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Novel products and advertising visuals: the mediating role of perceived luxuriousness on willingness to try clean meat products
International Journal of Advertising
Abstract
Underpinned by art infusion theory and construal level theory, this research examines the role of illustrations and photographs in advertising a novel product (i.e. clean meat) and explores the underlying psychological mechanism of luxuriousness. We conducted three experiments to examine the differential effects of illustrations and photographs on customers’ willingness to try a meat product and ascertain whether this relationship was mediated by perceived luxuriousness. Participants reported a greater willingness to try a novel product, such as clean meat, when the advertisement featured an illustration (vs. a photograph), demonstrating the art infusion effect. However, there were non-significant differences among participants in terms of their willingness to try a familiar product, such as conventional meat. The indirect effect of illustration on willingness to try clean mean via perceived luxuriousness was stronger compared to the conventional meat condition. This mediation effect of luxuriousness was also validated using the moderation-of-process approach. The findings provide meaningful guidelines to marketing practitioners and highlight the pertinence of art infusion to clean meat consumption, a relatively unexplored research area.
... The visual presentation of the bubble tea store, specifically its degree of opulence, significantly influences customer behaviour upon approaching it. This is because a customer's valuation of luxury directly shapes their decisions when it comes to picking a particular product or service (Li et al., 2022;Septianto et al., 2023). Mehrabian and Russell (1974) posit that consumer emotions contribute to diverse consumer response actions, including purchase intention and approach behaviours. ...
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the influence of perceived luxuriousness on consumers’ revisit intentions via the mediating effects of positive and negative emotions based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model. In this context, “luxuriousness” specifically refers to the richness of furnishings, including the visual allure of aesthetic design and the surrounding cues.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach using a survey method is employed to analyse the collected 289 data from consumers of bubble tea. Partial least squares structural equation modelling is chosen as the main analytical approach to examine the research model.
Findings
The results showed that perceived luxuriousness has a significant positive influence on positive emotion and a significant negative influence on negative emotion. Furthermore, positive emotion positively affects revisit intentions, whereas negative emotion negatively affects revisit intentions. Positive emotion mediates the relationship between perceived luxuriousness and revisit intentions, but negative emotion does not.
Originality/value
In terms of theoretical contributions, this study contributes to the SOR model by exploring the influence of perceived luxuriousness on revisit intentions via the mediating effects of emotions in the bubble tea context, which has not been previously examined by past studies. In terms of managerial implications, this study provides insights into how to leverage the element of luxury to encourage consumers to revisit bubble tea stores.
... In the highly competitive $280bn luxury fashion market (D'Arpizio et al., 2019), constantly evolving trends lead to shifting consumption patterns every season (Kim et al., 2021;Septianto et al., 2022). To stay ahead of changing tastes and preferences, luxury brands are leveraging experience as never before to maintain their prestigeand their market share. ...
Purpose
This study aims to analyze the relationship of mass versus niche brand coolness on consumers’ brand loyalty, mediated by attitude toward the brand and moderated by conspicuous consumption; test the moderating role of conspicuous consumption and the mediating role of attitude between mass versus niche cool brand and brand love; and analyze whether results are stable when categorizing the luxury brands as niche versus mass cool brand.
Design/methodology/approach
Study 1 uses a panel sample to establish the mediating role of attitude toward the brand between perceptions of brand coolness and brand loyalty. Study 2 is an experimental survey study to describe the moderating role of conspicuous consumption on the relationship between mass/niche brand coolness and brand love and between mass/niche coolness and attitude toward the brand. Study 3 is a conjoint analysis that delineates the distinct factors that consumers attribute to mass versus niche cool brands in the luxury fashion arena.
Findings
This study demonstrates that attitudes mediate the relationship between brand coolness and brand loyalty. Conspicuous consumption only moderates the relationship between brand coolness and attitudes in the case of niche cool brands. In a realistic field experiment, the authors confirm the mediating impact of attitude and the moderating influence of conspicuous consumption. The authors also attempt to provide coolness dimensions that tend to be more associated with mass luxury brands and those more related to niche luxury brands.
Originality/value
These studies provide a fresh look at the concept of brand coolness, mass and niche cool brands in the context of luxury fashion brands.
... Even though it is possible that the product may initially be sold at a premium (Garrison et al., 2022), this does not necessarily prevent scarcity due to high demand. Hence, although exclusivity cues may be present (Septianto et al., 2022), consumers may still infer potential high demand (demand-based scarcity) for the product. ...
A significant barrier to the adoption of cultured meat is perceptions of the product as risky. Across three experimental studies, we show that scarcity appeals that are demand‐based constitute an effective strategy for promoting cultured meat because of their negative influence on perceptions of risk. In study 1, we show that a demand‐based scarcity appeal is more effective than a supply‐based scarcity appeal (or no scarcity appeal) for promoting cultured meat and that this effect is mediated by consumer perceptions of risk. In study 2, we show that the effect of the type of scarcity appeals on perceptions of risk is moderated by perceived naturalness. In particular, we show that demand‐based scarcity appeals are especially effective when targeted at consumers who consider cultured meat unnatural. In study 3, we retest our moderated mediation model and show that it is corroborated by employing new stimuli and measures. We contribute to the literature on factors that have a nuanced impact on the acceptance of cultured meat as well as to the academic literature on advertising appeals and social norms. Our findings also offer insights for managers on crafting marketing communications that reduce perceptions of risk associated with cultured meat.
Cultured meat is a promising substitute for regular meat, but its introduction faces challenges and expected consumer resistance. While some studies investigate how communication strategies and advertising appeals can address these concerns, the role of social media influencers in promoting cultured meat adoption remains yet to be explored. Across two online experimental studies involving 752 participants recruited from Prolific, this research investigates how influencer type (micro- vs. mega-influencer) affects consumers' willingness to buy cultured meat. Study 1 reveals that consumers are more willing to buy cultured meat when it is endorsed by micro- rather than mega-influencers. Further, perceived endorsement authenticity mediates this effect such that micro-influencers endorsements are perceived as more authentic than those of mega-influencers. Study 2 demonstrates that these effects are moderated by influencer expertise and type of meat, where micro-influencers with health (but not fashion) expertise have a more pronounced impact on increasing willingness to purchase cultured meat (but not regular meat). This research provides theoretical insights into how consumers perceive influencer endorsements for cultured meat. These findings aim to enhance consumer acceptance of cultured meat while offering actionable guidance for practitioners on promoting cultured meat brands on social media.
