What do customers want? The impact of pricing tactic persuasion knowledge and frequency of exposure

Abstract

PurposePrevious research has shown that consumers prefer a bonus pack to a price discount for virtue foods, whereas they prefer a price discount to a bonus pack for vice foods. Acting as a guilt-mitigating mechanism, a price discount justifies consumers' purchasing behavior, allowing them to save money and consume less vice foods. However, for virtue foods, neither the anticipated post-consumption guilt nor the resulting need for justification lead consumers to prefer a bonus pack to a price discount. This study investigates whether product promotions remain effective with other moderating variables.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use pricing tactic persuasion knowledge (PTPK), which refers to the consumer persuasion knowledge of marketers' pricing tactics, as a lens to understand whether the power of these promotions could be enhanced or mitigated. The authors inferred that increasing the frequency of exposure to these foods could positively influence consumers' purchasing choices. They conducted three studies to examine these effects. In Study 1, using pearl milk tea (vice food) and sugar-free tea (virtue food), the authors contended that consumers would prefer a price discount when purchasing pearl milk tea, but a bonus pack when purchasing sugar-free tea. In Studies 2 and 3, the authors varied the participants' frequency of exposure to photographs of people in everyday situations with vice (virtue) foods.FindingsIn Study 1, PTPK was shown to be more predictive of consumer choices regarding price discounts and bonus packs. In Studies 2 and 3, the authors contended that increased exposure to vice (virtue) foods increases the selection of vice (virtue) foods by participants who were unaware of having been exposed to vice (virtue) foods.Originality/valueThis research has not only made quite managerial and policy implications for marketing but also brought the theoretical contributions for marketing researches. This research demonstrates that either for vice foods or virtue foods, a price discount is preferred to a bonus pack.

Young Consumers’ Price Perceptions in Purchasing Foods: Evidence from Greece

“…The two determinants with equal negative importance for price perceptions recorded, third and fourth in a raw, have been "coupon proneness" by 48.4% average quite and very important answers, and "sales proneness" by 49% average similar answers by the participants. Our results agree with the findings of Yen-Ting et al [33] who studied the effects of price discounts and bonus packs together by the consumers. The authors report that either for vice foods (pearl milk tea) or virtue foods (sugar free tea) a price discount is as effective as a bonus pack.…”

Warning of persuading attempts and ambiguity within advertising contexts in Mexico

“…al., 1994;Briñol et. al., 2015;Campbell & Kirmani, 2000;Cialdini & Petty, 1981;Colín, 2018;Chen et. al., 2021, Darke & Ritchie, 2007Germelmann et.…”

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