Regulatory focus and attribute framing

This study examined the effects of regulatory focus and the framing of product attributes in advertisements. An experiment with a 2×2×2 between-subjects design was conducted to see if the compatibility among regulatory focus, frames and product attributes could affect ad and brand attitudes, and purchase intention. Participants’ regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention) was primed whereas frames (gain vs. loss) and product attributes (hedonic vs. utilitarian) were manipulated in advertisements. Results revealed a series of two-way interactions as well as a three-way interaction among regulatory focus, frames and product attributes, suggesting the importance of compatibility among these variables in creating effective advertising messages.     

Health‐care product advertising: The influences of message framing and perceived product characteristics

Message framing readily lends itself to marketing communication and advertising persuasion strategies. However, past research yields contradictory and inconsistent predictions as to whether positive or negative frames are more persuasive. This study examines the most appropriate message framing to present to consumers in print advertisements for health care products. Two experimental studies are conducted to investigate the moderating effects of product functions: perceived innovativeness and perceived risk on the processing of framed advertising messages. Findings of Study 1 indicate that messages for familiar products should be framed differently depending on perceived product functions (prevention vs. detection), but gain‐framed messages are more persuasive for both new prevention and detection products. Results of Study 2 suggest that a mixed‐framed message (combining gain and loss) could enhance message effectiveness only when subjects have prior experience. Similar to the role of product function, product perceived risk is found to moderate the framing effects on message effectiveness. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Feelings and functionality in social networking communities: A regulatory focus perspective

A sense of community is vital to the sustainability of both face‐to‐face and virtual communities. In this study, we use a mixed methods design to study the motivations that lead to satisfaction in a social media network. In Study 1, we semantically analyze the qualitative comments from a survey regarding the reasons for using social networks (n = 237). Consistent with the literature, the results identify two categories of underlying motivations—hedonic (feelings) and utilitarian (functionality). With these results, we apply regulatory focus theory in Study 2 to propose a structural equation model ( n = 622). This model differentiates between the experiences of promotion‐ and prevention‐focused individuals with social networking based on the core elements of feelings versus functionality . Our findings indicate that a sense of belonging and emotional connection are key hedonic elements and are more relevant for promotion‐focused individuals. For prevention‐focused individuals, the utilitarian and functional aspects of interactivity (influence) and innovativeness (risk) are more important in influencing satisfaction with a social network. Overall, positive and innovative user experience with a social media network requires the creation of an emotional connection, the existence of interactivity between members, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.     

National versus private brand: A regulatory focus perspective

Why do consumers choose a private versus national brand? A between-subjects factorial design was used to address this question in two product categories: shampoo and athletic shoes. Three determining factors were used—regulatory focus: promotion versus prevention; brand types: national versus private; and attribute framing: hedonic versus utilitarian—to predict consumer attitude towards the brand, its ad, and purchase intention. The results provide support for the interactions between regulatory focus and attribute framing for shampoo, and between regulatory focus and brand types for shoes. When exposed to shampoo ads, promotion focused consumers have a more positive attitude toward the ad and a higher purchase intention if the ad features utilitarian rather than hedonic attributes. Further, both promotion and prevention focused consumers prefer national brands of shoes to private labels. One possible explanation may lie in private versus public consumption of shampoo and shoes.     

The Effect of Scarcity on the Purchase Intentions of Prevention and Promotion Motivated Consumers

This study investigates the influence of consumers’ motivational orientations (“prevention” vs. “promotion”) on their susceptibility to demand‐based versus supply‐based scarcity, measured by purchase intention scores. Prevention‐focused participants were more inclined to adopt a product when it was perceived to be demand‐scarce rather than supply‐scarce, while those who were identified as promotion‐focused responded positively to scarcity attributed to supply shortfall. In addition, products that could be associated with a prevention motive enhanced purchase intentions when presented as demand‐scarce but not if perceived to be supply‐scarce; conversely, products associated with the promotion motive scored better if the scarcity was seen to be supply‐generated rather than demand‐generated. Lastly, messages focused on prevention were more effective than those focused on promotion in the case of perceived demand scarcity, whereas the converse holds true for supply scarcity. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the motivational differences underlying the effectiveness of scarcity appeals. They furthermore suggest the strategic implication that improved intention to purchase occurs when the regulatory focus evoked by a scarcity‐related message is compatible with the appeal it communicates.     

