PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of cuteness and cool on the perceived quality of digital products, the mediating effect of brand perception (warmth and competence) and the moderating effect of the individual perception level.Design/methodology/approachThis paper utilizes experimental design and survey methods to collect data and the ANOVA, independent sample t-test and bootstrap analysis methods to verify the assumed hypotheses.FindingsStudies 1 and 2 demonstrate that cuteness (vs cool) is more likely to promote the perception of brand warmth (vs competence), and the brand perception plays a mediating role between cuteness (cool) and the perceived quality. Study 3 replicates the findings of Study 2 and indicates that people with high-cuteness (vs low-cuteness) perception are the same to perceive the brand warmth to promote the perceived quality of digital products, but people with high-cool (vs low-cool) perception are more likely to perceive the brand competence to promote the perceived quality of digital products.Practical implicationsBased on the conclusions in this paper, marketers could emphasize the cool information of digital products in advertisements to promote the perceived quality to promote younger consumers' willingness to pay (WTP). Furthermore, firms could shape warm brand images by the perception of cuteness because cuteness is positively associated with the warmth of brand perception (e.g. the logo of Three Squirrels, a Chinese nut business brand that consists of three cute squirrels).Originality/valueFrom a theoretical standpoint, this paper contributes to the brand perception when consumers accept product information with the characteristics of cuteness or cool. Second, a model of perceived quality of digital products is built based on the stereotype content theory. Third, this paper considers individual perception levels on cuteness and cool as the boundaries to conduct further conceptual model.
Although there have been many AI chatbots in industry service, social media, and e‐commerce platforms, research on AI chatbots such as Replika, neglected the effects of human‐like traits on users' continuance using intention. This article aims to explore the main effects of human‐like traits (perceived warmth vs. perceived competence) of friendship AI chatbots (FAIC) on continuance using intention and customer engagement, and the moderating effects of the need to belong and information sensitivity. Three studies are conducted to collect data (Ntotal = 1420). Our findings of Study 1 demonstrate that perceived warmth and perceived competence can increase the continuance using intention to FAIC and customer engagement, and perceived usefulness plays a mediating role in our conceptual model. Additionally, consumers' need to belong (high vs. low) (Study 2) and information sensitivity (high vs. low) (Study 3) related to chat contents moderate the main effects significantly. This article contributes to the literature on the relationship between FAIC and consumers by presenting the influence of perceived warmth and perceived competence and establishing the underlying process. Analogously, the findings can be beneficial for marketers and firms in designing and developing the coding program of FAIC to promote consumers' continuance using intention and customer engagement.
It is now the mainstream scientific consensus that carbon emissions cause global climate change. Achieving the goal of China’s carbon neutrality is essential for environmental protection and economic sustainable development worldwide. In the above context, this paper aims to explore the carbon neutrality cognition, environmental value, and consumption preference for low-carbon products from the perspective of consumption end. Thus, we built and checked a new conceptual model of consumers’ carbon neutrality cognition and the consumption preference for low-carbon products. The TF-IDF algorithm in machine learning was used to confirm the dimensions of carbon neutrality cognition based on text data collected from an academic database CNKI. Then, we used data from a social investigation (N = 405) to test hypotheses and models using bootstrapping and independent sample t-tests. The results showed that altruistic (β = 0.168, 95% CI: [−0.54514, 0.8819]) and egoistic values (β = −0.066, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [−0.6361, 0.6772]) mediated the impact of carbon neutrality cognition on the consumption of low-carbon products, whereas the egoistic value did not (β = −0.066, 95% CI: [−0.6361, 0.6772]). Additionally, based on the characteristics of current Chinese consumers and the market, we argue for two boundary factors: face consciousness and carbon footprint label. The moderation of face consciousness (Mhigh = 5.395 vs. Mlow = 3.312) and carbon footprint label (Mwith = 6.394 vs. Mwithout = 5.432) were revealed. The empirical results support our conceptual model, and our findings provide insights to policymakers and enterprises regarding people’s carbon neutrality cognition, which will allow them to develop more appropriate policies and sustainable development strategies.
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