The downside of scarcity: Scarcity appeals can trigger consumer anger and brand switching intentions

Brands often use scarcity appeals to promote sales. However, there is limited research investigating how consumers react when they are unable to obtain items that are advertised using scarcity appeals in terms of limited quantity. In two studies, experimental and correlational, we show that consumers who do not get the product associated to scarcity appeals (vs. not) have higher intentions to switch to competitor brands. This effect is mediated by consumer anger. We present theoretical contributions in research on scarcity appeals and consumer emotions (i.e., anger) and we discuss managerial implications of how scarcity appeals can sometimes backfire and lead to consumers switching to other competitor brands when they fail to obtain the product advertised as limited in quantity

Consumption Ideology

Ideology plays a central role in consumer decisions, actions, and practices. While there have been numerous studies of ideological formations in specific consumption contexts, an integrative theoretical framework on consumption ideology has been missing. The theoretical framework presented in this article integrates systemic, social group, and social reality perspectives from social theory with prior consumer research to conceptualize consumption ideology as ideas and ideals that are related to consumerism and manifested in consumer behavior. Consumption ideology originates from conflicts between consumer desires and the system of consumerism. It is reflected in consumers’ lived experiences and expressed in social representations and communicative actions related to status-based consumption, brand affinity and antipathy, performed practices, and political consumption. By adapting to the market, consumers confirm the system, but when they resist, they accelerate conflicts in consumer experiences unless resistance is ideologically co-opted by the market. Three illustrative cases—upcycling, Zoom backgrounds, and the commercialization of TikTok—exemplify how the framework may be used to analyze consumption ideology and generate new research questions. The article concludes with future research programs that move beyond micro-theorizations to illuminate the broader role of ideology in contemporary consumerist society

Examining how companies’ support of tourist attractions affects visiting intentions: The mediating role of perceived authenticity

As public funding for the restoration of tourist attractions decreases, assistance is often sought from the private sector in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, research has yet to understand how such CSR activities impact the beneficiary, namely tourist attractions. Thus, extending past CSR literature, we explore whether differing company CSR motivations can influence a tourists’ visiting intentions. The results of two experimental studies show low company altruism (e.g., demanding to acquire naming rights of the site), compared to high company altruism (e.g., demanding nothing in return), decreases visiting intentions. Furthermore, we show that perceived authenticity of the site mediates this effect. Finally, we find the negative effect of low altruistic CSR is mitigated in the case of no heritage. Based on the results, we show tourist attraction managers should be wary of companies displaying nonaltruistic intentions, as such activity may have harmful consequences

"Do I Have Enough Food?" How Need for Cognitive Closure and Gender Impact Stockpiling and Food Waste During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-national Study in India and the United States of America

Food waste is considered to be one of the biggest issues affecting individuals around the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic, with the consequent lockdown processes, has recently triggered individuals to stockpile foodstuffs. Recent data shows, however, that individuals have not consumed a good proportion of the stockpiled food, resulting in increasing amounts of products ending up wasted. Using a cross-national survey conducted in the United States and India, we investigate how individuals' levels of need for cognitive closure (NFC) relate to food stockpiling and waste during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a sequential mediation model, we show how individuals high in NFC did not perceive to have enough food at home, ending up buying more food than usual and, eventually, wasting more. Individuals' gender and country of residence moderate such phenomenon, with the effect being more pronounced among Indian (rather than American) women. We discuss how gender roles in different countries can correlate with the stockpiling and food waste processes. We conclude the manuscript by suggesting how public communication and policy making could develop targeted programs to mitigate such issues

“Non so dirti cosa è cool, ma di certo LORO non lo sono”: Teoria della categorizzazione del sé e percezione della brand coolness fra gli adolescenti

Negli ultimi decenni le attività di consumo di bambini e adolescenti sono aumentate esponenzialmente tanto da attirare grande attenzione da parte del mondo aziendale e del marketing (Lindstrom e Seybold, 2004). Questo processo ha portato non solo alla realizzazione di linee di prodotti esplicitamente mirate alla fascia di età adolescenziale, ma anche al riposizionamento di molte marche esistenti per apparire più appetibili a questo segmento di mercato (Mayo e Nairn, 2009). Sebbene molti studi si siano focalizzati per lo più sui processi per i quali un brand si diffonde tra gli adolescenti (attraverso, ad esempio, l’influenza dei pari o la comunicazione pubblicitaria) non è ancora del tutto chiaro cosa renda una particolare marca cool e ne determini l’adozione da parte di alcuni gruppi piuttosto che di altri (Belk e collaboratori, 2010) . Il presente studio, basato sulla teoria della categorizzazione del sé proposta da Turner e colleghi (1987), mira a far luce su tali processi. I risultati di un questionario esplorativo (N= 203) e di una serie d’interviste semi-strutturate (N=12) condotte nel Regno Unito mostrano come nell’elicitare spontaneamente brand considerati cool gli adolescenti producano una serie vasta di motivazioni, mentre per i brand considerati uncool esse possano essere raggruppate in determinate categorie sociali. Tali risultati sono confermati dalle interviste, estendendosi anche a settori non propriamente merceologici, quali ad esempio la scelta di band musicali e di attività ricreative

The Role of Entrepreneurial Passion and Creativity in Developing Entrepreneurial Intentions: Insights from American Homebrewers