Explaining the joint effect of source credibility and negativity of information in two‐sided messages

By referring to different stages of an attribution process, this study examines how source credibility effects and opposing effects of negative information in two‐sided messages can be disentangled. The findings show that disclosure uniqueness (i.e., whether disclosures in a two‐sided message are given voluntarily or not) leads to both inferences on source credibility and inferences on product uniqueness. The inference on product uniqueness requires more cognitive effort on the part of the consumer than the inference on source credibility. Therefore, the effects of disclosures in two‐sided messages on brand attitudes depend on the cognitive load of consumers. Consumers make either an inference on the source or on both the source and the product. The results add to previous attribution research and the two‐sided message literature, showing that consumers under cognitive load can fail to make inferences on negative brand attributes in two‐sided messages. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Design for synergy with brand or price information

Customers' preference for the hedonic benefits (e.g., aesthetics) and utilitarian benefits (e.g., functionality) offered by a product varies depending on the context—buying versus selling, and choice versus willingness‐to‐pay. However, a customer's preference formation could involve brand information or price information in addition to the benefits offered by the product. It is unclear how the consideration of brand or price information influences customers' relative preference for hedonic and utilitarian product benefits. Does this information alter preference in favor of a product that offers greater utilitarian or greater hedonic benefits, and why? The results show that (1) hedonic (utilitarian) attributes have a significantly stronger influence on consumer preference when accompanied by a strong (weak) versus a weak (strong) brand; and (2) in the presence of price information, hedonic attributes have a dominant influence on consumer preference compared to in the absence of price information. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical contributions and managerial implications of design for synergy with brand or price information. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

When does electronic word-of-mouth matter? A study of consumer product reviews

Online consumer product reviews, a form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), have attracted increased attention from researchers. This paper examines the persuasiveness of eWOM. Drawing on regulatory focus theory, the authors propose that the consumption goals that consumers associate with the reviewed product moderate the effect of review valence on persuasiveness. Data from lab experiments and actual online retailers suggest that consumers who evaluate products associated with promotion consumption goals perceive positive reviews to be more persuasive than negative ones (i.e., a positivity bias). Conversely, consumers who evaluate products associated with prevention consumption goals perceive negative reviews to be more persuasive than positive ones (i.e., a negativity bias).     

Probability and Mode of Acquisition Effects on Choices Between Hedonic and Utilitarian Options

We examine the effects of probability and mode of acquisition on choices between hedonic and utilitarian alternatives. The results suggest that the lower the probability of receiving the selected item, the more likely individuals will be to choose the more hedonic alternative in a choice set. Mode of acquisition (i.e., whether subjects are choosing in a windfall or a standard purchase situation) is also found to affect preferences, even when probability of acquisition is held constant. Hedonic options appear to be more popular as prizes than as purchases, whereas utilitarian options appear to be more popular as purchases than as prizes.     

Influencing Consumer Responses to Highly Aesthetic Products: The Role of Mindsets

Companies often use aesthetics or salient visual attributes to differentiate their products from those of their competitors and to appeal to customers. However, consumers may make unfavorable inferences about highly aesthetic products due to concerns about the products’ functionality. To address the issue of how retailers can most effectively engage in the deployment and promotion of product aesthetics, the present research proposes that consumers will respond more favorably (i.e., enhanced choice of product, enhanced product and advertisement evaluations, and a heightened willingness to pay) to a highly aesthetic product when they are in an abstract, rather than a concrete, mindset. Five studies using multiple product categories and applying various mindset manipulations provide convergent evidence to support the proposed hypothesis. The findings hold true for utilitarian, but not hedonic, products, and the focus of attention on product functionality accounts for the results. With the insight that the mindset consumers are in is critical in determining their response to highly aesthetics products, retailers can capitalize on selected situations in which to promote product aesthetics.     

Which Products are More Responsive to In-Store Displays: Utilitarian or Hedonic?

