Academic Research
Brand Corporateness: Measurement and Symbolic Meaning of an Unfavorable Brand Association
This research establishes brand corporateness as a novel brand association that most consumers find unfavorable. Exploratory focus group findings first illuminate consumer meaning structures and attitudes around brand corporateness. An inductive grounded theory approach suggests three core (hierarchical, mechanistic, opaque) and three ancillary (ubiquitous, traditional, strategic) dimensions of the construct, informing a subsequent literature review that theoretically confirms this structure. Our theorizing also suggests that greater corporateness diminishes consumers’ self-brand connection because the symbolic meanings of its core dimensions clash with several fundamental human values, a negative effect that is heightened among more politically liberal consumers. The main empirical work then develops and validates a measure of brand corporateness across 11 studies using best practices in scale development. After a rigorous item generation and refinement process, our studies provide converging evidence for the scale’s structural, nomological, discriminant, predictive, and ecological validity.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucae069
Authors: Brandon J Reich, Sara Hanson
ABSTRACT
This research establishes brand corporateness as a novel brand association that most consumers find unfavorable. Exploratory focus group findings first illuminate consumer meaning structures and attitudes around brand corporateness. An inductive grounded theory approach suggests three core (hierarchical, mechanistic, opaque) and three ancillary (ubiquitous, traditional, strategic) dimensions of the construct, informing a subsequent literature review that theoretically confirms this structure. Our theorizing also suggests that greater corporateness diminishes consumers’ self-brand connection because the symbolic meanings of its core dimensions clash with several fundamental human values, a negative effect that is heightened among more politically liberal consumers. The main empirical work then develops and validates a measure of brand corporateness across 11 studies using best practices in scale development. After a rigorous item generation and refinement process, our studies provide converging evidence for the scale’s structural, nomological, discriminant, predictive, and ecological validity.
Food Categorization Determines Whether Healthier Food is Inferred to Be Tastier or Less Tasty
Despite evidence that people believe that the unhealthier the food, the tastier it is, some studies also suggest the opposing belief—the healthier the food, the tastier it is. A framework is proposed to reconcile this contradiction, and four studies demonstrate that the discrete categorization of foods as healthful versus unhealthful determines which intuition consumers use. When stereotypically unhealthy foods (e.g., candies, ice cream, hot dogs) are encountered, they are automatically categorized as unhealthful and the properties associated with that category (e.g., sweetness, saltiness, fat content) become accessible. Inferences about taste are then based on these properties and the unhealthier the encountered products are (i.e., the higher the sugar and fat content they have), the tastier they are perceived to be (unhealthy = tasty belief). Conversely, when stereotypically healthful foods (e.g., fruits) are encountered, other properties (e.g., freshness, vitamins) become salient, and tastiness is mainly inferred based on these properties, leading to the inference that the healthier these foods are (i.e., the more freshness and vitamins they have), the tastier they are perceived to be (healthy = tasty belief). Marketers and policymakers can leverage these findings to understand better when emphasizing healthiness benefits or hurts taste perceptions.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1447
Authors: Robert Mai, Olivier Trendel, Michael Basil
ABSTRACT
Despite evidence that people believe that the unhealthier the food, the tastier it is, some studies also suggest the opposing belief—the healthier the food, the tastier it is. A framework is proposed to reconcile this contradiction, and four studies demonstrate that the discrete categorization of foods as healthful versus unhealthful determines which intuition consumers use. When stereotypically unhealthy foods (e.g., candies, ice cream, hot dogs) are encountered, they are automatically categorized as unhealthful and the properties associated with that category (e.g., sweetness, saltiness, fat content) become accessible. Inferences about taste are then based on these properties and the unhealthier the encountered products are (i.e., the higher the sugar and fat content they have), the tastier they are perceived to be (unhealthy = tasty belief). Conversely, when stereotypically healthful foods (e.g., fruits) are encountered, other properties (e.g., freshness, vitamins) become salient, and tastiness is mainly inferred based on these properties, leading to the inference that the healthier these foods are (i.e., the more freshness and vitamins they have), the tastier they are perceived to be (healthy = tasty belief). Marketers and policymakers can leverage these findings to understand better when emphasizing healthiness benefits or hurts taste perceptions.
