Total summary
All article summaries
Article 1 | Steiner et al. (2016)
The research investigates the dynamics of platform adoption in system markets, using the home video game
console industry as a canonical example. These systems, which derive value from the interplay between
hardware (platform) and compatible complements (software), are driven primarily by network effects.
The core research problem
Traditional research on system markets has generally focused on aggregate data (sales figures) and often treated
consumers as homogeneous entities, neglecting heterogeneous preferences and perceptions. Furthermore, while
network effects are central, empirical studies rarely account for direct network effects (the ability to interact with
other users) or explicitly assess the influence of consumer expectations regarding future system development.
This study aims to fill these gaps by analyzing the adoption process from a consumer behavior perspective,
utilizing individual-level data collected before the market introduction of new console generations (PlayStation 4
and Xbox One)
Key concepts: Network effects
The study incorporates both primary types of network effects:
1. Indirect Network Effects: Driven by the complementary goods (CG), primarily game titles. A larger installed
base (IB) of console owners stimulates the supply of more and better software, positively affecting the
perceived value of the platform. This effect is often measured by software variety and quality.
2. Direct Network Effects: Stem from the possibility of direct interaction among users of the same system (e.g.,
online play or in-game communication). The relevance of these effects is often tied to the local IB—an
adopter's friends and acquaintances—rather than the global IB
Study 1: Heterogeneity and market segmentation
Study 1 used choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis to assess consumer preferences and identify latent market
segments, confirming that the console market is strongly fragmented. The consumer value of platform adoption
Total summary 1
, drivers (like software variety, software quality, local IB, favorite titles, and prices) differs substantially across
segments.
A critical finding from Study 1 is that software quality proved more important than software variety in three out
of the four segments. Additionally, the direct network effects (local IB) were only relevant for the Social Gamers
segment.
Study 2: The Role of Consumer Expectations
Study 2 implemented an extended perceived value model to investigate the causal chain, focusing specifically on
how consumers’ expectations of future network effects drive their current adoption intentions.
The findings provided a more nuanced view of the role of expectations, challenging prior theoretical work that
often assumed consumers could perfectly predict future system evolution:
Overall Importance of Expectations is Limited: Expectations of future network effects are generally only of
limited importance for platform adoption compared to the current system specifications
Current Value Dominates: The Perceived System Value (based on current price and specifications/features
like variety and quality) has a consistently strong and stable direct effect on adoption intention across all four
customer segments
Segment-Specific Expectation Impacts: Expectations function differently depending on the consumer
segment (mediation analysis):
Expected Direct Network Effects (future interaction possibilities) are only a significant driver for Social
Gamers
Expected Indirect Network Effects (future software availability/quality) are strongest for Hardcore
Gamers (who exhibit greater judgment certainty due to their expertise)
The study suggests that indirect network effects remain the primary driver of game console adoption in
approximately 85% of the market.
Managerial Implications
The research provides crucial guidance for platform sponsors during the highly competitive initial product launch
stage:
Immediate Competitive Advantage: Since consumers rely less on future predictions than previously
theorized, managers must prioritize achieving a competitive advantage immediately by providing sufficient
games right from the start
Targeted Expectations Management: Expectations should be managed in a segment-specific way:
To target Hardcore and Habitual Gamers, manufacturers should focus on communicating the software
evolution (e.g., preannouncing future superstar titles)
Total summary 2
, To target Social Gamers, the focus should be on promoting word-of-mouth and stressing the console’s
potential for connectivity and peer interaction (direct effects)
Focus on Quality over Mere Quantity: Marketing should not limit indirect network effects to software variety
alone; the overall perceived software quality is a stronger driver of platform adoption, especially for the
lucrative Hardcore Gamers segment
The study demonstrates that understanding platform adoption is less like navigating a star chart (relying purely
on predictions of a bright, distant future) and more like checking a supply chain inventory: while future promises
matter to specific expert customers, the current, verifiable quality and availability of goods are the main
factors driving adoption for the majority of the market.
Article 2 | Siebert et al. (2020)
The authors propose and compare two distinct models for managing long-term customer experience journeys
(CXM): the Smooth Journey Model and the Sticky Journey Model.
Dimension Smooth Journey Model Sticky Journey Model
Core Goal To make customers’ lives easier. To make customers’ lives exciting.
Predictable, consistent, and effortless Unpredictable, inconsistent, and effortful
Experience Type
experiences. experiences.
Loyalty Loop: A cyclical pattern of Involvement Spiral: A cyclical pattern of
Outcome Pattern predictable experiences that builds unpredictable experiences that increases
customer loyalty over time. customer involvement over time.
