novices, enthusiasts, and experts) influence the subjective perception of atmospheric elements and the way staff members are expected to behave to jointly create affective atmospheres. Based on our multi-method findings, we offer theoretical and managerial implications that are generalizable to broader retailing contexts.
This research examines the role of the winery tourism experience in the formation of brand image ... more This research examines the role of the winery tourism experience in the formation of brand image and brand loyalty. A qualitative analysis of 2540 TripAdvisor reviews—a user-generated form of electronic word of mouth—of four wineries of the Okanagan Valley posted over six years (2014-2020) reveals not only Pine and Gilmore’s (1999) four categories of consumer experiences (i.e., esthetics, education, entertainment, and escape), but also an additional factor (i.e., social interactions with employees and other visitors). The TripAdvisor reviews also show that—based on their winery tourism experiences—consumers express differentiated brand image impressions associated with wineries and brand loyalty. The contribution of this research lies in the identification of social interactions as a complementary dimension of winery tourism experiences, and in linking winery tourism experiences with brand image and brand loyalty. From a theoretical perspective, the findings encourage a greater inte...
PurposeIn this paper, the authors argue that fine wines can be considered art and as such can be ... more PurposeIn this paper, the authors argue that fine wines can be considered art and as such can be awarded luxury status. The authors discuss the processes of artification, through which such wines are recognized as art (Shapiro and Heinich, 2012), and heritagization, in which the cultural differentiation implicit in the concept of terroir (the various elements of a microclimate that contribute to a wine's specific attributes) connects a wine to its history and provenance. The investigation focuses specifically on fine wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy, which are renowned worldwide for their depth and flavors. What traits are intrinsic to the definition of art, and what social processes culminate in transforming an entity from nonart to art?Design/methodology/approachIt is a conceptual paper that requires blending several viewpoints to present the authors’ own viewpoints.FindingsThis study aims to address the above questions and argues that fine wines, as a source of aesthetic plea...
This study examines how temporal orientation impacts the individual’s perception of choice and ho... more This study examines how temporal orientation impacts the individual’s perception of choice and how those constructs relate to consumer empowerment. Specifically, it examines how control over loyalty program features within a casino impacts the subjective experience of empowerment for customers who are distant-future oriented, present oriented with a fatalist approach to life (present fatalist), and present oriented with a more hedonistic approach (present hedonistic). The study investigates whether a future-oriented individual evaluate the more long-term and abstract levels associated with choice, while present-oriented individuals might look for concrete details and more immediate benefits of their consumption experience. A qualitative technique, namely the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET), is used in order to capture conscious as well as deeper and unconscious meanings associated to consumer’s choice.
Wine education poses a paradox to the industry: consumers both say they desire to know more about... more Wine education poses a paradox to the industry: consumers both say they desire to know more about wine, yet they also report being overwhelmed and confused. In addition, the traditional analytic approach to wine education has involved teaching consumers a “grid” with rules for analysis that rely heavily on language which younger consumers in particular report disliking. A holistic approach to learning about wine was shown to be effective for more expert consumers, but those researchers did not consider how the learning approach affected their overall liking of the wine. Our first study considers teaching young consumers (Gen Z and millennials) through a holistic technique (involving drawing the wine’s taste) to a more verbal analytic approach (writing decompositional tasting notes) with consumers having some prior wine education and those without any. We find that the holistic approach led to greater liking for the wine, particularly with consumers having no prior wine education. We...
Loyalty programs play a prominent role in many firms’ customer relationship management programs, ... more Loyalty programs play a prominent role in many firms’ customer relationship management programs, but not all programs are successful. Providers need to understand not only what benefits customers want in a program, but also how they want to be treated as a loyalty member. We posit that because loyalty programs offer rewards that are time-bound (immediate or delayed), and that loyalty programs seek to develop a relationship that extends over time, an important, but overlooked dimension for hospitality managers to consider is how their customers view time. Our research focuses on customers’ temporal orientation—the tendency to think in the present, future, or past. We use depth interviews to explore existing casino loyalty program participants’ thoughts and feelings about their ideal loyalty program. We find the customers’ temporal orientation influences the type of relationship as well as the type of benefits sought in the loyalty program. Our research offers managerially practical i...
