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Comparison Neglect in Upgrade Decisions

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextDescription: 556-571.pSubject(s): In: ERDEN, TULIN JOURNAL OF MARKETING RESEARCHSummary: To properly evaluate a potential product upgrade, consumers should compare the upgraded option with the product they already own to assess the upgrade’s added utility. However, although consumers explicitly and spontaneously acknowledge the importance of comparing the upgrade with the status quo, the authors find that they often fail to do so. Consequently, consumers frequently buy product upgrades that they would not have bought had they followed their own advice. Five experiments, involving both real and hypothetical upgrade decisions, show that even when the status quo option is represented in the decision context, if consumers are not explicitly prompted to reflect on it or compare it with the upgraded option, they often do not compare it with the upgrade and thus show an elevated likelihood of upgrading. The experiments suggest that this “comparison neglect” increases upgrade likelihood by making people overlook the similarities between the upgraded and status quo options and that it persists even when deliberation effort is high. The findings have important implications for theory, marketing practice, and consumer welfare.
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Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Vol info Status Notes Date due Barcode Item holds
Journal Article Journal Article Main Library Vol 74, No 4/ 5557769JA4 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 5557769JA4
Journals and Periodicals Journals and Periodicals Main Library On Display JRNL/GEN/Vol 54, No 4/5557769 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Vol 54, No 4 (01/04/2017) Not for loan August, 2017 5557769
Total holds: 0

To properly evaluate a potential product upgrade, consumers should compare the upgraded option with the product they already own to assess the upgrade’s added utility. However, although consumers explicitly and spontaneously acknowledge the importance of comparing the upgrade with the status quo, the authors find that they often fail to do so. Consequently, consumers frequently buy product upgrades that they would not have bought had they followed their own advice. Five experiments, involving both real and hypothetical upgrade decisions, show that even when the status quo option is represented in the decision context, if consumers are not explicitly prompted to reflect on it or compare it with the upgraded option, they often do not compare it with the upgrade and thus show an elevated likelihood of upgrading. The experiments suggest that this “comparison neglect” increases upgrade likelihood by making people overlook the similarities between the upgraded and status quo options and that it persists even when deliberation effort is high. The findings have important implications for theory, marketing practice, and consumer welfare.

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