Search results

Presents an account of a study which examined consumer perceptions of bonus pack offers. A bonus pack is a manufacturer’s sales promotion technique of giving the buyer an extra quantity of a product at the usual price (e.g. an extra 6 oz free; buy four, get one free). No scholarly research on bonus packs was uncovered by the literature review. Hence, this study represents, perhaps, one of the earliest scholarly works on bonus packs. The research tested two offers of Vaseline Intensive Care skin lotion (one offer was of 80 percent, the other of 60 percent more free). Consumer responses ‐ their belief in the offers (quantities and prices claimed), their perceptions of the manufacturer and of the value of the deal, and their purchase intentions ‐ were measured.The measures were further analyzed by types of user (light versus heavy) and buyer (regular versus infrequent). Discusses managerial implications of the findings. For example, one finding was that bonus pack promotions lack credence. Offers suggestions on how to boost the credibility of bonus packs.

Develops a conceptual model of the antecedents of consumer expectations and firm image, based on past research in service, and empirically tested using the simultaneous equation procedures of LISREL 7. Data were collected and analyzed for four service industries (tax services, dental services, restaurants and video rental stores). Significant findings include: the image consumers have of a service firm has the strongest impact on their expectations; the relative saliences of the antecedents vary across industries; advertising has no significant impact on expectations or firm image in any of the four industries or in the aggregate analysis; and the level of customization and service provider judgment has an impact on the relative importance of each of the antecedents of consumer expectations.