Consumer Product Involvement Research Articles

Making Decisions for Other People: the Moderating Roles of Risky Information, Health Claims and Product Involvement

People tend to incorporate more variety seeking when they make purchasing decisions for others rather than for themselves because such behavior is perceived as a socially agreeable behavior. Building upon previous research, the present research seek to explore the underlying mechanisms and factors on the relationship between self-other difference and variety-seeking tendency. Risky information, health claims and consumer product involvement are used to examine the moderating effects on this relationship. The results indicate that people demonstrate less variety seeking in the presence of risky information than in the absence of risky information when purchasing products for themselves, while their variety-seeking behavior remains similar regardless of whether products have risky information when selecting products for others. In addition, people demonstrate more variety seeking in the presence of health claims than in the absence of health claims when purchasing products for themselves, while people tend to demonstrate less variety seeking in the presence of health claims than in the absence of health claims when selecting products for others. Moreover, people with high product involvement tend to demonstrate more variety seeking than do those with low involvement when selecting products for themselves, while they demonstrate similar variety seeking regardless of whether they have low or high involvement when purchasing products for others. Finally, the academic and practical implications are addressed.

Correlation of consumer values and product involvement

The main objective of the research was to determine the relationship of personal values measured Schwatrz's questionnaire and types of involvement of consumers in the product. The assumption is that there is a connection between certain dimension values (Power, Achievement, Hedonism, Stimulation, Self-direction, Universalism, Benevolence, Tradition, Conformity, and Security) and types of involvement in this product: Satisfaction, Importance, Meaning, Consequences of risk and Probability of risk. In addition, we examined the differences in the hierarchical structure of values in different groups of consumers. The study was conducted on a sample of 200 consumers from the territory of the Republic of Serbia, different genders, ages, education levels and purchasing power. The investigation used Schwartz's scale of universal values (Schwartz, 1992) and profile involvement (Laurent and Kapferer, 1985), as well as a list of socio-demographic variables. The most dominanat dimension of involvement relates to pleasure, while the dominant value dimension is Hedonism . When it comes to socio-demographic variables, differences in the expression of value dimensions exist in relation to the age and income levels. There were no differences in value orientations of respondents when it comes to gender, and education level. As significant predictors for the types of involvement are allocated to the following value dimensions: Benevolence, Self-direction, Stimulation, Hedonism, Power, Tradition, Conformity, Spirituality. Based on the value dimension is not possible to predict the types of involvement that relate to meaning and probability of risk.

The Impact of Consumer Ethnocentrism, Product Involvement, and Product Knowledge on Country of Origin Effects: An Empirical Analysis on Turkish Consumers’ Product Evaluation

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to explore whether, in which ways, and to what extent country-of-origin (COO) information affects the product-evaluation process in Turkey as a less-developed country. Moderating effects of consumer ethnocentrism (CE), product involvement, and product knowledge were also explored. Findings showed that COO cues have a significant main effect on the product-evaluation process. Although moderator variables (CE, product involvement, and product knowledge) do not have a significant effect alone on the product-evaluation process, they negatively moderate the relationship between COO cues and product evaluation.As far as we are aware, the roles of COO, CE product involvement, and product knowledge on product evaluation have not been simultaneously included in the same research model in previous empirical studies. So, as the original contribution of this article, this study investigates the interaction effects of CE, product involvement, and product knowledge on the relationship between COO cues and product evaluation in an emerging market.

Audience Response to Brand Journalism

This study examined reactions to brand journalism in light of frame, source, and product involvement. Participants in an experimental study viewed a custom magazine with either a commercial (branded) or editorial (nonbranded) frame and read a story quoting either a peer or a corporate source. Readers rated the nonbranded magazine higher in credibility, but source cues had no direct effects on credibility ratings. Source did matter when combined with consumer product involvement. Highly involved consumers had stronger brand attitudes and purchase intent after reading advice from a peer source; low-involved consumers responded more favorably to a corporate source.

