Zhe Zhang

• Zhang, Z. Z.; Yao, A.; Yang, Z., 2024, "The Effect of Socially- versus Personally-oriented Motives on Consumer Preference for Foreign and Domestic Masstige Brands in Emerging Markets", Journal of International Marketing, September 32(3): 101 - 115.
  Abstract: The fast-growing middle class in emerging markets is leading luxury brands to adopt an affordable luxury (aka “masstige”) approach to reach the mass market. However, academic research in this promising area is scarce. Focusing on China, the world’s largest emerging market, this research shows a novel pattern of masstige brand consumption: Instead of always preferring foreign masstige brands (e.g., Coach) as implied in previous international marketing literature, consumers in emerging markets prefer domestic masstige brands (e.g., Goldlion) when their personally oriented motives are made salient. In contrast, consumers prefer foreign masstige brands when their socially oriented motives are made salient. This stems from domestic masstige brands better manifesting self-focused intangible attributes (i.e., the actual value to please oneself), whereas foreign masstige brands are superior in other-focused intangible attributes (i.e., the symbolic value to impress others). Three studies using a multimethod approach provide converging results that support this phenomenon. The findings bring significant contributions to the literature and offer actionable implications for managers, including positioning and price promotion strategies for masstige brands in emerging markets.

  Link(s) to publication:

  http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1069031X231197625

• Zhang, Z. Z.; Ye, N.; Thomson, M., (Forthcoming), "EXPRESS: BMW is POWERFUL, Beemer is Not: Nickname Branding IMPAIRS Brand Performance", Journal of Marketing
  Abstract: This research investigates nickname branding, a novel phenomenon whereby firms incorporate the ‘street’ names consumers give brands into their own marketing (e.g., Bloomingdale’s opening a Bloomie’s store). While practitioners anticipate positive results from deploying this tactic, the current research serves as the first empirical investigation of its likely effectiveness. Drawing on speech act theory, we theorize that using a nickname in place of a formal name serves as an act of power redistribution, effectively signaling submission to consumers, thereby reducing the perception of a brand’s power and weakening its performance. Using a multi-method approach that incorporates secondary data analyses, field studies, and pre-registered experiments, the results support this view across a range of performance metrics. In addition, we show this effect is contingent on two factors, such that nickname branding (1) harms performance more for competent brands than warm brands; and (2) is less pronounced when nicknames are used in messages that are communal-oriented (vs. transactional-oriented). Our research introduces a new theoretical perspective centering on the illocutionary meanings embedded in the process of naming brands and highlights actionable insights on how marketers should approach or avoid consumer-based slang in their marketing.

  Link(s) to publication:

  http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00222429241266586

• Hong, R.; Zhang, Z. Z.; Zhang, C.; Hu, Z., 2023, "Is Brand Globalness Compatible with Brand Country-of-Origin? An Investigation of Hybrid Brand Positioning Strategies for Emerging Market Brands", International Marketing Review, February 40(1): 49 - 79.
  Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate hybrid brand positioning strategies for emerging market brands based on two positioning elements: brand country-of-origin (COO) and brand globalness. Design/methodology/approach Researchers conducted two studies. In Study 1, a survey of 128 brand managers of emerging market brands were used to examine whether asymmetric positioning strategies improve brand preference more than symmetric strategies, and if so, which type of asymmetric strategies improves brand preference more. In Study 2, a consumer experiment in the USA was conducted to identify the positioning strategy for emerging market brands that improve brand preference the most. Findings For emerging market brands, at any given value of COO or global elements, asymmetric strategies outperform symmetric strategies in terms of brand preference. On average, the best hybrid positioning strategy is the one that highlights brand COO and de-emphasizes brand globalness. Originality/value A large body of branding literature examines COO and globalness separately without considering their co-presence in the same brand positioning strategy. Few studies that examine the joint influence of brand COO and globalness focus on established brands from developed markets and do not examine whether highlighting both brand COO and global elements equally is an effective positioning strategy for emerging market brands. This study introduces a framework to systematically examine the various combinations of COO and global elements in a brand’s positioning strategies for emerging market brands. By conducting two studies, the authors empirically test the influence of various combinations of COO and global elements on brand preference for emerging market brands from both firm and consumer perspectives.

