Virtual influencers, generated on the computer, are changing the advertising industry. More and more brands utilize virtual instead of human influencers as endorsers for their marketing campaigns for ...a variety of reasons, e.g., better control of the influencer's behavior, cost savings, or zeitgeist motives (desire to be "up to date"). However, there is currently little research on whether significant advertising goals are achieved using virtual influencers. We analyze, in an initial study, whether consumers find such influencers appealing compared to human influencers and whether they are able to identify that the influencer is not real. Our results show that consumers find it difficult to identify virtual influencers as such and that they still have more positive attitudes toward human endorsers in advertising campaigns. However, virtual endorsers can lead to higher perceived ad novelty. In a second study, we further examine whether the advertised product category functions as a moderator. Results show that perceived congruence between virtual influencers and product is dependent on the product category and leads to higher advertising effectiveness. Our studies lead to the implication that marketers should carefully consider the use of virtual influencers in accordance with the aspired advertising goals and brand values.
This article investigates whether traffic light color-coded nutrition information helps low- (vs. high-) self-control consumers make more healthful food choices within a given product category. Two ...in-store lab studies assess the effects of traffic light colors. The colors indicate low (green), medium (amber), and high (red) levels of four negative food nutrients (sugar, fat, saturated fat, and salt). The color-coding was implemented on nutrition labeling schemes shown on the front of actual food packages (pasta meals in Study 1; cereal bars in Study 2). Consumers with low self-control to resist food temptations, but not those with high self-control, make more healthful food choices in response to the color-coded labeling. The behavior is congruent with their long-term goals of controlling their food choices and is evident when traffic light colors vary between both nutrients and products (Study 1) and when traffic light colors vary between nutrients but not products (Study 2). The authors derive theoretical implications and draw conclusions from the perspectives of public policy, retailing, and manufacturers.
Vor knapp dreißig Jahren ist die Metapher „the dark sides of consumer behavior“ in die Konsumentenverhaltensforschung eingeführt worden. So setzen sich Konsumenten mit ihrem Verhalten manchmal ...wissend ins Unrecht, betrachten ihre Vergehen aber als "smarte Kavaliersdelikte". Zudem erliegen Menschen schädlichen Versuchungen und neigen zu Süchten. Schließlich agieren Verbraucher oft egoistischer oder weniger nachhaltig, als sie von sich selbst behaupten. Die Beiträge in diesem Buch knüpfen an dieses Generalthema an, widmen sich den dunklen Seiten und regen an, dass Nachfrager und Anbieter manche Verhaltensweisen überdenken und auch Gegenstrategien entwickeln sollten. Mit Beiträgen von Tilman Becker, Jonas Grauel, Andrea Gröppel-Klein, Rita Hagl-Kehl, Ludger Heidbrink, Stefan Hoffmann, Martin Klug, Jörn Lamla, Janina Loh, Kaspar Maase, Tobias Matzner, Julian Nida-Rümelin, Anja Spilski, Nathalie Weidenfeld, Marius Wuketich. About 30 years ago, the metaphor of ‘the dark sides of consumer behaviour’ was introduced in consumer behaviour research. Consumers sometimes knowingly place themselves in the wrong with their behaviour (as in the case of fraudulent returning of products, for example), but regard their misdemeanours as ‘smart peccadilloes’. In addition, people succumb to harmful temptations and tend towards addictions (e.g. in the form of gambling). Finally, consumers often act more selfishly (or less sustainably) than they claim to. The contributions in this book examine this general topic, address the dark sides of consumerism and encourage both consumers and companies to rethink some of their behaviour and also develop counter-strategies to it. With contributions by Tilman Becker, Jonas Grauel, Andrea Gröppel-Klein, Rita Hagl-Kehl, Ludger Heidbrink, Stefan Hoffmann, Martin Klug, Jörn Lamla, Janina Loh, Kaspar Maase, Tobias Matzner, Julian Nida-Rümelin, Anja Spilski, Nathalie Weidenfeld, Marius Wuketich.
Marketing has become accepted and proven in science and practice over the past decades. Many principles of marketing have become self-evident, but have led to gross generalizations and simplified ...thought patterns. This article examines myths and metaphors in marketing. A distinction is made between myths of managerial marketing and of behavioral marketing. In both sub-disciplines, we are often dealing with complex and invisible phenomena that occur in a variety of contexts. Attempts to explain these phenomena are therefore particularly prone to the emergence of myths or misconceptions. From a managerial perspective, topics such as the philosophy and leadership role of marketing, the generation of innovation success, the development of strategic competitive advantages, and brand management are reflected. Since the change from a sellers’ market to a buyers’ market, consumer behavior research and marketing have been closely intertwined. Therefore, findings from consumer behavior research form a central basis for successful decisions in marketing management. Based on this background, the second part of the article focuses on myths of consumer behavior research, here addressing unconscious phenomena in consumer behavior, mainly the discussion of subliminal priming (and its impact on manipulation) and unconscious perception as well as of unconscious motives, and approaches to implicite attitude measurement. Finally, implications are derived as to what extent the presented phenomena and the unveiling of myths have an impact on marketing management and on consumer behavior research and what roles these disciplines should take in the future. In the era of climate change and digital transformation, particular challenges are emerging. Thus, facts and not myths should determine the future path of the marketing discipline.