To Engage or Not: Identifying the Consumer-Based Antecedents of Online Consumer Engagement Behaviour

The purpose of this paper is to identity the consumer-based antecedents of online Consumer Engagement Behavior (online-CEB). CEB refers to non-transactional behavior focusing on brands, products or firms, with a direct or indirect impact on firm performance. In an interconnected world, non-transactional consumer behavior is likely to become more relevant. Consumers nowadays are much more empowered than before due to their almost unlimited access of information. Social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter provide unlimited means for consumers to interact, express, share and create content about products or brands. Thus, firms that ignore non­ transactional behavior may lose opportunities and suffer from negative reputation effects (Kumar et al., 2010; Rust, Lemon, and Zeithaml, 2004). Furthermore, by ignoring non­ transactional behavior, a firm may calculate returns on marketing activities inaccurately (Rust, Lemon, and Zeithaml, 2004).Non-transactional consumer acts such as e-WOM, online product reviews, or product­ related weblogs indicate consumers' online engagement with specific brands, products or firms, and are therefore likely to directly or indirectly impact fims (Muntinga et al., 2011). Verhoef, van Doom, and Dorotic (2007) suggest that understanding and managing online-CEB is an inlportant practice to maximize the value of a firm's customer. A recent study by Brodie eta!. (2011) indicates that consumer engagement enhances loyalty and satisfaction, empowerment, connection, emotional bonding, trust and commitment. Therefore, firms must examine the antecedents of CEB, specifically in online context due to the rise of social networking sites, in order to understand its nature and manage it appropriately.This study begins by reviewing the existing literature on online-CEB and contributes to knowledge by identifying and hypothesising the relationships between the consumer­ based antecedents of online CEB. A conceptual model is developed and an empirical research has been carried out. The samples of this study were collected through online survey, and the data analysis was conducted using the Structural Equation Modelling. The result of this study identifies four relational concepts as the consumer-based antecedents of online-CEB, including consumer product involvement, consumer brand attitude, emotion toward a brand, and brand attachment.

소비자의 내재적 혁신성과 제품에 대한 관여도와 전문적 지식이 정보탐색 혁신성과 수용 혁신성에 미치는 영향에 관한 실증연구

소비자 혁신성은 소비자의 혁신적 행동을 유발하는 성향으로서 기업입장에서는 소비자들의 신제품 수용과 관련된 혁신성에 대한 연구는 필수적이다. 본 연구의 목적은 소비자의 제품에 대한 관여도와 제품에 대한 전문지식이 소비자의 실제화된 혁신성 중 해당 제품에 대한 정보탐색 혁신성과 수용혁신성에 미치는 영향을 탐색하는데 목적을 두고 있다. 이를 위해서 소비자의 내재적 혁신성과 제품에 대한 관여도 및 전문적 지식이 수용혁신성과 정보탐색 혁신성에 미치는 영향을 고찰하는 연구모델을 설정하고 이를 실증 분석하였다. 분석 결과는 첫째, 내재적 혁신성은 정보탐색 혁신성과 수용혁신성에 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 정보탐색 혁신성은 수용혁신성에 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 제품관여도는 정보탐색 혁신성과 수용혁신성에 긍정적 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 제품관련 전문성은 정보탐색 혁신성에는 영향을 미치는 반면 수용혁신성에는 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다. Consumer innovativeness is a force that leads to innovative behavior of consumer and it is crucial for companies to understand the innovativeness in association with the new innovative product adoption. The purpose of this paper is to examines the influence of Consumer's inherent innovativeness, product involvement, and product expertise on consumers's vicarious and adoptive innovativeness. For this purpose, the model has been set and examined the influence of consumer innovativeness, product involvement and product expertise on vicarious and adoptive innovativeness. The results revealed that 1) consumer innovativeness would not influence vicarious and adoptive innovativeness, 2) vicarious innovativeness had affect on adoptive innovativeness 3) product involvement had a affect on both vicarious and adoptive innovativeness 4) product expertise had a affect on vicarious innovativeness and yet had no affect on adoptive innovativeness.

The Relationship between Consumer Product Involvement, Product Knowledge and Impulsive Buying Behavior

Impulsive buying behavior is a common phenomenon but the topic has so far received little academic attention. Therefore, understanding consumer's impulsive buying behavior is important for both the academic and business sectors. To the knowledge of the authors, there have been no studies that have considered the relationship between consumer product involvement, product knowledge and impulsive buying behavior. Thereby, the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship among those three variables. In this study, we use the consumer product involvement as independent variable, product knowledge as intervening variable and impulse buying behavior as dependent variable. We also add in three control variables (price consciousness, age, and consumer materialism), so that we could purify the relationship betwe]en consumer product involvement and impulse buying behavior. The main object of this study is based on the general consumer. In this study, 400 questionnaires were sent and the effective rate was 83%. Through the regression analysis found that the higher the consumer product involvement, the higher product knowledge and impulse buying behavior. Finally, implications for managers and scholars are also discussed.

