• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.51-89
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• 2007

INTRODUCTION Due to the high broadband internet penetration rate and its group-oriented culture, various types of online communities operate in Korea. This study use 'Uses and Gratification Approach, and argue that members' usage-needs satisfaction with brand community is an important factor for promoting community commitment. Based on previous studies identifying the effect of brand image on consumers' responses to various marketing stimuli, this study hypothesizes that brand image can be a moderate variable affecting the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction with brand community and members' commitment to brand community. This study analyzes the influence of usage-needs satisfaction on brand community commitment and how apparel brand image affects the relationships between usage-needs satisfactions and community commitments. The hypotheses of this study are proposed as follows. H1-3: The usage-needs satisfaction of apparel brand community (interest, transaction, relationship needs) influences emotional (H1), continuous (H2), and normative (H3) commitments to apparel brand communities. H4-6: Apparel brand image has a moderating effect on the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction and emotional (H4), continuous (H5), and normative (H6) commitments to apparel brand communities. METHODS Brand communities founded by non-company affiliates were excluded and emphasis was placed instead on communities created by apparel brand companies. Among casual apparel brands registered in 6 Korean portal sites in August 2003, a total of 9 casual apparel brand online communities were chosen, depending on the level of community activity and apparel brand image. Data from 317 community members were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis, moderated regression analysis, ANOVA, and scheffe test. Among 317 respondents answered an online html-type questionnaire, 80.5% were between 16 to 25 years old. There were a total of 150 respondents from apparel brand communities(n=3) recording higher-than-average brand image scores (Mean > 3.75) and a total of 162 respondents from apparel brand communities(n=6) recording lower-than-average brand image scores(Mean < 3.75). In this study, brand community commitment was measured by a 5-point Likert scale: emotional, continuous and normative commitment. The degree of usage-needs satisfaction (interest, transaction, relationship needs) was measured on a 5-point Likert scale. The level of brand image was measured by a 5-point Likert scale: strength, favorability, and uniqueness of brand associations. RESULTS In the results of exploratory factor analysis, the three usage-needs satisfactions with brand community were classified as interest, transaction, and relationship needs. Brand community commitment was also divided into the multi-dimensional factors: emotional, continuous, and normative commitments. The regression analysis (using a stepwise method) was used to test the influence of 3 independent variables (interest-needs satisfaction, transaction-needs, and relationship-needs satisfactions) on the 3 dependent variables (emotional, continuous and normative commitments). The three types of usage-needs satisfactions are positively associated with the three types of commitments to apparel brand communities. Therefore, hypothesis 1, 2, and 3 were significantly supported. Moderating effects of apparel brand image on the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction and brand community commitments were tested by moderated regression analysis. The statistics result showed that the influence of transaction-needs on emotional commitment was significantly moderated by apparel brand image. In addition, apparel brand image had moderating effects on the relationship between relationship-needs satisfaction and emotional, continuous and normative commitments to apparel brand communities. However, there were not significant moderate effects of apparel brand image on the relationships between interest-needs satisfaction and 3 types of commitments (emotional, continuous and normative commitments) to apparel brand communities. In addition, the influences of transaction-needs satisfaction on 2 types of commitments (continuous and normative commitments) were not significantly moderated by apparel brand image. Therefore, hypothesis 4, 5 and 6 were partially supported. To explain the moderating effects of apparel brand image, four cross-tabulated groups were made by averages of usage-needs satisfaction (interest-needs satisfaction avg. M=3.09, transaction-needs satisfaction avg. M=3.46, relationship-needs satisfaction M=1.62) and the average apparel brand image (M=3.75). The average scores of commitments in each classified group are presented in Tables and Figures. There were significant differences among four groups. As can be seen from the results of scheffe test on the tables, emotional commitment in community group with high brand image was higher than one in community group with low brand image when transaction-needs satisfaction was high. However, when transaction-needs satisfaction was low, there was not any difference between the community group with high brand image and community group with low brand image regarding emotional commitment to apparel brand communities. It means that emotional commitment didn't increase