  Link(s) to publication:

  https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IMR-08-2021-0260/full/html

  http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IMR-08-2021-0260

• Li, S. K.; Zhang, Z. Z.; Liu, Y.; Ng, S., 2021, "The Closer I Am, The Safer I Feel: The ‘Distance Proximity Effect’ of COVID-19 on Consumers’ Irrational Consumption", Psychology & Marketing, November 38(11): 2006 - 2018.
  Abstract: The unprecedented crisis of COVID‐19 posed severe negative consequences for consumers, marketers, and society at large. By investigating the effect of individuals' distance from the COVID‐19 epicenter (i.e., the geographical area in which COVID‐19 pandemic is currently most severe) on consumers' risk perception and subsequent behaviors, this research provides novel empirical findings that can offer practical insights for marketers. While intuitively, people expect individuals closer to the COVID‐19 epicenter to generate a greater risk perception of the pandemic, empirical evidence from four studies provides consistent results for the opposite effect. We find that a closer (vs. farther) distance to the epicenter associates with lower (vs. higher) perceived risk of the pandemic, leading to less (vs. more) irrational consumption behaviors. We refer to this phenomenon as the “distance proximity effect,” which holds for both physical and psychological distances. We further demonstrated that this effect is mediated by consumers' perception of uncertainty and moderated by individuals' risk aversion tendency. The current research contributes to the literature of consumers' risk perception and irrational consumption by highlighting a novel factor of distance proximity. It also offers some timely insights into managing and intervening COVID‐19 related issues inside and outside an epicenter.

  Link(s) to publication:

  https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-closer-I-am%2C-the-safer-I-feel%3A-The-%E2%80%9Cdistance-of-Li-Zhang/7b18660f7709910278606facc61f6e5bf7a8af7d

  http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.21552

• Zhang, Z. Z.; Patrick, V. M., 2021, "Mickey D’s Has More Street Cred Than McDonald’s: Consumer Brand Nickname Use Signals Information Authenticity", Journal of Marketing, September 85(5): 58 - 73.
  Abstract: Consumers often observe how other consumers interact with brands to inform their own brand judgments. This research demonstrates that brand relationship quality–indicating cues, such as brand nicknames (e.g., “Mickey D’s” for McDonald’s, “Wally World” for Walmart), enhance perceived information authenticity in online communication. An analysis of historical Twitter data followed by six experiments (using both real and fictitious brands across different online platforms [e.g., online reviews, social media posts]) show that brand nickname use in user-generated content signals a writer’s relationship quality with the target brand from the reader’s perspective, which the authors term “inferred brand attachment.” The authors demonstrate that inferred brand attachment boosts perceived information authenticity and leads to positive downstream consequences, such as purchase willingness and information sharing. The authors also find that this effect is attenuated when brand nicknames are used in firm-generated content. How consumers’ relationships with brands are portrayed and perceived in a social context (e.g., via brand nickname use) serves as a novel context to examine user-generated content and provides valuable managerial insight regarding how to leverage consumers’ brand attachment cues in brand strategy and online information management.

  Link(s) to publication:

  https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/sage/mickey-d-s-has-more-street-cred-than-mcdonald-s-consumer-brand-Zu7XE6hFL3?key=sage

  http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022242921996277

• Zhang, Z. Z.; Patrick, V. M., 2021, "Make Your Brand's Nickname Work for You", Harvard Business Review
  Abstract: Brand nicknames have been common for years, but it’s not always obvious how (if at all) brands should engage with them, especially online. In this piece, the authors discuss a recent study in which they found that social media posts that used nicknames had significantly higher like and share rates than those that used formal names, suggesting these unofficial names can have a major positive impact on engagement. However, in a series of follow-up studies, the authors found that who uses the nickname matters: When consumers used brand nicknames, it often made the information in their posts appear more credible and authentic to other consumers — but when a brand used its own nickname, it actually had the opposite effect. Based on these findings, the authors share six tactical strategies for how brands can overcome the potential pitfalls and leverage the benefits of a popular nickname.

  Link(s) to publication:

  https://hbr.org/2021/07/make-your-brands-nickname-work-for-you

• Zhang, Z. Z.; Patrick, V. M., 2018, "Call Me Rollie! The Role of Brand Nicknames in Shaping Consumer-Brand Relationships", Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, April 3(2): 147 - 162.
  Abstract: Brand nicknames (e.g., Big Blue for IBM, Chevy for Chevrolet, Rollie for Rolex) are a common marketplace phenomenon. Marketers, however, hold polarized views about whether a brand should adopt or restrict the use of brand nicknames, yet little academic research has shed light on this debate. With three studies, the current research investigates the impact of brand nickname use in shaping the consumer-brand relationship. Drawing on the use of personal nicknames in interpersonal relationships, the current research proposes that brand nicknames elicit positive brand-related emotions (e.g., affection, love) and influence both the cognitive closeness (self-brand connection) and salience (brand prominence) components of brand attachment. This translates into downstream consequences of consumers’ brand relationship maintenance behaviors. The theoretical and managerial contributions of this research, its limitations, and future directions for research are discussed.

  Link(s) to publication:

  http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/697074

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