The effect of context attractiveness on product attractiveness and product quality: the moderating role of product familiarity

Benedikt Schnurr (), Alexandra Brunner-Sperdin and Nicola E. Stokburger-Sauer
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Benedikt Schnurr: University of Innsbruck
Alexandra Brunner-Sperdin: University of Applied Sciences in Kufstein
Nicola E. Stokburger-Sauer: University of Innsbruck

Marketing Letters, 2017, vol. 28, issue 2, No 6, 253 pages

Abstract: Abstract Prior research has investigated a number of drivers of consumers’ perceived product attractiveness, such as a product’s shape and color. The context, in which a product is presented, has so far been largely neglected in examining consumers’ aesthetic appraisal of products. Drawing on social cognition theory, this research investigates how the attractiveness of the visual context (e.g., websites, advertisements) influences consumers’ perceptions of product attractiveness and product quality for familiar versus unfamiliar products. Results of two experimental studies show that consumers perceive unfamiliar products as more attractive and, consequently, of higher quality when products are placed in an attractive context than when they are placed in an unattractive context. No differences in consumers’ perceived product attractiveness and perceived product quality exist for familiar products. The findings extend our theoretical knowledge of product aesthetics and provide managers with insights into the effective communication of their offerings’ attractiveness.

Keywords: Context effects; Product attractiveness; Product quality; Product familiarity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11002-016-9404-3

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