Different front-of-pack (FOP) labelling systems have been developed in Europe by industry and organisations concerned with health promotion. A study (n 2068) was performed to establish the extent to ...which inclusion of the most prevalent FOP systems--guideline daily amounts (GDA), traffic lights (TL), GDA+TL hybrid (HYB) and health logos (HL)--impact consumer perceptions of healthiness over and above the provision of a FOP basic label (BL) containing numerical nutritional information alone. The design included within- and between-subjects factors. The within-subjects factors were: food (pizzas, yogurts and biscuits), healthiness of the food (high health, medium health and low health) and the repeated measurements under BL and test FOP label conditions. The between-subjects factors were: the system (GDA, TL, GDA+TL hybrid, HL), portion size (typical portion size and a 50% reduction of a typical portion) and country (the UK, Germany, Poland and Turkey). Although the FOP systems tested did result in small improvements for objective understanding under some conditions, there was little difference between the provision of an FOP label containing basic numerical nutritional information alone or between the various systems. Thus, any structured and legible presentation of key nutrient and energy information on the FOP label is sufficient to enable consumers to detect a healthier alternative within a food category when provided with foods that have distinctly different levels of healthiness. Future research should focus on developing greater understanding of the psychological and contextual factors that impact motivation and the opportunity to use the various FOP systems in real-world shopping settings.
In this article we address the question of whether age stereotypes impact cognitive performance in a consumer behavioral context. We assume that in consumer decision-making contexts, the elderly are ...affected by negative (vs. positive) age stereotypes, leading to less self-efficacy and thus a decrease in cognitive performance. We extend prior research by also asking whether perceived time pressure can reinforce the effects of age stereotypes on the elderly's self-efficacy, which can in turn influence cognitive performance. The results of our experiment reveal that priming with negative (vs. positive) stereotypes leads to decreased cognitive performance among the elderly. This relationship is mediated by self-efficacy. Furthermore, self-perception of aging serves as a mediator for the effect of self-efficacy and cognitive performance. The effect of self-efficacy on cognitive performance is reinforced when consumers feel that they are under time pressure. The results of our investigation have important implications for the marketing of products or services to elderly consumers.
Abstract
The “contamination hypothesis” (Rothermund and Brandtstädter, 2003; Levy, 2003) assumes that negative external stereotypes significantly influence the cognitive and functional well-being of ...older people. Negative stereotypes also play an important role in consumer decision-making and responses to sales talks. Two surveys in home environments, using a snowball-system, with subjects randomly assigned to the different conditions in a 2x2-design (age stereotype x time pressure, study 1: n=151, Mage=65, study 2: n=122, Mage=68) show that older consumers, primed with negative age stereotypes, are less effective in correctly evaluating the value-for-money-ratios of different offers), especially when they perceive time pressure (=moderator). Self-efficacy is identified as a significant mediator, explaining the impact of stereotypes on performance. Contamination via “talking down” to older consumers also occurs in sales talks. In a “vignette” experiment, patronizing (vs. neutral) communication impairs the cognitive performance (measured via recall of information) of older consumers (n=86, Mage=69,) and leads to dissatisfaction.
The certification mark, which was introduced in response to an EU initiative in 2017, has been available in Germany since 2019. Its main features are neutrality, monitoring/control and transparency ...for certain material or service promises for which the legal protection of a certification mark is claimed. This anthology explores the questions of how exactly the effect of this instrument is to be assessed, what experiences have already been made with it, and how warranty marks are to be evaluated in terms of brand technology, customer orientation, and consumer policy.
Health has become a crucial advertising factor for food producers and retailers. Firms can now use health claims as effective tools to differentiate their products. However, several critical issues ...impact the efficiency of such health claims. In this study we investigate whether a co-labelling strategy might enhance the impact of health claims by combining the claim with a reinforcing element (“strong partner”), namely a sustainability label. The most common sustainability labels are the organic and the fair-trade label. Our findings show that combining a health claim with a sustainability label does indeed increase the credibility of the health claim, which then helps convey the product’s health message – although we find that this only applies to co-labelling with an organic label. At the same time, the organic label benefits from co-labelling with the health claim, and itself then becomes more credible.
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