Abstract
Marketers frequently use scarcity promotions, where a product or event is limited in availability. The present research shows conditions under which the mere exposure to such advertising can activate actual aggression that manifests even outside the domain of the good being promoted. Further, we document the process underlying this effect: exposure to limited-quantity promotion advertising prompts consumers to perceive other shoppers as competitive threats to obtaining a desired product and physiologically prepares consumers to aggress. Seven studies using multiple behavioral measures of aggression demonstrate this deleterious response to scarcity promotions.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 683-706 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Journal of Consumer Research |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1 2017 |
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Keywords
- Advertising
- Aggression
- Consumer promotions
- Scarcity
- Violence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business and International Management
- Anthropology
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- Economics and Econometrics
- Marketing
Cite this
The dark side of scarcity promotions : How exposure to limited-quantity promotions can induce aggression. / Kristofferson, Kirk; Mcferran, Brent; Ketcham, Andrea; Dahl, Darren W.
In: Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 43, No. 5, 01.02.2017, p. 683-706.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The dark side of scarcity promotions
T2 - How exposure to limited-quantity promotions can induce aggression
AU - Kristofferson, Kirk
AU - Mcferran, Brent
AU - Ketcham, Andrea
AU - Dahl, Darren W.
PY - 2017/2/1
Y1 - 2017/2/1
N2 - Marketers frequently use scarcity promotions, where a product or event is limited in availability. The present research shows conditions under which the mere exposure to such advertising can activate actual aggression that manifests even outside the domain of the good being promoted. Further, we document the process underlying this effect: exposure to limited-quantity promotion advertising prompts consumers to perceive other shoppers as competitive threats to obtaining a desired product and physiologically prepares consumers to aggress. Seven studies using multiple behavioral measures of aggression demonstrate this deleterious response to scarcity promotions.
AB - Marketers frequently use scarcity promotions, where a product or event is limited in availability. The present research shows conditions under which the mere exposure to such advertising can activate actual aggression that manifests even outside the domain of the good being promoted. Further, we document the process underlying this effect: exposure to limited-quantity promotion advertising prompts consumers to perceive other shoppers as competitive threats to obtaining a desired product and physiologically prepares consumers to aggress. Seven studies using multiple behavioral measures of aggression demonstrate this deleterious response to scarcity promotions.
KW - Advertising
KW - Aggression
KW - Consumer promotions
KW - Scarcity
KW - Violence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85026451049&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85026451049&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/jcr/ucw056
DO - 10.1093/jcr/ucw056
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85026451049
VL - 43
SP - 683
EP - 706
JO - Journal of Consumer Research
JF - Journal of Consumer Research
SN - 0093-5301
IS - 5
ER -