In-store displays aim to boost sales of both utilitarian and hedonic products. Noting typical differences in the information processing and purchase behavior evoked by these product types, and building on congruency theory principles, the authors propose that different types of in-store displays (i.e., island, end-of-aisle, or shelf signage) are more appropriate for utilitarian versus hedonic products, and the use of price or product promotions might reinforce these effects. With a database that combines three data sources (scanner, observational, and survey), this article presents an analysis of a market share model at the SKU level. The results confirm that in-store displays have differential effects on sales, depending on their characteristics; congruency between the decision-making process of utilitarian versus hedonic products and the characteristics of in-store display types moderates their effectiveness in terms of SKU sales. Shelf signage strongly increases the sales of utilitarian products, whereas island and end-of-aisle displays increase sales of hedonic product categories more effectively. The use of congruent promotions creates synergistic influences that reinforce these effects. In particular, price promotions improve the impact of shelf signage on utilitarian products, and product promotions strengthen the impacts of island and end-of-aisle displays on hedonic products. These results extend prior research on in-store marketing actions and the nature of utilitarian versus hedonic products, as well as providing recommendations for retailers and manufacturers seeking to optimize their retail space and commercial budgets.     

When Do Online Consumers Shop in an Offline Store: The Moderating Effects of Product Characteristics

This study serves as an initial attempt to demonstrate empirically how online consumers react to the offline channel extensions (i.e., opening physical stores) of e-tailers. Specifically, we examine how the attributes of offline channels influence consumer intentions to switch to offline channels and how they also lead to incremental demands on online channels. We investigate how these effects vary across highly complex utilitarian and hedonic products. The results of the study indicate that although store openings encourage online consumers to shop there when purchasing highly complex utilitarian products, the addition of offline stores results counterintuitively in incremental patronage of the online channels when consumers shop for highly complex hedonic products. This study validates the guiding role of product characteristics in designing offline channels for e-tailers and suggests that incorporating product type and complexity into the design is likely to contribute to the development of stores tailored to specific consumer segments.     

It is all about our impulsiveness – How consumer impulsiveness modulates neural evaluation of hedonic and utilitarian banners

The increasing number of active Internet users has encouraged companies to compete to design the most efficient online ads for their target audience. While some companies build their ads based on the functional and instrumental benefits of their advertised products (i.e., utilitarian banners), others emphasize the experiential, personal, and emotional advantages of purchasing their product (i.e., hedonic banners). This is the first study to use neuroimaging to address the debate in the literature regarding the processing and effectiveness of these types of messages. By means of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), we explored the neural mechanisms by which an individual consumer trait, namely consumer impulsiveness, influences the evaluation of hedonic and utilitarian banners. The neural results revealed that more impulsive consumers exhibit a higher level of activation in brain regions linked to reward, trust, emotion, as well as a reduction of activity in self-control brain networks, when viewing hedonic banners. Consumers reporting lower levels of impulsiveness (i.e., prudent users), in turn, exhibited stronger activation in brain regions associated with self-control and cognition when evaluating utilitarian banners. Consequently, on the basis of an objective and neuropsychological approach, these results can be used to inform companies about the type of online advertising they should use based on the characteristics of their target audience.     

Gucci versus Old Navy: Interplay of Brand Personality and Regulatory Focus in Advertising Persuasion

The present research examines how brand personality and regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention) interplay in affecting advertising message persuasiveness. In Experiment 1, the moderating role of brand personality with respect to regulatory focus is tested. The results show that a promotion‐framed advertising message is more persuasive for a fictitious exciting brand than is a prevention‐framed message, whereas a prevention‐framed (vs. promotion‐framed) message is more effective for a fictitious competent brand. To replicate Experiment 1 and further test the hypothesis, in Experiment 2, two real brands representing two additional brand personality dimensions (sophistication vs. sincerity) are tested and the influence of individuals’ self‐construal level is controlled. The findings reveal that individuals exposed to the sophisticated brand show a more positive attitude when the brand message is promotion framed. By contrast, individuals exposed to the sincere brand react more favorably when the brand is presented with a prevention‐framed advertising message.     