Driven by data proliferation, digital technologies have transformed the marketing landscape. In parallel, significant privacy concerns have shaken consumer-firm relationships, prompting changes in both regulatory interventions and people's own privacy-protective behaviors. With a comprehensive analysis of digital technologies and data strategy informed by structuration theory and privacy literature, the authors consider privacy tensions as the product of firm-consumer interactions, facilitated by digital technologies. This perspective in turn implies distinct consumer, regulatory, and firm responses related to data protection. By consolidating various perspectives, the authors propose three tenets and seven propositions, supported by interview insights from senior managers and consumer informants, that create a foundation for understanding the digital technology implications for firm performance in contexts marked by growing privacy worries and legal ramifications. On the basis of this conceptual framework, they also propose a data strategy typology across two main strategic functions of digital technologies: data mone-tization and data sharing. The result is four distinct types of firms, which engage in disparate behaviors in the broader ecosystem pertaining to privacy issues. This article also provides directions for research, according to a synthesis of findings from both academic and practical perspectives.
Visual esthetic stimuli are believed to be an important factor in increasing luxury brands attitudes. However, less attention has been given by existing research to how the presence or absence of color (i.e., color vs. black‐and‐white) influences consumers' perceptions of products and evaluations toward luxury ads. Drawing on the perspective of esthetic meaning and the theory of psychological distance, this study provides key evidence for addressing this gap. Three studies have found that black‐and‐white (BW) (vs. color) is associated with the luxuriousness of products and evaluations of luxury brand ads. Specifically, Study 1 shows that BW (vs. color) design can enhance consumers' evaluations of luxury brand ads by enhancing the perceived luxuriousness of products. In addition, Study 2 indicates that ad appeal plays a moderating role in the link between color design (BW vs. color) and ad evaluations such that the effect of BW designs (vs. color design) will be higher for consumers when ads focus on hedonic (vs. utilitarian) appeals. Study 3 further shows that BW is more effective for luxury brand ads than both iconic and noniconic colors. In sum, our results extend the existing literature and provide valuable management strategies for luxury brand marketing management in visual esthetic design.
Cultured meat, i.e. meat produced in vitro using animal stem cells, heralds a paradigm shift in the global food system. In addition, cultured meat has the potential to substantially reduce the environmental footprint of meat production and consumption. However, achieving a sufficient level of consumer acceptance of cultured meat is critical to realize this potential. Building on the omnivore's paradox, which refers to people's simultaneous aversion and attraction to new foods, this paper examines the importance of perceived organizational competence and excitement for consumer acceptance of cultured meat in terms of willingness to buy. The results of a survey-based experiment among 714 German participants show that a) both perceived competence and excitement have a positive relationship with consumer acceptance, b) multinational companies score higher in perceived competence, whereas startups are more strongly associated with the feeling of excitement, and c) the type of a collaborative venture between a startup and a multinational company (cooperation vs. acquisition with integration) can affect consumer acceptance.
Integrating research on visual marketing, spatial associations, and brand inferences, the authors conduct four studies demonstrating that when consumers see an ad featuring an object moving in a left-to-right, rather than a right-to-left, direction, their trust toward the featured brand increases. This effect is mediated by an enhanced sense of “feeling right” resulting from the fit between how Western consumers are accustomed to envisioning action and information unfolding (from left to right), and the direction of implied motion in the ad. The authors identify stereotypical gender associations of the brand as a theoretically relevant moderator, such that the favorable influence of a left-to-right motion direction on brand trust is enhanced when the advertised product is strongly (versus weakly) associated with masculine characteristics.
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how the effectiveness of luxury advertising can be improved by matching the emotional (promotion pride vs prevention pride) and luxury value (authenticity vs exclusivity) appeals within advertising messages.
Design/methodology/approach
Three experiments were conducted. Studies 1A and 1B establish the influence of incidental emotions and regulatory focus on consumer preferences for divergent luxury value appeals (exclusivity vs authenticity) within advertisements. Study 2 shows the match-up effects of congruent emotional and luxury value appeals on advertising effectiveness.
Findings
The authors offer causal evidence that promotion pride increases the preference for exclusivity appeals, whereas prevention pride increases the preference for authenticity appeals in luxury advertising.
Research limitations/implications
The study offers a novel perspective into the ways consumers evaluate different value appeals in luxury advertising and establishes the important role played by emotions within such evaluations.
Practical implications
Marketers of luxury products can increase the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns by considering the fit between emotional and luxury value appeals. Specifically, the authors show that the congruent matching of promotion pride with exclusivity appeals and of prevention pride with authenticity appeals within advertising messages can elicit more favorable consumer responses.
Originality/value
The study is the first to illustrate novel “match-up” effects: it shows when and how different luxury value appeals (exclusivity vs authenticity) and emotions (promotion pride vs prevention pride) influence the effectiveness of luxury advertising.
Combinations of art and products are a classic and current topic. Examples like the collaboration of the Medici with artists in the Renaissance or the logo development of Chupa Chups by Salvador Dali are historical examples. The BMW art cars by Jeff Koons and Cao Fei or the art‐based special editions of Louis Vuitton bags are current best practices. All these cases expected a positive impact of art on the product or brand evaluation. This spillover effect was coined “art infusion effect” by Hagtvedt and Patrick. This, as well as further studies on the art infusion effect, are predominantly concerned with classical fine arts. However, despite an observable increase of urban arts‐brands collaborations, the effects of these have not been researched. Our study determines that graffiti and street art are perceived by consumers as art. To confirm the art infusion effect for urban art, a laboratory experiment was conducted. The presence of urban art has a favourable influence on the evaluation of products. These results replicate and extend the findings of Hagtvedt and Patrick. As drivers of the urban art infusion effect, we also identify two additional drivers: the fit between the art and the product and the “lifestyle perception”.
This research studies the role of hedonic versus utilitarian message appeals in luxury goods communication, investigating how using one or the other type of message appeal affects product perceived luxuriousness and, in turn, product attitude, and consumers' willingness to buy. This research presents three experiments in which message appeal and brand prominence have been manipulated, while perception of luxuriousness, attitude toward luxury products, willingness to buy them and consumers' conspicuous consumption orientation have been measured. Hedonic, compared with utilitarian, message appeals increase perceived luxuriousness, thereby increasing product attitude and consumers' willingness to buy the product promoted. This effect is particularly likely to occur for consumers with lower levels of conspicuous consumption orientation and for products carrying lowly prominent logos. We extend the literature on luxury communication by studying the effect of hedonic versus utilitarian message appeals on consumers' responses, and the literature on hedonism versus utilitarianism by studying this dichotomy in the context of luxury goods communication. This research suggests that different message appeals used in luxury goods communication produce different effects on consumers' responses and that this differential effectiveness is particularly likely to manifest for certain types of consumers and certain types of luxury products.