Public Perception and Autonomous Vehicle Liability
The deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and the accompanying societal and economic benefits will greatly depend on how much liability AV firms will have to carry for accidents involving these vehicles, which in turn impacts their insurability and associated insurance premiums. Across three experiments (N = 2677), we investigate whether accidents where the AV was not at fault could become an unexpected liability risk for AV firms, by exploring consumer perceptions of AV liability. We find that when such accidents occur, the not-at-fault vehicle becomes more salient to consumers when it is an AV. As a result, consumers are more likely to view as relevant counterfactuals in which the not-at-fault vehicle might have behaved differently to avoid or minimize damage from, the accident. This leads them to judge AV firms as more liable than both firms that make human-driven vehicles and human drivers for damages when not at fault.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1448
Authors: Julian De Freitas, Xilin Zhou, Margherita Atzei, Shoshana Boardman, Luigi Di Lillo
ABSTRACT
The deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and the accompanying societal and economic benefits will greatly depend on how much liability AV firms will have to carry for accidents involving these vehicles, which in turn impacts their insurability and associated insurance premiums. Across three experiments (N = 2677), we investigate whether accidents where the AV was not at fault could become an unexpected liability risk for AV firms, by exploring consumer perceptions of AV liability. We find that when such accidents occur, the not-at-fault vehicle becomes more salient to consumers when it is an AV. As a result, consumers are more likely to view as relevant counterfactuals in which the not-at-fault vehicle might have behaved differently to avoid or minimize damage from, the accident. This leads them to judge AV firms as more liable than both firms that make human-driven vehicles and human drivers for damages when not at fault.
Better Late Than Never? Gift Givers Overestimate the Relationship Harm From Giving Late Gifts
Past work has found that there is often a mismatch between the types of gifts that individuals send and the types of gifts that recipients would prefer to receive. Moving beyond gift choice, the present work explores a novel type of giver–recipient mismatch—beliefs about the importance of sending an on-time gift. Specifically, the current work offers evidence that gift givers systematically overestimate the negative impact that a late occasion-based gift will have on their relationship with the recipient, which occurs because gift givers believe that sending a late gift will signal that they care about the recipient to a lesser extent than what the recipient perceives. As such, gift givers' overestimation of relationship harm from a late gift is attenuated when they signal care in some other way (e.g., with the amount of effort put into creating the gift). Finally, we explore the consequences of degree of gift lateness as well as the decision to not send an occasion-based gift at all on gift givers' overestimation of relationship harm.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1446
Authors: Cory Haltman, Atar Herziger, Grant E. Donnelly, Rebecca Walker Reczek
ABSTRACT
Past work has found that there is often a mismatch between the types of gifts that individuals send and the types of gifts that recipients would prefer to receive. Moving beyond gift choice, the present work explores a novel type of giver–recipient mismatch—beliefs about the importance of sending an on-time gift. Specifically, the current work offers evidence that gift givers systematically overestimate the negative impact that a late occasion-based gift will have on their relationship with the recipient, which occurs because gift givers believe that sending a late gift will signal that they care about the recipient to a lesser extent than what the recipient perceives. As such, gift givers' overestimation of relationship harm from a late gift is attenuated when they signal care in some other way (e.g., with the amount of effort put into creating the gift). Finally, we explore the consequences of degree of gift lateness as well as the decision to not send an occasion-based gift at all on gift givers' overestimation of relationship harm.
Awe and Aesthetics: Conundrums of Creation and Consumption
Prior scholarship characterizes awe as an aesthetic emotion, and the rich and growing aesthetics literature can help illuminate the role of awe in consumer psychology. The current commentary draws on this literature, as well as Keltner's conceptual analysis of awe, to highlight findings and remaining questions pertaining to awe in the realm of consumption. Marketing activities such as branding and promotion, store design, and product development present opportunities to awe consumers, yet awesome consumption experiences are rare. The current work discusses characteristics of awe-inspiring products and brands, the tendency of awe to increase or decrease consumption, relevant individual differences between consumers, and the nature and evolutionary background of awe and aesthetics.