Recreational Services (facilitate "never-
Instrumental Services (facilitate "jobs to be
Ideal Context ending adventures," e.g., CrossFit, Pokémon
done," e.g., banking, transportation).
Go).
II. Journey Structure: Initial and Subsequent Cycles
The models diverge significantly in how they manage the initial entry and the subsequent repeat cycles.
A. Initial Service Cycle (Entry)
Smooth Journey Model Sticky Journey Model
Design Principle: Providing decision support during
Design Principle: Rapid entry to eliminate customer
a highly deliberate, multi-phase decision-making
decision making and give immediate access to the
process (consideration, evaluation, purchase,
service (e.g., free access, quick setup).
consumption).
Customer Pattern: A "quick spin"—starting on a
Customer Pattern: Deliberate decision-making whim, motivated by excitement, leading to rapid
process, motivated by internal/external triggers. transition from anticipated excitement to realized
excitement.
B. Subsequent Service Cycles (Repetition)
Smooth Journey Model Sticky Journey Model
Design Principle: Streamlining the journey
Design Principle: Endless variation through expansive
through simplification, personalization, and
service system elements, frequent updates, and unique
contextualization to ensure consistency, ease,
configurations at every service encounter.
and predictability.
Customer Pattern: Loyalty Loop—routinized Customer Pattern: Involvement Spiral—a cyclical
cycle that reduces the need for deliberation and pattern that motivates greater experiential involvement
builds loyalty. over time.
C. The Involvement Spiral (Key Concept)
The involvement spiral describes two patterns:
1. Moment-to-Moment Timescale: An "experiential roller coaster"—a variegated pattern of thrilling and
challenging experiences (anticipation, dread, amazement, disappointment, enjoyment) that keeps customers
in a state of high psychological arousal.
Total summary 3
, 2. Long-Term Timescale: Increasing "experiential involvement," meaning customers become more deeply
invested in the multidimensional intricacies of their service experiences (acquiring new insights, mindsets, and
skills).
III. Termination and Practical Implications
A. Termination Trajectories
1. Smooth Journeys: Terminate following loyalty-weakening incidents (e.g., poor service or an attractive
competitor offering), leading customers to re-enter a deliberate decision-making process and possibly switch
brands.
2. Sticky Journeys: Terminate or fluctuate due to service usage fluctuations fueled by well-being concerns.
Customers may withdraw, either gradually or suddenly, because the journey starts to feel compulsive or
addictive in a pathological sense, then sometimes return later (e.g., deleting a dating app only to redownload
it).
B. Purchase Timing
Firms should match purchase encouragement to the flow of the journey:
Smooth Journeys: Encourage purchases (especially complex, high-commitment decisions) during the initial
service cycle, when customers are motivated to deliberate. Promoting upgrades during the loyalty loop risks
triggering reconsideration and switching.
Sticky Journeys: Avoid presenting complex purchase options at the outset. Encourage premium service
plans and one-off purchases during subsequent service cycles when customers are already caught up in
the involvement spiral.
C. Sustaining Journeys in Multiservice Systems
Firms often operate multiservice systems. The article provides theoretical pathways for linking the two models to
sustain customer engagement:
From Loyalty Loop (Smooth) to Spiral (Sticky): A firm can spark an involvement spiral from an existing
loyalty loop by surprising the customer with varied offerings or a free subscription to a partner's recreational
service.
From Spiral (Sticky) to Loop (Smooth): An involvement spiral that is losing momentum can be stabilized into
a loyalty loop if the customer shifts from an "adventurer" mindset to a "jobber" mindset, seeking only to
maintain a certain level of fitness or convenience.
Conceptual Analogy:
The difference between the two models is like choosing between a highly efficient, automated carpool commute
(Loyalty Loop) versus an unpredictable, thrilling road trip on scenic routes (Involvement Spiral). In the carpool,
you want everything to be easy and predictable to achieve a goal (getting to work efficiently). In the road trip, the
value lies in the unpredictable twists and turns (the experiential roller coaster) which increase your investment
and excitement in the journey itself, not just the destination.
Article 3 | Hingston and Noseworthy (2018)
The Theoretical Problem: Moral Opposition to GM Foods
A. The Root of Opposition
The fundamental challenge faced by GM food marketers is moral opposition. This opposition stems from deep-
seated, intuitive beliefs that underpin consumer preferences for natural products:
1. Natural is Inherently Good: There is a common belief that what is natural is inherently good or right.
Consumers often prefer natural products to less natural alternatives.
2. Human Intervention is Wrong: Consumers generally believe that humans are often malevolent and deprive
nature of its virtues. Genetic modification is viewed as tampering with or violating nature.
