Utilitarian Products Research Articles

Contrasting the Efficacy of the Type of Influencer to the Type of Product: The Mediating Effect of Perceived Authenticity

With advent of artificial intelligence applications, managers and policymakers are challenged to incorporate such transformative technology into their practices. Drawing upon the match-up hypothesis, this article aims to examine how consumers respond to utilitarian (food), symbolic (Gucci bag) or stigmatized (cigarettes) products endorsed by artificial intelligence influencer compared to human influencer. The phenomenon by which utilitarian/hedonic attributes trade-offs determine preference for, or resistance to, artificial intelligence-based recommendations in comparison to human influencer’s product recommendations. Research sheds light on social media’s dark side by investigating the effectiveness of influencer marketing in endorsing stigmatized product type. A ‘web-based between-subjects’ experiment was conducted on 236 Egyptian female samples with an equal exposure to artificial intelligence ( n = 118) and human influencers ( n = 118). After validating the designed scenarios and measurement model, structural equation modelling was employed to test the hypotheses. Results show that there is no significant difference between artificial intelligence and human influencers for symbolic product recommendations. Compared to artificial intelligence, human influencers are more effective at making recommendations for utilitarian products, while artificial intelligence influencers are more effective at making recommendations for stigmatized products. Moreover, perceived authenticity leads to variation between human and artificial intelligence influencer effectiveness for symbolic product recommendations.

Can virtual streamers replace human streamers? The interactive effect of streamer type and product type on purchase intention

PurposeDigitally driven virtual streamers are increasingly utilized in live-streaming commerce, possessing distinct advantages compared to human streamers. However, the applicable scenarios of virtual streamers are still unclear. Focusing on product attribute variances, this paper compares the livestreaming effects of virtual and human streamers to clarify the applicable scenarios for each and assist companies in strategically choosing suitable streamers.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted four experiments utilizing both images and video as stimulus materials, and each experiment employed different products. To test the proposed model, a total of 1,068 valid participants were recruited, encompassing a diverse group of individuals, including undergraduates and employed workers.FindingsThe results indicate no significant difference between virtual and human streamers in increasing consumers’ purchase intention for utilitarian products. In contrast, human streamers are more effective in enhancing consumer purchase intention for hedonic products, with a mediating role of mental imagery quality. Consumers’ implicit personality variances also influence their willingness to accept virtual streamers.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to compare the effects of virtual and human streamers in promoting different products to enhance our comprehension of virtual streamers. Given the potential risks associated with human streamers, a comprehensive understanding of the role of virtual streamers is imperative for brands when deploying live-streaming commerce activities.

Collaborative online shopping: customer satisfaction and the influence of product type, gender and involvement

PurposeOnline shopping has recently been evolving more toward the subject area of collaborative online shopping (COS), and customer satisfaction is one of the key determinants for the success of COS. In this study, we investigate the effect of product type and gender and their interaction with customer satisfaction through user involvement in a collaborative online shopping context.Design/methodology/approachWe developed a lab experiment with a mixed two-by-two factorial design to test the proposed research model. We chose gender (male versus female) as the between-subjects factor and product type (utilitarian product versus hedonic product) as the within-subjects factor.FindingsThe obtained results indicate that collaborative shopping may require group members to be more involved for a hedonic product than a utilitarian product. When collaboratively shopping for utilitarian products, male groups tend to show a higher level of involvement than female groups. In contrast, female groups show a higher level of involvement than male groups when collaboratively shopping for hedonic products. Furthermore, our results indicate that greater involvement in COS may lead to higher satisfaction.Social implicationsWebsites that sell hedonic products should first adopt the design elements that support COS. Meanwhile, online sellers should be aware that the gender gap still exists as online shopping evolves toward social online shopping. In addition, COS websites should provide more design elements (e.g. co-browsing, avatar embodiment, video chat and voting tools) to stimulate user involvement.Originality/valueIn this paper, we employ the theory of consumption values, which decomposes COS value into the utilitarian and hedonic dimensions, as a theoretical foundation to investigate the effect of product type and gender together as well as their interactions in the COS context. The obtained findings may provide various insights and empirical evidence to improve the understanding of how to target male and female customers across different product types in the COS context.

