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CALL FOR CHAPTERS

Chapter Proposals Due: January 15, 2008
Full Chapters Due: May 31, 2008

Memorable Customer Experiences:
A Research Anthology

Edited by:

Professor, Dr. Adam Lindgreen, Hull University Business School
Dr. Joëlle Vanhamme, RSM Erasmus University
Professor, Dr. Michael Beverland, RMIT University

Publisher: Gower Publishing

Introduction:

The requirements of today’s marketing is not just to bring a product to the market; to craft a superior design; to create a strong brand; or to deliver a good customer service. What companies need to consider holistically is all of these requirements (i.e., product, design, brand, and service). In short, they must deliver ‘memorable customer experiences’, as advocated by such renowned business authors as Pine & Gilmore (1999), Schmitt (2003), Shaw and Ivens (2005), and Smith & Wheeler (2002). Also in the consumer behavior literature the importance of customer experiences has been the topic of much discussion. For example, authors including Arnould & Price (1993), Csikszentmihalyi (1990), and Holbrook & Hirschman (1982) have examined experiences from the customer’s point of view.

Despite the considerable amount of literature on the topic, there is a general feeling among academics and practitioners that we have only just begun to understand what is meant by ‘memorable customer experiences’. Many different angles of customer experiences have been investigated. However, holes remain to be filled, and new fields need to be explored. Our research anthology addresses this lacuna in the literature. Selected papers offer solid theoretical foundations-with or without empirical investigation-of ‘memorable customer experiences’.

Overall objective of the book:

The overall objective of this research anthology is to provide a comprehensive collection of cutting-edge theories and research on ‘memorable customer experiences’ as delivered by companies and as experienced by customers.

Topics:

Representative topics include, but are not limited, to the following ones:

• What exactly are ‘memorable customer experiences’? Rigorous theoretical conceptualization of this concept is needed.
• What are key components in memorable customer experiences? Examples could be anticipations, specific emotions, sensorial stimulations, or sources of authenticity.
• How does the social environment (e.g., presence of others during the delivery) influence the customer’s experience?
• Is it possible for companies to deliver memorable customer experiences consistently?
• What are the channels for delivering memorable customer experiences? For example, what are the challenges of delivering customer experiences through the internet?
• How should companies communicate about customer experiences? For example, what are the implications for advertising?
• How do you measure a company’s success in delivering memorable customer experiences? Do traditional customer satisfaction and loyalty surveys suffice?
• Is it realistic and profitable for all companies in all industries to aim at delivering memorable customer experiences?
• Where should we be going from here?

The research anthology will be published in English. In order to produce an engaging text for the selected market, the selected papers should be in accessible style; that of Harvard Business Review is ideal. It means that although the methodology should be described for empirical papers, this should be less than for traditional academic papers. Also, papers of a strongly academic nature, for example containing algebra/mathematics or written in highly conceptual terms, should be avoided. The editors will be happy to discuss whether or not a particular paper is of an appropriate style.

Preference will be given to empirical papers, although theoretical papers that examine key issues on memorable customer experiences or offer comprehensive literature reviews are also welcomed. As the research anthology will be read by an academic and business audience, all papers should include implications for practitioners.

The target audiences:

The research anthology is targeted at a number of different people including the following ones: marketing academics who teach or research marketing; doctoral students in marketing; and, lastly, business practitioners who want to know more about memorable customer experiences, especially in terms of consequences for companies.

Submission process:

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit to on or before January 15, 2008 a brief two-five page paper proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of their proposed paper. Papers submitted must not have been published, accepted for publication, or presently be under consideration for publication. Proposals should be submitted via email Word attachment (in one file including all materials) to the first editor only. The first page must contain the title, author/s, and contact information for the author/s.

Authors will be notified February 1, 2008 about the status of their proposal and, if the proposal is approved, sent information regarding how to organize their paper. Full papers are expected to be submitted to all three editors by May 31, 2008 and will then be subjected to a triple-blind review; hence authors should not identify themselves in the body of the paper. Final submissions should be approximately 5,000 words in length, excluding references, figures, tables, and appendices.

Memorable Customer Experiences: A Research Anthology will be published by Gower Publishing, www.gowerpub.com. Gower Publishing is one of the world’s leading publishers in current best practice in business and management.

Questions:

Please address questions to the editors:

Professor, Dr. Adam Lindgreen
Hull University Business School
Cottingham Road
Hull HU6 7RX, the UK
Email: a.lindgreen@hull.ac.uk

Dr. Joëlle Vanhamme
Department of Marketing
RSM Erasmus University
Burg. Oudlaan 50
3000 DR Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Email: jvanhamme@rsm.nl

Professor, Dr. Michael Beverland
RMIT University
Australia
Email: will be communicated at a later stage

References

Arnould, E.J. & Price, L.L. (1993), "River magic: extraordinary experience and the extended service encounter", Journal of Consumer Research, 20 (June), 24-45.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990), Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Harper & Row, New York, NY.

Holbrook, M.B. & Hirschman, E. (1982), "The experiential aspects of consumption: consumer fantasies, feelings, and fun", Journal of Consumer Research, 9 (September), 132-140.

Pine, B.J. & Gilmore, J.H. (1999), Experience Economy, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA.

Schmitt, B.H. (2003), Customer Experience Management, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.

Shaw, C. & Ivens, J. (2005), Building Great Customer Experiences, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.

Smith, S. & Wheeler, J. (2002), Managing the Customer Experience, Prentice Hall, Harlow.

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