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1450
Authors: Henrik Hagtvedt
ABSTRACT
Prior scholarship characterizes awe as an aesthetic emotion, and the rich and growing aesthetics literature can help illuminate the role of awe in consumer psychology. The current commentary draws on this literature, as well as Keltner's conceptual analysis of awe, to highlight findings and remaining questions pertaining to awe in the realm of consumption. Marketing activities such as branding and promotion, store design, and product development present opportunities to awe consumers, yet awesome consumption experiences are rare. The current work discusses characteristics of awe-inspiring products and brands, the tendency of awe to increase or decrease consumption, relevant individual differences between consumers, and the nature and evolutionary background of awe and aesthetics.
Contextual Effects of Color on Food Choices: Red Ambient Color Induces Indulgence
This research examines how red ambient color in restaurants/cafeterias influences food choices. Prior research shows that red directly related to a food product (such as on nutrition labels or plates/cups) leads to avoidance of unhealthy foods. Yet, many successful fast-food restaurants (e.g., McDonald's and Dairy Queen) use red in their ambiance, suggesting that in the context of food/eating, ambient red may have a different meaning than product-related red. Indeed, the current research shows that consumers associate ambient red (e.g., wall color) with unhealthy restaurants. The presence of ambient red (vs. blue, gray, or white) leads to greater preference for unhealthy (i.e., high calorie, high fat, and indulgent) food options because consumers draw on ambient factors to make inferences about products sold in a retail establishment and then choose contextually appropriate products. The effect is moderated by the extent to which a consumer associates red with unhealthy restaurants. This research highlights how, in the context of food/eating, the placement of red influences its meaning and ultimately whether consumers approach or avoid unhealthy foods.
Paper Link: https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcpy.1445?af=R
Authors: Courtney Szocs, Annika Abell, Ruta Ruzeviciute, Yeseul Kim, Dipayan Biswas
ABSTRACT
This research examines how red ambient color in restaurants/cafeterias influences food choices. Prior research shows that red directly related to a food product (such as on nutrition labels or plates/cups) leads to avoidance of unhealthy foods. Yet, many successful fast-food restaurants (e.g., McDonald's and Dairy Queen) use red in their ambiance, suggesting that in the context of food/eating, ambient red may have a different meaning than product-related red. Indeed, the current research shows that consumers associate ambient red (e.g., wall color) with unhealthy restaurants. The presence of ambient red (vs. blue, gray, or white) leads to greater preference for unhealthy (i.e., high calorie, high fat, and indulgent) food options because consumers draw on ambient factors to make inferences about products sold in a retail establishment and then choose contextually appropriate products. The effect is moderated by the extent to which a consumer associates red with unhealthy restaurants. This research highlights how, in the context of food/eating, the placement of red influences its meaning and ultimately whether consumers approach or avoid unhealthy foods.
“No Time to Buy”: Asking Consumers to Spend Time to Save Money is Perceived as Fairer Than Asking Them to Spend Money to Save Time
Firms often ask consumers to either spend time to save money (e.g., Lyft's “Wait & Save”) or spend money to save time (e.g., Uber's “Priority Pickup”). Across six preregistered studies (N = 3631), including seven reported in Appendix S1 (N = 2930), we find that asking consumers to spend time to save money is perceived as fairer than asking them to spend money to save time (all else equal), with downstream consequences for word-of-mouth, purchase intentions, willingness-to-pay (WTP), and incentive-compatible choice. This is because spend-time-to-save-money offers reduce concerns about firms' profit-seeking motives, which consumers find aversive and unfair. The effect is thus mediated by inferences about profit-seeking and attenuates when concerns about those motives are less salient (e.g., for non-profits). At the same time, we find that spend-money-to-save-time offers (e.g., expedited shipping) are more common in the marketplace. This research reveals how normatively equivalent trade-offs can nevertheless yield contradictory fairness judgments, with meaningful implications for marketing theory and practice.
