Tobias Schlager

Many product-customization systems enable consumers to obtain input from their peers during the customization process. The design characteristics of these customization systems vary significantly, and some systems provide consumers with the opportunity to receive peer input only privately (i.e., unobservable to fellow consumers) while others allow consumers to receive peer input publicly (i.e., observable to other consumers). Building on prior research on thinking styles and social impact theory, the current work examines the interplay between user, social network, and system design characteristics in social product-customization systems as drivers of whether consumers conform to input received from others on their customized products and of their evaluation of these products. Evidence from one field study and four experiments shows that consumers with more holistic (vs. analytic) thinking styles make more conforming product modifications when receiving public rather than private peer input, and this greater conformity to peer input boosts (vs. diminishes) consumers’ evaluation of customized products when they feel close (vs. distant) to input providers. These findings offer novel insights into how the design of social product-customization systems affects consumers’ evaluation of customized products.

This research examines the effect of gamified information presentation—conveying information about a product innovation in the form of a game—on consumer adoption of that innovation. The key hypothesis is that gamified information presentation promotes consumer innovation adoption and that it does so through two parallel psychological processes—by increasing consumer playfulness, which stimulates curiosity about the innovation, and by enhancing the perceived vividness of information presentation, which increases the perceived advantage of the innovation relative to (less innovative) competing products. Evidence from seven studies, including two field experiments, supports this theorizing. The results also show that for gamified information presentation to increase innovation adoption, it is essential that the information is integrated into the game. These findings advance the understanding of the psychological forces that govern how consumers respond to receiving product information in the form of games, and they have important practical implications for how firms might use gamified information presentation to promote sales of new products.

Purpose: This paper delineates the impact of social context and savings attitudes on consumer's self-reported long-term savings and discusses how these drivers can be influenced to increase an individual's savings rate. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey was conducted among 993 German savers. A structural equation model quantified the influence of the social context and an individual's attitudes on long-term savings behavior, as stated by consumers. Findings: Both social context constructs - subjective norms and relationship quality - exert a significant influence on the savings attitudes of perceived anxiety and perceived importance, which in turn significantly affect long-term savings. Furthermore, the results of a mediation analysis indicated that the social context only has an indirect effect on long-term savings. Research limitations/implications: The study was conducted in Germany only. Therefore, the results may not apply across cultures. In addition, the salient belief structures, access channels used, and savings product categories were not part of this study. Practical implications: The results showed that financial institutions can influence an individual's attitudes toward long-term savings by providing a satisfying and trusted relationship. The positive effect on savings attitudes will translate to an increased long-term savings rate. According to the analysis, financial service providers can only have an indirect effect on long-term savings behavior. Originality/value: This paper delineates the impact of the social environment on long-term savings. This relationship has not been investigated in previous research. In addition, the influence of the social context within the attitudes-behavior framework for long-term savings is expounded.

The increasing attractiveness of emerging markets (EMs), alongside the progression of internationalization, raises the question whether setting up a unified marketing strategy for EMs and high-income countries is appropriate. In this study, the authors use institutionally induced heterogeneity, which refers to distinct consumer patterns evoked by contextual differences, to elaborate on the requirements of an international segmentation that includes EMs, such as microlevel analyses and the inclusion of institutional effects. The authors numerically illustrate the established requirements by applying a multilevel finite mixture modeling of global consumer multichannel (search and purchase) behavior. Doing so provides an initial large-scale analysis that compares consumers from EMs and high-income countries. The findings broadly support the suggested requirements, contributing to the international segmentation and EM literature. Practitioners can apply the insights of this investigation to establish an international marketing strategy. The key recommendation proposes that a case-by-case analysis of EMs is necessary and that solely considering EMs derives incorrect conclusions about international segmentation.