significantly without high satisfaction of transaction-needs, despite the high apparel brand image. In addition, when apparel brand image was low, increase in transaction-needs did not lead to the increase in emotional commitment. Therefore, the significant relationship between transaction-needs satisfaction and emotional commitment was found in only brand communities with high apparel brand image, and the moderating effect of apparel brand image on this relationship between two variables was found in the communities with high satisfaction of transaction-needs only. Statistics results showed that the level of emotional commitment is related to the satisfaction level of transaction-needs, while overall response is related to the level of apparel brand image. We also found that the role of apparel brand image as a moderating factor was limited by the level of transaction-needs satisfaction. In addition, relationship-needs satisfaction brought significant increase in emotional commitment in both community groups (high and low levels of brand image), and the effect of apparel brand image on emotional commitment was significant in both community groups (high and low levels of relationship-needs satisfaction). Especially, the effect of brand image was greater when the level of relationship-needs satisfaction was high. in contrast, increase in emotional commitment responding to increase in relationship-needs satisfaction was greater when apparel brand image is high. The significant influences of relationship-needs satisfaction on community commitments (continuous and normative commitments) were found regardless of apparel brand image(in both community groups with low and high brand image). However, the effects of apparel brand image on continuous and normative commitments were found in only community group with high satisfaction level of relationship-needs. In the case of communities with low satisfaction levels of relationship needs, apparel brand image marginally increases continuous and normative commitments. Therefore, we could not find the moderating effect of apparel brand image on the relationship between relationship-needs satisfaction and continuous and normative commitments in community groups with low satisfaction levels of relationship needs, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS From the results of this study, we draw several conclusions; First, the increases in usage-needs satisfactions through apparel brand communities result in the increases in commitments to apparel brand communities, wheres the degrees of such relationship depends on the level of apparel brand image. That is, apparel brand image is a moderating factor strengthening the relationship between usage-needs satisfaction and commitment to apparel brand communities. In addition, the effect of apparel brand image differs, depending on the level and types of community usage-needs satisfactions. Therefore, marketers of apparel brand companies must determine the appropriate usage-needs, depending on the type of commitment they wish to increase and the level of their apparel brand image, to promote member's commitments to apparel brand communities. Especially, relationship-needs satisfaction was very important factor for increasing emotional, continuous and normative commitments to communities. However the level of relationship-needs satisfaction was lower than interest-needs and transaction-needs. satisfaction. According to previous study on apparel brand communities, relationship-need satisfaction was strongly related to member's intention of participation in their communities. Therefore, marketers need to develope various strategies in order to increase the relationship- needs as well as interest and transaction needs. In addition, despite continuous commitment was higher than emotional and normative commitments, all types of commitments to apparel brand communities had scores lower than 3.0 that was mid point in 5-point scale. A Korean study reported that the level of members' commitment to apparel brand community influenced customers' identification with a brand and brand purchasing behavior. Therefore, marketers should try to increase members' usage-needs satisfaction and apparel brand image as the necessary conditions for bringing about community commitments. Second, marketers should understand that they should keep in mind that increasing the level of community usage needs (transaction and relationship) is most effective in raising commitment when the level of apparel brand image is high, and that increasing usage needs (transaction needs) satisfaction in communities with low brand image might not be as effective as anticipated. Therefore, apparel companies with desirable brand image such as luxury designer goods firms need to create formal online brand communities (as opposed to informal communities with rudimentary online contents) to satisfy transaction and relationship needs systematically. It will create brand equity through consumers' increased emotional, continuous and normative commitments. Even though apparel brand is very famous, emotional commitment to apparel brand communities cannot be easily increased without transaction-needs satisfaction. Therefore famous fashion brand companies should focus on developing various marketing strategies to increase transaction-needs satisfaction.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.121-137
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• 2004