The demand for sustainable foods and an increased consciousness of health and well-being, as well as other societal changes, create opportunities to develop novel foods. However, consumers are programmed from early childhood to prefer familiar foods. We now know that individual variations in disposition determine responses to novelty. Disgust, along with food neophobia and related traits, has been identified as a major barrier to accepting novel food alternatives. In this paper, we present two novel foods trends (meat alternatives and products for health and well-being) as examples of current research. We conclude that successfully launching novel foods require a deep understanding of product perception and the consumer traits that determine rejection or acceptance.
While anecdotal evidence suggests that consumers maintain an association between high status products and cold temperature, no research has empirically examined this linkage. We propose and demonstrate that physical cold can indeed increase consumers' perceptions of a product's status‐signaling and luxuriousness. We demonstrate this consequence can stem from tactile or visually‐induced temperatures and ultimately increase consumers' overall evaluations of products. Finally, we highlight boundary conditions for when the effect is likely to manifest. Our findings offer theoretical contributions along with several practical implications for retailing, product design, brand management, and marketing communications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Cultured meat can be produced from growing animal cells in-vitro rather than as part of a living animal. This technology has the potential to address several of the major ethical, environmental, and public health concerns associated with conventional meat production. However, research has highlighted some consumer uncertainty regarding the concept. Although several studies have examined the media coverage of this new food technology, research linking different frames to differences in consumer attitudes is lacking. In an experimental study, we expose U.S. adults (n = 480) to one of three different frames on cultured meat: “societal benefits,” “high tech,” and “same meat.” We demonstrate that those who encounter cultured meat through the “high tech” frame have significantly more negative attitudes toward the concept, and are significantly less likely to consume it. Worryingly, this has been a very dominant frame in early media coverage of cultured meat. Whilst this is arguably inevitable, since its technologically advanced nature is what makes it newsworthy, we argue that this high tech framing may be causing consumers to develop more negative attitudes toward cultured meat than they otherwise might. Implications for producers and researchers are discussed.
Advertising increasingly uses discrepant imagery featuring unsettling portrayals rather than traditional imagery featuring aspirational models, products, and settings. Thus, the need for more valid and reliable measures has limited much research investigating advertising aesthetics to conceptual or qualitative approaches. To meet this need, the current research applies art and aesthetic theory in developing scales that measure aesthetic dimensions and reactions of advertising visuals. First, it develops and validates measures for the aesthetic dimensions of ideal beauty and the antithetical aesthetic as well as aesthetic reactions of transgression and artistic quality. Then, it demonstrates predictive validity by testing each dimension's influence on aesthetic reactions, attention, and attitudes toward the ad and brand. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650487.2018.1442632
Positivity towards meat consumption remains strong, despite evidence of negative environmental and ethical outcomes. Although awareness of these repercussions is rising, there is still public resistance to removing meat from our diets. One potential method to alleviate these effects is to produce in vitro meat: meat grown in a laboratory that does not carry the same environmental or ethical concerns. However, there is limited research examining public attitudes towards in vitro meat, thus we know little about the capacity for it be accepted by consumers. This study aimed to examine perceptions of in vitro meat and identify potential barriers that might prevent engagement. Through conducting an online survey with US participants, we identified that although most respondents were willing to try in vitro meat, only one third were definitely or probably willing to eat in vitro meat regularly or as a replacement for farmed meat. Men were more receptive to it than women, as were politically liberal respondents compared with conservative ones. Vegetarians and vegans were more likely to perceive benefits compared to farmed meat, but they were less likely to want to try it than meat eaters. The main concerns were an anticipated high price, limited taste and appeal and a concern that the product was unnatural. It is concluded that people in the USA are likely to try in vitro meat, but few believed that it would replace farmed meat in their diet.
The Internet of Things (IoT) market is set to grow rapidly. Although IoT offers new opportunities, it nevertheless raises challenges. The objective of this research is to develop a better understanding of the reasons underlying consumer resistance to smart and connected products. To this end, a quantitative survey was carried out to understand resistance to smartwatch. Structural equation modelling was used to test the conceptual model. The findings show that perceived uselessness, perceived price, intrusiveness, perceived novelty and self-efficacy have an impact on consumer resistance to smart products. Moreover, privacy concerns have an effect on intrusiveness and dependence impacts privacy concerns. To our best knowledge, this is the first research studying smart products through a resistance approach.
The data includes measures collected for the two experiments reported in “False-Positive Psychology” [1] where listening to a randomly assigned song made people feel younger (Study 1) or actually be younger (Study 2). These data are useful because they illustrate inflations of false positive rates due to flexibility in data collection, analysis, and reporting of results. Data are useful for educational purposes.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of scarcity and the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) consumption tendency on the purchase intention of organic foods. The study used the protection motivation theory and the stimulus-organism-response theory to understand the impact of comparatively new variables like “perceived scarcity” and “perceived consumer effectiveness” (PCE) on the consumer's organic food purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is using structural equation modeling with 402 organic food consumers. The participants are regular consumers who bought organic food from specialized shops and supermarkets in the previous few months. The data has been collected at organic food specialized shops and supermarkets that sell organic foods.
Findings
The results showed that LOHAS consumption tendency (LCT), scarcity and PCE positively affect attitude. Similarly, LCT and PCE direct affect trust. Scarcity and PCE directly positive impact on purchase intention of organic food products. Interestingly, LCT had no direct impact on the purchase intention of the product. Trust and attitude were found to be significant mediators impacting purchase intention.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the past theoretical literature on LOHAS consumption by analyzing new constructs like scarcity and PCE in the context of organic food consumption. These findings will be crucial for marketers planning to launch organic products in new markets.
