Brands and People

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...

Professional buyers don't really buy that they're in "relationships" with salespeople — at least not the kind of relationship that people share with family, friends, or a romantic partner, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "Scholars explore how companies can inspire customers to love their brands and emotionally bond in their business relationships," write authors Christopher Blocker (Baylor University), Mark Houston (Texas Christian University), and Dan Flint...

People who use cosmetics buy these products primarily for emotional reasons, says a new study by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). The study was carried out on facial creams (hydrating and nutritive ones, coloured or non-coloured, and anti-wrinkle creams) and body creams (firming and anti-cellulite creams). "The study shows that both the emotional and utility aspect of cosmetic brands have a significant impact on consumer satisfaction, but that the emotional component has a greater...

People who don't feel positive about their appearance are less likely to buy an item they're trying on if they see a good-looking shopper or salesperson wearing the same thing, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "Our work shows that consumers often focus on parallel consumption behaviours from others to inform their product decisions — i.e., people look to others in the store environment as an information source when shopping," write authors Darren W Dahl (University...

Consumers react negatively to most quick disclaimers at the end of ads, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. But if the fast disclaimer comes from a trusted company, they'll let it slide. "We suggest that fast disclaimers can give consumers the impression that the advertisement is trying to conceal information, 'pulling a fast one' toward the goal of boosting purchase intention," write authors Kenneth C Herbst (Wake Forest University), Eli J. Finkel (Northwestern...

Most consumers spend their lives setting — and revising — goals. Authors of a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research have unveiled a new model that captures the dynamics of goal revision. "People set goals to regulate their weight, their spending, their eating, their alcohol and cigarette consumption, and many other things," write authors Chen Wang (University of British Columbia) and Anirban Mukhopadhyay (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology). But just as soon as people set...

States of relaxation consistently increase the monetary valuations of products, actually inflating these valuations by about 10 per cent. This phenomenon has been demonstrated by researchers in six experiments involving two different methods of inducing relaxation, a large number of products of different types, and various methods of assessing monetary valuation. In all six experiments, participants who were put into a relaxed affective state reported higher monetary valuations than participants...

The size and quality of an assortment has a lasting impact on consumers when they make purchasing decisions. When consumers are confronted with a proliferation of options, they will sharpen their appreciation of quality, and a switch to superior products will become more enticing. Subsequently, a switch to inferior products will become less tolerable. The findings are from a recent research that was inspired by the phenomenon that for many upscale goods, such as wine, while variety available to...

Is your hairdresser seething with hidden resentment? Do you subconsciously want to dominate the people who serve you? According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, customers and hospitality workers engage in a game of status that plays out in their everyday encounters. "When we think about a service context in a high-end hospitality industry such as a spa, a luxury hotel or a cruise, the image that comes to our mind is a serene, peaceful setting with numerous friendly, empathetic...

Sad people are more likely to want to hug a teddy bear than seek out a visual experience such as looking at art. Hint: It has to do with our mammalian instincts. "Human affective systems evolved from mammalian affective systems, and when mammals are young and incapable of thinking, their brain systems have to make these pups able to perform the 'correct' behavior," say researchers Dan King (NUS Business School, Singapore) and Chris Janiszewski (University of Florida, Gainesville). One way the...