Congruency or incongruency: a theoretical framework and opportunities for future research avenues

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise and provide a future research agenda for (in)congruence regarding cues between products, brands and atmospheres. Design/methodology/approach A semi-systematic literature review was conducted. The aim was to assess, critique and synthesise (in)congruence, which was found in the literature to be dispersed and interdisciplinary, and to propose a theoretical framework in the marketing domain. Findings Firstly, the review reveals that sensory and semantic cues are interrelated in products, brands and atmospheres. It illustrates that these cues are the foundation for (in)congruence. Secondly, the findings show various theoretical foundations for (in)congruence. These explain where and how congruence occurs. Lastly, a theoretical framework for (in)congruence and a future research agenda were developed to stimulate further research. Research limitations/implications A theoretical framework was developed to enrich the theoretical knowledge and understanding of (in)congruence in the marketing domain. Practical implications The review reveals that products, brands and atmospheres have spillover effects. Managers are advised to understand the semantic meaning carried by cues to foster various outcomes, to estimate the trade-offs when modifying (in)congruent cues for products, brands and atmospheres. Originality/value The developed theoretical framework advances and deepens the knowledge of (in)congruence in the marketing domain by moving beyond the match and fit between two entities and by revealing the underlying mechanism and its outcomes.

Do Optimists Like Vaccines? The Effect of Perceived Vaccine Novelty and Beliefs in the World’s Positivity and Orderliness on the Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccinations—The Case of European Young Adults

“…We believe that the interpretation of the orderliness × positivity interaction effect formulated in our previous paper [ 16 ] aligns with the schema incongruity framework [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. This theory posits that when a product is perceived or conceptualized as incongruent with the existing favorable and salient schema, and that incongruity is unresolved, consumers may form less-favorable attitudes toward that product.…”

“…Finally, our research adds to the rich literature based on the schema incongruity framework [40][41][42][43]. Namely, we consider perceived vaccine novelty as representing the incongruity between vaccines and the schema of the world's order.…”

“…The current research does not study incongruity resolution as a separate factor. The schema incongruity framework posits that incongruity’s negative influence on attitudes diminishes when the incongruity is resolved [ 40 , 43 ]. Thus, it is expected that vaccine attitudes can be improved when the discrepancy between vaccines and the world’s order is explained to consumers.…”

Customer Engagement in Multi-Sensory Virtual Reality Advertising: The Effect of Sound and Scent Congruence

“…This is in line with the extended literature on congruence effects in marketing (cf. Eklund and Helmefalk, 2021 for an extended overview), and in advertising more specifically, where ad context congruence has also been found to favorably influence people’s reactions toward the ad (cf. van Reijmersdal et al, 2010 ; Janssens et al, 2012 ; Kononova and Yuan, 2015 ; Belanche et al, 2017 ; Germelmann et al, 2020 ).…”

Orchestrating an experiential value proposition: the case of a Scandinavian automotive manufacturer

“…The obtained sensory information comes from sensory cues exerting momentum with prior remembered experiences stored and retrieved in the memory (Elder et al , 2017). This is an inner process that entices consumers’ cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses (Eklund and Helmefalk, 2021; Stead et al , 2020). It suggests that multiple actors create brand value (Merz et al , 2009), where the manufacturer deliberately sets the stage to offer consumers a positive and memorable experience (Pine and Gilmore, 1998).…”