Concerns about animal welfare and sustainable meat production are growing among consumers. The awareness of carbon emissions linked to livestock and ethical concerns have triggered interest in more sustainable meat alternatives, among which cultured meat (also known as laboratory grown meat) is a recent entry. Like any new food, the ultimate success of cultured meat depends on consumer acceptance. This study analyses the peer-reviewed literature on consumer attitudes towards cultured meat to synthesize the existing evidence and identify priorities for future research. A systematic literature review was undertaken using the Web of Science, Science Direct and Scopus databases over 2008–2020, resulting in a final number of 43 articles meeting our selection criteria. The most important factors influencing consumer acceptance/rejection of cultured meat include public awareness, perceived naturalness, and food-related risk perception. Ethical and environmental concerns prompted consumers to be willing to pay a premium price for purchasing meat substitutes, but not necessarily cultured meat. Also, food neophobia and uncertainties about safety and health seem to be important barriers to uptake of this technology. Availability of other alternatives such as plant-based meat substitutes and product features, such as price and sensory appeal, are considered determinants of consumer reception of this technology. The effect of demographic factors is mixed. More research on the interrelationships between livestock production, food security, and alternative meat products is recommended through a holistic and interdisciplinary approach.
Underpinned by art infusion theory, this present research examines the effect of art infusion on brand attitudes under different brand conditions (i.e. pro-environmental luxury brands and luxury brands) in advertising. Across two experimental studies, this research offers empirical evidence to a moderated mediation model, such that when an advertisement features an artwork (vs. no-artwork), consumers will perceive lower levels of incompatibility between luxury and sustainability, leading to a more favorable brand attitude toward the pro-environmental luxury brand. However, such differences will not occur among consumers evaluating an ordinary luxury brand. The findings of this research broaden the current body of knowledge related to the art infusion effect and provide important implications for marketers in their advertising strategy. Furthermore, these findings suggest that art infusion may be the solution to the dilemma facing sustainable luxury brands since luxury and sustainability are often perceived as incongruent concepts.
Drawing on mental simulation theory, this research examines the impact of consumption guidance and, in particular, the use of visual illustration in the design of consumption guidance on consumers’ evaluations of cultural food consumption. Through two consecutive studies, our research shows that photo (vs. art) illustration more effectively boosts consumers’ perceived food attractiveness and future purchase intention for cultural food consumption. The advantage of photo (vs. art) illustration is also moderated by ritual practice and consumers’ cosmopolitanism, as well as consumption guidance format. Moreover, we demonstrate that cognitively engaged mental simulation is the psychological mechanism underlying the conditional impact of photo (vs. art) illustration on consumers’ evaluations. These findings offer notable implications for theory and practice and present promising avenues for future research.
Underpinned by feelings-as-information theory and construal level theory, this present research examines the effect of mixed emotions in advertising on word of mouth (WOM) and the moderating role of a narrative person. Two experiments were conducted featuring two different products (cake mix in Study 1; watch in Study 2) and different narratives to elicit mixed emotions. The objective of Study 1 was to confirm the moderating effect of the narrative person on the relationship between mixed emotion and positive WOM. Study 2 aimed to provide stronger empirical evidence for the findings of Study 1 and test the mediating effects of inspiration (when it uses a third-person narration) and discomfort (when it uses the first-person narration). In general, the results show that a mixed emotional appeal is more effective than pure happiness in increasing positive WOM when the third-person narration is used. The relationship between mixed emotions and WOM is mediated by inspiration (when using a third-person narration) and discomfort (when using the first-person narration). This extends previous research which provides inconclusive evidence on the consequences of mixed emotional appeal. The current study also broadens the application of linguistics in emotion and consumer behavior literature while providing important implications for marketers in their advertising strategy.
The art infusion effect posits that exposure to visual artworks heightens the perceived luxuriousness of related brands. Across six studies conducted in different cultural settings, we establish that the art infusion effect is dependent on cultural congruence. That is, when the artwork’s country‐of‐origin (CO) is culturally congruent (vs. incongruent) with the brand’s CO, such an artwork bestows higher perceptions of brand luxuriousness. This occurs because cultural incongruence attenuates the art infusion effect. We term this moderating effect as brand‐artwork CO congruence, and show that it qualifies art infusion even if the congruent (vs. incongruent) artwork CO is stereotypically perceived as less luxurious. We further show that perceived brand authenticity underlies the effect of brand‐artwork CO congruence. Overall, the present research illustrates that cultural congruence and subsequent perception of authenticity are critical components of the art infusion effect.
The question of how to maintain allure and exclusivity while digitizing luxury brands is a pressing issue. A potential solution is to launch new retail formats that allow luxury shoppers to blur physical and digital (phygital) channels through mobile devices. Luxury shoppers, then, can use their newfound “powers” to fantasize and indulge in store atmospheres through mobile-mediated activities. To that end, this article investigates whether self-gifting, a hedonic shopper behaviour, can drive the acceptance of phygital shopping experiences alongside status-seeking and fashion opinion leadership (OL). To test this prospect, the research design employs an industry consultation and an empirical study. In Study 1, design thinking is leveraged to develop and pre-screen realistic interaction intentions on technology executives in the apparel industry (N = 50). This consultation yields nine interaction intentions that enable shoppers to build communities, break the rules, and alter the division of labour within retail stores. Then, Study 2 involves collecting online survey data from a luxury panel (N = 321) to test a structural equation model. The results show that status-seeking and fashion OL are positively associated with interaction intentions towards phygital shopping experiences. Meanwhile, self-gifting is a generative mechanism for interaction intentions, which mediates fashion OL and partially mediates status-seeking. Therefore, hedonic experiences such as self-gifting and the support of fashion influencers are critical to advance luxury shoppers towards accepting phygital shopping experiences. Yet, status-seeking is needed to a lesser but still important degree to maintain exclusivity in luxury stores.
Despite the tremendous growth of Airbnb, various media have reported ethical misconduct occurring within the Airbnb context by both hosts and users. The current research seeks to examine the interactive effects of power (high vs. low) and psychological distance (close vs. distant) to explain individual tolerance of unethical behavior across two experimental studies for the case of Airbnb. Specifically, we propose that when an individual (i.e., an Airbnb host or user) feels powerless (vs. powerful), that individual will show a low level of tolerance to unethical behavior and tend to judge the ethical behavior more harshly. However, the effect of power will only emerge in the psychologically close condition (e.g., a host judging a host's unethical behavior), but not in the psychologically distant condition (e.g., a host judging a user's unethical behavior). Further, we establish that this interactive effect is mediated by feelings of empathy.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore consumer innovativeness as a personality trait and addresses the hedonic, social, cognitive and functional motivational elements that lie behind consumer innovativeness. It explores the weak relationship between consumer innovativeness and really new product (novel innovation) adoption and challenges the classic relationship between consumer learning, attitude and intention.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a quantitative approach, gathering survey data via an institutional online platform. A total of 300 participants were recruited. Participants were directed to a website presenting the information of the product with the inclusion of 2D and 3D images and an avatar. For data analysis, CFA and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used.
