A process model of the effects of price promotions on brand image

This article introduces a model to explain the process by which consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction with price promotions can influence brand image. Specifically, the model explores conditions under which consumers experience satisfaction or dissatisfaction with price promotions, predicts ways that consumers might engage in various levels of attributional processing about price promotion satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and examines how consumer attributions of price promotion satisfaction or dissatisfaction influence brand image. Managerial implications and directions for future research are also offered. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Service set similarities in patterns of consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction

Consumer problems with products and services may occur in identifiable patterns. By studying the patterns of consumer dissatisfaction across 22 services, a service set approach to satisfaction/dissatisfaction is developed. Through the use of principal components analysis, target analysis, and multiple regression analysis, two hypotheses are tested about service sets for a randomly selected sample of 922 Canadians, both French and English speaking. The results of this analysis suggest that consumer problems with services across time seem to be partially explained by individual differences - such as age, income. and education — and partially explained by characteristics of the services themselves. Together, these influences may provide a better theoretical explanation for consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction than do the more commonly used individual difference variables when taken alone.     

Multiple reference effects in service evaluations: Roles of alternative attractiveness and self-image congruity

Customer satisfaction and service evaluation research has examined the reference effect but largely adopted an expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm that focuses on referents centered on the product or service in question. This study examines two additional reference effects, alternative attractiveness and self-image congruity, and their interaction. The framework of multiple reference effects in service evaluations integrates insights from regret theory, the investment model of interpersonal relationships, and self-image congruity theory. An empirical study of a hairstyling service confirms that comparisons involving other-object and self-based reference points contribute significantly to consumer service evaluations. Self-image congruity has the most significant impact on both customer satisfaction and commitment judgments. In general, the negative effect of alternative attractiveness on both customer satisfaction and commitment becomes weaker as the level of self-image congruity increases; as long as consumers find a good fit between their self-image and the service image, they are less likely to consider alternative services. However, for consumers with high self-image congruity with the focal service, the presence of an attractive alternative may induce them to exhibit an enhancement bias or “play up” effect (i.e., report higher satisfaction with the focal service).     

Consumer expectations and the communications gap: Causes of consumer dissatisfaction

Despite steady improvement in product quality and values, consumer complaints and demands for protective legislation are more common than before. The rising expectations of consumers are a main cause of consumer irritation, and exaggerated promotional information contributes to these rising expectations. The remedy for consumer dissatisfaction is to narrow the gap between consumer expectancy and perceived product performance, primarily by reducing exaggerated expectancy. More careful and thorough monitoring of consumer satisfaction levels can help reduce consumer dissatisfaction. Three guidelines are suggested for dealing with discrepancies between consumer expectancy and product performance.     

旅游消费者满意/不满意(CS/D)因源的理性思考

旅游消费者满意/不满意(CS/D)是衡量旅游业经营业绩好坏的重要指标之一。进行旅游消费者CS/D因源的理论性思考为旅游经营者提高消费者满意度提供了一种强有力的工具。对旅游消费者CS/D的因源通过特定的旅游背景及一般旅游背景的过滤得以修正,并最终形成消费者即时的或延期的满意/不满意(CS/D)的评判。     

Correlates of Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction With Clothing Performance

This study focuses on a specific product, women's clothing, to gain further insights regarding consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. A variety of consumer characteristics including demographics, activities, interests and opinions (AIO's), product knowledge and product experience were used to successfully predict and profile consumer satisfaction. General suggestions for industry, governmental agencies and educators are presented regarding the implications of the findings for the general study of consumer satisfaction.     

Identifying and Managing the Consumerist Gap

An interrupted service may yield less satisfaction than clients had anticipated when purchasing it. This Consumerist Gap may result in adverse consequences for clients, staff and company. A case study illustrates how passengers experienced a delay to their journey, and a model is developed to trace their changing levels of dissatisfaction during the interruption episode. The paper outlines ways in which management can influence the extent of consumer dissatisfaction while technical procedures are implemented to restore the service.     

The HASSLE Scale

Abstract

Retailers can respond to consumer complaints of perceived problems in many different ways. The response chosen by the retailer, as well as the time and effort exerted by the consumer, can influence consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction (S/D) with the complaint resolution process. Results suggest that consumer S/D with the complaint resolution process has four critical dimensions. The two consumer input dimensions are consumer time and consumer effort expended in an attempt to resolve the problem. The two outcome dimensions are compensation received and attributes of the retailer's representative.     

