Main empirical studies on multiple touchpoints and related effects
| Study | Touchpoints considered | Methodology | Outcomes | Context | Main findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richards et al. (2014) | List of touchpoints emerging from expert interviews | In depth interviews and cross- sectional survey | none | Events in museums | The most important touchpoints are related to the direct-exposure phase of the event, but all touchpoints contribute to the overall experience |
| Baxendale et al. (2015) | Brand advertising, retailer advertising, in-store communications, WOM received, peer observation, traditional earned media | Real-time experience tracking | Changes in brand consideration | B2C electrical good, technology products, mobile handsets and soft drinks | In-store communication is more influential than other touchpoints including brand advertising. Peer observation is also consistently significant. Overall, findings evidence the relative impact of retailers, social effects and third party endorsement in addition to brand advertising |
| Ieva and Ziliani (2018) | List of 24 touchpoints specific for the industry | Cross-sectional survey | Loyalty intentions | Mobile Services | Reach has a significant relationship with customer loyalty intentions as far as eight touchpoints are concerned. Positivity, when controlling for frequency of exposure, is related to customer loyalty intentions as far as nine touchpoints are concerned |
| Sultan (2018) | 37 touchpoints categorized based on each stage of the customer experience | Cross-sectional survey | Relationship quality; word-of-mouth | Telco (B2C) | Touchpoint across stages have direct and indirect effects on positive word-of-mouth (WOM). Furthermore, the effects of customer experience stages on WOM are partially mediated by relationship quality |
| Cambra Fierro et al. (2021) | Sales force, product, consulting, communication, tangibles, standardized contacts | Longitudinal survey | Firm expertise, service reliability and service excellence | Insurance provider (B2C) | Sales force and product are crucial for long-term customer perceptions, while the effect of consulting, tangibles and standardized contacts is weaker over time |
| Chen et al. (2021) | Destination-owned touchpoints; Partner-owned touchpoints; Tourist-owned touchpoints; Social touchpoints | Cross-sectional survey | Hedonic well-being and eudaimonic well-being; revisit intention and online word of mouth | Tourism | Tourism experiences derived from partner-owned, customer-owned, and social touchpoints positively affect both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, while experiences derived from destination-owned touchpoints only positively influence hedonic well-being. In addition, well-being significantly affects customer revisit intention and online word of mouth |
| Bolton et al. (2022) | Website vs Store | Longitudinal survey | Satisfaction with service encounter | Home decor and furnishings retailing (B2C) | Online customers weighed cognitive and behavioural qualities more heavily than in-store customers, whereas they weighed emotional and sensorial qualities less heavily |
| Tualaulelei et al. (2022) | Pedagogical Touchpoints | Touchpoint mapping | None | University Education | Students' engagement with pedagogical touchpoints varies according to their learning needs and desires |
| Santos and Goncalves (2024) | 31 touchpoints as reported by participants | Diaries and interviews | Purchase | Consumer electronics and fast-moving consumer goods (B2C) | Results indicate that more and more variable touchpoints and activities exist for the high involvement product. Four decision journey maps were found for each product |
| Salvietti et al. (2025) | Comprehensive list of touchpoints specific per each industry | Cross-sectional Survey | Channel Integration; Patronage Intention | Retail grocery and retail fashion (B2C) | This study identifies several touchpoints relevant for channel integration perception and shows that they differ across product category and customer types (first time vs repeat customers) |
| Cambra Fierro et al. (2025) | Human vs Digital vs Physical touchpoints | Longitudinal survey | Moments of Truth; Profitability; Customer retention; Customer cross-buy | B2B | All touchpoints significantly contribute to Moments of Truths (MOTs). The impact of MOTs on future customer outcomes, such as retention, is also demonstrated |
| The present study | List of 24 touchpoints specific for the industry | Cross-sectional Survey | Loyalty intentions | Museum | After assessing simultaneously multiple touchpoints, it emerges that positivity of several touchpoints is related to loyalty intentions, such as intention to revisit the museum and to recommend the museum |
| Study | Touchpoints considered | Methodology | Outcomes | Context | Main findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| List of touchpoints emerging from expert interviews | In depth interviews and cross- sectional survey | none | Events in museums | The most important touchpoints are related to the direct-exposure phase of the event, but all touchpoints contribute to the overall experience | |
| Brand advertising, retailer advertising, in-store communications, WOM received, peer observation, traditional earned media | Real-time experience tracking | Changes in brand consideration | B2C electrical good, technology products, mobile handsets and soft drinks | In-store communication is more influential than other touchpoints including brand advertising. Peer observation is also consistently significant. Overall, findings evidence the relative impact of retailers, social effects and third party endorsement in addition to brand advertising | |
| List of 24 touchpoints specific for the industry | Cross-sectional survey | Loyalty intentions | Mobile Services | Reach has a significant relationship with customer loyalty intentions as far as eight touchpoints are concerned. Positivity, when controlling for frequency of exposure, is related to customer loyalty intentions as far as nine touchpoints are concerned | |
| 37 touchpoints categorized based on each stage of the customer experience | Cross-sectional survey | Relationship quality; word-of-mouth | Telco (B2C) | Touchpoint across stages have direct and indirect effects on positive word-of-mouth (WOM). Furthermore, the effects of customer experience stages on WOM are partially mediated by relationship quality | |
| Sales force, product, consulting, communication, tangibles, standardized contacts | Longitudinal survey | Firm expertise, service reliability and service excellence | Insurance provider (B2C) | Sales force and product are crucial for long-term customer perceptions, while the effect of consulting, tangibles and standardized contacts is weaker over time | |
| Destination-owned touchpoints; Partner-owned touchpoints; Tourist-owned touchpoints; Social touchpoints | Cross-sectional survey | Hedonic well-being and eudaimonic well-being; revisit intention and online word of mouth | Tourism | Tourism experiences derived from partner-owned, customer-owned, and social touchpoints positively affect both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, while experiences derived from destination-owned touchpoints only positively influence hedonic well-being. In addition, well-being significantly affects customer revisit intention and online word of mouth | |
| Website vs Store | Longitudinal survey | Satisfaction with service encounter | Home decor and furnishings retailing (B2C) | Online customers weighed cognitive and behavioural qualities more heavily than in-store customers, whereas they weighed emotional and sensorial qualities less heavily | |
| Pedagogical Touchpoints | Touchpoint mapping | None | University Education | Students' engagement with pedagogical touchpoints varies according to their learning needs and desires | |
| 31 touchpoints as reported by participants | Diaries and interviews | Purchase | Consumer electronics and fast-moving consumer goods (B2C) | Results indicate that more and more variable touchpoints and activities exist for the high involvement product. Four decision journey maps were found for each product | |
| Comprehensive list of touchpoints specific per each industry | Cross-sectional Survey | Channel Integration; Patronage Intention | Retail grocery and retail fashion (B2C) | This study identifies several touchpoints relevant for channel integration perception and shows that they differ across product category and customer types (first time vs repeat customers) | |
| Human vs Digital vs Physical touchpoints | Longitudinal survey | Moments of Truth; Profitability; Customer retention; Customer cross-buy | B2B | All touchpoints significantly contribute to Moments of Truths (MOTs). The impact of MOTs on future customer outcomes, such as retention, is also demonstrated | |
| The present study | List of 24 touchpoints specific for the industry | Cross-sectional Survey | Loyalty intentions | Museum | After assessing simultaneously multiple touchpoints, it emerges that positivity of several touchpoints is related to loyalty intentions, such as intention to revisit the museum and to recommend the museum |
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