[Excerpt] Cigar smoking is once again in vogue. While no longer at "fad" levels (Freccia, Jacobse... more [Excerpt] Cigar smoking is once again in vogue. While no longer at "fad" levels (Freccia, Jacobsen, and Kilby 2003), imports of quality handmade cigars rose at almost double-digit rates during 2002 (Savona 2003) following several years of basically flat sales. The continuing strong demand for high-quality cigars appears to fly in the face of an anti-smoking, health-conscious society. Cigar consumption has persistently occupied the attention of high-profile individuals ranging from members of the entertainment industry to the political arena to the corner bar. Cigar smoking is again in fashion. Why has this happened? What does this mean? What do cigars symbolize in the lives of the consumer (both men and women)? This paper seeks to provide some preliminary insights and first steps into the understanding of this continuing phenomenon. Through the use of existing literature and supplemental qualitative probing techniques, proposed theory is provided concerning the cigar smoking experience. The focus of the work is to build an initial "plat-form" for reflective thought on the direction of needed future research. The paper proceeds as follows. First, a review of the current cigar phenomenon is put into perspective given the vast historical context and the meaning of the cigar as a cultural icon. Second, literature and preliminary qualitative data supporting the interactionalist viewpoint of product symbolism is integrated to under gird theoretical models. The first theoretical model will represent the "internal/external symbolism" of cigar consumption. The second theoretical model will provide an overview of the internal hedonistic experiential elements of the cigar consumption experience.
The purpose of this research is to investigate attribute framing effects in an information comple... more The purpose of this research is to investigate attribute framing effects in an information complex environment where consumers view the frame via a realistic product package and experience a taste test. The framed attribute (content of chocolate expressed as "20% fat" or "80% fat-free")used in our experiment is differentially meaningful to male and female respondents. Framing effects were limited to female consumers for whom the framed attribute was particularly salient.
Two keys to profitable operation are ensuring that customers have a memorable experience and deve... more Two keys to profitable operation are ensuring that customers have a memorable experience and developing a relationship that matches their needs. Meeting at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, experts in experience management from industry and academe focused on ways to improve customers’ experience in a way that makes it memorable, with a goal of fostering a mutually beneficial lasting relationship. Focusing on the elements of the relationship between consumers and their favorite brands, participants in the experience management roundtable considered the most effective approaches to improve customer relationship management. One important tactic is to provide experiential clues that help customers to remember their experiences in a favorable light. This type of “sticky” recollection fends off the human tendency to invent negative details to fill gaps in memory. One useful way to view the nature of the relationship between customers and a brand is to gauge the levels of love a...
Cigar smoking is once again in vogue. While no longer at “fad ” levels (Freccia, Jacobsen, and Ki... more Cigar smoking is once again in vogue. While no longer at “fad ” levels (Freccia, Jacobsen, and Kilby 2003), im-ports of quality hand-made cigars rose at almost double-digit rates during 2002 (Savona 2003) following several years of basically flat sales. The continuing strong demand for high-quality cigars appears to fly in the face of an anti-smoking, health-conscious society. Cigar consumption has persistently occupied the attention of high-profile individuals ranging from members of the entertainment industry to the political arena to the corner bar. Cigar smoking is again in fashion. Why has this happened? What does this mean? What do cigars symbolize in the lives of the consumer (both men and women)? This paper seeks to provide some preliminary insights and first steps into the understanding of this continuing phenomenon. Through the use of existing literature and supplemental qualitative probing techniques, proposed theory is provided concerning the cigar smoking experience. Th...
