Three peas in the pod of consumer imagination: Purchase task, involvement, and ad information

Abstract

The research investigates the mediating role of the consumer imagination in persuasion, depending upon level of involvement, nature of the purchase task, and ad information. The consumer imagination is conceptualized as combining triggered information from memory with incoming ad information to simulate a yet‐to‐be‐experienced event. The research reveals how obstacles to information flowing from memory or information from incoming peripheral ad claims suppress the enhancing effects of the consumer imagination. Across three studies, the findings indicate that few incoming peripheral ad claims are an obstacle to the consumer imagination in a utilitarian context, regardless of involvement, because preferred peripheral claims are reduced. Low involvement is an obstacle to the consumer imagination in a hedonic context, because it reduces the need to rely on triggered memories. However, this effect is reversed with more peripheral ad claims, because increased claims help to build up the imagination when reliance on triggered memories is reduced. Theoretical discussion is provided about how the imagination expands the elaboration of ad details by retrieving relevant experiences from memory to create mental rehearsals. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A dual model of product involvement for effective virtual reality: The roles of imagination, co-creation, telepresence, and interactivity

“…as Li et al (2003) indicate, enjoyment is a critical part of VR strategies to induce telepresence. Additionally, higher cognitive involvement with hedonic products leads to more positive brand evaluations (Spears et al, 2016). Therefore, VR strategies for hedonic products are likely to be more successful in the high involvement path.…”

The impact of autobiographical memory on brand retrieval and purchase intention

“…First and foremost, this research illustrates the underlying impact of autobiographical memory on brand retrieval and purchase intentions from a cognitive point of view. This adds to the marketing literature that has linked autobiographical memory to advertising effectiveness (e.g., Spears et al, 2016), but primarily from an affective point of view, showing an impact on consumer attitudes (e.g., Praxmarer, 2011) and occasionally purchase intentions (e.g., Wei et al, 2020). In contrast, the present study concentrated on brand retrieval and purchase intention as they are two cognitive aspects known to have a stronger bearing on consumer choice than attitudes.…”

“…In contrast to generic or abstract information, autobiographical memories hinge on personal experiences, which are time and context specific (Sujan et al, 1993). Existing research has shown that cueing autobiographical memories can enhance advertising effectiveness (e.g., Braun, 1999; Braun‐LaTour et al, 2004; Spears et al, 2016; Sujan et al, 1993). However, past studies have largely focused on affective implications; that is, the feelings and emotions aroused by a retrieved autobiographical episode, which influence brand meaning and brand attitudes (see Praxmarer, 2011).…”

“…To accomplish this objective, across three empirical studies set‐up as online experiments (Study 1 n = 356; Study 2 n = 252; Study 3 n = 203), the present research tests the effect on brand retrieval and purchase intention of: (i) eliciting autobiographical memories using the product category as a cue; and (ii) given its autobiographical connotations, general product category knowledge that becomes accessible in consumer memory (see Chocarro et al, 2009; Cowley & Mitchell, 2003). At the same time, this research takes into consideration the role of the perceived importance of choice, treated as a proxy for consumer product involvement (see Praxmarer, 2011; Schneider & Rodgers, 1996; Spears et al, 2016). Consumer product involvement bears a clear conceptual link with autobiographical memory.…”

Fashion consumers’ channel-hopping profiles by psychographics and demographics

“…The consumer decision-making process refers to a linear model that illustrates the behavioral patterns demonstrated as they occur across various stages of the shopping experience (Karimi, Papamichail, & Holland, 2015). Decision making is defined as the information-intake process through which people integrate as much as information as possible (Neslin et al, 2006; Spears, Ketron, & Ngamsiriudom, 2016). Traditional consumer decision-making process models describe this as a five-stage process, which includes need recognition, information searches, evaluation of alternatives, and purchase and post-purchase phases (Neslin et al, 2006).…”