Findings
Results indicate a positive impact of attitude on comprehension and intention. In addition, hedonic innovativeness positively impacts customer's attitude, whereas there is a negative relationship between social innovativeness and attitude. Motivational elements of innovation, with the exception of hedonic motivation, positively influence purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of the study lies in the measurement of purchase intention, as actual purchases cannot be assessed as the products are not yet available. The findings encourage marketers to target innovators first, ideally innovators motivated by hedonic needs.
Practical implications
The findings encourage marketers to target innovators first, perhaps for a long-term, innovators motivated by hedonic needs, as they are the ones who change their attitude positively towards novel innovation when presented in an aesthetically pleasant manner.
Originality/value
This study challenges the classic theories identifying the link between comprehension, attitude and purchase intention within the field of innovation. The findings indicate that while interacting with really new products, comprehension does not necessarily lead to attitude and intention but attitude does positively influence both intention and comprehension.
*** Purpose ---
Given that many consumers are skeptical about environmentally based advertising campaigns, the purpose of this study is to propose an optimized message strategy to facilitate consumer engagement with green messages in social media contexts.
*** Design/methodology/approach ---
Four empirical studies are conducted using self-report questionnaires to test proposed hypotheses with a focus on the interplay between claim specificity and benefit appeals in green advertising on social media.
*** Findings ---
The current study examines the interaction effects of claim specificity and benefit appeals on consumer engagement in social media. Specifically, the results reveal that when the message claim is abstract, using other-benefit appeals produces more positive consumer engagement than using self-benefit appeals. Moreover, the results illustrate that self-enhancement motivates consumers to engage with green product advertising messages when the advertising appeal is abstract and the advertising message is associated with benefits for others. Finally, it is found that consumers’ self-construal level moderates the interaction effect of claim specificity and benefit appeals type on consumer engagement on social media.
*** Practical implications ---
This paper has practical implications to both social media managers and advertisers in the green product industry: a match with advertising claim specificity and construal level (i.e. social distance: self-benefit vs other-benefit) should be ensured to increase consumer engagement on social media. In addition, self-enhancement and self-construal should be considered for a better message strategy in social media contexts.
*** Originality/value ---
The findings make important contributions to the literature in that we extend the applications of construal level theory to social media contexts as a valid theoretical tool to identify optimized green message strategies. As such, it provides future researchers and practitioners in the domain of green campaigns with useful guidelines to boost more consumption of green products.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of luxuriousness as a novel underlying mechanism of the shelf-based scarcity effect by using both psychophysiological measures (Study 1) and self-reported measures (Study 2).
Design/methodology/approach
Two within-subject experimental designs were conducted to examine the effects of low, medium and high stock depletion levels (i.e. shelf-based scarcity) on consumer responses. In Study 1, facial expression analysis was used to examine consumers’ liking, and left frontal asymmetry brainwaves were used to examine consumers’ approach motivation as a proxy for purchase intention. Study 2 extended the findings with self-reported measures.
Findings
In Study 1, perceived product luxuriousness was found to underlie the shelf-based scarcity effect on facial expressions and left frontal asymmetry brainwaves after controlling for other previously proposed mediators (i.e. product popularity and quality). The shelf-based scarcity effect is only observed between low vs high stock levels, whereas moderate stock level depletion does not evoke the shelf-based scarcity effect. Study 2 used self-reported measures to replicate the effect of shelf-based scarcity on product luxuriousness. However, the findings demonstrated the limitation of self-reported measures to identify a significant spill-over effect of perceived luxuriousness to attitude.
Research limitations/implications
Extending previous literature that relied heavily on self-reported measures, the current research used psychophysiological methods to uncover perceived luxuriousness as a novel underlying mechanism for the shelf-based scarcity effect. Thus, the findings are not only the first to provide psychophysiological evidence of the shelf-based scarcity effect but also to validate perceived luxuriousness as an underlying mechanism of the shelf-based scarcity effect.
Practical implications
The current findings suggest that the shelf-based scarcity effect is only evoked by high (instead of moderate) levels of stock depletion. The study also shows that shelf-based scarcity does not necessarily signal product popularity, but instead it may serve as a cue of product luxuriousness. Adding to other manipulations of retail spaces that elicit luxury perception (e.g. artwork, sensory delight and themed store atmospherics), this implies that businesses are able to use shelf-based scarcity as a cue to enhance or complement the luxury image or the perception of the brand or product.
Originality/value
The current research is the first study to use psychophysiological techniques to examine perceived luxuriousness as an underlying mechanism of shelf-based scarcity. It also demonstrates that self-report measures are not sensitive to such an effect in comparison to psychophysiological techniques, explaining why perceived luxuriousness has not been previously found to be an underlying mechanism of shelf-based scarcity.
Proximity, or spatial closeness, can generate social closeness—the closer people are together, the more they interact, affiliate,and befriend one another. Mediated communication allows people to bridge spatial distance and can increase social closenessbetween conversational partners, even when they are separated by distance. However, mediated communication may not alwaysmake people feel closer together. Here, we test a hypothesis derived from construal theory, about one way in which mediated communication might increase spatial distance, by imposing social distance between two texting partners. In three studies, the social distance generated by a text conversation correlated with estimates of spatial distance. Conversations designed to generate social distance increased estimates of spatial distance. We discuss this relationship in light of the rise in computer-mediated communication.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the current literature on consumer acceptance of cultured meat and to investigate the main factors that might affect it.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from a sample of 490 consumers in Italy, using a web-based survey. The empirical analysis follows an exploratory approach based on the training and checking of a random forest model.
Findings
An important finding of this study concerns the overall positive perception of cultured meat on the part of the interviewees in a country that is the fifth-largest meat producer at the European level. Age, environmental and ethical issues, and scepticism about new food technologies are the most important factors that guide consumer acceptance of cultured meat. The results suggest that in order to increase cultured meat acceptance it would be important to inform and educate consumers towards new food and new food production methods.
