Katharina Steiner, Sonja Kunz and Arnd Florack
It is of significant interest to marketers to identify visual product cues that signal high tastiness and healthiness, as both characteristics are of substantial importance to…
Abstract
Purpose
It is of significant interest to marketers to identify visual product cues that signal high tastiness and healthiness, as both characteristics are of substantial importance to consumers. One such cue is the saturation of the packaging color. However, past studies found diverging effects of packaging color saturation on consumer tastiness and healthiness judgments. In this study, we investigated a possible moderator of the saturation effect: the match between the primary packaging color and the color of the main product ingredient.
Design/methodology/approach
In two online studies, participants viewed pictures of fruit juices (Study 1) and hydration drinks (Study 2). For each product, participants rated the expected taste and healthiness. We manipulated the color saturation and color match of the product pictures.
Findings
When the packaging color matched the main ingredient (e.g. orange juice in an orange package), consumers expected products in normal versus low saturated packages to be healthier and tastier. When the packaging color did not match the color of the main ingredient (e.g. orange juice in a red package), the positive effects of saturation on health and taste were reduced or even disappeared.
Practical implications
The results suggest that managers can optimize product health and taste perceptions by using moderately saturated packaging colors, particularly when the packaging color aligns with the main ingredient’s color.
Originality/value
Our research offers a possible explanation for diverging effects of color saturation on product judgments. We show that whether and to what extend color saturation affects health and taste judgments might depend on the match between the packaging and ingredient color.
Details
Keywords
Adamantios Diamantopoulos, Ilona Szőcs, Arnd Florack, Živa Kolbl and Martin Egger
Drawing on the stereotype content model (SCM), the authors investigate the stereotype content transfer (in terms of warmth and competence) from country to brand and the…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the stereotype content model (SCM), the authors investigate the stereotype content transfer (in terms of warmth and competence) from country to brand and the simultaneous impact of these two stereotypes on consumer responses toward brands.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors test a structural equation model conceptualizing brand stereotypes as full mediators between country stereotypes and consumer outcomes. In addition, in a moderated mediation analysis, the authors investigate the role of brand typicality and utilitarianism/hedonism in potentially moderating the country to brand stereotype content transfer.
Findings
Country warmth and competence, respectively, impact brand warmth and competence, thus confirming the hypothesized stereotype content transfer. This transfer is found to be robust and not contingent on brands' perceived typicality of their country of origin. However, brands' utilitarian nature amplifies the positive impact of country competence on brand competence. Finally, brand stereotypes fully mediate the impact of country stereotypes on consumers' brand attitudes and behavioral intentions.
Originality/value
The authors provide the first empirical attempt that (1) explicitly differentiates between consumers' stereotypical perceptions of countries and stereotypical perceptions of brands from these countries, (2) empirically examines the transfer of stereotypical dimensions of different targets (i.e. country to brand), (3) explores boundary conditions for such transfer and (4) simultaneously considers the impact of both kinds of stereotypes on managerially relevant consumer outcomes.
Details
Keywords
Janet Kleber, Arnd Florack and Anja Chladek
Cause-related marketing (CRM) is a sales strategy that is used to improve the success of a product by including a donation to a charitable cause in its price. While marketers can…
Abstract
Purpose
Cause-related marketing (CRM) is a sales strategy that is used to improve the success of a product by including a donation to a charitable cause in its price. While marketers can present CRM donations to consumers as either absolute amounts or percentages, the predominant practice in marketing is to use the latter. As the influence of such presentation formats is not well understood, the purpose of this paper is to systematically examine their effects while taking into account the numerical ability (numeracy) of the consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
In two experiments, the presentation format of the donation amounts (absolute vs percentage) were manipulated and individual differences in numeracy were measured. The product type (hedonic vs utilitarian) and sales price were varied. We found this effect for high and low price levels and for hedonic and utilitarian products.
Findings
The results of both experiments consistently supported the hypothesis presented in this paper that for people with lower numeracy, their purchase intentions were higher when absolute donation amounts were presented. We found this effect for high and low price levels and for hedonic and utilitarian products.
Originality/value
The present paper shows that the current practice of presenting donations in percentages is inferior to presenting donations in absolute amounts because a large number of consumers have trouble interpreting percentages appropriately. Therefore, it indicates that the default option for marketing managers should be to present donations in absolute amounts for hedonic and utilitarian products with low and high prices.
Details
Keywords
Oliver B. Büttner, Arnd Florack and Anja S. Göritz
This research aims to examine whether shopping orientation (experiential vs task-focused) influences how consumers react toward nonmonetary and monetary promotions. It was…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to examine whether shopping orientation (experiential vs task-focused) influences how consumers react toward nonmonetary and monetary promotions. It was predicted that promotions are more effective if the promotional benefits are congruent with consumers’ shopping orientation. Moreover, consumers’ financial budget was assumed to moderate the influence of shopping orientation on promotion effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
The hypotheses were tested in three experiments. Study 1 used a measure of shopping orientation as a consumer disposition and examined its influence on promotion attractiveness. Two further studies used an experimental manipulation of shopping orientation and examined its influence on promotions attractiveness and retailer choice.
Findings
The results supported the hypotheses. Task-focused shoppers evaluated monetary promotions as more attractive than nonmonetary promotions. Experiential shoppers evaluated both types of promotions as comparably attractive. Furthermore, experiential shoppers were more likely than task-focused shoppers to choose a retailer offering a nonmonetary promotion over a retailer offering a monetary promotion. Low financial budget, however, reduced the influence of shopping orientation on retailer choice.
Originality/value
To effectively use promotions as a tool, marketers and retailers need to know when and how to use them, as well as understand which type of promotion is the most effective. This research implies that retailers will benefit from customizing promotions to fit consumers’ shopping orientations. Furthermore, the findings show that the advantage of such a tailored approach is reduced if consumers’ financial budget is limited.
Details
Keywords
Oliver B. Büttner, Arnd Florack and Anja S. Göritz
The present aims to examine whether interindividual differences in consumers’ shopping orientations reflect a stable consumer disposition (i.e. chronic shopping orientation; CSO)…
Abstract
Purpose
The present aims to examine whether interindividual differences in consumers’ shopping orientations reflect a stable consumer disposition (i.e. chronic shopping orientation; CSO). Furthermore, it examines whether this disposition influences consumers’ evaluations of retailer communication. Consumers may shop under an experiential or a task-focused shopping orientation.
Design/methodology/approach
This research builds on four studies; three were conducted online and one was conducted in the laboratory. Study 1 applied a longitudinal design, Studies 2 and 3 applied a cross-sectional design and Study 4 applied an experimental design.
Findings
Study 1 shows that CSO is stable over time. Study 2 finds that interindividual differences in CSO are stable across different retail domains. Studies 3 and 4 demonstrate that experiential shoppers prefer stimulation-oriented claims, whereas task-focused shoppers prefer efficiency-oriented claims.
Originality/value
The value of shopping orientation for customer segmentation and tailored marketing largely depends on whether interindividual differences in CSO are stable. The present research is the first to demonstrate that CSO, indeed, exists as a stable consumer disposition. In addition, the research demonstrates that shopping orientation moderates the evaluation of retailer communication. Overall, the results demonstrate that CSO is a valuable construct for customer segmentation and tailored communication in retailing.