The first aim of the present study was to investigate whether it was meaningful to distinguish between the Fear of Missing out (FoMo) on social experiences (S-FoMo) and FoMo on individual...Show moreThe first aim of the present study was to investigate whether it was meaningful to distinguish between the Fear of Missing out (FoMo) on social experiences (S-FoMo) and FoMo on individual experiences (I-FoMo), which may be evoked by watching different types of commercials. The second aim was to investigate whether these two types of FoMo may be driving factors for the effectiveness, if any, of a beer commercial and travel commercial, respectively. We successfully selected two types of online commercials, as we found that participants (N = 88) experienced stronger S-FoMo than I-FoMo after watching the beer commercial and stronger I-FoMo than S-FoMo after watching the travel commercial. Thus, it makes sense to distinguish between S-FoMo and I-FoMo. However, watching the commercials did not result in increased interest in, nor increased purchase intentions for alcohol-free beer and traveling. Moreover, after watching the commercials, S-FoMo and I-FoMo were unrelated to differences in participants’ interest or purchase intentions. Even when we exploratively zoomed in on only those participants who showed an increase in interest in or purchase intention for alcohol-free beer and/or traveling, we did not find that S-FoMo and I-FoMo, respectively, were driving factors in their increased interest or purchase intentions. Additional exploratory analyses showed that prior (in)experience with alcohol-free beer and/or traveling was no moderating factor to account for the absence of the predicted relationships. Based on these results, we discuss theoretical and practical implications and give some suggestions for future research.Show less
The fast fashion sector relies on unethical production procedures including the exploitation of workers within developing countries. It is therefore important to examine factors that predict...Show moreThe fast fashion sector relies on unethical production procedures including the exploitation of workers within developing countries. It is therefore important to examine factors that predict individuals’ fast fashion consumption. The current study, using an online survey (N = 250), investigates whether moral conviction towards the fast fashion industry is negatively associated with fast fashion purchase behavior and intention, and whether that link is partially mediated by compassion towards the workers in the fast fashion sector. If the association between moral conviction and purchase behavior or intention depends on individuals’ general attitude regarding the fast fashion industry is also explored. Results showed that independent of individuals’ general attitude towards the fast fashion industry, a stronger moral conviction is associated with reduced fast fashion purchase behavior and intention. Compassion did not mediate these relationships. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.Show less
In this study, the association between brand personality and purchase intention is investigated, in order to contribute to branding and consumer psychology literature. Alongside that, moderating...Show moreIn this study, the association between brand personality and purchase intention is investigated, in order to contribute to branding and consumer psychology literature. Alongside that, moderating role of gender and mediating role of trust are looked at. Hypotheses about brand identities; brand competence and brand morality, were tested with a questionnaire with 102 respondents. The results showed that both brand competence and brand morality have a positive relation with purchase intention. Relation between brand competence and purchase intention is mediated by brand trust but gender is not a moderator of the relation between brand morality and purchase intention. The findings contribute to theory about brand personalities and their influence can be expanded so that brands know what type of brand consumers like and how they should form their image to generate the most purchases.Show less
Consumers can perceive brands in the way they perceive others. There has not been substantial research about attributing human personality traits, such as competence and morality, to brands. In...Show moreConsumers can perceive brands in the way they perceive others. There has not been substantial research about attributing human personality traits, such as competence and morality, to brands. In this study, we analyze competence and morality as dimensions of brand personality in order to predict purchase intention. Moreover, consumers also tend to find similarities between their personalities and a brand's personality. This concept of self congruence is used to moderate the relationships between competence, morality and purchase intention. The results of the online questionnaire showed that both morality and competence increase purchase intention, but self-congruence did not moderate these relationships. These findings suggest interesting implications for academic research and practical implications for the marketing and public relations field.Show less
Knowing how perceived brand traits influence consumers could give companies essential insights to improve their strategies and campaigns. Previous research has shown perceived brand personality...Show moreKnowing how perceived brand traits influence consumers could give companies essential insights to improve their strategies and campaigns. Previous research has shown perceived brand personality traits to affect consumer behavior. This study aims to determine the relation between perceived competence and perceived morality on consumer purchase intention and brand evaluation, including a possible moderating role of perceived brand gender cues. An online survey was conducted with 178 participants. The results showed that morality predicted consumer purchase intention as well as brand evaluation. Competence only positively influenced consumer purchase intention. Surprisingly, a contradicting negative interaction was found between competence and morality on consumer purchase intention. Furthermore, competent perceived companies have more purchase intention when they are perceived as masculine. The findings of this study confirm the importance of perceived brand traits and introduce perceived morality, consumer brand evaluation and perceived brand gender cues as new valuable variables in these relations.Show less
Morally responsible and ethical conduct has become more important for companies in recent years. The present study (N = 178) examines whether perceived brand traits differentially influence the...Show moreMorally responsible and ethical conduct has become more important for companies in recent years. The present study (N = 178) examines whether perceived brand traits differentially influence the purchase intentions of consumers. Additionally, the moderating effects of type of organization (for-profit versus non-profit) and gender are examined. The results partly support the hypotheses and indicate that perceived competence and perceived morality both relate to purchase intentions. In addition, for non-profit organizations, purchase intentions are mostly predicted by morality, whereas for for-profit organizations, competence most strongly predicts purchase intentions. The results further show that women’s purchase intentions are most strongly related to perceived morality, whereas men’s purchase intentions are related to perceived competence. Lastly, organization type and gender seem to have important moderating influences on the relationship between brands’ trait dimensions and consumers’ purchase intentions. Importantly, advertising organizational morality and competence appears to be an effective strategy for companies to keep consumers interested.Show less