Assessing the Effects of Consumer Product Involvement Upon brand sensitivity

Assessing the Effects of Consumer Product Involvement Upon brand sensitivity

Assessing the role of involvement as a mediator of allocentrist responses to advertising and normative influence

AbstractThere has been increasing discussion of the guiding role of cultural knowledge in the construction of meaning from a stimulus. The present study, conducted in a collectivist culture, explores the role of consumer product involvement in behavioral intention. The research demonstrates that in addition to ego‐focused advertising appeal, the independent variable of subjective norm functions as a predictor of involvement. Both of these independent considerations can activate higher involvement of allocentrists, increasing their trust, affective attitudes, and subsequent purchase intention toward the advertised product.Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Forming positive advertising and product attitude: the role of product involvement

This study examines the impact of product involvement and the attitude of consumers on the perceptions of technology products that are advertised online. The study focuses on how product involvement and the online advertising attitudes of consumers form the perceived advertised product quality and value of technology products. The influences of product involvement on the contribution and product evaluation by audiences were examined by using survey data from 322 university students in Taiwan. The results indicate that product involvement significantly influences the online advertising attitudes of consumers and their perceived value of the advertised product. The results also reveal that consumer attitude towards advertising impacts the rating of product quality evaluations. An understanding of how consumer product involvement and advertising attitudes lead to perceived advertised product quality and value assists online marketers in creating effective advertising plans.

제품관여도, 광고모델에 따른 소비자 태도차이 연구

This study investigates the differences in advertisement attitude, brand attitude, and purchase intention based on advertising model and consumer product involvement. A total of 100 respondents in high involvement and 100 respondents in low involvement categories were exposed to the advertisements of a cosmetic brand using 4 different model types: celebrity endorser, expertise endorser, ordinary person as an endorser, and no endorser. The experiment was planned as <TEX>$2{\times}4$</TEX> types including high/low involvement and 4 different model types (25 respondents each). After looking at an advertisement for 1 minute, respondents were asked to answer a survey measuring advertisement attitude, brand attitude, and purchase intension. The results of this study showed that 6 hypotheses were supported and there was a significant difference between the high involvement and low involvement group depending on the advertising models used as well as the advertisement that influence advertisement attitude, brand attitude, and purchase intension. High involvement consumers showed the most favorable advertisement attitude on an advertisement with an expertise endorser, but low involvement consumers showed the most favorable advertisement attitude on an advertisement with a celebrity endorser. High involvement consumers showed the most favorable brand attitude on an advertisement with an expertise endorser whereas low involvement consumers showed the most favorable brand attitude on an advertisement with a celebrity endorser. High involvement consumers showed the highest purchase intention on an advertisement with an expertise endorser whereas low involvement consumers showed no difference in purchase intention depending on advertisement models. This study shows that marketers should differentiate advertising strategies based on consumer involvement.