“I can't get no satisfaction:” The impact of personality and emotion on postpurchase processes

Emerging theory and empirics in personality psychology have related enduring traits with transient affective experiences or states. The research reported in this article integrates these findings with recent consumer research models linking consumption-based emotions with consumer satisfaction and postpurchase behaviors (including complaints, recommendations, and repeat purchase intentions). Our results support a model relating broad, fundamental personality traits to specific consumer behaviors via mediating affective experiences. These findings may help identify consumer segments inclined toward satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and consequently, toward loyalty, word of mouth, and complaining. Further, they suggest a general approach for relating broad traits to specific behaviors by incorporating mediating processes. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Consumer Education As A Means of Alleviating Dissatisfaction

In this paper the traditional approaches to Consumer Education are analyzed with respect to their possible impact on the currently wide-spread dissatisfaction among consumers. The argument is raised that the dissemination of knowledge of good buymanship alone cannot change the prevailing dissatisfaction because of the inevitable collective interdependency of consumers' fate in the marketplace and the economic benefits they can derive from their alternative role as producers, employees and wage earners. On the other hand, it is shown that greater improvements could be obtained if some of the knowledge available from studies of job satisfaction could be applied to man's satisfaction in the consumer role. Such an endeavor would enlarge the present scope of consumer education from its sole concern with competitive economics into that of interpersonal relationships and other behavioral aspects of man's life as consumer.     

The effect and moderation of gender identity congruity: Utilizing “real women” advertising images

The present article examines the predictive ability of gender identity congruity in explaining women's responses to advertising appeals. The contributions of the article are twofold: (1) to demonstrate whether advertisements that are congruent with female consumers' gender identities elicit strong positive responses and (2) to identify the factors that moderate/mediate the impact of gender identity congruity on consumer responses to advertisements. The research findings provide evidence of the ability of gender identity congruity to elicit positive responses to advertising appeals. The relationship between gender identity congruity and responses to the advertisement is mediated by advertising involvement. The moderating roles of national culture, physical concern, and physical view are also supported. Overall, the congruity theory provides a powerful framework to examine consumer responses to gender portrayals in advertising. ©2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Usage of,and satisfaction with,a governmental consumer protection agency

State consumer protection agencies provide alternatives for consumer inquiries and for redress when consumers are unable to obtain satisfaction. In this study, the major objectives were to determine whether consumers used the services of the Kentucky Consumer Protection Division, the frequency of contact, the method of contact, the satisfaction/dissatisfaction with handling of inquiries or complaints and characteristics of inquirers/complainers. Four different surveys were used to obtain the data. The data analysis indicated that a large percentage of those who made inquiries or complained were satisfied. However, only a small percentage of the consumers had contacted the CPD, and very few used the hotline in making requests or complaints. Those who had contacted the CPD were younger, better educated and had higher incomes. Among the recommendations are that increased efforts be made to publicize the hotline and other CPD services.     

基于消费者运动的社会营销学研究及其启示

本文认为,20世纪美国消费者运动风起云涌,推动了政府的立法活动和营销学研究,其研究主要集中于消费者运动的经验研究,营销实践的购买者观点,营销观念的实践,营销道德研究,营销和广告对消费者的影响等方面,并逐渐出现了两个重要趋势,即研究更加现实和开始思考在组织结构中采用道德训练、管理事例和鼓励措施,以激励道德行为。文章提出,我国基于消费者运动的社会营销学研究重点,一是弱势群体方面的研究;二是审视营销观念的实践;三是中国特色营销道德的研究;四是消费者保护的经验研究;五是消费者满意、不满意方面的研究;六是营销和广告的社会影响研究。     

Creating low consumer product expectations

The introduction of generic grocery products brought warnings from trade observers that retailers might suffer negative consequences from consumer dissatisfaction with these products. This study investigated consumer expectations and the degree of satisfaction provided consumers by one category of generic products. The study also examined some relationships between the creation of these satisfaction levels and appropriate retail strategies.The study consisted of 320 homemakers evaluating the effect on posttrial satisfaction of positive and negative disconfirmation of expectations concerning generic peaches. The findings suggest that positive disconfirmation increased satisfaction ratings, whereas negative disconfirmation decreased satisfaction ratings. The relationship between merchandising techniques utilized on generic products and consumers' formation of expectations as observed in the study indicates that, in terms of creating satisfaction, promotion of generic products with essentially negative cues has been appropriate.     