New Law Responding to Imitations of Designs that Intersect Real and Virtual Space: Amendment of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act in Japan

Abstract Digital items that have the appearance of real utilitarian products are often tied to NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) in the virtual space known as the metaverse, and sold as goods. The designs of real utilitarian products are increasingly being converted into the designs of such NFT goods without the permission of their developers. In order to deal with these imitations, which intersect the real and the virtual worlds, the Japanese legislator decided to utilize the existing provision for the protection of forms of goods in the unfair competition prevention law (UCPA 1993). The law was amended in June 2023 to newly define ‘the act of offering through telecommunication line’ goods that imitate the form of another person’s goods as an act of unfair competition. Copyright protection under Japanese case law has rarely been granted to designs of utilitarian products, and under Japanese design law the product design is identified not only by its shape but also by its product type. The protection of image designs is almost exclusively limited to specific images unrelated to the NFT goods. However, the revised provision of UCPA 1993 has also been generally interpreted as the provision prohibiting the imitation of designs between homogeneous products. The amendment effectively negates this interpretation. This paper reveals the impact on the existing interpretation of the relevant provision of UCPA 1993 and the issues arising from other legal provisions with respect to such imitations.

Who do you want to purchase with? The effect of naming strategy on consumer participation in online group purchase

Online group purchases are gaining popularity in online retailing. However, consumers' responses to personally identifiable information such as the initiator's account naming style are still unclear. With three experiments conducted in social-commerce contexts, the research found that a typical (vs. atypical) account name increases consumers' purchase intentions. The effect holds for high-involvement purchases, hedonic products, and a small participant size, while mitigates for low-involvement purchases, utilitarian products, and a large participant size. The research uncovered that trust in the initiator and trust in the product serially mediate the naming style effect. The theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Enhancing consumer evaluation of new products: The role of innovation newness and communication strategy

This study investigates how the psychological distance associated with innovation newness interacts with the construal level of advertisement (ad) appeal to influence consumer product evaluations. We conduct three studies to demonstrate how to optimize consumer evaluations of incrementally new products (INPs) vs. radically new products (RNPs) by examining the moderating role of concrete attribute vs. abstract benefit appeals in advertising. Study 1 reveals that greater innovation newness increases the psychological distance toward new products. Study 2 demonstrates that attribute appeal is more effective when paired with INPs, low-level concrete construal, whereas benefit appeal is more effective when paired with RNPs, high-level abstract construal. This outcome is further mediated through processing fluency. Furthermore, Study 3 demonstrates that the matching principle applies to utilitarian products, but with hedonic products, abstract benefit appeal improves the evaluations of both INPs and RNPs.

Brand avatar present or absent? Investigate brand avatar and consumer forgiveness in public apology

PurposeThe rising occurrence of digitally driven public consumer complaints has made it necessary for enterprises to obtain consumer forgiveness. However, existing research has provided little understanding regarding how to obtain consumer forgiveness effectively. Thus, the present study examined how brand avatars can improve consumer forgiveness in the context of public apology.Design/methodology/approachThis study tested the mechanism of a brand avatar on consumer forgiveness using three studies. Specifically, we explored the direct and mediating effect of empathy toward a brand (Study 1); we identified the moderating mediating effect of humorous responses (Study 2) and product type (Study 3). Data for these studies were collected on Credamo. We analyzed the data using SPSS (26.0) for the primary analysis and PROCESS (3.5) for the mediating and moderating mediating analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that brand avatars enhance consumer forgiveness. Moreover, empathy toward a brand plays a mediating role in the effect of brand avatars on consumer forgiveness. Additionally, when a humorous response is present, a brand avatar can enhance customer forgiveness through empathy toward that brand. Compared to utilitarian products, hedonic products can also increase the impact of a brand avatar on empathy toward the brand, thus enhancing consumers' forgiveness.Originality/valueFrom the perspective of emotion, this study explored the impact of brand avatars on consumer forgiveness via empathy toward a brand. It augments the research on brand avatars and consumer forgiveness. The study also verified the moderating mediating effect of humor response and product type while expanding the brand avatar research boundary.