B. The Consequence: Protected Values and Benefit Discounting
Total summary 4
All article summaries
Article 1 | Steiner et al. (2016)
The research investigates the dynamics of platform adoption in system markets, using the home video game
console industry as a canonical example. These systems, which derive value from the interplay between
hardware (platform) and compatible complements (software), are driven primarily by network effects.
The core research problem
Traditional research on system markets has generally focused on aggregate data (sales figures) and often treated
consumers as homogeneous entities, neglecting heterogeneous preferences and perceptions. Furthermore, while
network effects are central, empirical studies rarely account for direct network effects (the ability to interact with
other users) or explicitly assess the influence of consumer expectations regarding future system development.
This study aims to fill these gaps by analyzing the adoption process from a consumer behavior perspective,
utilizing individual-level data collected before the market introduction of new console generations (PlayStation 4
and Xbox One)
Key concepts: Network effects
The study incorporates both primary types of network effects:
1. Indirect Network Effects: Driven by the complementary goods (CG), primarily game titles. A larger installed
base (IB) of console owners stimulates the supply of more and better software, positively affecting the
perceived value of the platform. This effect is often measured by software variety and quality.
2. Direct Network Effects: Stem from the possibility of direct interaction among users of the same system (e.g.,
online play or in-game communication). The relevance of these effects is often tied to the local IB—an
adopter's friends and acquaintances—rather than the global IB
Study 1: Heterogeneity and market segmentation
Study 1 used choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis to assess consumer preferences and identify latent market
segments, confirming that the console market is strongly fragmented. The consumer value of platform adoption
Total summary 1
, drivers (like software variety, software quality, local IB, favorite titles, and prices) differs substantially across
segments.
A critical finding from Study 1 is that software quality proved more important than software variety in three out
of the four segments. Additionally, the direct network effects (local IB) were only relevant for the Social Gamers
segment.
Study 2: The Role of Consumer Expectations
Study 2 implemented an extended perceived value model to investigate the causal chain, focusing specifically on
how consumers’ expectations of future network effects drive their current adoption intentions.
The findings provided a more nuanced view of the role of expectations, challenging prior theoretical work that
often assumed consumers could perfectly predict future system evolution:
Overall Importance of Expectations is Limited: Expectations of future network effects are generally only of
limited importance for platform adoption compared to the current system specifications
Current Value Dominates: The Perceived System Value (based on current price and specifications/features
like variety and quality) has a consistently strong and stable direct effect on adoption intention across all four
customer segments
Segment-Specific Expectation Impacts: Expectations function differently depending on the consumer
segment (mediation analysis):
Expected Direct Network Effects (future interaction possibilities) are only a significant driver for Social
Gamers
Expected Indirect Network Effects (future software availability/quality) are strongest for Hardcore
Gamers (who exhibit greater judgment certainty due to their expertise)
The study suggests that indirect network effects remain the primary driver of game console adoption in
approximately 85% of the market.
Managerial Implications
The research provides crucial guidance for platform sponsors during the highly competitive initial product launch
stage:
Immediate Competitive Advantage: Since consumers rely less on future predictions than previously
theorized, managers must prioritize achieving a competitive advantage immediately by providing sufficient
games right from the start
Targeted Expectations Management: Expectations should be managed in a segment-specific way:
To target Hardcore and Habitual Gamers, manufacturers should focus on communicating the software
evolution (e.g., preannouncing future superstar titles)
Total summary 2
, To target Social Gamers, the focus should be on promoting word-of-mouth and stressing the console’s
potential for connectivity and peer interaction (direct effects)
Focus on Quality over Mere Quantity: Marketing should not limit indirect network effects to software variety
alone; the overall perceived software quality is a stronger driver of platform adoption, especially for the
lucrative Hardcore Gamers segment
The study demonstrates that understanding platform adoption is less like navigating a star chart (relying purely
on predictions of a bright, distant future) and more like checking a supply chain inventory: while future promises
matter to specific expert customers, the current, verifiable quality and availability of goods are the main
factors driving adoption for the majority of the market.
Article 2 | Siebert et al. (2020)
The authors propose and compare two distinct models for managing long-term customer experience journeys
(CXM): the Smooth Journey Model and the Sticky Journey Model.
Dimension Smooth Journey Model Sticky Journey Model
Core Goal To make customers’ lives easier. To make customers’ lives exciting.
Predictable, consistent, and effortless Unpredictable, inconsistent, and effortful
Experience Type
experiences. experiences.
Loyalty Loop: A cyclical pattern of Involvement Spiral: A cyclical pattern of
Outcome Pattern predictable experiences that builds unpredictable experiences that increases
customer loyalty over time. customer involvement over time.