Despite substantial research focusing on retail atmospheric elements and the creation of social a... more Despite substantial research focusing on retail atmospheric elements and the creation of social atmospheres, a holistic theory of atmosphere addressing consumer heterogeneity remains elusive. This research examines how embodied interactions with retail socio-material elements and consumers' expertise levels create affective atmospheres. Through a three-year-long ethnographic study of winery tours, we identify three core elements in the co-creation of affective atmospheres: material features, sensory modalities, and social interactions. We use text mining to build corresponding dictionaries and analyze customer review data from several retail sites, demonstrating the positive effect of retail atmospherics on customer sentiment. Focusing on consumer segmentation, we further show that different levels of consumer expertise (novices, enthusiasts, and experts) influence the subjective perception of atmospheric elements and the way staff members are expected to behave to jointly create affective atmospheres. Based on our multi-method findings, we offer theoretical and managerial implications that are generalizable to broader retailing contexts.
This research examines the role of the winery tourism experience in the formation of brand image ... more This research examines the role of the winery tourism experience in the formation of brand image and brand loyalty. A qualitative analysis of 2540 TripAdvisor reviews—a user-generated form of electronic word of mouth—of four wineries of the Okanagan Valley posted over six years (2014-2020) reveals not only Pine and Gilmore’s (1999) four categories of consumer experiences (i.e., esthetics, education, entertainment, and escape), but also an additional factor (i.e., social interactions with employees and other visitors). The TripAdvisor reviews also show that—based on their winery tourism experiences—consumers express differentiated brand image impressions associated with wineries and brand loyalty. The contribution of this research lies in the identification of social interactions as a complementary dimension of winery tourism experiences, and in linking winery tourism experiences with brand image and brand loyalty. From a theoretical perspective, the findings encourage a greater inte...
PurposeIn this paper, the authors argue that fine wines can be considered art and as such can be ... more PurposeIn this paper, the authors argue that fine wines can be considered art and as such can be awarded luxury status. The authors discuss the processes of artification, through which such wines are recognized as art (Shapiro and Heinich, 2012), and heritagization, in which the cultural differentiation implicit in the concept of terroir (the various elements of a microclimate that contribute to a wine's specific attributes) connects a wine to its history and provenance. The investigation focuses specifically on fine wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy, which are renowned worldwide for their depth and flavors. What traits are intrinsic to the definition of art, and what social processes culminate in transforming an entity from nonart to art?Design/methodology/approachIt is a conceptual paper that requires blending several viewpoints to present the authors’ own viewpoints.FindingsThis study aims to address the above questions and argues that fine wines, as a source of aesthetic plea...
This study examines how temporal orientation impacts the individual’s perception of choice and ho... more This study examines how temporal orientation impacts the individual’s perception of choice and how those constructs relate to consumer empowerment. Specifically, it examines how control over loyalty program features within a casino impacts the subjective experience of empowerment for customers who are distant-future oriented, present oriented with a fatalist approach to life (present fatalist), and present oriented with a more hedonistic approach (present hedonistic). The study investigates whether a future-oriented individual evaluate the more long-term and abstract levels associated with choice, while present-oriented individuals might look for concrete details and more immediate benefits of their consumption experience. A qualitative technique, namely the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET), is used in order to capture conscious as well as deeper and unconscious meanings associated to consumer’s choice.
Wine education poses a paradox to the industry: consumers both say they desire to know more about... more Wine education poses a paradox to the industry: consumers both say they desire to know more about wine, yet they also report being overwhelmed and confused. In addition, the traditional analytic approach to wine education has involved teaching consumers a “grid” with rules for analysis that rely heavily on language which younger consumers in particular report disliking. A holistic approach to learning about wine was shown to be effective for more expert consumers, but those researchers did not consider how the learning approach affected their overall liking of the wine. Our first study considers teaching young consumers (Gen Z and millennials) through a holistic technique (involving drawing the wine’s taste) to a more verbal analytic approach (writing decompositional tasting notes) with consumers having some prior wine education and those without any. We find that the holistic approach led to greater liking for the wine, particularly with consumers having no prior wine education. We...