How Do Physical Disability Cues Influence Assumptions about Consumer Tastes? Unpacking the Disability Preference Stereotype

Abstract Across 10 experimental studies, this research identifies and provides evidence of a disability preference stereotype whereby observers infer that disabled consumers prefer utilitarian products more than nondisabled consumers and prefer hedonic products less than nondisabled consumers. We show that this stereotype occurs because of societal associations between physical disability and pity. Pity elicits a multidimensional response such that considering the interests of a disabled person increases feelings of personal discomfort, driving both an inclination to help (help-giving orientation) and a tendency to assess the perceived misfortune (misfortune appraisal) in parallel. Thus, when considering the preferences of disabled individuals, the help-giving orientation increases focus on functional (utilitarian) goods, while the misfortune appraisal decreases focus on pleasurable (hedonic) goods. Importantly, this stereotype can be mitigated through increased disability representation. Representation of empowered disabled individuals in media can dampen the help-giving orientation, reducing inferred utilitarian preferences, while representation of disabled people partaking in daily pleasures through increased accessibility can reduce misfortune perceptions, increasing inferred hedonic preferences. This work addresses the paucity of disability-related consumer research, identifies how aspects unique to consumption can limit consumers with disabilities, and highlights opportunities to minimize ableist stereotypes by expanding representation and increasing marketplace inclusion.

Sonic sensations: Navigating the mixed outcomes of ASMR in retail advertising

This paper investigates the influence of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) elements in advertising on consumer attitudes. Through three experimental studies, we assess the impact of ASMR on attitudes toward ads and brands across hedonic and utilitarian product categories, and for known and unknown brands. Our findings reveal a generally negative effect of ASMR on ad attitudes among the wider population but identify a positive impact among those who experience ASMR's physiological sensations, as serially mediated through physiological and emotional responses. Notably, negative brand attitudes were observed only with unknown brands. This research underscores the nuanced role of ASMR in advertising, highlighting the potential for positive effects within a specific consumer segment, while cautioning against its broader application.

WHY GOOGLE GLASSES FAILED?

In this research paper we are basically trying to find out why Google Glasses failed as a product in the market. Google Glasses was launched back in 2012 as a product that created a lot of buzz in the market as “Wearable Smart Glasses”. But it never managed to effectively capitalise on the hype that surrounded the product and failed in capturing the market share and did not turn out as a money-making product. On the contrary, Google lost $895 million and incurred heavy losses and ultimately had to give up on the product. It failed to captivate the imagination of the people and people were not really interested in the product. When we dig deeper into the problem, we found several loopholes and flaws in the product, and in the basic business idea on the fundamental level. First of all, the designers of the idea and the product lacked the clarity as to whether the glasses would be considered as a fashionable device or just stand out as a utilitarian product. The problem was also with the price of the product, as this was so expensive that only the rich could afford and hence inaccessible to the masses and a limited target market. The people were also concerned with the privacy aspect as the current generation is quite conscious about their data being recorded and people did not really like this aspect of Google Glasses. People were even concerned with the safety of this product. People were not really great fans of the design of the glasses and generally regarded the product as uncool. Moreover, the grim problem of low battery life on the glasses was another major flaw. Nobody likes it, if they have to charge their product every now and then, it really drops the satisfaction level, and this happened with Google Glasses as well. The design of the glasses was unappealing and the glasses regularly faced heating and language issues. So overall these were the factors we found out that contributed in the product ending up as a huge failure in the market, despite the fact that it had a huge brand value as the likes of Google backing it up.

Men resist men: streamer-consumer gender match for advertising the functional benefits of heterogeneously priced utilitarian products

Within the emerging live-streaming commerce context, streamer-consumer gender match has been considered an important topic in studies on advertising hedonic products. However, it is still under-explored how streamer-consumer gender match affects the mapping from functional benefits to advertising effectiveness when advertising utilitarian products and how the mechanism is contingent on heterogeneous price signals. To somewhat address the research gaps, we develop a number of hypotheses based on the elaboration likelihood model together with the price signaling mechanism and examine the research model drawing on a 28-day panel on 685 smartphones sold on Douyin Live Shopping. The empirical results indicate that (1) functional benefit performance has a positive effect on advertising effectiveness for utilitarian products with a middle-price signal, and the effect is stronger when the products are sold by male rather than female streamers; (2) also for advertising utilitarian products with a middle-price signal, male consumers resist male streamers when streamers leverage utilitarian information to stimulate consumers’ purchase intention; and (3) functional benefit performance contributes little to advertising effectiveness for utilitarian products with a high-price or low-price signal. The evidence uncovers that gender match mainly makes a difference to appending extra hedonic cues rather than amplifying the conversion of utilitarian information in the sense of advertising utilitarian products. The findings also highlight the risk of neglecting within-category heterogeneities in the by-product-category research on live-streaming advertising.

