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1 – 10 of over 4000
Article
Publication date: 12 September 2016

Na Xiao

This research aims to provide new empirical evidence, showing that trivial attributes can exert a significant impact on product evaluation when they help to fulfill…

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to provide new empirical evidence, showing that trivial attributes can exert a significant impact on product evaluation when they help to fulfill non-consumption goals (goal that goes beyond functional benefits).

Design/methodology/approach

The research presents two experimental studies that investigate the role of trivial product attributes in various non-consumption contexts.

Findings

Trivial attributes can have a significant impact on product evaluation when they help to fulfill non-consumption goals. First, in the non-competitive versus competitive choice settings, a trivial attribute becomes more important when it helps to make a choice (i.e. a non-consumption goal). Second, in the low versus high social risk settings, a trivial attribute becomes more important when it helps to reduce a social risk (i.e. a non-consumption goal). In addition, self-confidence is a moderator, which regulates consumers’ ability to rely on trivial attributes in making product choices.

Research limitations/implications

The social risk manipulations (high vs low) were operationalized by manipulating the impression motive related to social risk. The more important a goal is, the more risk consumers feel in decision making (Lazarus, 1991). Therefore, risk is a proxy of the goal strength or goal relevance. Future research is needed to examine goal strength’s sole influence on the perception of the trivial attribute.

Practical implications

From managerial perspective, trivial attributes can help companies to improve their sales. For example, a way to increase an attribute’s importance is to put the product in a competitive setting. Increasing a social risk further increases the influence of trivial attributes. When less confident consumers perceive the social risk is high, they prefer a brand with a trivial attribute. For consumers, the findings also suggest that consumers should not be tempted to consider trivial attributes in their purchase decisions. Reconsidering attributes and increasing self-confidence could help maintain focus on non-trivial attributes.

Originality/value

The study makes several contributions to theory and practice. This is the first study to systematically propose a framework of how trivial attributes’ role in product evaluation and choice change based on goals. The paper clarifies confusions about the definitions of trivial attributes and reconciles contradictory findings in literature. A trivial attribute can be instrumental in evaluation and choice when it helps to achieve a non-consumption goal. It is also the first study to introduce social risks into trivial attributes research in choices. The findings provide empirical evidence that social risks and self-confidence together drive consumers to prefer for trivial attribute.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 50 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 November 2010

Pi‐Chuan Sun

This purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of trivial attribute and product involvement on product evaluation in different product‐line extensions.

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Abstract

Purpose

This purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of trivial attribute and product involvement on product evaluation in different product‐line extensions.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a 2×2×2 between‐subjects experiment was conducted.

Findings

It was found that the product with trivial attributes has a higher evaluation than those without trivial attributes in the upward extension situation. The highly involved product with trivial attributes is more positively evaluated than those without trivial attributes.

Research limitations/implications

During the experimental process, the subjects read only the product information described in words and photographs.

Practical implications

Firms can differentiate their products by trivial attributes to create implied benefits. However, a trivial attribute does not always function well for all products, and positive evaluation is associated with trivial attributes coupled with price.

Originality/value

The paper examines the interaction effect among trivial attributes, product involvement and product‐line extension strategy.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 44 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 May 2017

Hsuan-Hsuan Ku, Chien-Chih Kuo and Wan-Ting Huang

This paper aims to investigate the effect of retailers’ consumer communications in prompting the choice of an in-stock alternative to an out-of-stock first-choice product.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effect of retailers’ consumer communications in prompting the choice of an in-stock alternative to an out-of-stock first-choice product.

Design/methodology/approach

Four between-subjects experiments assessed the extent to which the likelihood of a retail customer switching to a similarly-priced alternative when a first choice was out-of-stock was affected by messages concerning stockout status (Studies 1a and 1b). They further examined the interaction effects on participants’ preference of messages comparing the available versus unavailable options and stating stockout status (Study 2) and those giving information on the reasons for the stockout and on its status (Study 3).

Findings

Participants maintained their original preference for an out-of-stock product unless an external restriction on choice prompted them to forsake it or they perceived a strong reason to opt for an in-stock alternative. There was a greater tendency to switch if the alternative offered a potential “gain” or the reasons given for a stockout were irrelevant to product performance, whether the participant was expecting imminent re-stocking. Switching was triggered when the available alternative was directly comparable to the original or the retailer’s explanation related to an attribute judged trivial, but only if short supply was expected to continue.