Loyalty programs play a prominent role in many firms’ customer relationship management programs, ... more Loyalty programs play a prominent role in many firms’ customer relationship management programs, but not all programs are successful. Providers need to understand not only what benefits customers want in a program, but also how they want to be treated as a loyalty member. We posit that because loyalty programs offer rewards that are time-bound (immediate or delayed), and that loyalty programs seek to develop a relationship that extends over time, an important, but overlooked dimension for hospitality managers to consider is how their customers view time. Our research focuses on customers’ temporal orientation—the tendency to think in the present, future, or past. We use depth interviews to explore existing casino loyalty program participants’ thoughts and feelings about their ideal loyalty program. We find the customers’ temporal orientation influences the type of relationship as well as the type of benefits sought in the loyalty program. Our research offers managerially practical i...
[Excerpt] Cigar smoking is once again in vogue. While no longer at "fad" levels (Freccia, Jacobse... more [Excerpt] Cigar smoking is once again in vogue. While no longer at "fad" levels (Freccia, Jacobsen, and Kilby 2003), imports of quality handmade cigars rose at almost double-digit rates during 2002 (Savona 2003) following several years of basically flat sales. The continuing strong demand for high-quality cigars appears to fly in the face of an anti-smoking, health-conscious society. Cigar consumption has persistently occupied the attention of high-profile individuals ranging from members of the entertainment industry to the political arena to the corner bar. Cigar smoking is again in fashion. Why has this happened? What does this mean? What do cigars symbolize in the lives of the consumer (both men and women)? This paper seeks to provide some preliminary insights and first steps into the understanding of this continuing phenomenon. Through the use of existing literature and supplemental qualitative probing techniques, proposed theory is provided concerning the cigar smoking experience. The focus of the work is to build an initial "plat-form" for reflective thought on the direction of needed future research. The paper proceeds as follows. First, a review of the current cigar phenomenon is put into perspective given the vast historical context and the meaning of the cigar as a cultural icon. Second, literature and preliminary qualitative data supporting the interactionalist viewpoint of product symbolism is integrated to under gird theoretical models. The first theoretical model will represent the "internal/external symbolism" of cigar consumption. The second theoretical model will provide an overview of the internal hedonistic experiential elements of the cigar consumption experience.
The purpose of this research is to investigate attribute framing effects in an information comple... more The purpose of this research is to investigate attribute framing effects in an information complex environment where consumers view the frame via a realistic product package and experience a taste test. The framed attribute (content of chocolate expressed as "20% fat" or "80% fat-free")used in our experiment is differentially meaningful to male and female respondents. Framing effects were limited to female consumers for whom the framed attribute was particularly salient.
Two keys to profitable operation are ensuring that customers have a memorable experience and deve... more Two keys to profitable operation are ensuring that customers have a memorable experience and developing a relationship that matches their needs. Meeting at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, experts in experience management from industry and academe focused on ways to improve customers’ experience in a way that makes it memorable, with a goal of fostering a mutually beneficial lasting relationship. Focusing on the elements of the relationship between consumers and their favorite brands, participants in the experience management roundtable considered the most effective approaches to improve customer relationship management. One important tactic is to provide experiential clues that help customers to remember their experiences in a favorable light. This type of “sticky” recollection fends off the human tendency to invent negative details to fill gaps in memory. One useful way to view the nature of the relationship between customers and a brand is to gauge the levels of love a...
Cigar smoking is once again in vogue. While no longer at “fad ” levels (Freccia, Jacobsen, and Ki... more Cigar smoking is once again in vogue. While no longer at “fad ” levels (Freccia, Jacobsen, and Kilby 2003), im-ports of quality hand-made cigars rose at almost double-digit rates during 2002 (Savona 2003) following several years of basically flat sales. The continuing strong demand for high-quality cigars appears to fly in the face of an anti-smoking, health-conscious society. Cigar consumption has persistently occupied the attention of high-profile individuals ranging from members of the entertainment industry to the political arena to the corner bar. Cigar smoking is again in fashion. Why has this happened? What does this mean? What do cigars symbolize in the lives of the consumer (both men and women)? This paper seeks to provide some preliminary insights and first steps into the understanding of this continuing phenomenon. Through the use of existing literature and supplemental qualitative probing techniques, proposed theory is provided concerning the cigar smoking experience. Th...
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Papers by Kathryn LaTour