Is entering in age that brand becomes consumer's goods purchase standard as income level is improved, dying injunction brand is trend that governing power in the world market is expanded as international economy does single market. Situation to develop Kyonggi Province area to universal tourist attraction area keeping in step with national large size event holding such as sun of Korean visit with opening a port of the In-chon International airport, the world ceramics Expo, World Cup was made up. Growth possibility is big to culture tourism resources and representative tourist resort of the Korea that use view of nature photon circle properly such as ceramics that target area possesses. Area development plan through growth possibility should be arranged to international ceramics production complex and distribution complex. Therefore, plan analyzing future district theme establishment and strength in priority via past and present of target area.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2003

With respect to this research, the College of Arts and Design, Kon Kuk University founded Design Venture of KKU(Kon Kuk University) in July 2001 as an approach to tackle the issue on how to accept and respond to the waves of changes in paradigms of the 21st century represented by information revolution. Such move is to cope more effectively with the changes in the current educational environment with an aim to secure the competitive edges compatible with the conditions of each college under the uniform and standardized educational systems. Even the professionals in the design fields of this country try to find the significance in bringing out in the open the latent creative talents of the students by improving the quality of our daily necessities and putting the students through more practical training, and in creating international competitiveness of our design field by encouraging the students to gain more diverse experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to present the approaches to revitalize Design Venture of Kon Kuk University which has been managed as part of the efforts to establish the new identity for the design of this country in the 21st century, and to present the new model for an enterprise which, rooted in the College, can grow into a high value-added business. The methodology for this research is based on the case study of Design Venture of Kon Kuk University and investigation into the literature. The contents of this research include the following three steps. Firstly, initial research is made into the background for founding the College of Arts and Design which had been promoted as a differentiated strategy for the long-term and short-term development plan of the College of Arts and Design, in Chungju Campus of Kon Kuk University. Secondly, the basic strategy for Vonchi, brand of Design Venture of KKU and the brand launching process are examined. Thirdly, Various approaches to revitalize the Vonchi brand recognition are collected and analyzed to present the conclusion and the alternative. Such research findings as given above on Design Venture of KKU may satisfy diverse consumer-oriented requirements on the strength of the characterization and differentiation of the college and may enhance the competitive edge of the college.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.56 no.8 s.108
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• pp.15-34
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• 2006

Knit wear was industrialized, diversified, specialized and was made into high-class and it is including knitted cloth and small product for fashion as well as cardigan, sweater, and jacket etc. unlike past recognition only with underwear and inner wear. To consider elasticity to be the best strength of knit wear, middle-aged women that form change is serious are wearing knit wear as clothes for going out, and this may be regarded as clothes action to be conscious of form than vogue. Thus, in this study, this researcher tried to suggest solution scheme through the development of design of knit wear to supplement the form defect of middle-aged women. This researcher tried to develop the design of knit wear to supplement the form defect of middle-aged women, after examining the theoretical background of knit wear, the bodily and mental feature of middle-aged women. Internal and external knit wear brand that middle-aged women prefer as the scheme for solving the problematic form of middle-aged women with knit wear. As the result first, to see the present situation of inland production enterprise of knit wear, almost all the brand companies are concentrating energies on widening age class. Second, middle-aged women become far off from the form which is regarded ideal form in modern society. Third, result that this researcher examined the brand of knit wear of middle-aged women is as follows : MORADO, Cartknit, Escalier. And, in foreign knit wear brand, ST John, Missoni, ESCADA. Fourth, as the result that this researcher did work manufacture for the supplement of form defect of middle-aged women, it has practical and active side, and off-time has high-class and elegant refined beauty.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.91-100
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• 2013

In recent years, online brand communities, whereby firms and customers interact freely, are emerging trend, because customers' opinions collected in these communities can help firms to achieve their innovation effectively. In this study, we examined whether customer opinions containing negative emotions have influence on their adoption for organizational innovation. To that end, we firstly classified negative emotions into five categories of detailed negative emotions such as Fear, Anger, Shame, Sadness, and Frustration. Then, we developed a lexicon for each category of negative emotions, using WordNet and SentiWordNet. From 81,543 customer opinions collected from MyStarbucksIdea.com which is Starbucks' brand community, we extracted terms that belong to each lexicon. We conducted an experiment to examine whether the existence, frequency and strength of terms with negative emotions in each category affect the adoption of customer opinions for organizational innovation. In the experiment, we statistically verified that there is a positive relationship between customer ideas containing negative emotions and their adoption for innovation. Especially, Frustration and Sadness out of the five emotions are significantly influential to organizational innovation.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.33-43
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• 2021