Mentor or partner: Matching effect of para-social interaction and product type on purchase intention in live-streaming commerce

Live-streaming commerce differs from traditional e-commerce by bringing consumers and sellers closer together, enhancing the perception of para-social interaction through real-time interactivity. Based on para-social interaction theory, this study proposed two types of para-social interaction: mentor-oriented and partner-oriented. And explored the impact of para-social interaction and product type on purchase intention, mediated by trust. Additionally, this research examined the moderating influence of individual construal level, in combination with the construal level theory. The results of three scenario experiments showed that mentor-oriented para-social interaction promotes purchase intention more than partner-oriented para-social interaction when purchasing utilitarian products. However, partner-oriented para-social interaction promotes purchase intention more than mentor-oriented para-social interaction in the purchase decision of hedonic products. In addition, the construal level moderates the matching impact of para-social interaction and products type on purchase intention. Studying from para-social interaction type perspective, this paper provided insights into the research of consumption behavior in the field of live-streaming commerce and marketing.

Users, AI, or professional designers? The impacts of inspiration stimuli on customers' willingness to participate in user design

AbstractThis study aims to explore how different sources of inspiration (namely, users, artificial intelligence (AI), and professional designers) as external stimuli influence customers' willingness to participate in user design. Results from four experiments show that inspiration from users, AI, and professional designers all positively influence customers' willingness to participate in user design. Self‐competence is found to mediate such effects. Moreover, we further identify that the effects of inspiration stimuli on customers' willingness to participate in user design is moderated by customer knowledge and product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian). Customers with low level of knowledge are more likely to be inspired by user designs and AI‐generated designs than professional designer counterparts. For utilitarian products, customers are more likely to be inspired by user designs and AI‐generated designs. In contrast, for hedonic products, customers are more likely to draw inspiration from professional designers. Our finding suggests that open innovation communities should offer a variety of designs from users and AI to inspire their users, thus encouraging their participation in user design.

Filtering a beauty justification: the effect of filtered selfies on preferences for hedonic versus utilitarian products

Filtering a beauty justification: the effect of filtered selfies on preferences for hedonic versus utilitarian products

Avatars in live streaming commerce: The influence of anthropomorphism on consumers' willingness to accept virtual live streamers

Although companies are investing more in avatars to improve interactivity and engage their customers better, the effectiveness of avatars in online markets needs more evidences. This study explores the influence mechanism of anthropomorphism on consumers' willingness to accept virtual live streamers, grounded in social identity theory and construal levels theory. Three research hypotheses were formulated and tested through an online scenario experiment employing a 2 (high anthropomorphism vs. low anthropomorphism) and 2 (utilitarian products vs. hedonic products) between-subjects design (N = 214). The results reveal that anthropomorphism positively influences consumers' willingness to accept virtual live streamers. This effect is mediated through the chain mediation effects of psychological distance and trust (effect = 0.181, 95% confidence interval = [0.075, 0.299]). Additionally, product type serves as a moderator in this process. Specifically, the mediation is significant for utilitarian products (effect = 0.410, 95% confidence interval = [0.203, 0.604]) but not for hedonic products (effect = 0.102, 95% confidence interval = [-0.106, 0.310]). These findings contribute to understanding the effectiveness of avatar marketing in live streaming commerce, specifically consumers' willingness to accept virtual live streamers, and enrich the literature on anthropomorphism in online marketplaces. Furthermore, they assist live streaming commerce operators in developing effective anthropomorphism strategies to enhance the utilization efficiency of virtual live streamers.

Aspectos cognitivos y emocionales en la intención de compra en consumidores innovadores

The following research aims to deepen the understanding of the cognitive and emotional processes associated with purchase intention in consumers from Latin America. Considering the theory of systems of thought on one side and emotions on the other, the effects on purchase intention in consumers with different degrees of innovation are evaluated from a preliminary view. Using psychometric instruments validated in previous research on these topics, the study is applied to a sample of Chilean university students, with differences in sociodemographic variables, such as income levels and educational background. The results indicate relationships between systems of thought and the effects of emotions, both for hedonistic and utilitarian products, with significant differences according to gender, using partial correlations. This study attempts to be a contribution to improve the understandingof innovative consumer behavior in a Latin American context, from a cognitiveemotional perspective, as a first approach to the deepening of this type of processes, from a regional and cultural perspective.