Originality/value

The studies add to current understanding of how shoppers respond to unavailability of a first-choice product by examining the effect on switching behavior of messages about the stockout situation that are communicated deliberately or inadvertently by retailers.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 51 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 September 2018

Timucin Ozcan, Ahmet M. Hattat and Michael Hair

This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of positioning unknown ingredients either with the presence or absence of framing; both are common in marketplace (e.g. Secret…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of positioning unknown ingredients either with the presence or absence of framing; both are common in marketplace (e.g. Secret® deodorant visibly claims “aluminum chlorohydrate” while Crystal® promotes “no aluminum chlorohydrate”).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used three scenario-based experiments. The participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk online panel and randomly assigned to a variety of experimental conditions.

Findings

Initial study results show that consumers have more positive evaluations and purchase intentions for absence positioning than presence positioning, because absence positioning induces greater perceptions of protection. In the second study, these results are extended using multiple ingredients, along with competitor products; they show that absence positioning leads to better evaluations than presence positioning and replicate the mediation effect that was found earlier. In the final study, through manipulating participants’ regulatory focus, the authors show that absence-positioned ingredients have a higher choice share when consumers are in the prevention mindset. Conversely, when customers are in promotion mindset and looking for better performance, presence positioning of ingredients seems to have higher choice shares.

Research limitations/implications

The research has implications for product development, promotions, labeling and packaging, showing the positive influence of absence positioning of unknown ingredients.

Practical implications

Marketers may emphasize the absence of unknown ingredients in their products instead of following a strategy that highlights the inclusion of them.

Originality/value

To the authors’ extant knowledge, this research is an initial attempt to understand how consumers react to promotion of product ingredients. In addition, it contributes to the literature in unknown attributes by showing that absence positioning of certain types of ingredients is perceived better than presence framing of them.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 52 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 March 2023

Anna-Karina Schmitz, Tim Oliver Brexendorf and Martin Fassnacht

Vertical line extension is an attractive growth strategy that allows brands to address heterogeneous consumer needs and react to competitive pressure. The purpose of this paper is…

1932

Abstract

Purpose

Vertical line extension is an attractive growth strategy that allows brands to address heterogeneous consumer needs and react to competitive pressure. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review and summarize vertical line extension research to derive general insights into vertical upward and downward line extension.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a systematic review of 536 academic articles and predefined inclusion criteria, this research identifies and evaluates all articles that add knowledge to the topic of vertical line extension (n = 64).

Findings

This research derives general insights in several vertical line extension-specific issues. Different forms of vertical line extension, conceptual differences between upward and downward extensions, as well as the role of perceived fit, extension degree and the parent brand are crucial for the study and evaluation of extension and parent brand feedback effects. Those effects are complex and often work in opposing directions not only for the parent brand but also for the extension. Future research needs to face that complexity as well as methodological issues and different research contexts to further advance the literature stream.

Originality/value

This paper provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art review of vertical line extension research characteristics and results. It provides new insights on the characteristics and effects of vertical line extensions and guides future research on the topic.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 32 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2012

Timucin Ozcan and Daniel A. Sheinin

The aim of this study is to better understand how consumers understand and judge multi‐attribute products that are perceived as either more or less complete in terms of feature…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to better understand how consumers understand and judge multi‐attribute products that are perceived as either more or less complete in terms of feature coverage in a category. Complete products are used to reduce the need of developing and managing expansive and expensive line‐extension portfolios.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used an experimental method and conducted two studies to test hypotheses derived from the marketing literature.

Findings

The authors find more complete multi‐attribute products are preferred to less complete alternatives. This preference for more complete products remains under larger competitive product assortment, but is reduced under smaller assortment. With a higher price level and larger assortment, the preference is substantial. However, under the conditions of lower price level/larger assortment, higher price level/smaller assortment, and lower price level/smaller assortment, the preference is again reduced.

Research limitations/implications

More positive evaluations and higher product utility accrue from adding new features to multi‐attribute products prior to purchase. Moreover, more complete information causes more positive evaluations and cognitive responses. Larger assortment strains cognitive resources, and more complete multi‐attribute products are easier to understand than less complete multi‐attribute products. This processing facilitation generates positive affect and leads to greater use of information that can shorten processing. Price level strongly influences processing of more complete products under larger assortment, but not under smaller assortment.

Practical implications

Brand managers have a better understanding of how consumers judge more and less complete products, and under which circumstances more complete products are preferred.

