PurposeThe current study investigates how consumers are reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to explain consumers' stockpiling and impulse buying behaviour during the current crisis.Design/methodology/approachBased on the scope and focus of this study, our primary data collection tool was an online survey questionnaire that was sent to 1,000+ people and the results were computed from 417 responses received. The study employed Exploratory Factor Analysis to substantiate the construct validity of the constructs. Unidimensionality, validity and reliability of the model were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. The effect of the COVID crisis on consumer stocking and impulse buying behaviour was investigated using structural equation modelling.FindingsThe findings show that the COVID pandemic did have a significant impact on consumer behavioural patterns indicated by the stocking and impulse buying behaviour of consumers.Practical implicationsThese results have consequences for policymakers and practitioners in terms of adjusting inventory and response policies, especially in terms of efficient supply chain management processes and actively reaching out to customers to reduce their fear and anxiety levels, which contribute to such panic activity.Originality/valueThis paper adds value to the literature on consumer behaviour during COVID-19 pandemic in case of Indian consumers. The findings of the paper will help in doing a comparison of the said behaviour of consumers in other parts of the world. The paper also helps in explaining the underlying theories elucidating such behaviour of consumers.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the various application of artificial intelligence (AI) to social media and digital advertising professionals and agencies to specialize to an advanced degree and maintain collaboration and creativity to bring a better return on investment.Design/methodology/approachDigital marketers are still oblivious to the importance of AI application, while some others simply do not know how to implement it. AI is currently acting as a significant disruption in digital and social media marketing worldwide.FindingsBased on the literature review, the paper identifies the various AI applications in the field of digital media marketing.Originality/valueThis paper can serve as a useful guide for social media marketers to implement AI applications to impact digital marketing strategies better.

The use of celebrity endorsements in advertising has become a trend and a perceived winning formula of corporate image building and product marketing. As existing media get increasingly cluttered, the need to stand out has become paramount and celebrities have proved to be the ideal way to ensure brand prominence. Research has shown that the use of celebrity endorsers brings many positive effects in terms of positive feelings towards the ad and the brand, a positive brand attitude and increased purchase intention for the brand. Numerous researches have proved empirically the effectiveness and the positive influence of celebrity endorsements in advertising, particularly on purchase intention. However, there is no common consensus on whether attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise of the celebrity endorsers have a significant impact on consumers’ purchase intention. Through a survey of 336 Indian respondents who are exposed to celebrity endorsements for various products/brands, the present study attempts to find out the impact of celebrity endorsements on consumers’ purchase intention. The three-dimensional scale proposed by Roobina Ohanian (1990) has been used for the purpose. Thus, the present study considers three attributes of celebrity endorsements as suggested by Ohanian - attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise. The study also attempts to find out the individual impact of these dimensions on consumers’ purchase intention. Exploratory factor analysis was used to reconfirm the factor structure. The model used was empirically tested for unidimensionality, reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity, using confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to find out the impact of celebrity endorsements on purchase intention. Results reveal that celebrity endorsements have a significant impact on consumers’ purchase intention. However, the beta coefficients reveal a low degree of correlation between celebrity endorsements and purchase intention. Further, attractiveness and trustworthiness are found to have a significant impact on the purchase intention, while expertise did not have a significant impact on purchase intention.

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to find out the awareness, attitude and career preference of commerce students (undergraduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG)) for the insurance industry in India. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 800 commerce students (400 male students and 400 female students) through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire had 18 items related to awareness, attitude and career preference for insurance. The reliability of the tool was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha. To establish the relationship between variables, cross-tabulation techniques that involved Chi-square tests were used. The conclusion was drawn based on probability values (p-value) taking the critical as 0.05 (Bivariate). The data was analyzed using SPSS. Findings The results revealed that commerce students-UG and PG were aware of the basics of insurance, irrespective of their gender and family income. The students have a positive attitude toward insurance, but lack awareness regarding career options in the insurance industry. Research limitations/implications This study included only UG and PG commerce students of Allahabad University and its constituent colleges, hence its findings cannot be generalized for the entire country. Practical implications This study can be beneficial to insurance companies in framing their policies as India has a huge young population. There is a need to make the students in higher education aware of the benefits of insurance to cover any unforeseen economic loss and also to make them aware of the career options in the insurance industry. Originality/value The present study bridges the gap between existing studies regarding awareness, attitude and career preference of students with gender and family income. To date, no study has been done to find the awareness and attitude of students toward the insurance industry, neither in terms of their becoming prospective customers nor in terms of career preference.