The different impact of utilitarian and hedonic attributes on web-based retail shopping behaviour through the lens of extended technology acceptance model

PurposeAcknowledging previous scholarly focus on functional attributes in understanding technology acceptance behaviour, the current study aims to offer a novel perspective by integrating eight different dimensions of utilitarian and hedonic attributes to examine their influence in delivering a holistic web-based retail shopping experience.Design/methodology/approachThe research model was tested and validated through data collected from 370 online shoppers across both hedonic and utilitarian product ranges. Hypotheses were tested using covariance-based structural equation modelling with multi-group analysis to examine the moderation effect.FindingsThe findings strongly support the model confirming eight new utilitarian and hedonic dimensions that influence web-based retail shopping behaviour. The findings also confirm that hedonic attributes remain important even for utilitarian product purchasing.Practical implicationsThe key managerial implication is the demonstrated need to balance utilitarian and hedonic attributes in web-based retail platforms, where previously, there has been an overemphasis on functional features. Web-based retailers should consider the optimal blend of utilitarian (e.g. information quality) and hedonic (e.g. aesthetic) attributes in the design of a retail shopping site, irrespective of the product category.Originality/valueThis study integrates multiple dimensions of utilitarian and hedonic attributes into a single model and highlights the interplay of these attributes, thus extending the technology acceptance model. This paper also advances scholarship through its identification of attribute impact across different product categories.

Evaluating Trust in Recommender Systems: A User Study on the Impacts of Explanations, Agency Attribution, and Product Types

Recommender systems have emerged as powerful tools for providing personalized recommendations, often employed by online platforms to suggest products or media content based on user behavior. The design of these systems significantly influences and shapes user experience, as they guide users through vast amounts of information and help them make decisions more efficiently. In this study, we conducted an online experiment (N = 268) to test how different framings of source (human-oriented vs. machine-oriented vs. proxy-oriented vs. none) in recommendation explanations induced users’ attribution of human vs. machine agency in the recommendation process, thus impacting trusting beliefs and trusting behavioral intentions. Results revealed that subtle wording variations could lead participants to orient to different recommendation sources and then attribute human or machine agencies differently, regardless of their understanding of the true technical mechanism. Participants who attributed greater human agency to the recommendations exhibited higher confidence in making choices based on the system’s suggestions and a greater willingness to disclose personal information for continued use, mediated by the competence and integrity dimensions of trust, respectively. By evaluating both wine and vacuum recommendations, we also explored the contextual differences between hedonic and utilitarian product types in the recommendation process. The findings of this study provide implications for the trust-building and ethical communication design of recommender systems.

Social media influencer endorsement: the conditional effects of product attribute description in sponsored influencer videos

ABSTRACT As social media influencer endorsement gains significance in marketing communication, an increasing number of influencers have started to incorporate product information into their sponsored content. This study examines the effectiveness of product attribute description in the context of sponsored videos. Using a field dataset of 598 sponsored videos, we demonstrate that influencers’ use of product attribute description as an endorsement strategy has a negative impact on video engagement, and this effect is stronger for trial versus awareness campaigns. However, the negative impact is reversed to a positive one when product attribute description is employed for utilitarian products but not for hedonic products. These results reveal that the effectiveness of product attribute description depends on the nature of the product and the campaign objectives. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of influencer marketing effectiveness and sheds light on the nuances of endorsement strategies. Practical implications on how to optimise endorsement effectiveness and video performance are discussed.

Placebo effect in food marketing: young consumers' perception of food healthiness and tastiness in reduced-sugar labeling

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide a nuanced understanding of the marketing placebo effect (MPE) of products with reduced sugar labeling and how it forms certain perceptual underpins (perceived healthiness (PH) and perceived tastiness (PT)), with the potential effect of product category and social class in consideration.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model is tested using a sample of 822 participants by employing partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Hypothetical relationships among MPE, PH, PT, purchase intention (PI) and social class are examined for both hedonic and utilitarian products.FindingsThe results highlight the positive role of MPE in leveraging consumer PI through the parallel mediation of PH and PT. The positive effect of MPE on PH and PT was more pronounced for the utilitarian product. In addition, social class negatively moderated the relationship between PH and PI only in the case of the utilitarian product.Originality/valueThis paper contributed to the MPE literature in the food industry by challenging the conventional intuition of “Unhealthy = Tasty” and highlighting the potential of perceived food healthiness to positively influence perceived food tastiness under the effect of MPE. An upper social class would attenuate the positive effect of perceived food healthiness on PI.