Research limitations/implications
The sample analysed in this study is not representative of the whole national population, as it happens in most papers dealing with new food.
Originality/value
Although the conclusions of this exploratory study cannot be over-generalized, the results provide interesting insights on how to increase cultured meat acceptance in view of the possible development of a new market for cultured meat.
Current meat production places high costs on the environment. However, only a small portion of consumers are willing to opt for meat substitutes or a vegetarian diet. Cultured meat may contribute to solve this dilemma. In this journal, Bryant and Barnett recently reviewed current attitude research and summarized objections perceived by consumers concerning cultured meat. However, no research from Germany was available. Thus, we conducted a survey of German participants, including attitudes previously found to be important in the literature. With a panel sample of 713 consumers, attitudes were found to structure in three dimensions: ethics (e.g., animal welfare, ecological) was the strongest positive driver and depended on pre-knowledge available for 38% of participants; emotional objections (e.g., unnatural) were the second strongest predictor but unrelated to pre-knowledge and demographics; and the third attitudinal dimension expresses concern over the global diffusion of cultured meat. A path model summarizes the results. In conclusion, Germany shows itself to be only moderately prepared to accept cultured meat.
Many brands are now working on Instagram to promote, showcase their products and services, and benefit from the potentialities of Influencer Marketing. A detailed investigation of the effects of Instagram influencer advertising on the influencer-related outcomes is thus becoming urgent. The present study addresses a conceptual model in which the fit influencer–product congruence and the role of a more prominent disclosure are explored with respect to ad recognition, sponsorship transparency and influencer-related outcomes. Findings from a 2 (disclosure prominence: high vs. low) × 2 (influencer-product congruence: high vs. low) between participants experimental design first show a positive effect of influencer product fit on attitude, credibility and continuance intention to follow the influencer. Moreover, a prominent disclosure enhances users’ perceived sponsorship transparency when the higher congruence makes it harder to discern a genuine endorsement from a sponsored one. Finally, we disentangle the mediating effects of ad recognition and sponsorship transparency between influencer–product congruence and the influencer-related outcomes.
Magee and Smith (2013) theorized that asymmetric dependence creates asymmetric social distance in power relations, and that high-power individuals feel more distant than their low-power counterparts. I review research consistent with, and in some cases possibly inspired by, the social distance theory of power. Four findings emerge from the review. First, in dyadic relationships, the goals of the high-power partner are privileged over those of the low-power partner. Second, higher power reduces attunement and attention to others and also increases the tendency to objectify and dehumanize others. Third, power increases expressions of interpersonal dominance and aggression, particularly when the level of situational power diverges from expectations or norms. Fourth, greater power reduces the harmful psychological effects of social rejection. I conclude that social distance continues to be a useful factor to consider in making predictions and explaining the psychological effects of power.
Many advertisements use unrealistic images of products (e.g., hand drawings, digital illustrations, rotoscoped animation) instead of actual product images. However, while unrealistic product images are widely used in advertisements, little is known about their possible impact on product evaluation. We propose that because products in unrealistic images look unconsumable or unusable, unrealistic product images (1) suppress consumers’ mental simulation of consuming or using those products and (2) increase uncertainty in the judgment of these products’ characteristics. As a result, unrealistic images attenuate the judgment of a product’s characteristics (both benefits and drawbacks). That is, the same characteristics are judged less intensely when a product is presented as an unrealistic image instead of a realistic image. Through seven studies, we demonstrate this effect for food items (e.g., bread, cupcakes, hamburgers, and chips) and durable goods (e.g., automobiles), finding support for the underlying processes. We further demonstrate that the impact of unrealistic images is not restricted to product evaluation but also extends to actual consumption.
While prior research has examined the importance of organic food and the reasons why consumers might purchase it, how marketers can develop effective advertising strategies to promote organic food remains unclear. Drawing upon construal level theory, the present research investigates the role of visual imagery (illustrations vs. photographs) and advertising claims (altruistic vs. egoistic) in promoting organic (vs. conventional) food. Across three experimental studies, this research demonstrates that matching illustrations (photographs) with organic food (conventional) food increases advertising effectiveness (Study 1). Furthermore, matching illustrations (photographs) with altruistic (egoistic) claims can increase likelihood of purchasing (Study 2) and willingness to pay for organic food (Study 3). The findings of this research contribute to the literature on construal level and offer practical implications for marketers and how they can promote organic food. Please visit my personal website for more details and access. https://drjkemper.weebly.com
This study examines how customers' psychological situation influences their responses to two promotional cue types. More specifically, we propose that rejected customers are more likely to choose products promoted by a scarcity cue (this product is a limited edition) compared to a popularity cue (this product is popular among customers). Also, we propose that rejected customers indicate an increased need for uniqueness, which in turn entices customers to choose a product promoted by a scarcity cue (relative to a popularity one). The results of Study 1 show that rejected customers display a greater preference for a product promoted by a scarcity cue, and need for uniqueness underlies the effect of social exclusion on customers' product choice. Study 2 provides further evidence that rejected (compared to accepted) customers display an increased need for uniqueness, which entices customers to choose a product promoted by a scarcity cue (relative to a popularity cue).
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https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Ygr4Xj-jRlXX
Coffee and tea are two beverages commonly-consumed around the world. Therefore, there is much research regarding their physiological effects. However, less is known about their psychological meanings. Derived from a predicted lay association between coffee and arousal, we posit that exposure to coffee-related cues should increase arousal, even in the absence of actual ingestion, relative to exposure to tea-related cues. We further suggest that higher arousal levels should facilitate a concrete level of mental construal as conceptualized by Construal Level Theory. In four experiments, we find that coffee cues prompted participants to see temporal distances as shorter and to think in more concrete, precise terms. Both subjective and physiological arousal explain the effects. We situate our work in the literature that connects food and beverage to cognition or decision-making. We also discuss the applied relevance of our results as coffee and tea are among the most prevalent beverages globally.
