write2kill.in - a critique of the times

When do products (and money) literally make your mouth water?

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

In certain situations, people actually salivate when they desire material things, like money and sports cars, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "In multiple languages, the terms hunger and salivation are used metaphorically to describe desire for non-food items," writes author David Gal (Northwestern University). "But will people actually salivate when they desire material things?"

Downwardly mobile: When consumer decisions are influenced by people with lower socioeconomic status

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

People assume that consumers are influenced by celebrities and high-status individuals, but according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, it may be the janitor or the security guard who makes you want to run out and purchase the latest gadget.

"Consumers from a lower socioeconomic status are not usually considered ideal influencers for higher status customers. After all, people accept influence from those they identify with — those who are similar to them or people who they aspire to be like," write authors Edith Shalev (Israel Institute of Technology) and Vicki G. Morwitz (New York University). Because people usually do not aspire to obtain a lower socioeconomic status, it seems unlikely that people would become interested in the same products as people with less status.

It's all about autonomy: Consumers react negatively when prompted to think about money

admin — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Whether they are aware of it or not, consumers dislike being reminded of money — so much that they will rebel against authority figures, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

"When consumers are reminded of money, do they conform, shrug it off, or react against others' attempts to influence them?" ask authors Jia (Elke) Liu (University of Groningen), Dirk Smeesters (Erasmus University), and Kathleen D. Vohs (University of Minnesota). The researchers found that money reminders lead consumers to react against people who would normally influence their decisions.

Being in the 'no': Questions influence what we remember

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Imagine that you are sitting in the park, deeply engaged in a conversation with your loved one. A group of teenagers pass by in front of you. The next day you learn that the police are looking for someone to identify them as these teenagers are suspected of a serious mugging. You would most probably not be able to make a positive identification. Do you really have absolutely no memory for their faces?

A new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests that such information will make its way into your memory anyway.

Feeling out of control? Consumers find comfort in boundaries

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Consumers who feel a lack of control over circumstances seek boundaries — including physical borders, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "People often turn to aesthetic boundaries in their environment to give them a sense that their world is ordered and structured as opposed to random and chaotic," writes author Keisha Cutright (University of Pennsylvania).

Cutright's research indicates that people who feel a lack of control seek tangible boundaries, such as frames around paintings, fences around yards, or prominent borders surrounding a firm's logo. "When individuals no longer feel in control of their lives, they seem to seek the sense of order and structure that boundaries provide — the sense that 'there's a place for everything and everything is in its place,'" Cutright explains.

Culturally symbolic products: Would you buy a Sony cappuccino maker?

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Certain brands bring to mind particular cultures, and consumers react more positively to brand extensions when products match expectations about cultures, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. That's why a Budweiser barbecue sauce might be a more successful product than a Sony cappuccino maker.

"Many well-known brands become symbols or icons of the cultures or countries with which they are associated," write authors Carlos J Torelli and Rohini Ahluwalia (both University of Minnesota). Examples of culturally symbolic brands include Budweiser (American), Sony (Japanese), or Corona (Mexican). The authors look at what happens when a culturally symbolic brand extends its product line by creating new products.

When the first choice isn't available, why don't consumers choose the obvious second choice?

admin — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Something strange happens when a consumer learns her favourite product choice isn't available: Instead of picking the runner-up, she'll reject it for another alternative, according to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

"Close second choices are an important consideration when a consumer makes a purchase decision and then learns that their selection is unavailable (out-of-stock, discontinued, just sold)," write authors Wendy Attaya Boland (American University), Merrie Brucks, and Jesper Nielsen (both University of Arizona). "In many cases, consumers cannot (or prefer not to) wait until their selected item becomes available; therefore they are likely to reconsider the options that are available now."

Positive feelings improve consumer decision-making abilities

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Consumers who are in a positive mood make quicker and more consistent judgments than unhappy people, according to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

"There has been considerable debate about how affect (moods, emotions, feelings) influences the quality of people's decisions," write authors Paul M Herr (Virginia Tech), Christine M Page (Skidmore College), Bruce E Pfeiffer (University of New Hampshire), and Derick F Davis (Virginia Tech). "We join this debate by looking at affect's influence on a very basic element of decision-making: deciding if an object is liked or disliked."

Too much customer contact can hurt business

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Businesses can go too far when trying to keep in touch with customers, who are easily driven away by too many emails, phone calls and mailers.

A three-year study by University of California at Riverside Professor Andrea Godfrey, Boston College Professor Kathleen Seiders and Southern Methodist University Professor Glenn Voss found there is an “ideal level” at which businesses should communicate with clients, and once that's exceeded, the risk of losing them increases considerably.

The trio's findings are detailed in a report, “Enough Is Enough: The Fine Line in Executing Multichannel Relational Communication,” that appears in a recent issue of the Journal of Marketing. The scholars based their research on the records of an auto dealership, gauging nearly 1,200 customers' reactions to phone calls, emails and mailings from the enterprise.

Why do consumers think hard-to-get babes and products are worth the extra effort?

admin — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Potential dates who are slightly elusive or products that are stuck on the back of a shelf are more attractive to consumers than their more attainable counterparts, according to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

"To get the best outcomes or products, people usually have to expend effort," write authors Sarah Kim and Aparna A Labroo (both University of Chicago). "This relationship between effort and value is so closely associated in a consumer's mind that wanting the best outcomes automatically results in increased preference for any outcome associated with effort, even pointless effort."