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Purpose This study aims to investigate both the relationships among the on-board environment, overall satisfaction, perceived value and behavioral intentions and the moderating effects of gender, employment status, group composition and the propensity to stay on board in the context of cruise experience. Design/methodology/approach Relationships among constructs were tested on the basis of 417 surveys collected and analyzed with the structural equation modeling approach of partial least squares path modeling. A multi-group analysis was used to test the moderating effects. Findings The research findings suggest that on-board environment is a good predictor of behavioral intentions, but that the relationship is strongly mediated by satisfaction and perceived value. Moreover, the multi-group analysis of moderating effects indicated various differences that offer interesting insights for segmenting passengers; these insights have substantial implications for future studies and cruise line companies alike. Practical implications This study offers useful insights for managers who want to differentiate their value proposition with ship-centered elements. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by providing a theoretical framework and empirical evidence for analyzing the role of the perceived on-board environment in passenger experience. From a managerial perspective, the moderating effects offer new insights for targeting and customizing the cruise experience value proposition.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of consumer-brand engagement and brand experience on behavioural intentions (i.e. intent to re-purchase, willingness to accept brand extension, willingness to pay a premium price) in relation to food brands. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose a conceptual model comprising five latent variables and 26 manifest variables. A questionnaire with questions relating to pasta and coffee was given to an Italian consumer sample (n=400). The model was tested using structural equation modelling of the resulting data to examine the research hypotheses. Findings The empirical study confirms the predictive role of the two selected drivers of brand value. Both consumer-brand engagement and brand experience influenced behavioural intentions, but these brand constructs had different roles in the two product categories examined in the study, pasta and coffee. Research limitations/implications This study does have limitations. First, the generalisability of the findings should be considered. The study refers to only two product categories in a specific country. It would be interesting to investigate the issue of food brand engagement and brand experience in different countries, and to compare the results. Furthermore, it would be valuable to investigate the impact of brand engagement and brand experience in other product categories. Practical implications The results have an important implication for marketing managers: they should develop long-term and strong brand relationships. Such consumer engagement and/or experiential actions can be key competitive advantages for food companies. Originality/value The study provides empirical support for the effect of consumer-brand engagement and brand experience on consumers’ behavioural intentions in the food industry.

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