Cultured meat is an emerging food technology that has the potential to resolve many of the social, environmental and ethical issues surrounding traditional factory farming practices. Recently, research has begun to explore consumer attitudes to the product, revealing a number of barriers and demographic predictors. However, our understanding of the psychological mechanisms that underpin attitudes to cultured meat remains limited. In the current study, we draw on an attitude roots model (Hornsey & Fielding, 2017) to explore a range of psychological mechanisms that may underpin attitudes to cultured meat. In terms of negative attitudes and intentions toward cultured meat, the most powerful predictors were food neophobia, political conservatism, and distrust of food scientists. When it comes to absolute opposition to cultured meat - defined by the unconditional belief that it should never be allowed under any circumstances - the strongest predictors were food and hygiene disgust sensitivity subscales, food neophobia, and conspiratorial ideation. A number of presumed mechanisms held no relationships to cultured meat attitudes, including social dominance orientation, speciesism, and naturalness bias. The null results on naturalness bias are of particular interest given recent research identifying concerns about naturalness as a key barrier to consumer acceptance. These results demonstrate the need for a more nuanced understanding of the psychological mechanisms that contribute to cultured meat attitudes and engagement.
The aim of this research is to synthesise findings from existing studies on the characteristics of source credibility of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) communications in a single model by using meta-analysis. Findings from 20 research papers show that source expertise, trustworthiness, and homophily significantly influence perceived eWOM usefulness and credibility, intention to purchase, and information adoption. The results of this study add to existing knowledge of the influence of source characteristics on consumer behaviour, which will advance our understanding of information processing. Marketers can use the findings of this meta-analysis to enhance their marketing activities.
Cultured meat may be a novel food that would overcome the limits of conventional meat production. This paper assesses the willingness to try, buy and pay for cultured meat among a sample of Italian consumers, unveiling the attitudes towards an engineered food on the part of a consumer oriented in favour of the Mediterranean diet. A survey was conducted by submitting a questionnaire to 525 Italian consumers. Consumers showed higher agreement with the statements concerning positive externalities than the intrinsic characteristics of cultured meat, and more than half of the respondents (54%) stated that they would be willing to try cultured meat. The profile for a potential consumer of cultured meat was young, highly educated, somewhat familiar with cultured meat, a meat consumer and willing to reduce meat consumption. However, the survey findings may be biased by the unavailability of the product on the market and the information provided to the respondents focused on the potential benefits of cultured meat.
Cultured meat grown in-vitro from animal cells is being developed as a way of addressing many of the ethical and environmental concerns associated with conventional meat production. As commercialisation of this technology appears increasingly feasible, there is growing interest in the research on consumer acceptance of cultured meat. We present a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature, and synthesize and analyse the findings of 14 empirical studies. We highlight demographic variations in consumer acceptance, factors influencing acceptance, common consumer objections, perceived benefits, and areas of uncertainty. We conclude by evaluating the most important objections and benefits to consumers, as well as highlighting areas for future research.
Purpose
This paper aims to build on research on the art infusion effect (Hagtvedt and Patrick, 2008a). It investigates the effect of using fine art in advertising and addresses additional factors that have not been assessed to understand and describe the process of art infusion more thoroughly. Thereby, the moderating role of the art interest of individuals and its interplay with the hedonic value of the product is studied. Effects on attitude and willingness to pay are revealed and the perceived value for money as a further mediating variable that drives the art infusion effect under some conditions is investigated. Moreover, the study examines the effect of the artwork’s familiarity.
Design/methodology/approach
The experimental study follows a 3 (ad picture: photo, unknown painting, well-known painting) × 2 (art interest: low, high) × 2 (product type: highly hedonic, moderately hedonic) between-subjects-design. In total, 447 consumers were surveyed in museums, art exhibitions and neutral public spaces.
Findings
For a clearly hedonic product, the art infusion effect is independent of consumers’ art interest. For an only moderately hedonic and more ambiguous product, this effect only occurs for highly art interested individuals. Moreover, different mediating processes are revealed for these two product types in a moderated mediation model. An effect of familiarity cannot be verified.
Originality/value
Research on effects of art on consumer responses to brands and products is still very limited. In addition to existing research, this paper adds to the identification of boundary conditions and the explanation of drivers of the art infusion effect. Moreover, this is the first study that provides insights on how an artwork affects consumers’ willingness to pay.
Visual art is an integral part of our lives and affects us in more ways than we can imagine. However, research attention given to this topic is sparse and the primary focus has been on luxury products and retail settings. This study addresses this gap and investigates if different genre of art (realist, abstract or no art) influence the relationship between purchase intention and its antecedents (shopper, store and product characteristics). Results from a non-luxury eyeglass retail setting suggest that in the presence of abstract art, hedonic and utilitarian motivations, openness to art, the fact that the consumers made the choice and product aesthetics are positively associated with purchase intention. Whereas, in the presence of realist art only product aesthetics and symbolism was associated with purchase intention. Finally, when no art was present, purchase intention was positively associated with hedonic motivation, store atmosphere and social environment, and product aesthetics, but negatively with utilitarian motivation. These findings and their implications are discussed in the manuscript.
Cultured meat could be a more environment- and animal-friendly alternative to conventional meat. However, in
addition to the technological challenges, the lack of consumer acceptance could be a major barrier to the introduction of cultured meat. Therefore, it seems wise to take into account consumer concerns at an early stage of product development. In this regard, we conducted two experiments that examined the impact of perceived naturalness and disgust on consumer acceptance of cultured meat. The results of Experiment 1 suggest the participants' low level of acceptance of cultured meat because it is perceived as unnatural. Moreover, informing participants about the production of cultured meat and its benefits has the paradoxical effect of increasing the acceptance of traditional meat. Experiment 2 shows that how cultured meat is described influences the participants' perception. Thus, it is important to explain cultured meat in a nontechnical way that emphasizes the final product, not the production method, to increase acceptance of this novel food.
Arts-based initiatives provide many benefits for organisations, managers, and employees, but little is known of how marketing can incorporate art to add value for consumers. The present research situates marketing tools within broader organisational theory to develop and empirically test an emotion-based model of how artworks in advertisements can increase the perceived value of a product (art infusion effect). Across three experiments (N = 516) using three different artworks (by Vermeer, van Gogh, and da Vinci), three different products (mineral water, toilet paper, and chocolate), and three different measures of product value (product evaluation, willingness to buy, and willingness to pay), brand affect strongly mediated the art infusion effect. Furthermore, this affect-mediation was stronger for utilitarian products (water) than for hedonic products (chocolate). Thus, in support of general theories of arts-based methods in management, emotion appears to be a fundamental mechanism through which art affects product and price evaluations.
Purpose
This research advances current knowledge about art infusion, which is the ability of art to favorably influence the assessment of consumer products. In particular, the research investigates the effectiveness of artworks that evoke their creators’ most recognizable style in luxury advertising.