Instructions to Authors

This paper is the third of the series of studies entitled “Innovativeness and Involvement as Determinants of Website Loyalty”, which was designed to test Foxall's [1995. Cognitive styles of consumer initiators. Technovation 15(5), 269–288] style/involvement model in the context of Internet buyer behaviours. This paper aims to demonstrate the theoretical and managerial contributions of Foxall's (1995) style/involvement by reviewing the development of cognitive style studies in past 20 years to show the trend and revisions in research designs, and how the current series of studies can add value to the existing literature. While a considerable body of evidence could only identify the personality profile of the earliest users of innovations [e.g. Foxall, G., Haskins, C.G., 1986. Cognitive style and consumer innovativeness: an empirical test of Kirton's Adaptation–Innovation Theory in the context of food purchasing. European Journal of Marketing 20(3/4), 63–80; Foxall, G.R., Haskins, C.G., 1987. Cognitive style and discontinuous consumption: the case of “healthy eating”. Food Marketing 3(2), 19–35; Goldsmith, R., 1983. Psychographics and new product adoption: an exploratory study. Perceptual and Motor Skills 57, 1071–1076; Goldsmith, R., 1984. Personality characteristics associated with adaption–innovation. Journal of Psychology 117(2), 159–165], Foxall's (1995) style/involvement model well captured the personality files of less-involved adaptors, innovators and more-involved innovators as well as their significantly different use/buying frequency of innovations. Aiming to continue to investigate the cognitive style theories in terms of the innovativeness measurement and consumers’ actual behaviours, Wang et al. [2005a. Innovativeness and involvement as determinants of Website loyalty: a test of the style/involvement model in the context of Internet buying, re-submitted] designed an empirical Website survey and findings confirmed Foxall's (1995) style/involvement model in an Internet buying context; although the former used the Domain Specific Innovativeness (DSI) scale [Goldsmith, R.E., Hofacker, C.F., 1991. Measuring consumer innovativeness. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 19(3), 209–221], and the latter used the Kirton Adaption/Innovation (KAI) scale [Kirton, M., 1976. Adaptors and innovators—a description and measure. Journal of Applied Psychology 61(5), 622–629]. Comparisons among Wang et al. (2005a) and Foxall's (1995) previous studies [Foxall, G.R., Bhate, S., 1991. Cognitive style, personal involvement and situation as determinants of computer use. Technovation 11(3), 183–199; Foxall, G.R., Bhate, S., 1993a. Cognitive styles and personal involvement of market initiators for ‘healthy’ food brands: implications for adoption theory. Journal of Economic Psychology 14(1), 33–56; Foxall, G.R., Bhate, S., 1993b. Cognitive style and use-innovativeness for applications software in home computing: Implications for new product strategy. Technovation 13(5), 311–325; Foxall, G.R., Pallister, J.G., 1998. Measuring Purchase Decision Involvement for financial services: comparison of the Zaichkowsky and Mittal scale. International Journal of Bank Marketing 16(4/5), 180–194; Szmigin, I., Foxall, G.R., 1999. Styles of cashless consumption. International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research 9, 349–365; Pallister, J.G., Foxall, G.R., Wang, H.-C., 2005. Consumer innovativeness and product involvement as determinants of purchases of financial services, submitted for publication] in the research design context were summarised so as to investigate why a more significant result was revealed in the former study. Together, this series of studies testing Foxall's (1995) style/involvement model provides a robust foundation for future consumer researches.

Instructions to Authors

This paper is the third of the series of studies entitled “Innovativeness and Involvement as Determinants of Website Loyalty”, which was designed to test Foxall's [1995. Cognitive styles of consumer initiators. Technovation 15(5), 269–288] style/involvement model in the context of Internet buyer behaviours. This paper aims to demonstrate the theoretical and managerial contributions of Foxall's (1995) style/involvement by reviewing the development of cognitive style studies in past 20 years to show the trend and revisions in research designs, and how the current series of studies can add value to the existing literature. While a considerable body of evidence could only identify the personality profile of the earliest users of innovations [e.g. Foxall, G., Haskins, C.G., 1986. Cognitive style and consumer innovativeness: an empirical test of Kirton's Adaptation–Innovation Theory in the context of food purchasing. European Journal of Marketing 20(3/4), 63–80; Foxall, G.R., Haskins, C.G., 1987. Cognitive style and discontinuous consumption: the case of “healthy eating”. Food Marketing 3(2), 19–35; Goldsmith, R., 1983. Psychographics and new product adoption: an exploratory study. Perceptual and Motor Skills 57, 1071–1076; Goldsmith, R., 1984. Personality characteristics associated with adaption–innovation. Journal of Psychology 117(2), 159–165], Foxall's (1995) style/involvement model well captured the personality files of less-involved adaptors, innovators and more-involved innovators as well as their significantly different use/buying frequency of innovations. Aiming to continue to investigate the cognitive style theories in terms of the innovativeness measurement and consumers’ actual behaviours, Wang et al. [2005a. Innovativeness and involvement as determinants of Website loyalty: a test of the style/involvement model in the context of Internet buying, re-submitted] designed an empirical Website survey and findings confirmed Foxall's (1995) style/involvement model in an Internet buying context; although the former used the Domain Specific Innovativeness (DSI) scale [Goldsmith, R.E., Hofacker, C.F., 1991. Measuring consumer innovativeness. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 19(3), 209–221], and the latter used the Kirton Adaption/Innovation (KAI) scale [Kirton, M., 1976. Adaptors and innovators—a description and measure. Journal of Applied Psychology 61(5), 622–629]. Comparisons among Wang et al. (2005a) and Foxall's (1995) previous studies [Foxall, G.R., Bhate, S., 1991. Cognitive style, personal involvement and situation as determinants of computer use. Technovation 11(3), 183–199; Foxall, G.R., Bhate, S., 1993a. Cognitive styles and personal involvement of market initiators for ‘healthy’ food brands: implications for adoption theory. Journal of Economic Psychology 14(1), 33–56; Foxall, G.R., Bhate, S., 1993b. Cognitive style and use-innovativeness for applications software in home computing: Implications for new product strategy. Technovation 13(5), 311–325; Foxall, G.R., Pallister, J.G., 1998. Measuring Purchase Decision Involvement for financial services: comparison of the Zaichkowsky and Mittal scale. International Journal of Bank Marketing 16(4/5), 180–194; Szmigin, I., Foxall, G.R., 1999. Styles of cashless consumption. International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research 9, 349–365; Pallister, J.G., Foxall, G.R., Wang, H.-C., 2005. Consumer innovativeness and product involvement as determinants of purchases of financial services, submitted for publication] in the research design context were summarised so as to investigate why a more significant result was revealed in the former study. Together, this series of studies testing Foxall's (1995) style/involvement model provides a robust foundation for future consumer researches.