Do Consumption Goals Matter? The Effects of Online Loyalty Programs in the Satisfaction‐Loyalty Relation

This study investigates the effects of online loyalty programs in the customer satisfaction‐loyalty relationship. It is proposed that loyalty programs may induce loyalty toward programs (program loyalty), which may then influence loyalty toward stores (store loyalty). According to the results of a two‐wave survey, consumption goals matter in the effects of program loyalty on online store loyalty. For consumers with hedonic goals, hedonic program loyalty (e.g., free gifts) has a significant effect on online loyalty. For consumers with utilitarian goals, however, utilitarian program loyalty (e.g., coupons) has a significant influence on online loyalty. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.     

The role of utilitarian and hedonic aspects in the continuance intention to use social mobile apps

The purpose of this research is to understand the main factors that determine users’ continuance intention to use social mobile Apps, considering two utilitarian (i.e., perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use) variables and a hedonic (i.e., perceived enjoyment) variable. As social mobile Apps may be utilitarian or hedonic, we aim to evaluate possible differences in the significance of the aforementioned antecedent factors in utilitarian Apps (i.e., TripAdvisor) and hedonic Apps (i.e., Instagram). The data were collected from an international sample of users; the Partial Least Squares method was applied to analyze the research model, using SMARTPLS 3.0. To analyze the moderating effects, a multi-group PLS analysis was carried out to compare the differences between the path relationships in the two Apps. The results show that continuance intention to use is explained by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, satisfaction and user experience (control variable), and the impact of utilitarian variables is generally greater for utilitarian Apps, whereas the impact of perceived enjoyment is higher for hedonic Apps. This study contributes to the general body of knowledge about mobile Apps by providing a comprehensive theoretical foundation and practical implications that illuminate the continuance use of social mobile Apps.     

Different Effects of Utilitarian and Hedonic Benefits of Retail Food Packaging on Perceived Product Quality and Purchase Intention

Since consumers primarily make in-store purchase decisions, firms use product packaging to attract potential consumers. Ever-increasing market competition in many food product industries has further fueled this phenomenon in firms. However, the question of how retail food packaging affects consumer processes has received very little attention. This study investigates the benefits of food packaging on consumer responses to hedonic products by comparing different benefits (i.e., utilitarian and hedonic) of food packaging to understand which one has more impact on consumers’ perceived quality and purchase intention. The results show that both utilitarian and hedonic benefits of retail food packaging are critical predictors of consumer evaluations but play different important roles in determining customers’ reactions. Utilitarian benefits of food packaging impact perceived quality more than hedonic benefits do. Compared to utilitarian benefits, hedonic benefits of retail food packaging have more impact on consumer purchase intention.     

Impact of sales Promotion's benefits on perceived value: Does product category moderate the results?

The purpose behind the development of this research article is to assess the impact of sales promotions benefits on consumer perceived value and examine the moderating effect of product categories on the relation between sales promotions, their benefits, and consumer perceived value. The study used a sample of 400 consumers from India and ‘Structure Equation Modelling’ technique is applied to evaluate the research assumption. Finally, the moderating effect of the product category is evaluated by utilizing ‘Multi-Group Analysis' technique. Research findings reveal that the product category moderates the consumer's perceived value for hedonic and utilitarian benefits of sales promotion tools. It is found that utilitarian benefits of sales promotion have more impact on consumer perceived value in the context of personal care product while hedonic benefits are having more impact on consumer perceived value in the context of food products. A sales promotion plan can be made more effective when it is hedonic benefit oriented in the case of food products and utilitarian benefit oriented in the case of personal care products. The findings of this research can be useful for marketers to develop an effective sales promotion strategy considering the category wise differential impact of sales promotions benefits.     

The role of product type and country‐of‐origin in decisions about choice of endorser ethnicity in advertising

Two experiments examine the effects of endorser ethnicity and product country of origin on consumer responses toward ad and brand, and investigate the moderating role of utilitarian versus hedonic product type. In Experiment 1, for utilitarian products, participants showed more favorable responses when the endorser's ethnicity was incongruent with the product's country of origin compared to when it was congruent, supporting an attribution‐theory explanation. For hedonic products, however, participants preferred ads that featured an endorser whose ethnicity matched their own, irrespective of the product's country of origin. In Experiment 2, building on the attribution explanation, two endorsers of different ethnicities generated more favorable responses than two of the same ethnicity. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.