The study investigates the role of entrepreneurial passion and creativity as antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions, applying social cognitive theory as an underpinning framework. Specifically, this research focuses on American homebrewing, seen as a potential incubator for entrepreneurs. Results demonstrate entrepreneurial passion having a strong positive relationship with entrepreneurial intentions, even when entrepreneurial self-efficacy is introduced as a mediator. Conversely, the relationship between creativity and entrepreneurial intentions is mediated by entrepreneurial self-efficacy, confirming that individuals also need to feel self-efficacious enough to pursue entrepreneurial career. The findings advance the understanding of nascent entrepreneurship phenomenon within a particular hobby context

Il consumo mediale tra vecchi scenari e nuovi contesti

L’evoluzione delle tecnologie nel corso degli anni ha fatto sì che anche il pano- rama dei media cambiasse radicalmente nel corso del tempo. Si è perciò passati da quelli che vengono definiti “vecchi media” (o media tradizionali, come radio, tele- visione o carta stampata) ai “nuovi media” (o media digitali, come internet e i social network). Dall’avvento dei media digitali si è assistito ad una progressiva e rapida diffusione di molteplici piattaforme destinate a diversi tipi di pubblico in base a fat- tori quali le loro esigenze o a target sociodemografici. L’avvento dei nuovi media ha anche cambiato le modalità e la frequenza della fruizione mediale, con sempre più persone costantemente connesse alla rete e im- pegnate nell’uso dei nuovi media. L’accesso e l’uso alle diverse tipologie di media sembra dipendere da vari fattori, quali, ad esempio, l’area geografica del mondo e fattori sociodemografici come il reddito o il livello di istruzione. In particolare, un uso progressivo soprattutto dei nuovi media avviene sin dalla prima infanzia, come documentato da diverse rilevazioni statistiche e ricerche in ambito accademico. Queste ultime si sono focalizzate non solo sui fattori che spingono i bambini all’uso delle tecnologie, ma anche sulle potenziali conseguenze di tale uso. Il dibattito sull’uso e sull’educazione ai nuovi media coinvolge anche aspetti del contesto ma- crosociale. In particolare, l’esigenza di preparare le nuove generazioni all’uso delle nuove tecnologie si pone al centro dei programmi d’investimento dei governi e delle grandi aziende, con l’obiettivo di fornire lungo l’intero arco del ciclo di vita le competenze necessarie per utilizzare al meglio le nuove tecnologie e fruire dei me- dia digitali in maniera critica

Il Brand. Fisionomia, posizionamento e strategie di marketing

Le marche – o brand – sono state da sempre utilizzate per differenziare e valorizzare i prodotti, offrendo al pubblico un mondo di segni e significati atti ad orientare le scelte e a creare universi valoriali nei contesti di consumo e, anche, cercando di aumentare la propria pervasività sul mercato e di costruirsi una forte reputazione. Il volume, rivolto a studiosi e professionisti del settore della comunicazione e del marketing, si pone il duplice obiettivo di fornire una rassegna dei fondamenti teorici che contraddistinguono lo sviluppo e l’evoluzione del brand, e, anche, di presentare aspetti pratici relativi alla sua gestione. Il brand viene analizzato a partire dalla sua fisionomia, guardando alle diverse componenti e a come esse si interfacciano con i consumatori per soddisfarne i diversi bisogni e le numerose richieste. Vengono poi analizzati i modelli teorici di branding presenti in letteratura rispetto alle possibili ricadute sul piano applicativo. Ampio spazio viene dato ai processi strategici di segmentazione del target e di posizionamento, con uno sguardo anche ai casi di riposizionamento avvenuti nel corso degli anni. Infine, si illustrano le strategie attraverso le quali i brand possono evolvere e collaborare con altre marche, con un'attenzione particolare alla possibilità di estendere il proprio mercato ad altre categorie di prodotti, evidenziando i punti di forza e i possibili rischi di tali operazioni

How Less Congruent New Products Drive Brand Engagement: The Role of Curiosity

When new products are announced, stakeholders often expect them to be congruent with the brand. Nevertheless, brands often go against stakeholders’ expectations and announce less congruent new products. However, the effects of brand congruence on consumers’ brand engagement (i.e., the sharing and commenting of posts) are not well understood. Drawing on schema-congruity theory, we show that (1) consumers are more curious about less congruent new products announced on social media, (2) this curiosity drives their intention to engage with the posted announcement, and (3) brand background operates as a boundary condition of this effect. While prior work shows that high congruence drives positive evaluations of brand extensions, we find that this positive effect only holds for brands with a traditional (vs. non-traditional) background. We demonstrate the robustness of our findings across three experiments using real and fictitious brands

From Hobby to Business: Exploring Environmental Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Alertness Using fsQCA

Through a tailored survey targeting homebrewing communities in the United States, this research investigates environmental factors---feedback, collaboration offers, and awards received---triggering individuals who are not yet entrepreneurs to develop intentions of starting a business based on their hobby. The study specifically focuses on the role these factors play in influencing the three dimensions of entrepreneurial alertness phenomenon: scanning and search; association and connection; and evaluation and judgment. The results of a series of hierarchical regressions complemented by a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) show that receiving positive feedback or collaboration offers from fellow hobbyists can stimulate individuals’ entrepreneurial alertness