Fabric speciality stores: customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction with information-source attributes

The purpose of this research was to determine customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction with information-source attributes supplied by fabric speciality stores. After constructing a theoretical framework of information-source attributes and a questionnaire, a survey of fabric speciality store customers was conducted in eight Midwestern cities in the U.S. The results indicated that salespeople, store layout/displays and fabric-bolt labels caused more dissatisfaction than store advertising, special services and free printed literature. It was also found that variables, such as the respondent's age, were related to the respondent's degree of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with fabric speciality store informations-source attributes.     

Cross-national differences in satisfaction/dissatisfaction and complaint behaviour concerning apparel products

Consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction with apparel products was compared among several European nations. The issues of complaint behaviour and the extent to which dissatisfied consumers took action were also studied. The data examined were from nine member nations of the Commission of the European Communities. The sample size was 9,153 respondents. Overall, respondents expressed satisfaction with apparel products; however, a minority of respondents in each country expressed dissatisfaction with such products. Chi-square tests of homogeneity determined relationships between countries and satisfaction/dissatisfaction with apparel. Differences in satisfaction/dissatisfaction among countries were found to be statistically significant. Moreover, whether consumers complained when dissatisfied and the type of complaining behaviour was found to vary significantly by country.     

The effects of between‐partner congruity on consumer evaluation of co‐branded products

Branding studies, especially those focusing on brand extension, have often centered on establishing the relationship between consumer evaluation and the match between a product concept and the brand (concept congruity). This study introduces an additional type of congruity that arises in the evaluation of co‐branded products, the congruity between brand partners (between‐partner congruity). Between‐partner congruity has not previously been explicitly considered in the co‐branding literature, but is potentially an important influence on consumer perceptions of a brand partnership. Thus, this study represents an initial attempt to understand how the level of between‐partner congruity will affect consumer response to cobranded products. Several findings in the marketing literature have suggested that when respondents have the motivation to resolve incongruity, the relationship between congruity level and evaluation is nonmonotonic. In other words, moderately incongruent concepts are preferred to congruent or highly incongruent concepts to form an “inverted‐U” data function. Yet, when motivation to process is low, evaluation becomes less favorable in a linear fashion as incongruity increases. This study examines whether these findings can be extended to co‐branding. When concept congruity is controlled across brand pairs, the nonmonotonic relationship between between‐partner congruity level and product evaluation is observed when consumers are encouraged to elaborate on the rationale for the partnership (high involvement). However, when consumers attend to the global similarity of the partners (low involvement), product evaluation becomes less favorable as between‐partner incongruity increases. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Antecedents and consequences of consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the performance of apparel products at purchase and after consumption: a comparison of male and female South Korean consumers

The purpose of the study is to investigate antecedents and consequences of consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction (CS/D) with the performance of apparel products at purchase, and after consumption, for male and female South Korean consumers. An experimental research technique with a 2 × 2 × 2 between‐subjects factorial design with gender (female, male), expectation for future performance, (high, low) and perception of product consumption performance (good, poor) was used. Both similarities and differences between genders were found. Implications and applications of results are discussed.     

Leveraging sponsorship with corporate social responsibility

Sponsors increasingly engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities surrounding sponsored events (e.g., the soccer World Cup and Olympic Games). This study examines how linking CSR to sponsorship affects consumer attitudes towards sponsoring brands. Schema theory suggests that consumer CSR perception and brand credibility act as serial mediators. They transfer the positive effects of a CSR-linked sponsorship strategy. These effects only occur for brands with a moderately low congruity to the sponsored event (but not for brands with a moderately high congruity to the sponsored event). Two experiments measuring (Study 1) and manipulating (Study 2) sponsor–event congruity confirm the proposed mediation mechanism for brands with a moderately low sponsor–event congruity. CSR-linked sponsorship (vs. sponsorship without CSR linkage) does not influence attitudes towards brands with a moderately high congruity to the sponsored event. The study develops theoretical and practical implications for sponsorship and CSR strategies.