Paper Link: https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcpy.1444?af=R
Authors: Maria Giulia Trupia, Franklin Shaddy
ABSTRACT
Firms often ask consumers to either spend time to save money (e.g., Lyft's “Wait & Save”) or spend money to save time (e.g., Uber's “Priority Pickup”). Across six preregistered studies (N = 3631), including seven reported in Appendix S1 (N = 2930), we find that asking consumers to spend time to save money is perceived as fairer than asking them to spend money to save time (all else equal), with downstream consequences for word-of-mouth, purchase intentions, willingness-to-pay (WTP), and incentive-compatible choice. This is because spend-time-to-save-money offers reduce concerns about firms' profit-seeking motives, which consumers find aversive and unfair. The effect is thus mediated by inferences about profit-seeking and attenuates when concerns about those motives are less salient (e.g., for non-profits). At the same time, we find that spend-money-to-save-time offers (e.g., expedited shipping) are more common in the marketplace. This research reveals how normatively equivalent trade-offs can nevertheless yield contradictory fairness judgments, with meaningful implications for marketing theory and practice.
Awe-Inspired: Appraising Awe’s Consequences for Consumers and Brands
This article builds on Keltner's conceptual model of awe, innovation, and choice (Keltner, 2025). This article expands on the framework in two main ways by outlining (1) when awe could have positive versus negative consequences for consumer choice and (2) how focusing on distinctive aspects of the consumer behavior setting may further enhance understanding of awe. Building on these themes, this article proposes several areas for research: examining granular aspects of the core appraisals, further characterizing different cognitive functions, considering consequences for different consumer choice domains (e.g., decision making, indulgence, customization), and focusing on how different kinds of relationships (e.g., brand communities), types of prosocial action (e.g., donating vs. volunteering), and forms of brand generated awe (direct vs. indirect) impact consumer behavior. This article offers specific propositions to encourage future research on how awe may impact consumers and brands.
Paper Link: https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcpy.1451?af=R
Authors: Lisa A. Cavanaugh
ABSTRACT
This article builds on Keltner's conceptual model of awe, innovation, and choice (Keltner, 2025). This article expands on the framework in two main ways by outlining (1) when awe could have positive versus negative consequences for consumer choice and (2) how focusing on distinctive aspects of the consumer behavior setting may further enhance understanding of awe. Building on these themes, this article proposes several areas for research: examining granular aspects of the core appraisals, further characterizing different cognitive functions, considering consequences for different consumer choice domains (e.g., decision making, indulgence, customization), and focusing on how different kinds of relationships (e.g., brand communities), types of prosocial action (e.g., donating vs. volunteering), and forms of brand generated awe (direct vs. indirect) impact consumer behavior. This article offers specific propositions to encourage future research on how awe may impact consumers and brands.
Awe, Innovation, and Choice: A Conceptual Analysis
Markets are shaped by innovation and choice. Drawing upon advances in the scientific study of awe, in this article I present a model that details how experiences of this emotion shape innovation and choice. I first detail the latest science on awe, which finds it to be distinct from closely related states, like beauty, interest, admiration, and fear, and that orients individuals to rigorous, systems-based, meaning-making thought, and actions that enhance social integration. I then summarize how awe leads to a mental state of wonder and curiosity, a fertile ground for the creation of cultural forms through acts of innovation. As illustrations, I consider how awe leads to creative representation, symbolic expression, ritualization, and object design. To the extent that these cultural creations are touched by awe, I then reason, they will fare well in terms of choice, a process whose discussion is the concern in the last section of this article.
Paper Link: https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcpy.1449?af=R
Authors: Dacher Keltner
ABSTRACT
Markets are shaped by innovation and choice. Drawing upon advances in the scientific study of awe, in this article I present a model that details how experiences of this emotion shape innovation and choice. I first detail the latest science on awe, which finds it to be distinct from closely related states, like beauty, interest, admiration, and fear, and that orients individuals to rigorous, systems-based, meaning-making thought, and actions that enhance social integration. I then summarize how awe leads to a mental state of wonder and curiosity, a fertile ground for the creation of cultural forms through acts of innovation. As illustrations, I consider how awe leads to creative representation, symbolic expression, ritualization, and object design. To the extent that these cultural creations are touched by awe, I then reason, they will fare well in terms of choice, a process whose discussion is the concern in the last section of this article.