Recreational Services (facilitate "never-
Instrumental Services (facilitate "jobs to be
Ideal Context ending adventures," e.g., CrossFit, Pokémon
done," e.g., banking, transportation).
Go).
II. Journey Structure: Initial and Subsequent Cycles
The models diverge significantly in how they manage the initial entry and the subsequent repeat cycles.
A. Initial Service Cycle (Entry)
Smooth Journey Model Sticky Journey Model
Design Principle: Providing decision support during
Design Principle: Rapid entry to eliminate customer
a highly deliberate, multi-phase decision-making
decision making and give immediate access to the
process (consideration, evaluation, purchase,
service (e.g., free access, quick setup).
consumption).
Customer Pattern: A "quick spin"—starting on a
Customer Pattern: Deliberate decision-making whim, motivated by excitement, leading to rapid
process, motivated by internal/external triggers. transition from anticipated excitement to realized
excitement.
B. Subsequent Service Cycles (Repetition)
Smooth Journey Model Sticky Journey Model
Design Principle: Streamlining the journey
Design Principle: Endless variation through expansive
through simplification, personalization, and
service system elements, frequent updates, and unique
contextualization to ensure consistency, ease,
configurations at every service encounter.
and predictability.
Customer Pattern: Loyalty Loop—routinized Customer Pattern: Involvement Spiral—a cyclical
cycle that reduces the need for deliberation and pattern that motivates greater experiential involvement
builds loyalty. over time.
C. The Involvement Spiral (Key Concept)
The involvement spiral describes two patterns:
1. Moment-to-Moment Timescale: An "experiential roller coaster"—a variegated pattern of thrilling and
challenging experiences (anticipation, dread, amazement, disappointment, enjoyment) that keeps customers
in a state of high psychological arousal.
Total summary 3
, 2. Long-Term Timescale: Increasing "experiential involvement," meaning customers become more deeply
invested in the multidimensional intricacies of their service experiences (acquiring new insights, mindsets, and
skills).
III. Termination and Practical Implications
A. Termination Trajectories
1. Smooth Journeys: Terminate following loyalty-weakening incidents (e.g., poor service or an attractive
competitor offering), leading customers to re-enter a deliberate decision-making process and possibly switch
brands.
2. Sticky Journeys: Terminate or fluctuate due to service usage fluctuations fueled by well-being concerns.
Customers may withdraw, either gradually or suddenly, because the journey starts to feel compulsive or
addictive in a pathological sense, then sometimes return later (e.g., deleting a dating app only to redownload
it).
B. Purchase Timing
Firms should match purchase encouragement to the flow of the journey:
Smooth Journeys: Encourage purchases (especially complex, high-commitment decisions) during the initial
service cycle, when customers are motivated to deliberate. Promoting upgrades during the loyalty loop risks
triggering reconsideration and switching.
Sticky Journeys: Avoid presenting complex purchase options at the outset. Encourage premium service
plans and one-off purchases during subsequent service cycles when customers are already caught up in
the involvement spiral.
C. Sustaining Journeys in Multiservice Systems
Firms often operate multiservice systems. The article provides theoretical pathways for linking the two models to
sustain customer engagement:
From Loyalty Loop (Smooth) to Spiral (Sticky): A firm can spark an involvement spiral from an existing
loyalty loop by surprising the customer with varied offerings or a free subscription to a partner's recreational
service.
From Spiral (Sticky) to Loop (Smooth): An involvement spiral that is losing momentum can be stabilized into
a loyalty loop if the customer shifts from an "adventurer" mindset to a "jobber" mindset, seeking only to
maintain a certain level of fitness or convenience.
Conceptual Analogy:
The difference between the two models is like choosing between a highly efficient, automated carpool commute
(Loyalty Loop) versus an unpredictable, thrilling road trip on scenic routes (Involvement Spiral). In the carpool,
you want everything to be easy and predictable to achieve a goal (getting to work efficiently). In the road trip, the
value lies in the unpredictable twists and turns (the experiential roller coaster) which increase your investment
and excitement in the journey itself, not just the destination.
Article 3 | Hingston and Noseworthy (2018)
The Theoretical Problem: Moral Opposition to GM Foods
A. The Root of Opposition
The fundamental challenge faced by GM food marketers is moral opposition. This opposition stems from deep-
seated, intuitive beliefs that underpin consumer preferences for natural products:
1. Natural is Inherently Good: There is a common belief that what is natural is inherently good or right.
Consumers often prefer natural products to less natural alternatives.
2. Human Intervention is Wrong: Consumers generally believe that humans are often malevolent and deprive
nature of its virtues. Genetic modification is viewed as tampering with or violating nature.
B. The Consequence: Protected Values and Benefit Discounting
Total summary 4