Design/methodology/approach
The research encompasses three studies – two conducted online and one in a real consumption situation. The first study explores the effect that a recognizable vs. non-recognizable painter’s style has on consumers’ judgments about luxury products. The second and third studies explore the moderating roles of desire to signal status and desire for distinction, respectively, which are relevant to advertisers interested in targeting these individual differences.
Findings
Advertisements that incorporate artworks that evoke a painter’s most recognizable style enhance the advertised products’ perceived luxuriousness. Consumers with a higher desire to signal status exhibit greater purchasing intention in response to recognizable artworks. By contrast, consumers with a higher desire for distinction exhibit greater purchasing intention when the painter’s style in the featured artwork is less recognizable.
Practical implications
The results provide marketers with suggestions on how to select and incorporate visual artworks into luxury brand communication: They could focus on recognizable vs. non-recognizable artworks based on whether their main goal is to communicate status or distinctiveness.
Originality/value
This research offers novel insights into the practical value of art infusion by showing when and for whom the beneficial effects of pairing art with luxury products are more likely to occur.
In spite of considerable prior research on luxury branding, no widely accepted definition of "luxury brand" exists. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature in order to: a) summarize the state of knowledge on luxury brand marketing; and b) provide a new and usable definition of a luxury brand. A literature review was conducted with a focus on developing a more useful definition of "luxury brand," outlining key theoretical perspectives that have been used in this area, and summarizing key research findings. Ko and Megehee's (2012) framework for understanding consumption of luxury brands is used as the guiding conceptual framework for the review. Directions for future research are provided.
Purpose
The paper aims to address the issue of how customer value is created in the context of novel food products and how customer value influences product evaluation.
Design/methodology/approach
The study proposes a model formed by a series of causal relations among value (i.e. functional, social, hedonic, altruistic values) and cost perceptions (i.e. price, effort, evaluation costs, performance and product safety), their trade-offs (i.e. overall customer value) and product evaluation outcomes (i.e. satisfaction, trust).
Findings
Despite doubts about certain search (information), credence (safety) and experience (taste) attributes, perceptions about product quality, likeability and ethical image predominantly formulate customer value, indicating novel products’ potential to be evaluated positively by consumers.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model advances knowledge in the context of product innovation. Contrary to past research that focuses on consumer attitudes towards a manufacturing technology and individual technology-specific risks and benefits, the customer value approach refers to novel product-related consumer attitudes conceptualized as overall customer value; the latter results from product-related value-cost trade-offs, leading towards specific consumer–product evaluations.
Practical implications
The customer value approach refers to the value from the adoption of a new product that underlies a relevant set of product attributes (e.g. quality, image, sustainability, price, convenience, taste, safety, etc.) Focusing on product attributes that generate gain – loss perceptions impactful on consumer – product evaluations is highly relevant for product managers concerned with new product development.
Originality/value
The originality of this work lies in the successful contextualization and testing of an inclusive model that comprises both emotional and rational components, operational at the product level, to generate substantial insights on the widely unexplored interplay between consumer – perceived customer value and the generation of consumer – product evaluation outcomes.
Purpose
Although previous research has established that moral emotion, moral judgment, and moral identity influence consumer intention to engage in prosocial behavior (e.g. donating, volunteering) under some circumstances, these factors, in reality, can concurrently influence judgment process. Therefore, it is important to get a more nuanced understanding of how the combinations of each factor can lead to a high intention to engage in prosocial behavior. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This research employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to explore different configurations of moral emotion, judgment, and identity that lead to a high consumer intention to engage in prosocial behavior.
Findings
Findings indicate four configurations of moral emotion, moral judgment, and moral identity that lead to a high intention to engage in prosocial behavior.
Research limitations/implications
This research focuses on the case of a hospital in Indonesia; thus, it is important not to overgeneralize the findings. Nonetheless, from a methodological standpoint, opportunity emerges to broaden the examinations in other service and cultural contexts.
Practical implications
The findings of this research can help the hospital to develop effective combinations of advertising and marketing strategies to promote prosocial behavior among its customers.
Originality/value
This paper provides the first empirical evidence on the existence of multiple pathways of moral emotion, judgment, and identity that lead to a high consumer intention to engage in prosocial behavior. The implications of this research also highlight the importance of cultural context in understanding consumer behavior.
This research investigates art infusion, a phenomenon in which artistic elements contribute to enhance the perceived value of consumer goods, in the retailing sector. An experiment conducted with 188 consumers suggests that individuals with high dispositional greed are more interested in shopping in luxury stores that promote products through artworks representative of an artist’s iconic, that is, most recognizable, style. Results show that greed determines consumers’ store preference through an externalized luxury tendency, that is a tendency to purchase luxury goods to show off social status. Such an effect proved to be stronger for extroverted than for introverted consumers.
In the online retailing context, we explore the impact of the consumption target on the relative effectiveness of scarcity versus popularity cues. Purchasing for oneself often triggers a need for uniqueness while purchasing for someone else is more uncertain and risky. We propose that the consumption target moderates the relative effectiveness of scarcity versus popularity cues in marketing promotions. Specifically, we predict that when purchasing for oneself, scarcity cues outperform popularity cues in eliciting purchase intentions, whereas when purchasing for someone else, popularity cues are more effective. In addition, we propose the serial mediation effect of perceived product uniqueness → perceived product value to explain the “scarcity for me” effect and the serial mediation effect of perceived consumption risk → perceived product value to explain the “popularity for others” effect. Further, we propose self-other overlap as a moderator of the “popularity for others” effect. Last but not least, we examine price level as a moderating factor of the proposed theory. Evidence from Google Trends analysis and four experimental studies across a variety of scenarios confirm the theorization. Based on our findings, we discuss theoretical contributions and managerial implications and suggest directions for future research.
Previous research shows that negative emotional charity appeals tend to be more effective than other emotional charity appeals because they evoke sympathy. However, feelings of loneliness reduce individuals' ability to sympathize with others. Based on grounded cognition research, we propose that exposure to images of cold objects will lead to feelings of physical coldness, which in turn will increase perceptions of loneliness, such that negative emotional charity appeals that are viewed following exposure to cold (versus neutral or warm) images will be less effective at eliciting donations. Findings from four studies provide support for this hypothesis and delineate the link between the presence of certain commonplace visual images in the media and their influence on the effectiveness of embedded negative charity appeals, and identify a new context effect that attenuates the effectiveness of charity appeals.