Purpose: This paper aims to determine features of the relationship between human development, tourism and national brand. Research design, data and methodology: ranking indicators, cluster analysis, K means method, correlation analysis. Results: The analysis covers data for 95 countries for 2019. The number of countries is justified by the availability of comparable data for calculations. A direct relationship between the indicators for the entire sample has been revealed in the result of the correlation analysis. However, this relationship has not been confirmed for the groups of countries that were formed through the cluster analysis. Spearman Rank Order and Kendall Tau Correlations have been calculated for the five obtained clusters. In two of the five clusters, the relationship between the indicators has not been found. A strong negative link between all the indicators has been detected in the cluster with average index values. A strong positive link between TTCI and BSI has been revealed in the group of countries with the best index values. A strong positive link between TTCI and HDI has been found in the group of countries with the worst index values. Conclusions: The analysis demonstrates that there is a relationship between BSI, TTCI and HDI, and while this link is observed for the sample as a whole, it is not homogeneous for groups of countries.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.47-53
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• 2012

Businesses make use of advertising strategy using models to give consumers efficient product information. Modern advertisements often make use of models for greater reminiscence to create messages and remind viewers of the product. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of each type of model. The subjects were 230 college students in their twenties or older, and the material was collected from October 20, 2011 to November 5, 2011 to examine the effects of model characteristics on buying intention as well as attitude toward a brand. A questionnaire survey was used; investigators gave one copy to each interviewee. The study investigated the characteristics of each model using a questionnaire of each 40 copies with five kinds of photographs. The characteristics of models had great influence on buying intention and attitude toward the brand: First, factor 2 (being honest and virtuous and having good credit and a good press assessment) and factor 3 (being interesting and a good communicator and creating good memories) had great influence on buying intention. Factor 2 was explained by reliability, and factor 3 by the efficiency of the model in creating a feeling. Second, factors 1 (being attractive, smart, unique, friendly, loved by others, and popular), 2, and 3 influenced attitude toward brand. Factor 1 encapsulated the outgoing characteristics of a model, factor 2 was based on reliability, and factor 3 was based on the efficiency of the model in creating a feeling. The model's positive effects on buying intention and attitudes toward brand shall be examined. For their positive influence on buying intention, reliability and efficiency shall be given attention. For their positive influence on attitude toward brand, creating a good impression, having outgoing characteristics, being reliable, and efficiency shall be given attention. The findings were as follows: Model characteristics influencing buying intention were similar to those influencing attitude toward brand. The differences were as follows. First, reliability and efficiency influenced buying intention. When customers were asked to consider the influence on buying intention of an advertisement, regardless of the strength of the buying intention, they considered these two characteristics. Customers decided to buy based not only on the credibility of the product as presented in the advertisement but also the transmission of the contents of the advertisement. Second, outgoing characteristics, reliability, and efficiency influenced attitude toward a brand. The attitude toward a brand was said to be the attitude toward the business. The attitude is produced even after buying, so businesses view it as very important. The attitude might vary depending upon the model used rather than the brand. Therefore, a model with outgoing characteristics was thought to be important. Therefore, attitude toward a brand whose model influenced buying intention as well as attitude toward brand had outgoing characteristics. The result is that an image the model was related to attitude toward the brand. As such, customers would buy the goods advertised. However, an outgoing image of a model was also important to create a positive attitude toward a business brand. For instance, talent Park Gyeong-Rim's photo was used to promote cosmetics about 10 years ago. When she worked as a model of cosmetics products, she had to make compensation for losses and damages because she made a mistake on a talk show program. At that time, customers who had bought the cosmetics product asked for refunds of several billion won. As such, models who are said to be the face of the businesses they represent can play an important role. To advertise in the most attractive and effective way, the current image of a model should be investigated by examining current activities and news articles after selecting the model, and the model's efficiency and attitude toward the brand should be examined. Factors that stimulate customers' buying decisions can be used to plan advertisement that have positive influence on a brand. This study had the limitation of investigating mainly college students and there were insufficient copies of the questionnaire. The investigation was not done widely but in detail so that a concrete investigation could not be done. Further studies shall supplement these shortcomings and discuss new directions.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.216-221
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• 2015