Conceptualizing Product Involvement Using Fuzzy Automata: An Integrated Model of Antecedents and Consequences

Product involvement refers to the degree of importance consumers attach to a product or their subject recognition of a product's value. It is helpful to marketers who can realize consumer's attribute of perception by the concept in relevance of the product category. However, most studies concerning product involvement did not contain complete variables. Most researchers discussed few variables of antecedents and/or consequences for product involvement. On the other hand, when it comes to social science, many consumers have complicated and uncertain thoughts about products' values. By using the fuzzy automata, this study aims to develop an integrated model of product involvement. Product involvement is the main topic in our empirical study where plenty of antecedents and consequences are presented. The results indicate the fact that a fitting model relies on both the selection of implications and, more importantly, the selection of compositions in the fuzzy automata. With this model, as long as investigating an individual's antecedent states of product involvement, we can acquire consumer's product involvement states and consequent states.

Perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty of TV travel product shopping: Involvement as a moderator

Just like Internet shopping, TV shopping as an emerging powerful channel of distribution has shown substantial growth in sales and in the number of customers over the past decade. Compared to Internet shopping, the consumer behavior of TV shopping is nonetheless neglected. This paper sheds light on the consumer behavior of TV travel product shopping and specifically investigates the relationships between perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty of TV shoppers. The findings reveal that in general only the effect of perceived value, but not satisfaction, on loyalty is supported. Furthermore, the consumer product involvement shows its moderating effects on the value–satisfaction–loyalty model.

Innovativeness and Involvement as Determinants of Website Loyalty: III. Theoretical and managerial contributions

This paper is the third of the series of studies entitled “Innovativeness and Involvement as Determinants of Website Loyalty”, which was designed to test Foxall's [1995. Cognitive styles of consumer initiators. Technovation 15(5), 269–288] style/involvement model in the context of Internet buyer behaviours. This paper aims to demonstrate the theoretical and managerial contributions of Foxall's (1995) style/involvement by reviewing the development of cognitive style studies in past 20 years to show the trend and revisions in research designs, and how the current series of studies can add value to the existing literature. While a considerable body of evidence could only identify the personality profile of the earliest users of innovations [e.g. Foxall, G., Haskins, C.G., 1986. Cognitive style and consumer innovativeness: an empirical test of Kirton's Adaptation–Innovation Theory in the context of food purchasing. European Journal of Marketing 20(3/4), 63–80; Foxall, G.R., Haskins, C.G., 1987. Cognitive style and discontinuous consumption: the case of “healthy eating”. Food Marketing 3(2), 19–35; Goldsmith, R., 1983. Psychographics and new product adoption: an exploratory study. Perceptual and Motor Skills 57, 1071–1076; Goldsmith, R., 1984. Personality characteristics associated with adaption–innovation. Journal of Psychology 117(2), 159–165], Foxall's (1995) style/involvement model well captured the personality files of less-involved adaptors, innovators and more-involved innovators as well as their significantly different use/buying frequency of innovations. Aiming to continue to investigate the cognitive style theories in terms of the innovativeness measurement and consumers’ actual behaviours, Wang et al. [2005a. Innovativeness and involvement as determinants of Website loyalty: a test of the style/involvement model in the context of Internet buying, re-submitted] designed an empirical Website survey and findings confirmed Foxall's (1995) style/involvement model in an Internet buying context; although the former used the Domain Specific Innovativeness (DSI) scale [Goldsmith, R.E., Hofacker, C.F., 1991. Measuring consumer innovativeness. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 19(3), 209–221], and the latter used the Kirton Adaption/Innovation (KAI) scale [Kirton, M., 1976. Adaptors and innovators—a description and measure. Journal of Applied Psychology 61(5), 622–629]. Comparisons among Wang et al. (2005a) and Foxall's (1995) previous studies [Foxall, G.R., Bhate, S., 1991. Cognitive style, personal involvement and situation as determinants of computer use. Technovation 11(3), 183–199; Foxall, G.R., Bhate, S., 1993a. Cognitive styles and personal involvement of market initiators for ‘healthy’ food brands: implications for adoption theory. Journal of Economic Psychology 14(1), 33–56; Foxall, G.R., Bhate, S., 1993b. Cognitive style and use-innovativeness for applications software in home computing: Implications for new product strategy. Technovation 13(5), 311–325; Foxall, G.R., Pallister, J.G., 1998. Measuring Purchase Decision Involvement for financial services: comparison of the Zaichkowsky and Mittal scale. International Journal of Bank Marketing 16(4/5), 180–194; Szmigin, I., Foxall, G.R., 1999. Styles of cashless consumption. International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research 9, 349–365; Pallister, J.G., Foxall, G.R., Wang, H.-C., 2005. Consumer innovativeness and product involvement as determinants of purchases of financial services, submitted for publication] in the research design context were summarised so as to investigate why a more significant result was revealed in the former study. Together, this series of studies testing Foxall's (1995) style/involvement model provides a robust foundation for future consumer researches.