Originality/value

The study of perceived product completeness is novel.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1999

Jonathan A. Rhoades and Josh A. Arnold

The purpose of the present studies was to derive an integrative taxonomy of responses to social conflict. In Study 1, we had college‐age participants sort 33 responses to…

Abstract

The purpose of the present studies was to derive an integrative taxonomy of responses to social conflict. In Study 1, we had college‐age participants sort 33 responses to conflict, taken from various research domains, according to their similarities. From this, we generated two different classification systems: a very simple low‐dimensional system, obtained through multi‐dimensional scaling; and a complex high‐dimensional system, obtained through cluster analysis. To aid in the interpretation of the structures, in Study 2 we collected a set of ratings on each of the conflict responses. The results from Study 2 indicated that many of the labels used to describe conflict responses in past research could be used to describe some aspects of these taxonomies. However, no dimension or set of dimensions was sufficient to describe all classes of conflict responses. The results are discussed in terms of their larger theoretical and practical implications.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

Article
Publication date: 18 November 2013

Jaroslav Pokorný

This paper considers schemaless XML data stored in a column-oriented storage, particularly in C-store. Axes of the XPath language are studied and a design and analysis of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper considers schemaless XML data stored in a column-oriented storage, particularly in C-store. Axes of the XPath language are studied and a design and analysis of algorithms for processing the XPath fragment XP{*, //, /} are described in detail. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-level model of C-store based on XML-enabled relational databases is supposed. The axes of XPath language in this environment have been studied by Cástková and Pokorný. The associated algorithms have been used for the implementation of the XPath fragment XP{*, //, /}.

Findings

The main advantage of this approach is algorithms implementing axes evaluations that are mostly of logarithmic complexity in n, where n is the number of nodes of XML tree associated with an XML document. A low-level memory system enables the estimation of the number of two abstract operations providing an interface to an external memory. The algorithms developed are mostly of logarithmic complexity in n, where n is the number of nodes of XML tree associated with an XML document.

Originality/value

The paper extends the approach of querying XML data stored in a column-oriented storage to the XPath fragment using only child and descendant axes and estimates the complexity of evaluating its queries.

Details

International Journal of Web Information Systems, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-0084

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 15 January 2010

Yaron Hollander

We review what is known and what is still unknown about the process of revealing the impact of unreliability on travel choices. We do this from the perspective of a…

Abstract

We review what is known and what is still unknown about the process of revealing the impact of unreliability on travel choices. We do this from the perspective of a demand-modelling practitioner who wishes to allow for the benefits from improved reliability in the assessment of a transport scheme. We discuss the travel responses affected by unreliability, the requirements from the data used to model these responses, the explanatory variables used in these models and the additional information required as input when applying them. One of our findings is that there is a conflict between existing studies in their conclusions about the aversion to early arrival. Another notion is that it is unclear whether the common simplified treatment of the distribution of preferred arrival times is acceptable. We also suggest that the dominance of departure time shifting as a primary response to unreliability might refute the common assumptions about travellers' choice hierarchy, which was established without considering the impact of unreliability; this raises questions about the robustness of assignment models that do not allow time shifting.

Details

Choice Modelling: The State-of-the-art and The State-of-practice
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-773-8

Article
Publication date: 26 October 2012

Timucin Ozcan and Daniel A. Sheinin

The aim of this paper is to seek to understand better how consumers judge multiattribute products that are perceived as either more or less complete in terms of feature coverage…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to seek to understand better how consumers judge multiattribute products that are perceived as either more or less complete in terms of feature coverage in a category. Complete products are used to reduce the need of developing and managing expansive and expensive line‐extension portfolios.

Design/methodology/approach

The research used an experimental method and conducted two studies to test hypotheses derived from the marketing literature.

Findings

It is found that more complete multiattribute products are preferred to less complete alternatives. This preference for more complete products remains under larger competitive product assortment, but is reduced under smaller assortment. With a higher price level and larger assortment, the preference is substantial. However, under the conditions of lower price level/larger assortment, higher price level/smaller assortment, and lower price level/smaller assortment, the preference is again reduced.

Research limitations/implications

More positive evaluations and higher product utility accrue from adding new features to multiattribute products prior to purchase. Moreover, more complete information causes more positive evaluations and cognitive responses. Larger assortment strains cognitive resources, and more complete multiattribute products are easier to understand than less complete multiattribute products. This processing facilitation generates positive affect leads to greater use of information that can shorten processing.

Practical implications

Brand managers can have a better understanding of how consumers judge more and less complete products, and under which circumstances more complete products are preferred.

Originality/value

The study of perceived product completeness is novel.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 21 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 4000