Sintering behavior of 3%yttria-stabilized zirconia was comparatively studied using a spray-dried powder produced by a domestic and global company. Quality of the sintered block was analysed in terms of relative density, shrinkage rate, grain growth, hardness, and fracture toughness. Relative density, shrinkage rate, and hardness value of the finally sintered block was similar between domestic and global zirconia powder, respectively. But, flexural strength of the domestic powder specimen was about 70% of the sintered block produced by using a global powder. The poor sintering quality of the domestic powder was discussed in relation with compressibility of the spray-dried granule-type powder and the amount of monoclinic phase in the as-received powder.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2013

PURPOSE. This study was to evaluate the effect of the solution temperature on the mechanical properties of dualcure resin cements. MATERIALS AND METHODS. For the study, five dual-cure resin cements were chosen and light cured. To evaluate the effect of temperature on the specimens, the light-cured specimens were immersed in deionized water at three different temperatures (4, 37 and $60^{\circ}C$) for 7 days. The control specimens were aged in a $37^{\circ}C$ dry and dark chamber for 24 hours. The mechanical properties of the light-cured specimens were evaluated using the Vickers hardness test, three-point bending test, and compression test, respectively. Both flexural and compressive properties were evaluated using a universal testing machine. The data were analyzed using a two way ANOVA with Tukey test to perform multiple comparisons (${\alpha}$=0.05). RESULTS. After immersion, the specimens showed significantly different microhardness, flexural, and compressive properties compared to the control case regardless of solution temperatures. Depending on the resin brand, the microhardness difference between the top and bottom surfaces ranged approximately 3.3-12.2%. Among the specimens, BisCem and Calibra showed the highest and lowest decrease of flexural strength, respectively. Also, Calibra and Multilink Automix showed the highest and lowest decrease of compressive strength, respectively compared to the control case. CONCLUSION. The examined dual-cure resin cements had compatible flexural and compressive properties with most methacrylate-based composite resins and the underlying dentin regardless of solution temperature. However, the effect of the solution temperature on the mechanical properties was not consistent and depended more on the resin brand.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.19
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• pp.145-159
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• 2010

Similar to the other cultural contents, the character industry is based on the media which acts as the technological background. In fact, the character industry is the process of that a created character accesses to the consumers via media, builds its value and becomes licensed as a brand in the market. Therefore, it is crucial to select the most effective media for the consistence of a character in the market, as well as for construction of a higher brand quality of the character. Today, "Webtoon" might be considered as one of the marketing means which utilizes the Internet media for raising the character as a brand. Webtoon has apparent strength because it can be produced in shorter period and with less expense than through other media. Furthermore, Webtoon can be simply featured by the easiness of two-way communication and transference to another media through it. For these reasons, and according to the result of analyzing some Korean Webtoons, it seems obvious that the most effective media in character marketing is the Internet. In addition to the Internet, the strategic development in the media-mix is also important for establishing a brand of a character. However, the effective media-mix is available only when the character's external identity meets with the trait of its media. For the purpose of learning how the media-mix works when a character reaches for the consumers, a character "Hamataeng" was born and used in the experiment. This study will explain the marketing process through the use of own-created Webtoon and other contents, and suggest the ways to build a brand of a character. In addition, it is also indicated that a media-mixing strategy for transformation and expansion of the character to other media.