The relationship between product involvement and product knowledge: Moderating roles of product type and product knowledge type

AbstractTo shed further light on the correlation between consumer product involvement and consumer product knowledge, the authors examined such correlation by treating product type and product knowledge type as moderating variables. The results show that the correlation between a consumer's product involvement and objective product knowledge is higher in a utilitarian product than in a hedonic product. On the contrary, the correlation between a consumer's product involvement and subjective product knowledge is higher in a hedonic product than in a utilitarian product. The implications of these results are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Understanding Customers' Intention to Seek for a Better Deal in Electronic Marketplace: The Role of Tolerance for Sacrifice Gap

ABSTRACT Online consumers make frequent use of the Internet to search for product and price information. In this study, an online model is proposed and empirically tested in investigating the role of tolerance for sacrifice gap in understanding customers' intention to seek for a better deal. Data was collected through an online survey. Structural equation modeling was employed to test hypotheses. The results show that tolerance for sacrifice gap was not only a strong predictor of intention for continuing search but also itself being related to consumer product knowledge, perceived control, and consumer product involvement. Direct relationship between another construct “perceived reduction in sacrifice gap” and “intention to seek for a better deal” was also found. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Media Effects by Involvement Under Voluntary Exposure: A Comparison of Television, Print and Static Internet

SUMMARY In this study, the effects on consumer responses are explored of single-medium and multiple-media campaigns under two levels of consumer's product involvement. The results of this study confirm that research on media effects need to take into account consumer product involvement. Consumer involvement seems to be crucial for the differential effects of retrieval (print and Internet) and delivery (television) media. Retrieval media will be effective under conditions of high rather than low product involvement, because retrieval media have a limited capacity to influence low-involved and passive consumers. Delivery media are better suited for influencing low-involved consumers. Delivery media are able to attract the attention of low-involved consumers and, as a consequence, may induce superficial processing and low involvement learning.

Differences Between South Korean Male and Female Consumers in the Clothing Brand Loyalty Formation Process: Model Testing

Although considerable research on brand loyalty has been conducted, few attempts have been made to integrate the results of previous studies. This study focuses on causal relationships among brand loyalty-related variables, such as consumer knowledge, product involvement, perceived risk, information search, and consumer satisfaction, in an effort to integrate results of previous studies. The purpose of this study was to propose a model of clothing brand loyalty formation considering the five brand loyalty-related variables simultaneously, and to examine gender differences in the process of clothing brand loyalty formation. Participants were 505 Korean consumers with college or graduate degrees; all were white-collar workers in their twenties and thirties living in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires, and a proposed model was tested by LISREL. The results indicated that consumer knowledge, product involvement, and perceived risk indirectly influence brand loyalty through the mediating variables of information search and consumer satisfaction. Information search and consumer satisfaction directly influence brand loyalty. The major gender difference was that the most influential variable in information search was perceived risk for men, whereas product involvement was the most influential variable for women.